this seems like it might be the right spot to ask about places to buy TFs in tokyo. i'm only there for 5 nights, so i'm not going to be able to go too out of the way, but i was hoping someone round here might be able to point me in the direction of some tokyo shops to head to. thanks in advance for any help.

go to UENO station (jr or regular) and go accross the road to a HUGE toy store called Yamoshiroya (or something like that, written in yellow). If u cant find it, ask someone by saying

"sumimasen...omucha shopu doku desu ka?"

The shop has loads of floors, but TFs should be on the 6th I think. If in doubt, ask "Turansufoma arimasuka?" (do u have tfs?) and someone should help u.

Also, check out a Toys R us (ask tourist information). If u look around this discussion area, in the history, I wrote a list of toy shops..try looking a bit..i think i posted some stuff while i was in osaka about a chain store.

Anyway, u can get to Ueno by taking the Hibiya subway/train line from stations like Roppongi, Shinjuku, etc. If u get on a JR train, its near the regular station, just a little more to walk.

Ueno also has a "Hub" (english style pub chain) and loads of small shops in a maze of little lanes. Some of these sell toys as well.

Mmy ex GF used to work in the Docomo building there. she was one of those cute girls in uniform that would welcome u when u came in!

girls in uniform! i'm there.

oh, and of course for the transformers too. thank you very much for the directions, although i think i may avoid even attempting the language. perhaps a stored photo of the tf logo on my phone will be a better way of getting directions. simply point to the phone and look lost. should work.

Nah no-one will recognise the logo except a fan.

TF's aren't as big as other toylines here.

You will also want to go a place called Akihabara, its on the Yamanote line. Main train line of Tokyo. Once there take the Electric town exit.

There are MANY shops, selling enw and old toys, just walk up and down the main street and some side streets.

Try to find this shop:
http://www.mandarake.co.jp/english/shop/akb.html

thanks. mandrake is a name that keeps coming up, so its certainly one i'm going to seek out.

Mandrake was the name of the store Id forgotten.

PLEASE learn some Japanese! Not everyone understands English in japan, even if they have studied English for a decade or more.

Bbasic japanese u MUST learn are:

"sue-me-mass-en" (excuse me, im sorry, thanks, etc)

".........Doh-koh-dess-kar?" (where is....?)

"doe-moe-ah-ree=gar-toe" (thank you very much)

".....ee-koo-rah-dess-kar?" (how much....?)

"oh-mor-char" (toy)

The most important word is the first one, spelt in actual romanized letters as "sumimasen".

If u use that, Japanese people will be more forthcoming with help and tell you that you are GREAT at Jjapanese.

As for showing the Autobot symbol..noone will understand it. Transformers are not big in Japan..unless ur a 5 year old boy. GUNDAM on the otherhand is everywhere.

BTW, here is a pic that WILL get you where u need to go, providing u are in Ueno (pronounced "oo-ay-no" by Japanese or "way-no" by foreigners):

http://www.collectiondx.com/features/japan...no/P6031613.asp

For more info:

http://www.jref.com/practical/ueno.shtml

i'll give the basic japanese a whirl, but i will have been trying to get my head around cantonese for a week before hand. so i can imagine i'm going to get stupidly confused.

japanese is easy..say it in monotone, wthout any intonation. Even if u balls it up, ur efforts to try it with a japanese will normally make most japanese want to help you. Theyll be impressed u even tried!

Llots of body language is essential and always remember in Asia: smile. Dont look frustrated, as Japanese people will think "Scarey angry big foreigner" and refuse to help u.

i'm six foot with a skin head and four earings in my left ear. i'm going to be enough of a sight without worrying about not smiling. i just look slightly insane when i smile.

Skin heads are not bad in japan. In fact, young boys in the baseball teams are encouraged to shave their hair off.

Its the rebells in japan that sport largem, fluffy, permed orange hair, which you will see them playing with in public...

So smile and be nice!

i'll smile and be nice, but i do look a little like the football hooligans that were plastered across all the japanese news bulletins back at world cup time. i'm very pleasant really, but i have a tendency to make old ladies nervous.

on a slight aside, are there any recommendations of things i should pick up while i'm over there, TF wise?

Depends what u want and how much luggage space. If u want to send large parcles instead of taking them back, most post offices, especially in Tokyo, have english language instructions. Note: japan wont send any "non standard" sized packages but will recive them (from other countries), so you might have to send private. Many convinience stores have a "black cat on a green background" symbol somewhere. If they do, it means they have a private postal service pick up point on their permises. Point to the symbol, display the package and they might be able to help you. Have a look online for it too, its there...

Anyway, you might want to get exclusives that you can only get in Japan, ranging fro the Black Toys Rr us Powermaster Convoy (still for sale in specialist shops), to Robotmasters (like the convoy with dvd). Also, the insecticons are now out, plus u might be able to pick up boxed japanese g1 figs in akihabara!

also:

- Yamoshiroya sells some japanese tf tshirts.

- PVC figs

- MYCLONE (like Kubrik) TF figs

- 20TH Aniversary Convoy

- Car Robots "Fort Max"

- Yamato Macross figs

- Toys R Us sell large Gundam toys for about 3,000 yen (30 US Dollars) ans mega pvc style figs (but better) ones fr about 2,000 yen.

- Mega pvc figs

- Binaltech figs (as they have metal parts and not plastic)

Also, check out any convinience stores, such as "Save On", "7-11", "Family Mart", "Lawsons", etc a sthey may have old (even discounted) Ttransformer merchanidse, ranging from G1 Mini spy keyrings, sd pvcs in gumballs, etc.

cheers. i won't be buying gundam stuff as i know nothing about it and the last thing i need is another toy line to become obssessed with. i have the 20th anniversary prime (japanese version). i'm after G1 and limited editions mainly. i really like the idea of getting hold of the weirder stuff (keyrings and giveaway from back in the day) as i like the oddities.

and although i'm not really up on energon/rid/universe stuff, i'm willing to give them a go if they look nice enough. i suppose i better get myself a little education.

Wel, Toys R Us will have plenty of the new stuff. If memory serves me right, the Robotmasters stuff might be in a different section...near tehf ront, unless it was justs promotional run (then which it will be with all the other TF stuff).


Ull love the "MY CLONE" stuff if if u want odd stuff, then.

Another thing..if u see a dusty looking "ma and pa" toyshop..GO IN. These are often excellent places to get lder TFs. Tthe boxes will be dusty, but they will normally be sold at the RRP anyway. Ive got some great Beast Wars 2/Neo and Car Robots stuff from those places.

One cultural thing: Japanese DONT haggle. U might be able to haggle a little bit in some second hand stores...but not much (dont try it in a regular shop). Also, many "second hand" places will still charge you full price for used TFs (even if they are not taht old/colletable).

thanks again for all your advice. and if i wanted to haggle i'd go back to bangkok. i'm perfectly happy to fork out for something if i want it.

In shinjuku check out yodabashi camera and hobby (it's right across the street from a yellow submarine hobby store which is pretty cool). This is NOT the same as yodabashi camera which is a huge electronics store.
Another place to check out for vintage and back catalog is Mandarake in shybuya. It also had the cheapest prices for Binaltech, but selection was random. Theres a place on the main strip in Akihabara. I was unalbe to find any new e-Hobby stuff (mandrake had some expensive older ehobby stuff). If someone wants to put together a real list, I'd be up for it.

This is a excerpt from a mail a friend of mine put together of Manga places. Most of the Manga places Have TFs. It has the places I mentioned in it:

>Yeah, I'm a big anime fan. Though I don't collect Transformers or Gundam toys generally.

>The following Web sites have excellent lists of anime shops in Tokyo and the second one has maps which are 100% required to find any of these places. The only one I remember going to and being impressed by was Animate (I think the one in Shibuya). It had more girly toys than transformer-type toys though. I didn't go to Mandarake, which is likely even more impressive.

>http://www.kawaii.org/shop/
>http://www.aino.com/akatombo/info/tokyocentral.htm

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