I leave Akihabara for my last day in Tokyo. This was definitely a mistake since I would have liked to have gone back again! Akihabara is well known as the mecca for all things portable and electronic. It's also home to a ton of toy stores as documented in the superb field guide: "Tokyo Underground" published by Super 7. Since I love robots and mecha, Akihabara is the place for me. Although I'm hopelessly addicted to new vinyl, I still have a soft spot in my heart for all things mecha.
Most of these pictures are taken inside the Radio Kaikan building above which has several floors of toy stores including Kaiyodo's flagship. They were really cool about taking pictures unlike most stores in Akihabara which didn't allow photography.
Although I can get most of the newer toys on display via online stores like Hobby Link Japan, it's quite something to see all of them in person. Much like a copy of Hobby Japan that springs to life!
Liberty 7. Bummer I couldn't take any pictures inside this wonderful store. Must have been 8 floors of toys with each floor being dedicated to a different genre. It was wonderful and exhausting...
The famed Yodobashi Camera. This place is really insane. A humongous department store filled with electronics with a huge floor dedicated to just toys. I was like walking into a Sears but the entire floor nothing but toys. Crazy. I could have stayed there all day long.
These are all "gashapon" machines. Coin-op machines with every little toy known to man.
It's aisle after aisle stacked with kits and toys...
1 comment:
yodobashi camera was dope but i didn't actually end up buying anything at all apart from some gashapon. those aisles are insane.
jake/conqueror
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