One of the most exciting stores I got to visit was the exclusive Square-Enix Merchandise Store outside Shibuya, Tokyo. It’s only open on weekends and I had been wanting to go the whole time we were in Japan, and we finally went late in the trip.
If you haven’t read my previous post about Square Enix, let me explain something to you: I am obsessed with Final Fantasy. So visiting the store where exclusive merchandise is sold was a little slice of heaven for me.
They had almost everything a fan could want. There were action figures, stuffed animals, t-shirts, full costumes, statues, and more. Square Enix has three main series from which the merchandise is derived: Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and Dragon Quest.
The coolest thing in the store was a full-size statue of Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII. It was inlaid in the floor and covered with glass, reminiscing the scene where he is “hibernating” in the Northern Crater.
A recreation of the Northern Crater scene from Final Fantasy VII
Sephiroth is one of the best antagonists of all time
They also had some sweet statues and action figures. I don’t usually collect this type of stuff, but I could make an exception for this store.
And Cloud, the troubled and confused hero
I ended up spending about 7,000 yen on merchandise. I bought a keychain with the Final Fantasy X emblem that Tidus wears, which I’ll probably make in to a necklace. I also got a stuffed chocobo dressed as a black mage. The last item I bought is a gift, so I won’t ruin it here, but it’s pretty damn awesome.
I wasn’t the only person who was excited to go to this store. The popularity of Square Enix’s video games has spread around the world, and Final Fantasy in particular is an iconic example of Japanese influence on Western cultures.
On an interesting side note, I came to the conclusion that the city of Midgar from Final Fantasy VII is heavily influenced by Tokyo, particularly the Roppongi district. Walking to dinner in Roppongi one night, I noticed a club called “Seventh Heaven,” and a little further down the way there was a flower shop between two shady entertainment venues. How surreal…
3 Comments
Yeah, the Square-Enix store definately rocked. It was smaller than I expected but it was sweet. I wish either the stuff was cheaper or I had a lot more money because there is a lot of cool things there. I could’ve spent multiple hundreds of dollars…instead i spent like 10 on a key chain but its bad ass. I didnt notice the influence Tokyo had on Midgar but after you mentioned it, i felt stupid for not seeing it lol.
Jeff while I was never a fan of the Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts series, going to the Square Enix store with you guys was definitely a highlight of the trip. Everyone’s excitement in the store got me excited about these series. I will agree with you that the highlight of the store was the giant Sephiroth under the floor, while I had never played Final Fantasy VII the design of the store was just amazing. Even though this genre has not been something I could get into in the past, I believe I may rent or buy one of the upcoming Final Fantasy XIII games, after the company visit and store visit I feel more connected to the game.
This is one place I would have really like to have gone to. It was unfortunate that I didn’t have enough time to do it all, but It was great of you guys that went to take pictures, and that figure of Sephiroth embedded in the floor most look awesome. Plus, the stuff you bought there was pretty cool looking.