Tokyo Bangtan Tour

Now that the state of emergency has been lifted, I finally went on the long-awaited Bangtan tour in Harajuku with my ARMY friends. We were aiming for GALAXY and the LINE store. These places were conveniently close to each other, which was great.

We arrived at GALAXY before 11:00 AM on Sunday, but they were handing out numbered tickets for the Bangtan corner, so we had to wait an hour. In the meantime, we went shopping at the LINE store across the street.

Maybe because it was drizzling, both places were crowded but not too bad, so it was very comfortable... Wait, I realized halfway through that it was the day of the PTD delay viewing. Of course there would be fewer ARMYs around. I had planned the Tokyo tour before the schedule was released, so it couldn't be helped. I was already very satisfied with last week's event.

The LINE store is fun.

They play Bangtan's Japanese songs in this store. Everyone was humming along. I found myself singing along unconsciously, too. Even if there were strangers right in front of me, I still sang. It felt so natural, like paradise.

There were all kinds of visitors, including quite a few families, and those families were buying things by the basketful, like they were shopping for groceries. It must be so much fun to be a parent-child fan duo. I'm jealous.

Also, I wasn't originally interested in merchandise, but thanks to my ARMY friends, I've started to realize how good it is. I've started dabbling in it a little bit.
This time, I bought a face mask pack and a weekly planner. I bought the TATA planner. I quite like recording whatever moves my heart each day.
When I look back at the ones I wrote in diligently, it feels like it was just the other day.

I also made a name sticker for 300 yen. I was squealing with excitement while making it. Haha. It was fine because it was empty, but when I went back at a different time, there was a long line.

GALAXY is amazing.

Before going to the Bangtan corner, I experienced a foldable smartphone for the first time. I thought it was a little heavy, but the screen is a great size for an otaku, and the image quality is good too. I'm an Apple user, though...

The Bangtan corner is reserved for about 20 people per hour. It was divided into zones for photo shoots, watching behind-the-scenes CM footage, and games, and it was a very satisfying hour. If you use the dedicated hashtag, you can even get a member photo card. I was like, 'Wait, is all of this really free!?'
The game was a rhythm game, and it was so much fun. I played it 5 or 6 times with the songs Butter and BWL.

Then, it was just about lunchtime, and there was a Korean food court right next door. It was around 1:00 PM, but we were able to grab a seat right away.

Jincha masissoyo (It's really delicious).

There was also a Paik's restaurant (actually, Paik's restaurant wasn't Korean food, but a Hong Kong-style restaurant!), but it was really fun because all the shops looked like street stalls you'd find in Korea. It was also nice that the background music wasn't Bangtan, but popular K-pop. I was able to hear ITZY and aespa.

■ Jajangmyeon is delicious.
The jajangmyeon is from Paik's. This might have been my first time having the Korean version of jajangmyeon. It's different from the Japanese version. Personally, I thought the Japanese version was a slightly spicy food that could compete with chilled Chinese noodles. But the Korean version is actually sweet, the noodles are thick, and it's something you slurp or chew through. I felt a bit strange when I ate instant jajangmyeon, but I realized I was right. And it's delicious. I was also happy that it came with pickled radish. This pickled radish was also different from the Japanese one. I put it in my mouth imagining the bright yellow, strong-flavored kind, but it was actually bright yellow, mild, and slightly sour.

■ Gimbap is delicious.
It was packed with ingredients and tasted exactly like what I ate in Korea. And I thought 1,200 yen for a set with gimbap, fish cake, and tteokbokki was cheap. The fish cake was more like chikuwa than I imagined.

■ The yangnyeom chicken was as delicious as I expected.
When I say 'as delicious as I expected,' I mean that as a huge compliment. There are times when I really want to eat yangnyeom chicken. Since it's not sold nearby, I end up eating regular fried chicken, or when I do find it, it's too spicy, so I haven't been able to find one that hits the spot... but this chicken was exactly the taste I was looking for!! It was sweet and spicy, crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside.

Croffles are delicious!!!
I need someone to sell them in my neighborhood!

I saw the croffles Hobi was making in episode 3 of 🌳 that I watched just before, and when I saw them right in front of me, I thought, 'I'm buying those!' and bought them immediately. They were more delicious than I imagined. The flaky croissant dough is pressed down, the outside becomes the sweet, firm texture of a waffle, and it has just the right amount of toppings.
I think they deserve to be on the same level as crepes.

There are many shops in my neighborhood that quickly start selling things that are trending, so I really want them to handle this immediately too. Please!

Also, on the way home, I stopped by the FILA near Shibuya. I want a winter jacket (is that an old-fashioned way to say it?). The Jin photo posted in the store was very good. He had his T-shirt tucked in, and I humbly thought that he really should tuck in his shirt when the occasion calls for it.

That concludes the Bangtan tour report.