Seoul’s Shops for Cute Items Lovers!
Roxy
21 hours ago
Something I noticed during my Korea trips is the amount of little shops with many cute accessories imported from Japan. Despite their popularity, it might not always be so easy to find them… Here I will share my very favorite shops I discovered, often randomly by passing by! They all happen to be located around Hongdae area.
1. Dodam Dodam
I’m starting off pretty strong - Dodam House perfectly captures the aesthetic that is currently popular among younger people - Japanese style with a lot of Sanrio. With lovely decor, it encouraged me to go inside.
The shop is very, very small. However, the selection is very broad despite that! What I found in there were many goods with tanned Hello Kitty, which has been viral.
I ended up buying a bunch of goodies - merch from Daiso Japan, small cup with Mofusand cats and some stickers! All of those items are imported from Japan - in Korea, you can only buy them in such shops.
2. Rilakkuma Sumikkogurashi Plus by San-X
Next is a San-X store that has opened in AK Plaza in Hongdae.
I thought it was a pop-up at first, but I believe it’s an actual store. It’s extremely cute! Definitely very appealing to anyone who loves Japanese characters.
They offer a wide selection of goodies, mostly plushies. They also have machines to print out your own plastic card, or create stickers with your name! I took advantage of that option.
The staff was very kind and friendly. I would recommend this place to all San-X fans.
3. Pinkbus
Pink bus is a small store in a form of bus (as you could guess 😆) located in Hongdae. Despite the size, it’s packed with adorable goodies, mostly imported from Japan! You can find a lot of Sanrio, but also Disney, San-X and absolutely everything cute and pink!
I was particularly fond of those My Melody and Kuromi plushies - to this day I regret not getting them…
Instead, I bought My Melody pen and Cinnamoroll tissues.
4. Jini In Us
This shop is located right next to Pink Bus. And I mean literal three steps away - so you have to see them both!
That is also how I discovered it. I initially came to see Pink Bus, but this store grabbed my attention with cute window display and since then I have been visiting it my every trip in Korea.
This purple themed shop features cute Japanese merch - you can find Disney merch, Mofusand, Sanrio and more. The worker is extremely kind and even gives free candy with purchase. I always buy something small there, like stickers or trinkets.
They also play adorable, vintage melodies there which make me feel very nostalgic and comfortable. I adore the atmosphere inside Jini In Us 💜
Since I wanna stick strictly to small shops with Japanese merch, my recommendations end here. All of these offer the cutest items and I make sure to visit them every time I come to Korea - I’m excited to see what’s in stock next time! I highly recommend supporting the owners who always treat clients with a lot of kindness :)
