Red Dot Posted September 28, 2017 Share Posted September 28, 2017 (edited) If anyone is heading to Japan for a holiday and wants information on model and book shops, just shout Andy Edited September 28, 2017 by Red Dot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 I have recently come back from holiday in Japan and had a wonderful time there. Visited a few main hobby shops such as Volks, Tam Tam and Yodabashi in Akihabara and the Tamiya shop in Shimbashi. The only one that my money went to was Yodabashi because of their selection and able to get the tax off. Hope to go back again. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted October 2, 2017 Author Share Posted October 2, 2017 hi Robert, I've just seen your post and am interested to find out where the Volks shop was in Akihabara. I know TamTam and Yodabashi so directions from there would be good if you can cheers Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Hi Andy, as you come out of Akihabara Station use the Electric Town south exit and as you walk towards the main road, Atre 1 is on your right and at the junction with the main road is Volks. Volks is on the 6th floor and the only way to get up there is via stairs. Good selection of tools and kits. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted October 3, 2017 Author Share Posted October 3, 2017 thanks very much Robert. I'll check it out as I need to get an F-4S for a friend Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Puff Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Yellow Submarine's worth a visit too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted November 3, 2017 Author Share Posted November 3, 2017 For information, the Ikaros book shop in Tokyo is now closed down. However, Shosen Grande has an excellent selection of books on planes, tanks etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubymurray Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 The Leonardo shop around the corner from TamTam had an unbelievable selection of second hand and out of production kits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted November 7, 2017 Author Share Posted November 7, 2017 Yes indeed. I was there last weekend too. If you come out of the shop and turn left, go straight over the main junction and look down the side roads on your left, the third one back from the railway line in front of you has a car park sign on the right. The other Leonardo shop is there. It's about a four minute walk. Even more stock of older kits in there all at gob-smackingly low prices compared to the UK. The only issue is carrying them all !! Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 I will be staying in a hotel in the Shinjuku-ku area (I think) and would like to know what shops are close to this area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhouse Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 Not a lot in Shinjuku, However, there is a branch of Tokyu Hands there with a small, interesting, model department on the topfloor. It also has a great selection of tools plus Japanese 'oddities'. It's well worth a visit. Google Maps link here. But for models, Akihabara is really the place to go and it doesn't take long on the underground. In fact you can walk it in about 90 minutes - I reckon walking is by far the most pleasant way to get around Tokyo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted August 18, 2018 Author Share Posted August 18, 2018 1 hour ago, Jabba said: I will be staying in a hotel in the Shinjuku-ku area (I think) and would like to know what shops are close to this area? hi Jabba, Let me have an e-mail address and i will send you a walking map that i have created for the Akihabara area. This is for the four best shops and will simply leave you stunned by the amount of cheap kits.. From Shinjuku station, it is no more than 30 minutes by the Tokyo Metro on the Shiunjuku line. If you have never been to Tokyo before, don't worry about getting around as the vast majority of the stations have English ticket machines and the system is really easy to use as well as being cheap and very clean. Simply find the station you want on the map, the number underneath the name is the price you pay. Buy a ticket and go! Most shops open at 10.00 until 20.00 ish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 PM sent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted August 19, 2018 Author Share Posted August 19, 2018 and reply sent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted September 29, 2018 Share Posted September 29, 2018 On 8/19/2018 at 6:25 PM, Red Dot said: and reply sent! Thanks for all the advice that you sent on the e-mail. I managed to find all the shops on the list, even if some were not on the floors that you said. I really liked the first Leonardo shop, although I did struggle to understand the transport system until the day before I left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted September 30, 2018 Author Share Posted September 30, 2018 Brilliant, glad you liked them. I wrote it after I got home, but I will update it next time I am over there. leonardos is something else isn't it? How many kits did you buy out of curiosity? andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted September 30, 2018 Share Posted September 30, 2018 Just 2, but there could have been more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted December 29, 2019 Author Share Posted December 29, 2019 If anyone ever gets to Okinawa, Modellers Core and especially Shimas Hobby Shop are well worth a visit. Both can be found on GoogleMaps. The latter is like an Aladdins Cave of old kits Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camo Viking Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 Kind of a late reply here, but if anyone needs help with finding hobby stores in Japan (particularly in Tokyo), this link might be of help: http://tokyo-hobby-shops.geraet040.net/ I've visited most of the hobby shops in Akihabara (along with plenty of Yodobashi stores) and they are amazing... Be wary of Yellow Submarine - some are modelling shops whilst others are games / comic shops. If you ever get to Hiroshima, go to Kure (about 45 minutes by local train) and check out the Yamato museum - they have a 1/10 (yes, one-tenth) scale model of the Yamato on display. There's also a very packed hobby store between the station and the museum... 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted April 27, 2020 Author Share Posted April 27, 2020 Thanks for the link Camo Viking. I have seen that one before and whilst it is good, you need to be aware that's one of the shops have closed down now. Great tip about Kure and the Yamato museum, but where, in more detail, is the hobby shop please? Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camo Viking Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 Hi Andy, Yeah, the list is a bit old now and shops do move / close over time. I found one of the Leonardo shops through it, and yeah, an "Aladdin's Cave" of amazing stuff. The shop in Kure is called 'Malta Hobbies' and is located quite close to the train station. The elevated walkway from the station to the museum (and through the shopping centre) will take you right past (but above) it. According to Google maps: https://goo.gl/maps/msWwpeADTvEciq8Q9 Also of interest is the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force museum - right across the street from the Yamato museum. Just look for the giant submarine - you can't miss it. 🙂 Cheers, V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted April 29, 2020 Author Share Posted April 29, 2020 Super update V. The shop and the museums are on my list for the next time i am in that area cheers Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camo Viking Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Hi Andy, I'm glad I could help. 🙂 I will point out that the hobby shop, like most family-run shops in Japan is not super-huge (compared to Yodobashi / Volks / Yellow Submarine). I wasn't in there for long, but they had everything from drones to RC planes/cars to plastic kits. The shelves for the plastic kits were double-stacked, and there were piles of stock on the floor, too. The Yamato museum also has a gift shop which contained a reasonable range of (you guessed it) model ship kits amongst the memorabilia. Cheers, V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted April 30, 2020 Author Share Posted April 30, 2020 Those are the best kind of shops V. If you ever get to the Tokyo again, try Sunny Models, Dora and Keystone. They are even better than the big shops Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 On You Tube there is a Japanese lady modeller going by #plasticmodels that does visit to out of the way model shops. The only problem it is in Japanese. Regards Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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