Village Vanguard: The Playable Bookstore (Part 1)
Hi, I'm ton-ton.
In Japan, there's a pretty well-known store called “Village Vanguard,” often recognized by its signature yellow POP signs. Nicknamed “VILLAVAN,” it’s a “playable bookstore” where you can find everything from junk to nostalgic movie T-shirts.
Reminiscing about my student days spent buying random stuff there, I decided to visit the “Village Vanguard Shimokitazawa” location for the first time in a while.
📒Yellow POP Signs: At VILLAVAN, bright yellow handwritten POP signs often outshine the products themselves. They’re filled with hilarious or heartfelt comments by the staff and are iconic to the store. Let’s dive into the world of VILLAVAN, keeping an eye out for those yellow voices.
First to welcome me was this delightfully bizarre toy, so VILLAVAN-esque.
It's called “Chinese Toy: Rampaging Bicycle – ¥550 (tax included).”
Pull it back and it pedals off like crazy! I want it...
But if I start buying this early, I’ll never stop. Let’s head further in.
📒Yellow POP Comments:
・It’s going so wild—look at that face!
・Apparently can carry two, but where’s the second seat?
Once inside, the first thing that caught my eye was the Mizuki Shigeru booth!
It was insanely cool.
Skateboards, T-shirts, bags—so many items. The most popular shirt was the one in the middle: “Obake Nighter.”
📒Yellow POP: “Do what you love.” Inspired by this famous quote from Mizuki Shigeru, this corner was born.
While admiring the Mizuki Shigeru items thinking “These are awesome,”
I spotted something peeking out behind the most popular “Obake Nighter” T-shirt and carefully pulled it aside to look—
There he was—Mizuki Shigeru himself behind the shirts!
If this is intentional, that’s some incredible presentation.
Mizuki Shigeru (real name: Mura Shigeru, March 8, 1922 – November 30, 2015) was Japan’s leading yokai manga artist, known for works like “GeGeGe no Kitaro” and “Kappa no Sanpei.” After losing his left arm during WWII in New Guinea, he devoted his life to sharing yokai culture and creating picture stories, staying creatively active until his final years.
As I ventured deeper, what a combo to see all in one shot!
Giant snacks! Shinako-chan (an influencer)! TENGA (yes, those)!
Only VILLAVAN could pull off this kind of lineup right at the entrance.
The chaos was real—in the best way.
GeGeGe no Kitaro shirts are cool, but Village Vanguard’s anime T-shirt collection is on another level.
From Tezuka works to Sonic the Hedgehog and Dragon Ball, they've got it all.
Most shirts seem to be priced between ¥4,000–¥5,000.
I quietly added a Nostradamus shirt from Japan’s occult magazine “MU” to my basket.
Beyond that, there were tons of international-themed goods!
Sacrifices! Amulets! Ninjas! Lu Rou Fan!
An overwhelming variety of items packed into a single corner.
I ended up staying here for 20 minutes. What caught my eye the most? This guy ↓
Rampaging Water Buffalo Rodeo Cowboy!
Perfect match for that wild bicycle I saw earlier!
Curious, I searched it online when I got home—and wow, it rampages ten times more than I expected.
If you’re interested, head to Village Vanguard!
📒Yellow POP Comments:
・You bought another one of *those* things from VILLAVAN.
・Your cat’s gonna run away.
・Rarest item in the past 10 years. (Not necessarily a compliment.)
After that chaos, I needed a breather—so here’s a mythical creature I spotted in-store.
Mythical Beast 1: Matsudaira Kentauros – Spotted at the Matsudaira Ken corner.
Mythical Beast 2: Takashi Hosokawa – Stretchy Face Edition. Spotted at the Takashi Hosokawa corner.
Mythical Beast 3: Super Buff “Today’s Main Character” – Spotted in the movie section.
Mythical Beast 4: The Merman Old Man – Spotted in the apparel section.So, what do you think? The chaos isn’t just in the products—
The whole store is chaos!
By now, some of you might be thinking:
“Wait... isn’t this supposed to be a bookstore?”
The reason I ended up showing off mythical beasts and more is simply because there was too much to cover in one article. But yes—it *is* a bookstore!
There’s so much more to see, so stay tuned for the next article: “Inside the Playable Bookstore: Village Vanguard (Part 2)”!
Books galore and more madness awaits!
Village Vanguard Official Website https://village-v.co.jp/
Find a Village Vanguard Store https://village-v.co.jp/shop-list/