Star Wars in Japan: Merchandise and More

When I moved to Japan two years ago, I had no idea there had been a Celebration Japan held in Tokyo in 2008.  I didn’t know there was such a thing as a Japanese Star Wars fanbase.  I had never even given it any thought.  But truth be told, when I moved to Japan, I wasn’t really thinking about Star Wars at all.  I was too busy worrying about getting a place to live, cell phone, means of transportation, and sorting out my cat’s quarantine paperwork.  That’s not even including the process of overcoming culture shock and my sudden limited ability to read or communicate.  But that’s beside the point.

The point is, the longer I live here, the more the Japanese fandom surprises me – in a good way!

The biggest telltale sign of the fandom’s presence is the merchandise.  The Japanese love collectibles.  This combined with their love of Star Wars has culminated into a grand medley of unique SW items.  It’s pretty fantastic.
Some examples of the more unique merchandise you might find include:
Ear buds, business card cases, light switch stickers, illuminated lightsaber chopsticks, bento (lunch) boxes, handkerchiefs, glasses cases, stationary, slippers, light-side/dark-side cup ramen, and lightsaber pocky.

 

Checking out collectibles and novelty chain stores like Hobby Off, Village Vanguard, Don Quijote, and Kiddy Land is a guaranteed way to find SW swag.  And Harajuku, in my opinion, is one of the best locations to find SW shops and merchandise.  For instance, off the famed Takeshita street, you can find a vendor selling funky SW t-shirts (my favorite had a Stormtrooper riding a stolen AT-AT away from a pouting Vader) or a multi-level store, called The World Connection, selling SW socks, flash drives, at least seven different SW mugs, and more.

At the entrance of Harajuku Street I ran across this skateboard shop with about ten different SW skateboards in its display window.

Beyond that is a fantastic high-end collectibles store called Toy Sapiens.

But probably the most diverse trove can be found in the supersized Kiddy Land on Omotesando Street.  Don’t be fooled by the name, it’s a store for people of all ages!  There, an entire corner of the third floor is devoted to SW swag.

But really, I’ve come to conclude you can find SW just about anywhere in Tokyo (or any urban area, for that matter) whether it’s down the side streets of Shinjuku, the collectibles shops of Akihabara, the novelty stores in Odaiba, or even in the mall in my own small suburban town.
Though some of the best discoveries are the ones found by accident. Perhaps my favorite find was down one of those side streets in Shinjuku, where friends and I happened upon a small collectibles shop.  There, past all the One Piece and Batman merchandise I found some Ralph McQuarrie concept action figures.  Definitely a win.

Other fun finds have been the skateboard shop in Harajuku and several “kyatcha” capsule machines in Akihabara Station.  Probably the most random encounter happened when, one day, one of those capsule machines simply appeared in my favorite kaiten sushi restaurant.  Like I said, Star Wars in Japan continually surprises me!

 

So, where there’s merchandise, there must be fans, right?  Of course!  Despite having little opportunity to speak directly with Japanese fans (my Japanese speaking skills leave much to be desired), they’ve still managed to make a great impression.

For example, while checking out a local Halloween Block Party, I spied a roaming Darth Vader, some impeccably attired Jedi, and the cutest little Ewok cosplay I have ever seen.  I am still kicking myself for being too shy to ask for a picture.  I did get a photo, however, of this entourage overseeing the local Tanabata festival:

Perhaps the most impressive display by SW fans, though, is the enormous snow sculpture made by the Japanese Army for the Sapporo Snow Festival.  You can check it out here: http://www.boredpanda.com/giant-star-wars-snow-sculpture-sapporo-festival-japan/ .  I think it’s safe to say that a 3,500 ton SW snow sculpture is a sign that the Japanese fandom is alive and kicking.  Not sure, America, but we might have to step up our game!

Living in Japan has been a truly enriching experience, but it’s not always easy.  For the last two years I’ve learned much about Japanese culture, etiquette, and language, but that hasn’t always prevented me from making a fool out of myself (I could reeaally use a protocol droid…).  But despite my difficulties, blunders, and misunderstandings, and despite our differences in speech, conduct, and dress, I know with certainty that I can find common ground in our ability to appreciate a good story.  And in the end, sharing a love for the Star Wars Adventure has made this American feel just a little more at home in Japan.

 

featured image source: hardwaresphere.com

 

 

The Cantina Cast

The wretched hive your Jedi Master warned you about!