/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

>>10069624
One thing I highly recommend is having the Google Translate app and internet (either through paying for an international plan or pocket wifi or a sim card or something). Most of the time just knowing basic phrases will get you along fine, I'd make sure to memorize a good amount, but sometimes you just can't phrase something right and the shopkeeper will be the one who doesn't know a lick of english.

For instance when I went in the spring I tried to ask at AP Laforet if they had the Bunny College skirt in green, the series had just released shortly ago and that color sold out hardcore. I tried to ask if they had it in green but I must have done a poor job phrasing it, the poor girl was so confused and I gave up but she tried so hard. Later on I visited KERA in Marui Annex and realized I should just use my phone and we traded it back in forth as I asked if they had specific Sheglit products, they would help me out and ask when I was leaving because they could order them into the store, etc. The KERA staff were super helpful once we could communicate by google translate.

Shoutout to the lovely lady at Abilletage Laforet, absolute sweetheart and even let me take pictures, only place that did really.

Shopkeeps are really friendly when you follow the rules and doing your best, the language barrier is the real hurdle. Even the Harajuku CC staff were really friendly with some foreign girls I talked to in the store who could speak Japanese but since I clearly couldn't speak it they had few options for communication.