When fellow Toy People visit Tokyo, Japan, one of the absolute must-do activities on the itinerary is a massive toy store shopping spree, right?! The Toy People editorial team took advantage of our downtime from covering Tokyo Comic Con 2019 to head to Nakano, Ueno, and Shibuya. We've compiled a detailed guide to the "12 Must-Visit Tokyo Toy Stores for 2020" for all you collectors planning a trip! So follow the Toy Adventure Team as we embark on this treasure-hunting journey that will make your wallet cry—LET'S GO!
Continuing from The 12 Must-Visit Tokyo Toy Stores for 2020 - Part 1, let's hurry up and check out the other can't-miss, awesome shops inside Nakano Broadway!
⑦ Gaocchi
Address: 3F, 5-52 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0001
Hours: 11:00～20:00
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gaottinatukasi/?hl=ja
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Gaocchi specializes in vintage toys from the Showa era, with themes including kaiju, Pokémon, heroes, robots, and more. The store is filled with nostalgic masks, baseball cards, and menko cards. Toy People who are fascinated by vintage items and Showa-era culture must come here to experience the joy of treasure hunting!
⑧ Lashinbang Nakano Store Outlet (Formerly Store No. 3)
Address: 2F, 5-52-15 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0001
Hours: 11:00～20:00
Official Website: https://www.lashinbang.com/store/nakano_3/
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Next up is Lashinbang, which has four branches in Nakano Broadway. We visited the Outlet store, which specializes in toys. Here you'll find an abundance of Japanese products, from Super Robot series like Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger, to Gundam and tokusatsu kaiju.
⑨ VanVeer (BAMBOOL)
Address: 2F, 5-52-15 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0001
Hours: 12:00～20:00
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Finally, we come to VanVeer. The rental display cases here are a mix of a large quantity of new and vintage Japanese items—they even have Game Boy handhelds! Your editor also spotted many grail items he's wanted for ages! The thrill of suddenly discovering a treasure amidst the vast selection is definitely VanVeer's biggest draw!
The above concludes the Toy People editorial team's list of can't-miss toy stores in the "Demon Castle" of Nakano (9 stores in total). Are you Toy People still wanting more? Don't worry, let's now move on to another popular area in Tokyo: Ueno!
⑩ Yamashiroya
Address: 6-14-6 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0005
Hours: 10:00～21:30
Official Website: https://e-yamashiroya.com/
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As a major station that's very convenient for airport access and subway transfers, Ueno is likely a popular choice for accommodation for many Toy People visiting Tokyo for the first time. And located right across from JR Ueno Station, the 7-story "Yamashiroya" toy store is a must-visit destination to spend your money! :D Besides its convenient location, Yamashiroya's vast selection ensures you can not only buy all the toys you want for yourself but also get all your souvenirs in one go. Plus, they offer tax-free shopping—how convenient is that? Highly recommended!
▼ The first floor exterior is lined with gashapon machines, featuring all the latest releases, and you can also find some older ones. The promotional displays on the side of the first floor and on the second floor change with the latest popular themes.
▼ I must remind everyone again, this Yamashiroya offers tax-free services, so remember to bring your passport when you go toy shopping.
▼ The first floor mainly features RE-MENT blind box toys, designer toy blind boxes, the hugely popular Animal Life series from Taiwan, and various IP-themed stickers and gifts.
▼ The second floor is all about various toys and merchandise for MARVEL and DC superheroes. The Japanese manga hero series "My Hero Academia" is also in this section, along with a rich variety of UDF series blister-packed figures and Star Wars and Harry Potter merchandise.
▼ Your editor's personal favorite, the bizarre mini-bust series—zombies, vampires, and mummies are just awesome!
▼ The third floor can be categorized as the video game-themed merchandise area, including the recently popular Fortnite, Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Pokémon, and more, as well as Detective Conan themed jigsaw puzzles.
▼ The toys on the fourth floor are mainly Ultraman, kaiju, and Kamen Rider. There are also themes like Shinkalion and Anpanman. Toy People looking for children's toys as gifts can also browse here.
▼ The fifth floor's selection is also quite rich, filled with Godzilla kaiju, Transformers, and Gundam models. The various DIY diorama models and the wide array of miniature furniture and accessories are incredibly tempting.
▼ There are even anatomy toys of human organs and animals!!
▼ Arriving on the sixth floor, we were lucky enough to catch the Kirby-themed exhibition, "Kirby Star Allies - WADO'S TOY SHOP is full of Kirby!", which ran only until November 24, 2019. The entire floor was incredibly pink! From the usual RE-MENT blind boxes and plush toys to apparel and cute shaped erasers, you could find it all here.
▼ Finally, Yamashiroya also has a can't-miss B1 (basement) level. This area is mainly for various toys and cute merchandise from Studio Ghibli animated films, Crayon Shin-chan, Disney, Sumikko Gurashi, and Rilakkuma.
Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Ueno Store 2
Address: 4-9-8 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0005
Hours: 09:30～22:00
Official Website: https://www.yodobashi.com/ec/store/0025/
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Near Yamashiroya in Ueno, there is another large-scale retail complex, "Yodobashi". Although Yodobashi mainly sells 3C products like computers, cameras, and photography equipment, it also has areas dedicated to selling toys and video games. It has branches near many busy train stations, making it very easy to find! The selection of new products is quite comprehensive, and they also offer tax-free shopping!
▼ In Ueno, Yodobashi's Store 2, which specializes in toys and video games, is in a different building from Store 1. Don't get them mixed up, Toy People!
▼ You can find the latest hit games for Switch and PS4 here, and there's even a manga section!
▼ The variety and selection of toys are also astounding. From Gundam models and building tools, nanoblock mini bricks, kaiju soft vinyl figures, Schleich animal models, and children's toys, to board games... they have everything.
Shibuya PARCO 6F CYBERSPACE SHIBUYA
Address: Shibuya PARCO, 15-1 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8377
Official Website: https://shibuya.parco.jp/
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Last but not least, don't forget "Shibuya PARCO," which had its grand opening this past November in Shibuya, Japan's trendsetting hub! Featuring specialty stores from major video game and anime brands, the 6th floor, themed "CYBERSPACE SHIBUYA", is not to be missed! Since its opening, it has consistently drawn huge crowds. The exclusive merchandise from Nintendo TOKYO, Pokémon Center SHIBUYA, CAPCOM STORE TOKYO, and more can only be bought here!
Further Reading 1: Tokyo Shibuya PARCO: A Guide to Nintendo TOKYO - A Must-Visit for Nintendo Fans!, Further Reading 2: Pokémon Center and Capcom Store Are Must-Visit Holy Grails! A Special Feature on Shibuya PARCO's 6th Floor, CYBERSPACE SHIBUYA
And that's a wrap! This is the Toy People editorial team's specially selected list of the 12 Must-Visit Tokyo Toy Stores for 2020 - Part 2. For other great shops, please see The 12 Must-Visit Tokyo Toy Stores for 2020 - Part 1. Of course, due to scheduling and route planning, there are surely many toy stores that we missed. We welcome all Toy People to add your own recommendations and join the discussion in the comments section! We hope the Toy Adventure Team can travel to more places in the future to bring you more firsthand information. Until next time, see you later!
▼Must-Visit Toy Store Recommendations in Japan! Tokyo Edition Part 2