Hey Hive/Steemit!
If you didn't catch the last couple of posts, this series is about
our trip to Tokyo (again) way back in August 2016, when we went there
for a short international exchange program called Promoting Asian
Leadership (PAL) with Keio University! The program was a week long, but
we went there a few days ahead of time to explore and revisit our
favourite places.
So last week, we started our journey through the Snoopy Museum in
Roppongi, Tokyo! And coincidentally, we went there on the exact day when
it was Snoopy's birthday! What a happy coincidence!
As a longtime fan of the PEANUTS comics, it was fun learning about
Charles Schulz and how he came up with the idea behind one of the most
iconic comic strip series of all time. And seeing some of my favourite
strips blown up to such a huge size on the museum walls was so cool too!
But anyway, the last post was getting long with so many pictures, so
here's the continuation, which starts with us checking out the museum's
gift shop!
10 August 2016. Tuesday.
The gift shop was surprisingly huge! I guess it makes sense, since
it's the only place in the museum where people can spend money.
But man, they had all sorts of merchandise! From totes and soaps to plushies and books and mugs; you name it!
I liked that they kept up the minimalist, hardwood style decor in the
gift shop as well. Even though this place was packed with merch and not
as neat or spacious as the rest of the museum, it was still pleasant to
look at, especially with all the snippets from the comics.
I was tempted to buy a lot of the merch but my logical and practical
brain stopped me from making a lot of impulse purchases that day. I
guess the exorbitant prices also helped but still.
They had quite a lot of cool stuff though, like these framed comic strips.
And these cute little figurines!
There was even a whole wall with different printed cards! I'm not sure who even still gives cards anymore, but it's still nice to see and receive. I know I'm always excited when I see something special in the mail for me.
These were either placemats or laminated copies of the Sunday comics:
There were these small 3D figurines that were so cute!
And many different types of bags and totes:
Various kinds of stationery:
And they even had a few different shirts, but not as many as the normal Snoopy stores though:
There was just so much stuff to look at (and talk myself out of buying!
It's just that a lot of these stuff I already had, so it wouldn't have fulfilled a need.
And also a lot of them was also just for show, so I wouldn't know what to do with them after I bought them.
They did have this special keychain for everyday of the year. I guess typically people would choose their own birthdays.
At first I thought the keychain looked all the same, but then I found out that it comes with a unique comic panel on the back!
Mine was this one!
Source: blogspot.com
I was considering getting it but it costs like 9 bucks for a keychain so I decided against it.
They had so many different types of stationery and stickers!
I did eventually end up buying a couple of refrigerator magnets to keep as souvenirs. They don't take up too much space and they're useful so it seemed like a good balance.
After that we went to check out the cafe!
There was a really long line and since we had to get back to Keio for the farewell dinner we just sneaked a peek.
The cafe's name was Cafe Blanket (in reference to Linus' security blanket) and came with this comic beside it!
The inside looked pretty much like a regular cafe though.
other than the counter, which had the logo:
I think their menu consisted mostly of desserts and sandwiches that were pretty pricey.
Sorry for the lighting, but the lighted signboard ruined it.
After taking a brief look around, we checked out of the museum and left.
But not before taking lots of pictures!
I'm so glad that Snoopy is so loved by Japanese. Singapore doesn't have the space to build these kinds of specialised museums so you would never get this here. Maybe a pop-up store or cafe, but that's about it.
And just having this special building in my favourite country makes it all the better!
What an awesome day! We were so lucky to be celebrating Snoopy's birthday at his very own museum! It really was fate.
Oh I forgot to mention in the last post, but this Snoopy museum has since moved to a new location! This one we visited was when they first opened in April 2016 in Roppongi, but it closed in September 2018. They have since revamped and reopened on December 14, 2019, at Minami-machida Grandberry Park in Machida-city, Tokyo!
(Cr: Schulz Museum)
Source: Tokyo Cheapo
I believe they moved to make way for even more exhibitions and now they have more floors, a brand new store and they also host special seasonal collections that rotate every 6 months!
I personally haven't been but the next time we're in Tokyo this is the first place we're visiting for sure!
Anyway, after that we went back to Keio for the farewell dinner, where my group got a prize for winning the souvenir idea contest earlier that day!
We played some games and had fun talking and eating with music in the background. Pretty much what you'd expect of a college party. Just without alcohol, since we were on campus.
We took a lot of group photos together and just chatted about stuff.
I know I ragged on the program quite a bit in this series. And I was just really relieved it was over by the end, but the Keio people were actually really nice and friendly. We don't really talk to them anymore but it was still a fun couple of days, and they did plan some interesting activities and excursions. So it wasn't all bad at least.
But yea we were both glad that it was over.
Anyway, our flight wasn't until the 12th so we had one night left in Tokyo! Tune in next week to see what we got up to on our final day! Here's a hint:
Thanks so much for reading!
To find out more about me, check out my intro post here!
Check out my previous post in this series!
TacoCat’s Travels #74 (Japan 2.0): Snooping Around in Snoopy Museum! 🐶