The holiday season is coming up fast, so that means it’s time for a new Chic Pixel Holiday Gift Guide! Each year I round up my favorite cute and nerdy gift suggestions for every budget. This year, I’ve decided to break my suggestions into two categories: “For the Video Game Fan” and “For the Anime Fan.” Many of the links included are affiliate links, so by clicking on them to make your holiday purchases, you’re also helping to support Chic Pixel! Thanks for spreading the holiday cheer!
During my last trip to the US, I decided I wanted to work on my outdoor photography and video skills. Basically, I’m completely terrified of it! It’s one of those things where I know it’s irrational, but I get very embarrassed whenever I take a photo or video in public. I would really like to work on conquering my fear before my trip to Tokyo next month, when I plan on taking a million photos and videos to share with you! So, while it may not exactly be usual Chic Pixel fare, my most recent upload to my YouTube channel features a little shopping trip to Target!
Too often I’ve gone on a search for a rare piece of anime merchandise or a niche Japanese video game only to find that it’s not available anywhere that ships outside of Japan. Most fans of Japanese products that live anywhere but Japan itself eventually run into this problem – there are so many items that simply can’t be procured without a Japanese postal address. That’s where forwarding services like Tenso come in; for a fee, they provide eager shoppers with the Japanese address they crave and then forward any purchases to their final destinations overseas.
I’ve heard great things about Tenso from friends who’ve used the service for years, but despite the amount of Japanese products I import, I’ve never actually used a forwarding service myself. I’ve been blessed with having more than a few friends who’ve been willing to be middle men and women for my packages, but to be honest, I feel bad asking for so many favors! So, after many years of relying on friends in Japan to ship my purchases out for me, I’ve finally decided to give Tenso a go. Since I’ve received more than a few inquiries wondering if it’s worth the effort, I’ve decided to write up my complete experience purchasing a PlayStation Vita 2000 from Amazon Japan and forwarding it with Tenso vs. purchasing it outright from various importers.
Amazon Japan can be a little intimidating for importing Japanese products, but it’s also has some of the best deals on books and manga. On top of that, recent decrease in its international shipping costs means that you can get a packaged shipped anywhere in the world faster and cheaper than ever. But did you know that you can get virtually any number of Japanese-language manga shipped for just $10.50? I thought it was too good to be true, but I can confirm that it works. The secret is buying manga lots!
I buy a lot of stuff. When I moved last month, I became acutely aware of exactly how much stuff, and while it’s not exactly more than I initially thought, you get a whole new kind of appreciation for the paraphernalia you’ve amassed when you move from one tiny apartment to another.