L. M. Lloyd

This was actually the first shop I hit on my trip, and it was a nice one. Actually, there are two shops a few blocks from each other, as shown on the map. One of the shops is just manga and magazines, and the other is general manga and anime related goods. I suppose I should say a bit about what Animate is for those who don't know. It is kind of the Barnes & Nobel of the anime scene. There are a ton of them all over Japan, and they have a pretty good selection of all the newest stuff. It isn't really the place to go if you are looking for a specific obscure piece, but it is a fantastic place to go if you are just browsing for what cool stuff is out. They have them all over Japan, so there really isn't any excuse not to stop in and check one out. Some of the stores in places like Shibuya, Akiba, and Ikebukuro are bigger than the rest, but by American standards, they are all pretty decent shops. The two stores in Shibuya are particularly nice, because they aren't as crowded as the one in Akiba. The isles are bigger, and it is much more comfortable to just leisurely browse. They also seem to have a pretty good selection of music at most of the Animate stores, if you are into that sort of thing, which I am not. On the whole, a pretty decent place to check out if you are looking for a one-stop shop for your anime geekery.

See a map after the jump.

I have to say, the most surprising and wonderful thing I found on my trip to Tokyo had nothing at all to do with anime. It was the store Tokyu Hands. This has to be the coolest store ever created by man. It is a little hard to explain, because it is such a weird concept, but I will do my best. First, you start with a huge department store. Each floor is devoted to a particular type of product, just like most department store. So far, nothing special. What is special, is the type of stuff they have. I have never before seen a store where I could buy a nice suitcase, some office supplies, a bicycle, a couple Gundam models, some custom laser-cut wood, casting resin, a vacuum chamber for casting, a nice messenger bag, and a new couch, all under one roof! It really is pretty breathtaking. Not only that, but it is some really cool stuff. Whoever is the buyer for Tokyu Hands, has a very interesting, and quite good, sense of taste. I saw more unique and interesting things under that one roof than you would normally see in any ten other shops. If you are going to Tokyo, check out Tokyu Hands. Just be prepared for a long slog, because the store in Shibuya is something like eight floors high, but hey, they have a restaurant in there, so you can take a break and get some food if it wears you out. I also checked out the one in Ikkebukuro, and it was something like seven floors, with a pet shop on top. It is really worth checking out.

See a map after the jump.

So, previously I had voiced some confusion about the two different locations for Cospa shops in Shibuya in my KMZ. It turns out, there really are two different Cospa Shops within a few blocks of each other. See, there are two fundamentally different types of Cospa shops. They have their GeeStores, which sell mainly the cool pop-culture type stuff, like anime-themed T-shirts, hats, pins, and so forth, and then they have their Cospatio shops, which sell the creepy actual cosplay costumes and paraphernalia. By the way, sorry to all my friends who cosplay, but it is just a creepy hobby. You are fine people and all, but it's still creepy.

Anyway, if you are looking for creepy costumes in Shibuya, then go to the store in the South, and slightly east part of this map. If you are a normal person looking for some cool shirts, go to the GeeStore back behind Tokyu Hands in the North, and slightly west part of this map. If you stand at the back entrance of Tokyu Hands (the section where they sell messenger bags and backpacks) then you will be able to see the GeeStore on the second floor of the building right across the street from the exit.

See a map after the jump.