Inside Japan's Craziest Store | Village Vanguard (Finally)

Today we are (Finally) doing our walk through Japan's Craziest store; Village Vanguard and we have it all to ourselves! We did a vid a few weeks back ( • Inside Japan's Coolest... ) on ‪@TokyoLens‬ and I promised to come back for a stream.
Long story short.... we couldn't stream because the theater above the shop apparently has a signal blocker that locked us out... So instead here is a walk through a really cool Japanese shop! Hope you enjoy
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[@TokyoLensExplore]

**FUNNY BACKSTORY: So as I am leaving Village Vanguard, the manager tells me that there is a theater above. And they often leave their signal blocker running.... So we got jammed. Literally lol** Thanks all for the patience with what turned into the absolute potato-est quality livestream through Shimokitazawa ever lol But at least we learned some new Japanese profanities haha

[@memeranglaut]

Ahhhh. no wonder.

[@JDigital123]

When you get Potato quality, you make fucking Wendy's Fries!

[@Kaitlynde]

Oh man! At least you found out what was causing the signal trouble with the stream. And the backstreet walk was still awesome, so thanks for sticking with it and bringing us along! Looking forward to check out more of the shot this time around too!

[@mariarea4851]

Thanks for the time you have put into setting this up...and trying again today!

[@nightchicken283]

Blocked by Blockbuster.. quite literally? :p

[@emiliyanaleksandrov2528]

Bookmarked the shop as "Place to spend my salary" if I get the chance to visit Japan someday. Thanks for showing us around and the extra effort to record after the failed live stream!!

[@MrSleepyguy]

I cannot get enough of watching bizarre and cool Japanese stores, so fun to watch

[@chanced]

I was supposed to spend a year backpacking Japan in 2020, these videos are some of the few things to satisfy my wanderlust until the gates reopen ;) Thanks Norm!

[@EvanSaltare]

I was supposed to go to the summer Olympics.

[@slyfawkes7772]

Galarian Ponyta: "The Unicorn Pokemon." - Norm, 2022

[@isaiahsj9276]

Yay! Pokemon Manhole cover hunt. Sharla has two episodes already. The third one should be with you norm.

[@ivaneames4354]

Norm, you should send Sharla one of the mugs with her favourite manhole as the coaster. It would make a nice memento of her quest.

[@Dyundu]

@@ivaneames4354 Gotta be the Charmander one!

[@personalcontrasts73]

02:19 I grew up with those koala cookies 😍 loved them as a child and my heart still gets warm when I see them. Happy they are still around!

[@tobu_98]

I think it's funny how he pronounces "Haribo" kind off japanese like when it's actually german 😁

[@indysaur]

This kind of store would be dangerous for me books plus all sorts of neat stuff...my wallet would be weeping the entire time. All of those Jiji's would have gone home with me, hah! Thanks for the tour!

[@SmartJapanHacks]

Village Vanguard is my favorite 'book store' in Japan. They really have so much crazy stuff you'll never find anywhere else.

[@jericojsays]

I grew up in Japan. I'm now stateside and I absolutely miss Village Vanguard! It was my favorite store!

[@accy5034]

Whaat, this is such an amazing store😱 I‘d love to check it out when I‘m in Japan one day in my life. It‘s literally one of my biggest dreams.

[@snowfox94]

I would love an exploring japan podcast with just you talking. Personally I'm a visual podcast watcher. Not really a listener but I enjoy listening to you talk about stuff in japan! Speaking of that...WHY HAVENT YOU BEEN ON TRASH TASTE YET?! where's the petition to get you on

[@madelon8320]

That was an amazing video! (regardless of it not being live) I kept hitting the pause button like every 2 seconds just to get a good view of all the products 😁 Thanks so much for making this vid ❤

[@carolinedaviault9931]

Wow I love this place!! Love the Kirby section and all Totoro stuff 🥰 It probably takes so much time checking every little corner !!

[@ascensionalliancehawaii]

Japan is magical with so much to see. 😊

[@2soralover]

Waiting for the day that I can visit Japan. Your videos help me in my planning and this store is on the list of places to visit for sure! Thanks always, Norm!

[@SCKevin_Adventure]

I really love these explorer type videos, thank you for the tour!

[@tnasir4903]

I love seeing all the Japanese food....fascinating products!❤

[@Urzard]

I had to look for that Haribo sugar free review you mentioned and I'm glad I did, what a read!

[@Kaitlynde]

This premier was so much fun! Thanks for taking us through the shop! The Ghibli and snacks sections are always my fave, but it's cool to see all of the other areas too.

[@mattihp]

14:44 Aleppo soap, the best soap in the world, especially for dry and sensitive skin.

[@mellpink123]

Super Mario N64 I remember first playing it at the dentist with my older brother younger sister while we were waiting to go in.

[@awesomeaudy]

Been binge-watching all of the posted streams while hanging out at home during half-term break from work. Thanks for the content, can't wait to see what you have planned for the Spring/Summer! 🌸

[@nicklasrapp2267]

On one of our trips we went to shimokitazawa and found ourselves in this store without knowing anything about it. It brings me joy that you not only went to it in your video about shimokitazawa but also made this video just to show it.

[@memeranglaut]

Always awesome to see a VV on video - making me want to visit it next time i am in the neighbourhood

[@carriepadgett2743]

lol omg...right when I was thinking "1994 called, they want their poncho back", you made that dang comment about the socks LOL

[@Janreytendo]

Been so happy with the podcast/explore videos announcement, thanks norm u made my day☺️

[@sanashi27]

I like watching videos like this although this makes me miss going out shopping. There's so many cool or interesting stuff in there. I'd probably wanna walk around the aisles with snacks or anime merch lol. I wonder if there were artbooks/fanbooks in there? Too bad the dispenser broke by the way, it seemed cool. Thanks for making this vid - it might not be live but it was still fun to watch. Also... I'm curious about the stuff you got for the secret thing lol

[@TheDrTwist]

This is my kindof store. I'm such of fan of the wacky Novelty. It, at the very least, makes for very fun window shopping experience

[@jameslong3936]

Thanks for sharing!!!

[@Varzio]

I would walk into that store and probably not come out for the next hour. Just so many things to see!

[@KitoisBlooming]

Hey Norm! I loved this pre recorded live! I like your live livestream but this prerecorded with better quality are my favourite just because I can immerse my self better

[@joshuamstark]

Dude every time you go to a store and start looking at food I get hungry! Village Vanguard is definitely on the list to go see…

[@grizoh4270]

All of that stuff looks so cool and that shamisen plushie is sooo cool ahaha 😆

[@Mercuryscomet25]

Ooooh podcasts would be fab! I loved your podcasts, they were always so relaxing to listen to! Great vid as always Norm. That shop is seriously fascinating so it was good to be able to get a look around!

[@iicydiamonds]

Thank you for the walk through! This is such a fun and silly store. I could block off an entire day to visit, and still not see it all. :)

[@therealcaptain7543]

i wouldn't mind getting lost in this shop wow, it has so much different stuff.. i would spend quite some time in there 😂

[@johnkies1189]

that warped pocket watch clock is still my favorite thing in that shop haha

[@Jaziem]

Thanks for going back through again for us Norm. Though now the potato quality makes sense.

[@bartschulp7692]

Yay! Another fan of the spicy Korean noodles! And yes, those sugar free gummy bear reviews are hilarious!

[@CMW2020]

I would love for a video/podcast combination. Your voice is easy to listen to and you are a great storyteller. I often listen to old podcasts or streams you've done while I am working because it helps me stay focused.

[@lannifincoris6482]

Ok then, thank you so much for this video. I wanted to go to Japan in 2020... had to delay to 2021... and then, maybe to 2022 it will become reality. Now I have to go to Village Vanguard to squeeze myself through these shelfs! And buy a Shamisen-Plushie ;-). Thank you so much to bring Japan to me, to us, while we are stucked all over the world. I hope the future will be brighter for all of us!

[@breanarich2901]

I totally agree with you! And 64 for life still to this day I’ve never played it more fun captivating game system than 64

[@rgm72chf]

Always exciting to see what a store like this is hiding :D

[@R_CA]

じゃがチョコ are to die for (really!)

[@rizkygabriels9279]

The Haribo gummi bears review is indeed a fun story to read 😂

[@AndresMonaco]

Love those stickers! I spent like 90 bucks on them as fast presents for people when I visited on 2019

[@mariambelal7153]

💗💗💗💗 waiting and excited

[@anthonycrafton8240]

All that Pokemon merch I'll never have! No space for all the goodies I'd love to have hahaha. That store really is crazy, wow. I don't even have words for how long I'd be staring at everything in there.

[@chessoc7799]

Could spend ages wandering round there :)

[@blackadder1966]

I've been to don quijote so I'll try and check this store out in November, flights booked and fingers crossed.

[@kungfool69]

The shop looks so much better on pre-recorded. Sorry about the live stream, i was watching and still enjoyed the wandering around!

[@stefanospap6288]

Village vanguard is so fascinating. The selection is always random but interesting :D

[@AdManOfChaos]

Watched this video a while ago. I do love fun stores.

[@sendaisweetie5297]

Nooo you skipped right over the Animal Crossing stuff! XD Looks like a fun store though. Thanks for taking us along.

[@BananahTV]

Enjoyed the video! Nice start to the day. I hope you have a great night!

[@icecrystal97]

I'm going to need half a day to be in this store just to explore everything.

[@lappslapps8058]

Hey norm Long time listener & viewer luv your content, its been a while since you’ve posted new content and we’ve been a bit worried hope all is well hope to hear from you” real soon” Cheers from down under

[@Pandahippy]

Was just wondering the same thing. Hope everything is ok with Norm 💟

[@roarmaus]

8:00 Got a peek at the EVOL sign and chuckled...CSB moment: My boss was phoning someone and mentioned, "That EVOL burrito guy..." A customer, overhearing them, muttered, "Well, that's not a nice thing to say!" I lost it...

[@explorer_bln]

Waiting to be able to explore Japan by myself after all the mess. As long as I enjoy the your videos and streams.

[@saberkite]

Wish I knew about this place when I visited Tokyo. Donki in Shibuya was already a black hole for me, then I found a Daiso nearby... Loving these explore videos, Norm. Stay safe.

[@away7670]

Three cheers for EXPLORE!!!!

[@jurrassitol15]

Literally looked up the amazon sugar free haribo gummies reviews…best thing ever!

[@chelseacarpenter2302]

Sad that the Livestream turned into mashed potatoes but glad to be able to catch this premiere! I could live in this store I swear haha Much love from Arizona ❤️❤️

[@zenbugami]

Small Ghlibli plushies got me there, especially small Totoro 😯 but I'd like to have small Kirby as well, I really reccomend this game series 😃

[@spiritofjapan]

Village Vanguard is an incredible place to explore! Cool video!

[@koxukoshu]

7:00 you dredged up some old memory,, i totally forgot about those reviews. now i remember why i thought of loose bowel movements whenever you said haribo

[@kcrash279]

The gel cushions are generally pretty good if you have have no padding.😺

[@sheilaellvira5198]

So many things I would love to buy in there! 😁 I'm not much of a podcast listener but I do love yours. So I'm hoping they don't disappear completely. If you want to make them part of the Tokyo Lens Explore channel that's fine by me! Go ahead, keep your office for editing and napping only! Lol

[@Chatana23]

Omg! Nerds sour gummies?!?! I need to try those! That store is mad crazy big. I would ruin myself over there! Thanks God, I didn't knew about that place when I went in 2017. Everytime you move the camera, there's something I went lol! That carry snack tub reminded me of Homer Simpson lol! Definitively not japanese that thing lol! Thank you so much for sharing this video since no live there. Kiss & hugs from Montreal

[@Zehith]

"Didn't kno there was a unicorn pokemon..." Rapidash, from gen 1, in the corner: ....

[@marygreene4027]

Hey norm hope all is well with u and we look forward to seeing u soon.

[@furrysophie8997]

I went to a 4D Theater at Universal Studios in Florida like 15 years ago. They were showing a Shrek short. Part of it they drop a spider and you feel it tickle your legs. The seats moved and you could definitely smell the world. I wonder if the theater still exists with a new movie.

[@Dyundu]

Village Vanguard really reminds me of some of the shops in uptown Ann Arbor, MI around the university, just, y’know, still very Japanese.

[@シロダサンダー]

Village Vanguard is a fun store. I need to go back.

[@manolo5205]

Thanks for doing this videos they are so cool

[@lannifincoris6482]

So much nice little and big cute and usefull and absolutely non-usefull things! I would have to go there on a budget, because I could easily spend my whole money there. Thank you for bringing us this experience. I really looking foreward to visit Japan one day, when possible..

[@Zerroth]

Great video. Would buy stuff from there right now if I could.

[@shiann2309able]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who had a beloved eyebrow piercing that was prematurely lost 😂

[@RobbC.]

Star Wars stuff... Pokemon stuff... Super Mario stuff... Sonic stuff... Gameboy stuff... WANT! and WANT some more!

[@ryokophreak]

Oooh! I have got to visit this place on my next trip. :D

[@ItsTacosDude]

This was so awesome! I wish we had places half as cool as this on the states!

[@lu7ky]

If any of the other viewers have not yet told you the pokemon unicorn is a regional variant of ponyta its psychic type! Also savon from what I remember of my french is soap, so you were correct there! Splatoon is a good game, #3 is coming out for switch. The campaign is good but you really need to enjoy playing online to make the most out of it at full price. Thanks for the video, if i could speak & read Japanese I'd be there in a heartbeat! Love store/shop videos, perhaps an old style (run by an older lady in a small town anime stereotype) candystore sometime?

[@sebside]

nice video like always!

[@SmallBlogV8]

Thank you for recommending sugar-free Haribo reviews. That was marvellous reading indeed.

[@jobos98]

The things in the stores are so cool compared to in the U.S. stores. I Especially love seeing the electronic goods stores that you go to from time to time. Great video Norm. 😊

[@RekitRachel]

Id love to hear a podcast about some of your adventures, funny stories, things that happened that maybe didn't get caught on film.

[@Jazzled]

Glad you managed to get back for a walk through even though it couldn't be a livestream. And sorry to hear the soap dispenser didn't hold up 🥲

[@KatherineDon]

I miss Village Vanguard so much, it is the best store. I would buy that ‘laughing wiggling axolotl’ for sure. I had to take a screen capture to try to figure out what the heck was going on with that thing, and, I need it for my desk 😂

[@leeelliott9385]

Neon socks , I think I started buying them in 1984 so about 10 year's before you Norm .

[@bluebadsquishy]

I had to pause and comment about the Mikan character because it is also my favorite! In Akihabara there is a store called Iyotetsu which is devoted solely to the Mikan character and their goods. During our visit in 2019 I went there several times and tried so many things and I miss that store soooo much. The staff was extremely kind because one morning I made the mistake of thinking they were open when they weren't (they were prepping to open) but the guy didn't say anything and was kind enough to ring me up. (I realized on my way out that they hadn't opened yet when I saw the times on the sign.) I will definitely be going back during our next visit - which will hopefully be in 2024.

[@lunacorn8012]

I don’t know why I laughed as hard as I did @14:53 haha 😂

[@melreguera4354]

Oh gosh, the shamisen plushie!!! I need one of those, I can wait for it no matter the time, such a cutie! 可愛いですね

[@unknowndeoxys00]

Idk why, but first minute in and I'm happy to see Giant Microbes merching it up in Japan. I have MRSA and flu plushies, they're quite cute.

[@xredgambit]

Those Cretors popcorn is available in the states too. I've seen them at the local kroger.

[@katylibarnes9393]

Would love to catch your podcasts on here soon. Thanks for this premiere. I believe I would need to hide my wallet and keep locked in my bag if ever I get into stores like VV or else I'd end up bankrupt.

[@sweetarchangel6748]

Note to self - buy extra suitcases for purchases from Village Vanguard. So much Pokemon stuff and yes, I would buy the Pokelid stickers. Did you end up buying that soap dispenser? Thanks for the second tour, sad to have missed the premier, but it was almost 3am Aussie time, and I crashed at 1am.

[@carriepadgett2743]

As soon as I saw the DVD screensaver ,I thought of The Office haha

[@bleedingwell6403]

Thanks for the tour Norm, reminds me a bit of a shop in the UK called "The Works", they try to stay a bit more focused on the books but theres still plenty of rando poop merch :P