Tags
Cat Cafe, Jason Wu, Pandas, Porter Bag, Shamwow, Target, Tokyu Hands
There is one store in the States where I can buy make-up, towels, light bulbs, cake mix, yoga pants, and beer. Yes, the Target in Atlantic Center sells beer.
The super chain retailer which is headquartered in Minnesota has become a useful and trend setting store. (only 3 days until Jason Wu sales start online) I try to support local shops but occasionally the one stop shop is just more convenient.
Since moving I have finally found my new ‘it’ shop. Tokyu Hands has a different focus than Target, but has an amazing selection! I’d compare it to a combination of Target, Hobby Lobby and CVS.
In 1976 Tokyu Hands opened it’s first shop in Shibuya. What starting as a ‘DIY’ shop, emphasis on craft and hobby projects, is now a much larger store. Today, the flagship store in Shibuya boasts 7 floors and hosts a wide range of products.
I first came to Tokyu Hands to find curtains for our home. Since we are only spending a year in the space I did not want to invest a terrible amount. As you can see, there are alot of options here! I had never seen so many ready made white and sheer curtains in one place.
What started as a curtain mission really turned into a fun shopping experience. Here are just some of the offerings at Tokyu Hands.
Shells! These could be used as is or added to a craft project. I still have a small glass cube from Atlantic City that contains small sea shells, sand and a little plastic sun. It would be fun to make a more modern version. Here is an example of a sand prism I adore.
This entire wall is filled with jewelry clasps, hooks, beads, and tools. Any jeweler would be happy to spend an afternoon shopping here.
Whenever Mr. Cakes visits the store, I know where to find him! The top floor has miniature models, chemistry sets, and all sorts of kits that he like.
Art supplies fill an entire floor. It’s always fun to wander around and find something to start a project with! I picked out two pastels. Guess which colors!
Here are some leather scraps from the craft floor. There was a demo on embossing leather during my last visit.
As a bag hound it is always a pleasure to peruse the 5th floor. Along with all the hobby and craft materials, Tokyu Hands also carries luggage and bags. Porter is a fantastic Japanese brand, much like Jack Spade is to the USA. Porter bags come in a range of styles, materials, and colors.
I have had my eye on this tote for a while now. Medium and Large are pictured below. Both of these will look better with a little wear and tear!
For all of my new adventures and day trips I have been in the market for a cross body bag. Every trip to the store I stare at this bag by Grips. I’m thinking it might just be the one. Time to ask myself, what holiday is coming up. . .
I found this backpack in the kid section. Who knew an enlarged yellow plastic zipper could be so cute!
This store is truly a variety of fun, functional, crafty and more. In the home section you can find this ash tray stand and a whole corner with laundry tools. I’ll have a full entry on laundry sometime soon. Oh, and Japan is not immune to infomercial products. The ‘Shamwow’ was hung on the wall under ‘best sellers’ – must really work!
These graphic printed fabrics are used for Furoshiki. Which is wrapping a gift with fabric. It is a very special and might I add ‘green’ way of gift giving or even transporting something.
Another floor that I spend a lot of time on is the Stationary floor. This is only a small section of the panda cards. I mean, who doesn’t find pandas adorable! When I was young I had a collection of stuffed panda bears. All of which had names that began with P! So picking up a few pandy cards and mailing them to friends and family is always fun!
Although it is February (Valentine’s month), this sticker section of hearts is up all year round! I like the gold puffy ones in the center.
Right as I was leaving the store I saw these cute little bunny cookies. Funnily enough they are called ‘Cute Rabbit Cookie’. These would be perfect for my pal Bunny Cain. It’s not hard to come up with a deserving reason to treat her! She is a Head Start teacher in NYC.
With all these amazing products in one place I can easily walk in for a specific item and walk out with a full bag. The Tokyu Hands in Ikebukuro has a Cat Cafe on the top floor. That will be a perfect spot for the NOLA Cat Crew to see when they arrive later this month! I just can’t wait to sharing this store with visitors!