I Left My Heart in Tokyo: Gyaru Life in Shibuya!

I remember the excitement building as I stood grasping onto the train handles, counting down the stops on the Yamanote line to Shibuya. I have been waiting for this moment ever since I found out about gyaru – it is the birthplace of gyaru after all, and I couldn’t wait to be walking along Shibuya crossing in front of my beloved Shibuya 109. After we stepped off at Shibuya station I whizzed straight to see Hachiko, the world’s most loyal dog! The story about how he waited for his master years after his death at Shibuya station is one of my favourites, and struck several heartstrings when I finally saw the statue in person.

And then it was time to join the crowd of people at Shibuya crossing to walk towards the beacon of all things gyaru – Shibuya 109. And I was extremely disappointed.

Okay extremely disappointed might be a bit of an over-statement but just imagine me, bursting with excitement at the thought of seeing gyaru everywhere (lol silly Lizzie, how can you think they were everywhere?) Well, maybe there were more than I actually saw but my heart dropped at the sight of larme-kei-styled shops taking over gyaru shops in Shibuya 109. Shibuya 109 should be our haven, and even D.I.A (one of the most extravagant gyaru brands) was looking watered down.

But as soon as I got to one of the top floors my spirits lifted; there, standing right in front of me, was MA*RS. Finally. My dream store. I wrote about my excitement a lot more in my Japan haul post but I’ve been waiting for the moment to buy MA*RS clothes in person ever since I fell in love with it many years ago. I also saw Risamero in person and got a picture with the shop staff before going off to spend even more money in DaTuRa.

More pics on my haul post!

I have to be honest with you – I felt rather insignificant in comparison. The gyaru shop staff were flawless. You could tell they were gyaru: from the way they walked and the way they dressed, and I remember thinking that I was the worst gyaru in the world. I pushed this out of my mind and focussed on enjoying myself in Shibuya; I met up with my friend Emmie whom I missed so much for a lovely burger and then Barbie purikura, and a few days later I was chilling with the lovely gyarusa, Akipoyo! I had so much fun, and soon I forgot all about how depressed I was about my looks. Hell, I was too busy eating yummy food, buying glitzy things and taking pretty purikura!

I know that I am not the only one feeling this and even though I’m struggling with the concept of accepting myself as who I am as a gyaru, I will always encourage you to be happy with yourself. Call me a hypocrite, an idiot, whatever you want, but the thing about this blog is that it’s a way for me to write about my chaotic thoughts and admit that I am a huge mess sometimes. I’m on an emotional rollercoaster but I try my best to look at the positives!

Have you been to Shibuya before? What did you think of it? And have you ever doubted yourself as being gyaru? Let me know in the comments below!

Lizzie Bee xx // facebook / twitter / instagram / bloglovin’