Hey there,
I just found out today that I'm travelling to Japan next weekend for 2 weeks in Chiyoda for work :)
Can anyone recommend some TF shops in Tokyo ? :cool:
Printable View
Hey there,
I just found out today that I'm travelling to Japan next weekend for 2 weeks in Chiyoda for work :)
Can anyone recommend some TF shops in Tokyo ? :cool:
I'd personally recommend checking out Ikebukuro. There are two big department stores (Seibu and Tobu) sitting right on top of Ikebukuro station! And if that's not enough there are other stores like Bic Camera which have been known to stock Transformers at fairly cheap prices.
A lot of people who also recommend Akihabara, although personally the only transformer I've ever bought from there was a step-down transformer. :p I find Akihabara a bit too "touristy" for my taste; although I suppose it is good from a tourist POV as a lot of people who work there can speak foreign languages like English. Don't expect most people in Japan to speak any English btw. A lot of people in Japan would like to _think_ that they can speak English... and they will often _try_ ("try" being the operative word) to speak English with Westerners. But usually they end up butchering the English language and ultimately you don't understand what the <expletive> they're trying to tell you. So I strongly recommend that you learn at least some basic Japanese phrases that will help you get around for shopping, dining etc.; you could probably pick up a phrase book or something. If there's anything you need to know, don't hesitate to ask Tetsuwan Convoy. Or me. :p
Seriously though, there's a thread for discussion about languages other than English here - please feel free to ask us any questions about Japanese there. :)
gah im so jealous! i want to go to the sales there ;-;
Err, Mushi means bug. Phone is moshi moshi.;)
By Far handy words
"Sumimasen" - Excuse me/sorry/thanks.
"arigatou" - Thanks
"doumo" - also thanks.
Bic camera or Yodabashi Camera are regular dept stores that wont lead you astray. They are almost everywhere and as gok said, have cheap prices. Sometimes they have mega=price-offs and you can get stuff t 1/3 original price!! Toys R us in Japan is pretty good too! I found some older stuff there nice and cheap. Although I notice they are shifting away from the action figure sort of market and going for the really young kiddies so they don't have as much cool stuffas they did a few years ago.
If you make it to Harajuku, Kiddie Land is 5 small floors of toy-joy(tm). Its a bit tricky to find in between all the people, but if you head down the main street and see a Condomania shop (I think thats the name, but if it isn't, its a bright coloured place that sells condoms) and have a look around there, as Kiddie Land is in that area.
I was in Japan last month for the tokyo toy fair (which reminds me I wanna share my pics) and most TFs were the occasional Encore, some random Henkei and Movie characters.
P.S If you wann send me a PS3 Slim while yer there, I would love you long time;)
I am serious about the PS3
oh! if its time to ask the -insert random guy- going to japan game to buy stuff for us... fill my henkei wants? XD
i'd be happy with the ones that i cant order on robotkingdom ^_^
Sorry guys news just in.. I won't be picking up stuff for people on the forums.
Especially something like a PS3 lol.. only my wife is allowed to love me for any length of time.
I wouldn't recommend getting a PS3 from Japan anyway, has built in censorship, boo! play any copy of Resistance (US/AUS/JAP) on a JAP PS3 and it'll censor that game, no gooey head shots for you!
Hey there,
Anyway I'm here (or there)...
Planning a trip into Tokyo tomorrow.. currently I'm looking out onto the Yokohama port harbour
I found a cool store in Yokohama, Yodobashi which has a whole floor of toys and figures..
I also found the ROTF Devastator in Singapore but the ticket price was pretty high... over $200AU and the box is huge.. I'll pass I think
Have you visited Toys R'Us at Jack Mall? That mall is a small commercial complex located at the back of Queen's Square at Minato Mirai in Yokohama. If you don't pass via the Minato Mirai Line, most likely you can take the Sakuragicho station. Been there 4 years ago so my info may not be that accurate so be warned. :rolleyes:
Btw, you gotta love autumn in japan! :D
Try this link if you go past Akihabara, and i recommend you do!
Most figure/hobby stores have at least a few TFs, but the best ones to visit are:
Yodobashi Camera.. i think it was 6th floor; Movie TF's, Encore's and Henkei.
Radio Kaikan.. this is a building housing heaps of smaller stores on different levels; all together, you could probably find most recent Japanese TF's and a few older ones.
Liberty Store #7.. must-visit store, 1st floor has got about 6 glass cabinets of TF's, mostly used, from all era's and a giant 1.5m Optimus statue!
Mandarake... ABSOLUTE must have if you're into G1, 2 full rows of glass cabinets, TF's from all era's, about 50% of it is Japanese G1. Make sure your wallet is prepared, though just seeing it is fun itself :) It's on the top floor, but only the right hand elevator gets to the top floor!
Its still there. Was having a look when I was over. Not much TF goodies though. To get there, get off JR lines at Sakuragicho. Head for Lndmark tower. Ride the long long flat escalator thing to the tower (passing the "ship") and enter Landmark tower. Head right and exit building. In between Landmark tower and the Queens tower is a metal sculpture that looks like a roller coaster, (facing away from Landmark) head left and walk about 10 min. Over the bridge, past the gallery with the fountains out the front and across the road. There is another bunch of shops. Toys R Us is down the end on the left. 2nd floor.
Dang and Dang. Just thought I would try ;)
Yodabashi is pretty good. In the building that is over the Yokohama train station, there is a little toy store on the ground floor that has some good stuff.
Hope your having fun
Very detailed instruction there Tets! I won't get lost for that! :)
That brings me back down to ol memory lane. I remember the jampacked JR lines everytime I go to work. The minato mirai ship is on the right as you walk through the walkalators. And the gallery which I presume is the maritime museum towards the mall will be on the left side.
And there might be a chance you'll find a small flea market near the ship during Saturdays. It's pretty much like an outdoor op shop. So don't expect too much TFs. But you'll never know, it's like finding a Fort Max on an op shop. :D Though sometimes they change venue, if they're not there, you may prolly find them near one of the park (forgot the name) if you walk to kanai from sakuragicho.
Gambatte! :D
Hey Wheel-J, I didn't know you used to live in Japan! Wow... seems the number of potential Japanese speakers on this board might be growing. Methinks I want to make a Japanese conversation thread! :)
Lol! Goku-san sumimasen, I have to apologize that I am not really well versed in nihonggo. I only know a handful of very basic words I learned from my previous Japanese officemates and unfortunately most of it I have forgotten. Like Jetfire, I've been to Japan only for work circumstances. The HQ of the company I worked before is based in Yokohama so I had that opportunity to be there and work with Japanese. But unlike my other local work colleagues who were assigned there for longer, my stay there is on and off so I don't really have that chance to practice my jap comm skills much as they do. Though I would be eager to learn especially if the need arises again. :)
And btw, the only jap character that I can write is my name in hiragana(?) which I found out to be my name printed in my JR pass. ha ha! :D
If you're talking bout fast foods, there's a few other cheapy you may wanna try round your area. Ideally for lunchbreaks if you don't wanna walk far and at the same time fancy about ramen, there's a ramen shop at the lower level of landmark plaza after you pass by Hard Rock Cafe. You'll find that on your right just before Wendy's. Not really cheaper than Wendy's but a decent-sized bowl of ramen for Y950 should fill you up (circa 2005 :rolleyes:). Another one which I could recommend if not that I was told it was no longer cheap anymore is that fast food center on the 5th floor. They have this crappy buffet meal for Y210. You pay before you eat, grab your bowl, and fill it in as many as you can. Me and my regular mates have our bentos there most of the time. But sadly, I was told last time that they don't serve buffet anymore. And there's also a korean bbq resto across the street at the back of your hotel which you could try. If you're facing Maccas (not the one at landmark tower but the one accross the street), walk towards the left corner and find that resto on the 2nd floor. Last time I know they don't open the table grills during lunch so don't worry bout catching the savory fumes of bbq on your suit. :P
Of course, there are a lot of good diners there. If there'd be a chance I would go back there, I'll visit Pepper Lunch for a sizzling meal (the one like in Sydney), stuff myself with katsudon from my favourite Tempura shop at Kannai, and eat my staple gyudon with lots of red ginger at Yoshinoya. :)
sorry... don't really want to hi-jack the thread... but semi-related... any TF shops in Kyoto and Osaka? detailed instructions would be appreciative.
tempted to buy a PS3 but scared about the 100v incompatibility!
I'm not sure about Kyoto, but if you go into Osaka, the place to go is DenDenTown.
Here's a google map, not as detailed as my Akihabara one i'm afraid!
It's just a single street mostly.... you'll want to look in most shops as it is :) I remember Capsule Toy Store and Joshin Super Kids Land had a few. Herogangu i haven't visted myself, but apparantly they have a very impressive Japanese G1 offering. The map also includes the location of the fabled Toy Wholesaler if you don't mind a bit of a walk!
in osaka, on the main street in den den town, look for a green walkway overpass and there is a pretty good toy shop that has older G1 stuff. its right at the foot of the overpass stairs.
That's Herogangu, they have the overpass on the map on their website.
Hijack alert!!!!
Ok, I had a pretty good time in Akiba on Saturday.. I'll probably have another run at it next Sat but for now this is my take..
MP-6/MP-7 Skywarp/Thundercracker - I found a place selling both of these for 6000yen each because of "damage box" but really there is two slight dings at the back of each box - works out to about $150 for the two
ROTF Fallen from TRU Jack Mall because I seemed to missed out on this in Perth
In the backstreets on Akiba I found a shop selling TF's for 980 yen each - pretty cheap about $13 each - I got C10(Prowl)-C14(Ratchett)-C09(Sideswipe)-C17(Sunstreaker)
This sort of style packaging
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3252/...e69e4947e2.jpg
Takara 2nd hand (but looks mint) 20 Kup w/ Wheelie - about $30
Revoltech Rodimus for a couple of other RV's from the same backstreet shop for a pricey 400yen each
2 ROTF Autobots/Decepticons Fridge Magnets 500 yen each
Street Fighter IV Revoltech stuff
A gold gundam dude from Todobashi
Encore Cassettes Vol.2 3800 yen
-----------------------------------------------------
I checked out some of the vintage G1 stuff but it seemed pretty expensive - tbh there is stuff on ebay I'm watching I'm more interested in so I passed - I'll have another look next Sat - my suitcase is already giving me funny looks
Am in Kyoto for at least till Wednesday.
thanks for the map, kurdt. I had listed DenDenTown and Herogangu shop but the rest would have been the case of walking discovery if it wasn't for your map.
The toy wholesaler is about the same distance for me as we'll be staying between shinsaibashi & shinsaibashisuji
gok, I couldn't tell the difference of the dialects unlike the chinese dialects. So at the moment, they all sound the same to me :o
thanks TC for the PS3 heads up. It's a pity that I already have one. And depending on time, I may be able to do you a posted favour as luggage space and sydney is the constraining factor. I've yet to use the JP postal service so I'm not sure how easy that is.
I saw these (http://shop.joshin.co.jp/shopdetail....6&line=0#19737) at Harajuku Kiddyland the other day, but don't really understand the point of them?
Sorry Jetfire for hijacking :) There's actually a couple of shops near Suehirocho Station Exit 1 (side) if you walk towards Akibahara
Transformers (electrical) are f'expensive in Australia! I recommend buying a step-up transformer while you're in Japan. I once bought a transformer from jaycar; cost me triple the price of one I bought in Akihabara and after about a year it stopped working. :(
Hey Saintly, just be careful with the PS3 purchase - can't remember which thread it was in, but someone mentioned that there are restrictions on what games you can play on the jap system. I think it refused to play Resistance due to the graphic nature of the game or something.
PS. Since we are practically neighbors, if you can grab me an Encore Cassettes Volume 2 for under $50 whilst you are there, me will love you long time. :p
Considering the possible limits to Ps3iness, Hmm, maybe I should just get an aus PS3 then. Thanks for the thoughts tho. Just did some googling and there is a way around it, but its a bit of pain, just gotta get a game save off of a nonjap console and use that apparently.
.
The bike wheel covers? They make yer bike more aerodynamice! Like a transformer of course. Yes, I am a hijacker occasionally (rarely do I wheeljack though)
Just in relation to the PS3 issues...i brought one back from Japan in May...absolutely no problems what so ever...the system is multi voltage...don't even need a converter...just replace the electrical plug with something you should have at home (I can't remember the name...older PC's and even kettle's use them) and you're ready to go... :) not sure about all the censorship stuff tho...
nah, I'm cool with my current PS3, if it is space I'm lacking, I'll just upgrade the internal to the biggest 2.5in SATA drive when I'm ready.. the sliminess isn't what grabs me (I like it to feel solid!).
As for Fungal, we'll see, gotta find it first and gotta have the luggage space... so can't promise anything.
Found a hobby shop near Daimaru Kyoto this evening, sadly no TFs but a stack load of Gundams and Macross VFs
gundams are everywhere!
He aint so big. Look at the comparison with Ratchet.
:D;):rolleyes:
OMG:eek::eek::eek: Is that thing real? I mean, does it really move?
Such a great secret the Japanese have there, secretly building Gundams to take over USA... :rolleyes:
As far as I'm aware it doesn't move. Sure looks amazing though, check out these night time shots (taken from cnet.com):
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim//20...5/gundam_4.jpg
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim//20...5/gundam_3.jpg
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim//20...5/gundam_8.jpg
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim//20...5/gundam_2.jpg
The 1:1 Gundam's head could turn left to right and tilt backwards, but was otherwise immobile (but remained supremely awesome!)
Yes it was. Did you go see it? WHen I was there, there were heaps of people around. The head started to move and some music played and the whole crowd went "Whooooooooa!" everytime the head moved. It was hilarious!:D
Apparently a couple got married under it....