Editor Pick
Snoopy Town
I have been to Camp Snoopy in the Mall of America. I have been to Camp Snoopy in Knott’s Berry Farm. But Snoopytown in Harajuku holds a special place in my heart because… you can’t get this stuff in America!
We started with baby clothes, bibs, and children’s items. We do not yet have children but are expecting. Am I ever glad that I snatched up the most adorable Snoopy and Woodstock bibs because they are not available here at home.
Then we moved onto Snoopy stationery. Paper products sell like hotcakes in Japan. The compact nature of paper products works well in a society where space is at a premium. For me, paper products packed nicely in my suitcase.
The housewares section broke my heart. Knowing that transporting ceramics bore an inherent risk of breakage, I sadly passed up the Japanese style bowls, tea sets, and dinnerware, all emblazoned with adorable images of Peanuts.
Car accessories such as cell phone holders and rear view mirror adornments intrigued us as we discovered new ways to spend money on items that do nothing for practical purposes but will evoke a response like, “That is so cute!”
Clothes outfits for stuffed Snoopys reminded us that Charles Schulz had created a dynamic and entertaining character who could assume a variety of identities. Detective Snoopy, World War I Flying Ace, Doctor Snoopy, and Legal Beagle all had outfits available.
Suddenly I realized that my size as a huge foreigner in Japan worked against me. The most adorable Snoopy aloha print dress that I saw displayed could never fit me because of my giant girth as an American. The largest size available hovered around a size 8 (what the staff might call a large size). Had I attempted to try on the garment, I would have popped every seam in the tiny dress and ended up looking like a castaway.
Despite my failure to wear Japanese sizes and the sobering reminder that by losing half my size, I could succeed in dressing in Japanese Snoopy clothes, I found so many treasures at Snoopytown. The biggest surprise was when our good friend presented me with an adorable Snoopy wall clock, complete with images of chocolate chip cookies. We carted the clock all the way back to California and it hangs in our bedroom as a reminder of the best store in Tokyo for a crazed Snoopy fanatic like me.
From journal So, What Else is in Tokyo Besides Disneyland?