This Friday was my last Friday going to my current therapist.

I’ve been going to her, and taking anti-depressants, since September 2011…when the low of the 3/11 Tohoku quake / Fukushima aftermath just never left me.

I could barely get through a day without crying. I was erratic. I couldn’t fathom what would happen when my seasonal depression kicked in. I’d been scrambling each winter, for 13 winters, to manage my symptoms with journaling, working out, eating healthy, light boxes, yoga on top of working out…and even then it was rough.

My therapist’s father has fallen ill and she’s moving to help her family. She’s set me up. I’ve made reservations for my next regular prescriptions and such. I have letters from her detailing my years with her for my next doctor.

In light of this, when I saw I’d be able to leave work a little early and be in Tokyo an hour before my appointment time…I punched train destinations and times into my train app.

There’d be time for dolls!

Dollyteria!

Specifically a side trip to Dollyterria in Ikebukuro. Dollyteria is a used doll resale shop. It has locations in Shinjuku and Yokohama but Ikebukuro is its largest location.

It’s large by Tokyo standards. It’s taken over two floors, each floor about the size of a dormroom/ budget business hotel….packed with doll parts, doll accessories and dolls in all levels of condition.

Photography, alas, is not allowed.

This trip’s haul:

Naked Pullip doll in a bag! 2,000¥

Original outfit? Gone! Original wig? Gone!

Original lipstick is gone but the rest of the original face paint remains.

That’s how I was able to figure out it is a type 3 body and was originally Holly, a Pullip dressed like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Japan has a soft spot for that movie….Despite it having one of America’s historically gawdafful yellow face depictions of a Japanese character. Audrey and her Tiffany’s look isn’t just beloved, there’s also Moon River. The song is often used as closing music in stores and is inexplicably the “the train doors are open for boarding” cue music at my local train station.

My baggy doll is missing her wink bars (for lowering her eyelids). When I opened her head I realized her eyelids are in there but the modifications done to her eyes prevent her lids from closing. Previous owner just solved that by deciding she wouldn’t wink or blink…and removed the bars.

It seems like the modifications may have put extra stress on the eye-mech, some parts that shouldn’t be extra came out when I opened her skull but that’s ok because… I scored an extra eye mech for 300¥

And an extra Obitsu body for 1000¥

All the bodies in my craft room were legally bought and paid for. There are no bodies in my crawl space.

Last purchase on my spree was…used Blythe wig!

I have a factory Blythe I haven’t customized yet. Blue/green wig seems like a jumping off spot.

I also finished my first Blythe and need to document how Blythe became Aggretsuko soon.

Until then:

• See a therapist if you think you might need it
• End pill shaming
• May all your surprised encounters with headless bodies be dolls or mannequin