Yukipri, I'm going to Japan in a few weeks, do you know where can I buy YOI merch? I need it for uhhh... research purposes. Yeah, totally. ('・ω・')
So a LOT of the YOI merch is pre-order WAY in advance (I’ve been pre-ordering merch since November, and currently have merch pre-ordered all the way till July), and while there will be some in stores, depending on when you go, how busy the store is (like if you’re going to Tokyo instead of a more rural town) and the characters you want, there is a good chance things will be sold out.
For general anime merch, you want to hit up Animate, the biggest anime merch chain store in Japan. Look up the website and where you’re going to be to find your nearest store! There’s also Animega, a similar store that popped up a few years back that has anime merch too. You can also go to “used” stores where people resell their merch (handy if it’s no longer available or you want a specific character without buying the whole box) like K-Books and Lashingbang, but be warned that the more popular characters will be few and overpriced.
Have fun in Japan! :D
