impromptu thrifting at shimokitazawa : September 29 2024

have you seen the moon up close?
really really close?
like this close?

this was the experience i had when we visited shimo-kitazawa one fine afternoon.

it has been a while since i got out of my hibernation cave, and it is not winter even.
this sunday, the gang decided to come out for lunch and while at a cafe relaxing, decided to go thrift shopping in an instant.
it was a spur of the moment decision, my clothes were even too pedestrian to go shopping.

shimo-kitazawa (下北沢)

this district has become the go to destination whenever the itch to go shopping on a budget comes.
for the last few years, the district has grown from a very remote rural-esque feel into a modern urban atmosphere while still maintaining the laid back mood of the town.
when before, this place was only known by the locals, now, the area has grown into a sensation even with those visiting from other countries.

the odakyu station

we arrived at the area coming from the odakyu line, the station itself has been renovated a lot.
and art of any form was incorporated even on the station building itself, which sets the mood the moment you get up from the underground platform.
even these simple life size illustrations of ordinary people who frequent the station (i suppose) are fun to watch while riding the escalator.

the main station lobby has this large tile mural of a man and a woman meeting.
it is as if it tells the story that shimo-kitazawa is the place to be to find love and be in love.
it might also mean that this area is were the old meets the new, where simple rural life meets the fast paced urban.
i have tried to find some article on this mural but couldn't find any in english.
my simple japanese skills have betrayed me this time.
nonetheless, these mural have definitely established what shimo-kitazawa is all about.

thrift stores

of course, we came here on an impulse for the shopping so off to the shops we went.
to be perfectly honest, we went inside three shops only, the first two were small ones: we checked and went out quick.
but the third was a very big shop with a wide collection of clothes, shoes, and bags.
it was a black hole, it kept us in as if time stood still, never wanting us to leave.
and that oh so familiar smell of old stuff lingers in the air, getting us addicted.
and we were happy to oblige while sifting through everything wishing to find treasure.
prices were as low as 500 yen (around 3.5 usd), we were happily checking those out.
but there were also designer labels which could go as high as 30 thousand yen (around 210 usd).
yes, designer labels even in thrift stores are way out of my league.

i know of three more shops with good collections of clothes around the area, but they were all closed once we got there.
we have spent such a long time just on the first few shops and we could have went on, but had to stop for the stomach felt hunger.

oh, for those of you who are not so much into thrifting, do not worry.
the area also has brand new clothes shops.
so it caters to all your shopping needs.

food

as mentioned, we got hungry and had to stop the shopping.
we settled for a simple fast food chain, thrift food for people who went on thrifting.
but do not be fooled, this place also has a huge collection of food.
it is the perfect place to shop, eat, shop, eat, on infinite loops.
we even passed by shops which looked like music lounges.
shimo-kitazawa is a bohemian town in all sense from vintage clothes and things, to the laid back atmosphere, to the art, and even to the music.

the art

the station has already displayed some art and the whole town really had this old town vintage mood, very different from the rest of tokyo.
i was even in full appreciation when we passed by this wall of movie posters.
it was a fun nod to the movie culture and a fun way to decorate a wall and liven up the atmosphere.

which brings me back to the moon.
september in japan is the month were people look at the moon.
tsukimi is a japanese tradition which honors the autumn moon.
and shimo-kitazawa is just so special that the moon has decided to come down and be seen up close.
that moon looks just so real, don't you think?
i don't know how they made it, was it printed or projected, i don't know, but they made a great job of having it look so realistic.
it is an extra special way of observing tsukimi or moon-viewing indeed.

i heard there were other art installations as well but it was getting so late.
we had to go home and end the shimo-kitazawa adventure for now.

as for my thrifting, i bought a plaid button shirt and a baggy flowy pants.
@ohlnwwlknat bought more than i did, i even egged him to buy a leather jacket which perfectly fit him.
oops, "urge" would be a better term for it, my bad.

the conclusion?
four hours of shopping is too short, thrifting should be a whole day event.

as always, AMPING KANUNAY!

_{all content is by yours truly unless otherwise specified}

^{all photos are taken with a galaxy s23 ultra}

This report was published via Actifit app (Android | iOS). Check out the original version here on actifit.io

29/09/2024

11287

Daily Activity, Photowalking, Shopping, Walking

Height 168.0 cm		Weight 73 kg		Body Fat 22.7 %
Waist cm		Thighs cm		Chest cm