Treasures from Tokyo: US Toys!!!

Curses to Joe and Alex for introducing me to US Toys Minis!!! Several weeks ago, Alex showed me this set with the two Baltans and Ultraman. The yummy clear blue Baltan with tinsel inside seemed to be unreachable. Both sets were sold before they even hit the floor. BUT as fate would have it, at Super Festival in Tokyo, I spied the very same set at the US Toys table and it would become my first purchase of the day!! Hard to think of a better way to start Super Festival!!

Cronic from Super Festival!!!

Here are the three Cronic pieces released at Super Festival. I was really lucky because I guess there were only a few of each painted. They were pretty much sold out 2 seconds after they started taking money. Cronic are wonderful and beautiful figures. I dig most of the sculps (these three for sure), but the paint applications are second to none. Thanks Cronic!!!

Tokyo Day 5, Part 1: Akihabara!!!

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...

Tokyo Day 5, Part 2: Back to Harajuku and Shinjuku!!

It's after dark on my last full day in Tokyo. Against the wishes of my aching legs and feet, I head back to Harajuku for some last minute streetwear shopping. I find Blister above but quickly realize it's pretty much all US toys.



It's easy to get lost in Harajuku... too tired to really shop any longer, I find myself wondering the streets just enjoying the sights and lights...















The food area of a Dept. Store in Shinjuku. It's a neat as it looks.





Our last dinner! Thank You M!! One of my biggest regrets is not eating proper sushi last time I was in Japan which was 13 years ago. I didn't make this mistake twice. Yummy!!



Fish head!!



So everyone keeps asking where is the Haul pic? Here it is! Lots of great treasure here!!!



Video of Shinjuku on my last night in Tokyo!!


Shinjuku at Night from toybot studios on Vimeo.