First trip to Ikea, Tokyo

Recently, after not being able to get the apartment we wanted, Mars and I decided to stick with the one we have (which we already love anyway) but see what we could do to spruce it up a bit, and increase our storage space in the process. As such, the first thing I thought we could do was get one of those beds with that comes with drawers and storage room under it, and not only sleep better, but alleviate the need for one of our dressers in the process. We found one we really liked at Muji, but with the way everyone rants and raves about Ikea, I couldn't see dropping the money on it until we at LEAST had a chance to get out there and see what they have.

Given how far away it is, (and how complicated the process is by train) we spent sometime debating about whether or not it was worth it to actually go all the way out there, and finally decided that it wasn't... Until Mars spotted a bright blue IKEA BUS pulling into Yoga station. Apparently in an effort to make things easier to for city folks without a car, Ikea is chartering free buses to take people there from select stations. Basically, the bus is the same time (and runs on about the same schedule as a regular public bus, but is plastered on the inside with Ikea adds, and has a bright blue paint job to let everyone know where it's going. To keep things fair, the buses will run at one station for just a few months before they move onto another.

On the Ikea bus from Yoga station. Took about 40 min to get there. 

Personally, I think this is brilliant marketing on their part. The bus itself is more or less a giant roaming billboard, and by offering free and easy transport, a lot of people (who otherwise might not care to make the trip out) there suddenly want to go. Mari and I were one of them... And we realized how many others there were when we had to wait almost 40 minutes to get on one.

The inside itself was like a furniture amusement park. Much like Costco, they their own cafeteria. There was also a huge entertainment area for kids so that parents could shop in peace. The actual layout was interesting as well. Basically, it just consisted of showroom after showroom of all sizes with all kinds of furniture. Then once you saw what you like, you take note of the ticket number of the furniture piece, and then go to the actual storage area to pick it up. Although we decided to stick with the original Muji bed we found, we did also decide to pick up a shelving unit. Prices were very very reasonable. And the packaging on the shelves were minimalist. (Which I like).

At the Tokyo Ikea, there is a massive playroom for kids,
so parents can shop in peace.

The upper floor consists of all show rooms showcasing the furniture. 

Picking up the shelving unit after visiting the showroom.

After we picked up our shelf, we took it to the delivery counter and had it shipped so we wouldn't have to carry it. (Also just like Costco! Yay for that!) Anyway, once it arrived, I realized that we just BARELY had enough space to actually assemble it. (You have to construct it on the ground and then stand it up). The ikea directions were easy enough to follow though, and with only 8 screws in the whole unit, (mostly it used wooden pegs) it only took about an hour to completely put it together. Overall, Im really really satisfied with my purchase from there, and am looking forward to the next time I can afford to get out there to get something. The bus is only running in yoga for another 2 months though, so I guess if Im gonna go, I need to do it soon ;)

One of the distinctive features of Ikea furniture is that the assembly
instructions don't use any words at all. Only pictures. Brilliant on
their part- no translation costs from country to country.