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Life-size Mewtwo, graffiti Pikachu welcome us to the newest Pokémon Center megastore in Shibuya

Casey Baseel Nov 30, 2019
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So much awesome merch from the grand opening of Tokyo’s brand-new Pokémon destination!

The other day, I had what I thought was a pretty perfect plan: Wake up early, get to the brand-new Parco shopping center in Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood before the doors opened on opening day, check out Japan’s first-ever dedicated Nintendo store, swing by the new Pokémon Center Shibuya megastore, and be out of there in time for lunch.

Instead, I spent a couple hours standing in the cold and rain while waiting in the entrance line for the Nintendo shop, which stretched onto the roof of the shopping center. After finally leaving the Nintendo store (which was awesome, and totally worth the wait), I went searching for the line to get into the Pokémon Center, and learned that it was so long that its start wasn’t even on the same block as the Parco building.

So a return trip was in order, and thankfully when I came back for revenge on a weekday night at around 8 o’clock, I could waltz right in with no waiting whatsoever.

Each of the Pokémon Center stores has its own specific mascot species, and for Pokémon Center Shibuya, that role is shared by sinister Mewtwo and adorable Mew. It’s Mewtwo who greets visitors when they first arrive, if rocking back and forth in a glass tube, like the powerful Pyschic-type is breathing, can be called a greeting.

If you can summon the courage to step past Mewtwo, things take a much more festive turn with a display of works from Pokémon Center Shibuya’s creative partner, Japanese graffiti artist Number-D.

The urban aesthetic continues as you step through the entryway into the store itself, with graffiti murals of Mew and Mewtwo flanking the passage.

But of course, no matter who the officially designated mascots are, the true star of the show is always Pikachu. The face of the franchise also gets the graffiti treatment, both as canvas…

…and artist, whom I can’t help thinking of as “Graffichu.”

▼ I’m going to give Graffichu the benefit of the doubt and trust that he only creates his art with the blessing of whoever owns the surface he’s spray-painting, unlike some idiots in Shibuya.

Since this is the first Pokémon Center to open since the release of Pokémon Sword and Shield, the game’s starters, Sobble, Scorbunny, and Grookey, as well as its Legendaries, Zacian and Zamazenta, were part of the store’s plush menagerie.

Moving deeper into the store, you’ll find more Shibuya-specific merch, like graffiti art T-shirts, hoodies, cross-body bags, smartphone cases, and water bottles.

Also exclusive to Pokémon Center Shibuya is the Pokémon x Super Mario 8-bit Scramble line.

The conceptual opposite of the Super Mario x Pokémon merch available at the Nintendo store, these items use bit-mapped graphics from old-school Pokémon games as mosaic building blocks for Super Mario artwork.

The cushions are the most dynamic, but you can also get the designs on shirts, bags, coffee mugs, and more.

With 2019 winding down, there’s some cool Japanese New Year’s-themed items on offer, such as Pikachu posing with a kagami mochi stack and mikan orange, both traditional symbols of prosperity displayed in Japanese homes at the start of the year…

…as well as Pikachu, Raichu, and Pichu (a.k.a. Babu Pikachu) subbing for some of Japan’s Seven Gods of Fortune.

▼ Pokémon New Year’s trees and wreaths

In keeping with Shibuya’s reputation as one of Japan’s major fashion centers, there’s a collection of glamorously girlish bags and accessories…

…plus some dazzling, premium-priced Swarovski Crystal-studded pieces.

Finally, on your way to the checkout lines, you’ll spot the best-stocked-ever array of Mew and Mewtwo plushies…

…plus Mew himself gently watching over your transaction from above the registers.

With the Pokémon Center Shibuya having been open for just over a week so far, we can probably expect crowds for some time to come, but with so many Pokémon goodies that’re available nowhere else on the planet, if you a fan of the franchise, your wait in line will be rewarded.

Shop information
Pokémon Center Shibuya / ポケモンセンターシブヤ
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Utagawacho 15-1, Shibuya Parco 6th floor
東京都渋谷区宇田川町15-1 渋谷PARCO6F
Open 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Website

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Follow Casey on Twitter, where he’s partial to the Yokohama Pokemon Center-exclusive Sailor Pikachu.