Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Conquering Japan and renovations


As most of you should know I'm opening a store here in Adelaide called Tokyo Hardcore which imports the best goth, lolita, cyber and punk brand clothing from Japan, as well as supporting local clothing and accessory designers who work within these styles. I'm really excited about it, I've been working on it since April with my partner and we're (finally) going to be open by the end of the month!

It started off when I spent a month in Perth with my partner Craig, I can't remember when the idea first came to me but I remember listening to a lot of Kerli and lots of long walks and ranting conversations. Before I knew it we had a business plan, a translator, a credit card, and were booking flights to Japan to go meet the brands. It was scary and exhilarating and hard freaking work, but of the nine brands we had meetings with we got every single one agree to be our stockist. It was a pretty incredible feeling meeting these people who I've looked up to for so long across a table on equal ground, I was nervous sometimes (especially for the first meeting which was with Angelic Pretty, my favourite brand) but it was a lot of fun too.

We also got to spend a bit of time exploring, here's some pictures of fun things in Tokyo and Osaka:
The alpacas everyone is so into right now! These ones were little sailors.

View of the Shibuya scramble crossing from the station.

Map of the Tokyo rail lines.
Protip:
It looks terrifying until you realise for most of  your touristing purposes you only need the circle in the middle.

An empty store in Ura-Hara, I just about jizzed my pants. Oh the possibilities!

The top of Takeshita Dori in Harajuku.
They always have some kind of awesome balloon sculpture, it's  rad.

Craig out the front of the Takuya Angel store.
What a happy little cyber boy!

Oh McDonalds, Y U B so crazy?

Takeshita Dori, it's like shopping in a mosh pit.
Wolfgang Puck, the restaurant on the right, is one of my favourite Italian places to eat in Tokyo as they have  what I affectionately call GOD BURGER!!

Me eating ramen near the hotel. Really tasty.

Cat cafe!!! \m/

Don Quixote in Osaka selling a very interesting brand of false nails. 

The puppy is called Otoosan and is the mascot for Softbank, a  phone company.  That in the back? His wife.

Craig couldn't get over the idea of elephants cleaning up Shinjuku.

Weird alleyway/bridge in Kabukicho leading back to the main bit of Shinjuku, very quiet and odd but pretty. 

Craig going nuts for the giant Hatsune Miku in the Sony arcade building in Akihabara.

Some of the decorations inside Christon Cafe, Shinjuku.


A glam rock band playing in Shibuya. We came too late to see a fashion parade but these guys were hilarious!

Stores don't like you taking pictures, but because it was late we managed to get this one of Angelic Pretty Osaka.

Dotonbori in Osaka, so many restaurants!

River that runs parallel to Dotonbori, was really really pretty.

I gots me some Vivienne, woohoo!!

Coolest pockets ever, found in Urahara.

Train station near the Black Peace Now head office, isn't it just like in  all the anime?

Heading home again, so exhausted from the trip.



Before we left I had already found the shop that I wanted to rent, it's gorgeous and perfect and you'll all see when it's open. Alas, it was also in pretty dodgy condition so we've been spending the last couple of months fixing it up. The floors especially gave me nightmares, they were horrible cheap office-grey carpet and when I pulled it up the floorboards were untreated, uneven, paint-stained monstrosities! Thankfully the contractor we got in was able to fix them up and now they look wonderful and shiny and don't creak anymore.

We've also been painting and slowly acquiring all our shop fittings, getting insurance, sorting out signage and bags and all kinds of things like that. So much time and effort goes into all the little things you take for granted when you go into a store, and I love that I can spend time getting all these tiny little details perfect.

Did I mention we're wanting to throw one hell of an opening party?
I am actually Pinkie Pie by the way, did you know? 

8 comments:

  1. oii su poo, make sure you let me know when youre opening so i can book that shit off! <3

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  2. hell yea a pinkie pie party ^^
    can't wait, all you guys hard-work will pay off and it shall be fantastically awesome :D <3

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  3. I will, I promise! ^___^ It'll be a weekend by the end of the month though <3

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  4. One day I will go to Adelaide for the first time just to see your store! It's going to be awesome!

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  5. Yaaaaay, I can't wait till you can visit one day! :D <3

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  6. I cannot wait to see the shop when it's done! And to see all the stock and just die of awesome overload! x

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  7. so excited about Tokyo Hardcore!! XD
    And your photos of Japan make my mouth water... cant. wait. to. go.
    <3 <3 <3

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  8. Ahhhh, this makes me miss Japan so much!! 懐かしい~~

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