This is the 2nd part to the short ‘Japan Town’ in Paris series that I recently posted. As I promised in the previous post, this one will be concerning Japanese magazines, movies and books.
First stop is ‘Komikku‘ (Japanese katakana-ized word for Comic) – this store isn’t actually on Rue Saint Anne like the others, however it does join onto it therefore I thought I would mention it. You can find it by turning down beside Starbucks on the main street.
Anyway, Komikku is a small store that claims to offer ‘Anime, Manga and J-Music’. I thought I would pop in quickly so I could tell you guys about it and, well…I was quite disappointed. I’m not a fan of manga/anime myself and this teeny-tiny store seemed to only offer manga. I saw a few anime dvds but no music (apart from anime soundtracks). That’s not really a big deal but the sign boasts this, and yet they had none.
They did have a large and very cute selection of bento boxes, recipe books and accessories though! ♥
Next is Marugen. Unfortunately the store was closed when I visited. It looked as though they were moving some stock, but the owner mentioned that it would be open the following day. They are a brand from Osaka that offer casual Tobi wear for men and women. For those who don’t know, 鳶 (Tobi) is the name usually given to construction workers and their clothing – example.
I did take a peek inside though and I was surprised by the rich textures they had on display. It reminded me of an Asakusa market stall with all the rich, traditional fabric they had used, along with tshirts, various sized 招き猫 and other ornaments, infact I didn’t see much of the ‘Tobi’ influence at all.
But the real reason I went was…
Purikura~
The lovely Natalie from Juicy Blog was very kind to let me know that there is purikura in Paris, and whereas I wasn’t surprised (they have it London, so why not Paris?!) I was very happy to know the location. Obviously I didn’t get to try it out (as they were closed) but I plan to next time!
She mentioned that it was an old machine, which you can see from the examples on the door. Even so, with the price being from only 5€ it is a lot cheaper than the one in London and you can still decorate your photos as much as you like.
I’ve not yet tried out any of the karaoke booths/salons in Japan Town/the surrounding area. However my friends have mentioned that there are a few and are keen to go, so maybe I will be posting about that soon. I really miss karaoke~
Sorry, I couldn’t take photos inside
Now onto one of my favourite stores in ‘Japan Town’ – Book Off!
Some of you may already know of Book Off – it is a successful chain store in Japan, which has also branched outside of the country…obviously. They offer Japanese language books, textbooks and revision guides, anime, manga, Japanese music, memorabilia, Japanese dvds and fashion magazines!
I was really pleased by this Book Off as they have so much stock. Their cd and dvd collection is amazing! I don’t really listen to Japanese music or watch Japanese dramas/movies as avidly as I used to, but if I did I would certainly be wasting some hard-earned cash here! Not only that but they offer foreign films with Japanese dubbing (usually blockbusters and Disney), which is great for those practising Japanese.
Their choice of fashion magazines is good. They don’t have as much as the Japanese Centre in London but they have quite a bit, although the last 3 times I have been in they haven’t had any recent Gal magazines. They also stock recent mooks for those who want special catalogues and gifts. Of course they all come at a price; 15€ is the average magazine price, around 20€ for mooks (sometimes cheaper, especially for older ones).
However I was most impressed by their selection of back-issues. They had TONS! I found at least 3 from each popular Gal magazine (and more from others) – most for only 4 or 5€..and this was for issues from only 2-3months ago. Of course they’re not completely up-to-date but what was usually in around 2-3months ago is usually still good to go…or you can just add any issues you missed to your library. Bargain!
Hello!Project and AKB48 Merchandise in the window
– I also need to visit and have been recommended Junku, which I’ve been told stocks a lot of Japanese language books and some magazines also.
– Another place to find Manga, Anime and Japanese music CDs is fnac.com in Chatelet’s ‘Forum Des Halles‘ – I’ve only been to that store but they do sell it on their online store too, so it’s more than likely that they also stock similar things in other stores.
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to find any stores that stock Japanese cosmetics, but if you live in Paris (or have visited) and know anywhere, please let me know!
