Best Lolita Shopping Experiences in Japan

Whilst I don't want to become that person, I have just been to Japan and obviously shopped there as much as I could afford do. I visited so many branches of the well-known and much loved brands and retailers, but they are not all made equal. The experiences at some of those were far better than others and I want to highlight the really good ones. This isn't to say that the other branches are bad or that the staff there were rude - just that those particular branches on the days I visited were more welcoming, friendly, and helpful than the other ones. Whilst my experience is heavily tinted by the fact that I can communicate in Japanese and did visit every one of these while dressed in frills of some sort, I am also quite confident that should you try to retrace my footsteps, you would have just as good a time. In no particular order then:

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels.com.

Physical Drop HQ

Map of where the branch is, taken from Physical Drop's Instagram.

Sure, you're not always guaranteed to bump into Kato-san whilst there, but you never know, there's always a chance. But even if you don't, shopping at Physical Drop was such a lovely experience that I think everyone would enjoy. One thing to bear in mind is that the branch is teeny-tiny and you'll have to take your shoes off, so prepare for that. But once you're in, it feels quite cosy to be surrounded by rails filled with clothes. The whole place really has a homely vibe, it feels more like being at a bring and buy in someone's house than going to a shop - except that you can pay with a credit card. Just be careful, seeing the little bits that you don't always get to see at the online outlets combined with the staff’s friendliness will entice you to buy more than what you planned for! That being said, although Physical Drop can't do your shopping tax free, I did receive a 10% discount, basically equivalent to a tax free shop. They so didn't have to do that and because they are absolute lovelies, they did. In case it wasn't obvious, I'm still not over how nice that whole experience was.

Atelier Pierrot Osaka

Atelier Pierrot Osaka as seen on Google Streetview.

This one I actually visited twice: first at the start of my trip and then at the end. Both times I ended up buying things and both times I met really lovely staff (different people each time too, so this recommendation definitely extends beyond just a one-off visit). The staff were eager to explain things, whether what may have already been written on a sign like the sale details or what was just laid out on the table like accessories, as well as encouraging to at least try things against your body in the mirror. Also, only Osaka Atelier Pierrot could collaborate with a local brewery for a New Year's campaign! That's not something that's on all the time, just a little tidbit from when I went that made me laugh a little. But they've done it once, they might do it again…

Hoshibako Works, Sunshine City, Ikebukuro

Hoshibako Works Ikebukuro, taken from a post on their Twitter feed.

Having been under the impression that Atelier Pierrot was the only retailer of Hoshibako Works in Japan, I was surprised to stumble upon not one, but two branches: one in Yokohama and one in Ikebukuro. (There may be more, I haven't checked.) Let's be honest, both are great, but it's the one in Ikebukuro where I felt almost instantly invited to spend money at. I was approached by a staff member pretty early on, who was helpful in pointing out where the things that I was interested in were. She also helped me try stuff on and encouraged by my ability to communicate in Japanese, was very curious about the state of lolita fashion abroad. The enthusiasm for the fashion was so clear and to learn that there are lolitas in the UK hosting regular meetups seemed to have made her day a little. It's this connection over something that we both enjoy that made the experience so lovely and I have a feeling that it would transcend language barriers. That particular corner of Sunshine City is unexpectedly frilly as right behind is a To Alice branch, so even if Hoshibako Works isn't your style, a visit is definitely worth it.

BtSSB Yokohama

BtSSB Yokohama, taken from BtSSB's website.

In total I visited 6 BtSSB branches and bought something at 3 of them. So for this one I feel like I absolutely know what I'm talking about. Generally my experiences at BtSSB were far better than at AP, like, across the board better. But the warm atmosphere at Yokohama takes the crown for me. It certainly helped that there were other people shopping at the same time because I could see that the treatment wasn't exclusive to me. The staff were chatting with people, showing off possible styling options and encouraging to try things on where possible. And when I went to pay for my things, I was complimented on my Chrysanthemum's Concerto beret with genuine admiration (and even more so when I explained that it was handmade by a friend). Yokohama is generally pretty chill, both as a city and the particular shopping centre where the lolita brands are, so if you’re only going to Tokyo, but want a much nicer shopping experience, absolutely make the short trip to Yokohama. You won't regret it.

Angelic Pretty Sannomiya (Kobe)

Angelic Pretty Sannomiya, picture is my own.

I know what people are really after. And I know that sweet lolitas yearn for that lovely experience of shopping at the most famous of brands. But the sad fact is that at most of the AP branches that I've been to my experience has been cool to say the least. At some branches I didn’t even get an irasshaimase, which honestly felt like a deliberate slight. Except at Sannomiya. Finally I did not feel like my mere presence was making the staff jump off their seats to sort of follow me around with their eyes, as if expecting that I'll knock something off or knowing that I won't spend my money there. The staff were welcoming from the moment I entered and were pointing out bits with a smile. When it came to paying, they even suggested that the whole department store has an app that gives new members 1000 yen off coupon (which I ultimately couldn't get, but it was still nice of them to point it out). If you want that dream shopping at Angelic Pretty experience, honestly, skip Tokyo altogether and as much as it pains me to say it, skip Osaka, and jump straight on a train to Kobe.

A quick note about Closet Childs

Closet Child Osaka, picture is my own.

Whilst Angelic Pretty is where all the sweet lolitas want to shop at, Closet Child is where everyone wants to go to. This time I can proudly say that I visited all branches but one (CC Yokohama and I just could not align our schedules). And I can't say that any of them were particularly exceptional. What is essential to note is that CC Harajuku now operates a policy whereby most of its big brand items are behind ropes and accessible only to staff. There are QR codes to let you browse what's there, so make sure to have Internet access; none of the other ones do that. That being said, CC Harajuku had, in my opinion, the best selection: large, with plenty of popular/newer prints, lots of sweet, but also a fair bit of classic and gothic too… I also found that they had some of the cheapest bits – I've been on a particular lookout for things like Axes Femme tops and where other branches had them at a ¥1000-2000 mark, Harajuku had plenty under ¥1000. That being said, the staff at CC Harajuku were utterly disinterested in any of the customers until they came to the checkout, same with Shinjuku. Ikebukuro and Osaka were better about that, but were still relatively cool, even when you compare that to walking into just a random shop in places like LaForet (I've had some of my sweetest interactions with staff in shops with a more edgy kind of J-fashion). CC Shinjuku, whilst quiet, doesn’t have that much to offer, so I'd say to check out the other ones instead. Maybe Yokohama, with all the other loveliness I encountered there, is the hidden gem to aim for. But I'd say overall treat going to Closet Child in as business-like a manner as you can: go in, browse, then either buy or leave. This is not the place for idle chatter or a cute lolita connection moment (maybe with another customer, but they too are there on a mission).

Final Words

Now, did I make a purchase at each of those places? Yes, you bet that I did. However, despite being on the lookout for things from these brands anyway, I specifically shopped at these branches and not always at others. The main reason for that being precisely the nice atmosphere and treatment that I received there.

An honourable mention goes out to the KERA Shop at Shinjuku Marui Annex where I didn't buy anything in the end, but really wanted to. Both the large selection of brands and items, and the approachable staff were very inviting to part with my money, it just came down to not finding anything that I actually wanted or that would've fit me. But not once have I felt like an imposition or felt like the staff were following me with a bit of suspicion, in fact they were just as nice as at Atelier Pierrot Osaka, for example, so had they had something to tickle my fancy I would've been throwing my money at them hard.

Wherever you decide to shop whilst on a trip to Japan, the customer service culture there will guarantee you a positive experience. Especially when you look like you could be the shop's target audience and not a wanderer (i.e. when you're dressed in lolita/J-fashion). It could also be that by the time you go, staff will change or people will have a better/worse day and your experiences will differ from mine. But if you were to ask me where to go to maximise your chances of having that great lolita shopping time we're all dreaming of – these are the places I'd recommend.