Lost,

Holy cow! We spent a day in Ginza and I never knew there was stuff there! Man, I feel like I was cheated or something. Hahaha

I appreciate it! 

Hi Griffin,

Allan and I both used 'AFV Modeller's Extremely Prejudiced Guide to Tokyo Hobby Shops' at http://tokyo-hobby-shops.geraet040.net/index.html

Also has a page covering other major cities.

Have fun

Thanks for sharing...seeing all of those Tamiya kits brought back a lot of memories from when you could find shops in the US with almost as much of a selection...The Japanese have a way with taking anything to the nth degree...exciting stuff...

I'm going next year and I was wondering about the modeling culture there. Looks like I need to start planning some hobby shop adventures!! Oh ya 

Do'h I forgot this one....

In the big expensive shopping strip of Ginza, there is this little gem, Tenshodo, where the other half can be downstairs looking at jewellery and watches priced beyond belief, you can whip upstairs and have a look at models. And you are both in the same shop!

Mainly trains but a selction of planes afvs and ships, and plenty of tools.

Ohhhhhh nice!

And the scenery between the hobby shops ain't half bad either 

Nice pics! Really brings me back.  Im looking forward to raiding those stores again. :)

Just back from a holiday in Japan

Only four hours in Akihabara this visit, a trip to Sunny in Shimokitizawa (Tokyo) and B's Hobby in Kyoto. If I had the time I could have spent a day or two.

Here is the haul, mostly second hand from Leonardo LG in Akiba. Bagged kits are cheaper, and a bit of hit and miss. Gives you a chance to try building something you normally would not - hence the Gundam...

And if you need an excuse to get the family over to Japan, you can try these....

The economic downturn and the Internet have taken a bite out of even the Japanese hobby shops.  Mr. Craft in Ebisu had a super awesome entire floor(!) devoted to racing, mostly red Ferraris, and car model kits and accessories on another floor.  Sadly, they lost the Ferrari floor and switched to regular stuff, then closed down.  Tokyo Hobbit was an out the way shop in Akihabara that had an out of this world selection of exotic kits, also gone.  Sakuraya Hobby was one of my favorite Tokyo hobby shops, but went down with their parent company which sold camera stuff I think.  The out of city shops have also been hit hard.  Sato Hobby in Yachiyo-Dai in Chiba, the first Japanese hobby shop I went to back in 1970, is also no longer.  The shop was run by at least two generations, but the last owner said that they couldn't compete with the discounted prices of the Tokyo shops and on-line stores.

Oops, sorry about the downer post.  But there are still gobs of hobby shops still on their feet.  Go if you can, you won't regret it!

BTW, in Osaka, my favorite shop is Hobbyland, run by Mr. Taizo Kawabata and his wife.  Retail prices and no Gundam or cars (military scale only), but their selection is quite good.

Aggieman,

Yeah, I was thinking then, if I lived here, I can only imagine the extent of detailing/scratchbuilding I could do. Sigh.

ajd3530

This evening I told my wife "We need to visit Japan one day." She just stared at me for a minute and bluntly asked why. I told her some line about the beautiful scenery and the people, she didn't seem too interested. Then I got to the point and showed her this. She looked at me like I was a moron, and then just walked out of the room...

Some people just don't understand.

 

But, but, didnt your wife see the beautiful scenery I just posted above?  :)

This evening I told my wife "We need to visit Japan one day." She just stared at me for a minute and bluntly asked why. I told her some line about the beautiful scenery and the people, she didn't seem too interested. Then I got to the point and showed her this. She looked at me like I was a moron, and then just walked out of the room...

Some people just don't understand.

Well, the wife just nixed a trip to Japan, dadnabit!

i cannot think of a time I have been in any model shop here in the States that had stock of photo-etch on the racks. Geez, you have that stuff then your selection of kits is guaranteed to be incredible.

Thanks for sharing your photos.

Heh - I'd probably max out 2 or 3 credit cards in those shops. A scary thought I know...

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

Tokyo = Modeling Heaven? Nope... I've got a better one: Tokyo IS...Modeling Porn. ROFL!!

 

Tokyo = Modeling Heaven? Nope... I've got a better one: Tokyo IS...Modeling Porn. ROFL!!

WOW! Those look incredible guys! I've got to get there someday. I order stuff from HobbyLink Japan you can't get from any other company but I swear there's stuff that they don't even sell that never makes it outside Japan. 

I do wonder though if the internet has made much difference with their brick stores like ours? 

Allan,

I agree, it is fantastic in Tokyo. I have been a few times at the end of skiing holidays. For my guide, I used 'AFV Modeller's Extremely Prejudiced Guide to Tokyo Hobby Shops' at http://tokyo-hobby-shops.geraet040.net/index.html

He also has info about other major cities - Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo and others

One of the great shops I have gone back to each time is Leonardo LG - they don't have new kits or accessories or detail sets, what they do have is older second hand kits that they are selling off for people. If the kit is older and common, they are cheap. Newer kits are priced 10-20% cheaper than retail, but it is all pot luck. And they have super cheap bagged kits in bins out the front - maybe no decals, missing clear bits or whatever... They now have three outlets around Akihabara.

http://www.leonardolg.jp/

There is also Leonardo ET close by Leonardo LG shop 1. Both are shown in AFV's Tokyo guide above.

Here is this January's haul, only one kit was retail:

Lowest price was the 1/72 Bronco for 650 yen, most expensive was the Oliver Perry at 3850 yen - great way to spend a day!

Recommend it immensely - and go to the Sumo if it's on!

Just outstanding !!!!

Makes me want to cry!  As my LHS is condensing all the plastics and has hardly anything on the shelves  those stores look like Heaven.

John

I would end up spending all of my money 

Sigh. I wish I had one day. Half day just wasnt enough. I had this list of things I needed before I went, but all that went flying out the window the moment I stepped into one of these shops. Like a kid in a candy store.

This is just so unfair. I hope I get to visit someday. I could literally spend all day in those stores.

Most of the prices are significantly cheaper than here (Philippines). The Tamiya prices are of course all marked down.  The airbrush I bought was about $40 cheaper than in our LHS.

that was incredible , what were there prices like ,?

That makes two of us.  Man, just to have that much variety and that much supplies and materials at your fingertips... makes me drool.