Shopping In Tokyo

• bring carry-on luggage bag for purchases
• prepare list beforehand (moderately efficient)
• keep notes (not overly efficient but sometimes necessary)
• barcode scanner (very efficient for the truly insane but not useful for doujinshi)
• bring a list of desired manga-ka, doujinshi-ka, titles, items, etc. in English, Japanese and Romaji that you can point out to staff for assistance

Hard copy list which was quickly replaced by a hand scanner

Duplications are going to happen — it’s just a matter of time.  And if you are uncertain, err on the side of caution and otaku madness, and just buy it — you can always sell it or give it away if you discover it’s a duplicate.

Carting the Goods Around

If at all possible, stay in a hotel that is closest to the bulk of the shops that you will be visiting time and time again.  Also invest in a piece of carry on luggage with solid wheels and a size that maximizes space (i.e. leave the cute curved carry on bag at home and bring a nice square-sized carry on).  If you are truly insane, wear a backpack and use a carry on.

You will not be alone.  Most otaku and Harajuku girls have a backback or carry on permanently fixed to their persons, so you won’t be that out of place.  Well, you will be, but perhaps not as much as you think.

Just remember that you will be taking the trains.  When you have a large or heavy load, be considerate of others, and also travel on the trains outside of rush hours.

What Do You Want?

It’s always a good idea to prepare a list of what you want ahead of time.  Said list should be in English and Japanese.  For manga, know the publisher as well.

I find JPQueen very useful for copying and pasting the information, plus a thumbnail of the item is also helpful.

If your interests are more generic, make sure you have English and Japanese written down of your favourite creator or series.  I wouldn’t recognize the kanji for Ogasawara Uki from memory if my life depended on it.  Having the Japanese text (and English) will help when you play “match the kanji” or you can respectfully approach a shop clerk and inquire as to the location of said creator.  If my limited Japanese fails me, I just look really pitiful and politely point to the specific item on my list.

What Did You Buy?

You can try keeping a mental list of what you already own or purchased, or you can try keeping a written list.  You may also opt to simply cross items off your “want list”.

Or… you can be a complete lunatic and bring a handheld barcode scanner which will alert you to duplicates.

Honestly, one of the best organizational investments I’ve ever made was my handheld barcode scanner (this model no longer manufactured).  I can whiz through the manga sections of book shops much faster than I did before, leaving me more time for pawing through the doujin.

Side story: While with a friend of mine who was able to understand Japanese, using my hand scanner in the Shibuya Mandarake, she was translating the announcements that came over the PA system periodically.  Completely deadpan she said at one point, “Crazy red-head Gaijin in aisle four, and she’s got a hand scanner.”

Obsessive otaku know no bounds.

Unfortunately, my handheld barcode scanner is not effective for doujinshi and I usually end up with a number of duplicates.  The more committed of otaku will err on the side of caution and opt to buy instead of not.