Visiting the flagship Kiddy Land for the Funassyiland within it once more! :)

  

One of my favorite stores in Tokyo :)

 

The "land" within Kiddy Land that was my main reason to visit :)

 

Even before I became aware of the existence of Funassyi, I had already considered visits to the flagship Kiddy Land over in Harajuku to be a "must do" on my visits to Tokyo.  But now that I am very much aware of the existence of Funassyi and the fact that that Kiddy Land is home to a Funassyiland, it has become even more of a "must not" miss; this even though there is a larger Funassyiland not too far over in the Pear (Fairy)'s hometown of Funabashi -- which technically is in Chiba Prefecture but which still counts for many as being part of the Greater Tokyo area! 

 

So it should be no surprise that I went there once more on this recent Japan trip -- and on the first full day of the trip too!  Indeed, the only reason why it was not the very first place that I went to that day is because Kiddy Land only opens at 11am; two hours later than Shinjuku Gyoen!        

 

When I finally got over there, I found that the Funassyiland there is now on the second floor of the building rather than the first floor, as was previously the case.  (A note: the Japanese use the same method of counting building floors as the Americans -- so that the first floor is what the British would call the ground floor, the second floor what the British would call the first floor, etc.)  Also, it's smaller in size now than it was on my previous visits.    

At the same time, the part of the Harajuku Kiddy Land that has been designated as a Funassyiland still is crammed with Funassyi merch (that includes -- but is no means confined to -- cute plushies of various sizes; instead, there are such as chopstick holders, kitchenware, smartphone covers, fans, various types of staionary, bags, t-shirts, Hawaiian shirts, caps, hats, slippers, etc. with Funassyi's face on them!) -- and brought a smile to my face; and this especially as the merch included the one thing I absolutely wanted to get on this trip: i.e., next year's Funassyi calendar!  

 

So 2024 will be the seventh year in a row that I will have a Funassyi calendar in my possession.  For yes, I got Funassyi calendars for 2021, 2022 and 2023 (as well as 2018, 2019 and 2020).  How, you might want to know, since I didn't make trips to Japan -- or, for that matter, anywhere outside of Hong Kong -- in 2020, 2021 and 2022?  In short: with a little help from friends who live in Japan!

 

Here's the thing: While there is an online Funassyiland (i.e., the Funassyiland webs shop), it doesn't ship outside of Japan.  So I've had to get Japan-based friends to place orders for me and then, after receiving my order, send them over to me.  Most times, this kind of thing isn't too difficult -- but there was one year when air mail service between Hong Kong and Japan was suspended for a time. (Thanks, Covid -- not!)  And so my Funassyi Calendar had to be sent by sea mail; prompting me to worry that it wouldn't arrive in time for the start of the new year and my friend to ask, "What's next?  We use pigeon post?!"   

That joke wasn't as funny then as it is now that regular postal services have resumed -- and I myself, not just my Funassyiland order, can fly between Hong Kong and Japan!  And I also have to say that while it was nice that I wasn't completely cut off from my Funassyi merch supply between 2020 and 2022, it really is so much nicer to be able to visit a Funassyiland in person and be able to look around, and see what else there is in the shop to entice me! :D