There’s always a distinct excitement when I’m given the opportunity to share some new piece of news relating to my personal favorite Tokyo-based fashion store, PARK Harajuku. It’s my own little treasure trove of niche goodies, and has ultimately gone on to define almost my entire wardrobe through their new age internet-otaku styles. Not a single friend of mine can step foot into Tokyo without making the holy pilgrimage to the Harajuku-based store — though I guess that might not be the case much longer, now that PARK is officially teaming up with Tokyo Otaku Mode to make their goods available online for international audiences.
Falling right alongside the stores focus, an internet-connected age of “Creation x Fashion x Otaku”, and seemingly perfectly coinciding with the announcement of their upcoming anime project Urahara, the news of this collaboration is definitely welcomed in my eyes. “I can’t be certain about the percentages for in-store customers, but I do know about 30% of our website traffic comes from international viewers” shares PARK Harajuku co-owner Kazuki Kanayama, in regards to the questions about why the timing seemed so right for this collaboration with Tokyo Otaku Mode. Their looks have largely gone on to define the new-age Harajuku movements, and it’s extremely exciting to see that very movement expanding overseas as well.
Whilst you won’t necessarilly find the exact stock you would find in-store, you’ll at least find every piece of actual PARK-branded fashion and accessories. Each piece of gear made available through Tokyo Otaku Mode will feature either the stores mascot characters, the stars of the upcoming Urahara anime, an adaptation of the Crunchyroll-published PARK Harajuku Crisis Team, or characters stemming from the brands numerous collaborative efforts. If you’re interested in checking out the online store, you can find it on the official Tokyo Otaku Mode webpage, made available here. If you’re interested in checking out PARK Harajuku’s in-store location, you can also find them on Twitter, here.