The other half
Akiba and Osaka
If you guys have the chance to head up to Tokyo or Osaka to hunt for doll stuff (1/6, 1/4 and 1/3 all lump together). The ones I circled in red are the shops that carry a wider range, there are some shops that carries a limited range, those I just left as is.
- Use Azone, Obitsu, Parabox andVolks websites to make a list of stuff you want before going to Japan. and get the part numbers, names and what not down, its easier to search that way and if you need help you can show the shop keep the list
- If you need English names to match the Japanese name to use
Hobby Link Japan- use Azone site to check out list of stores 4th link(取り扱い店) or try
this- use
google map to map the relative address, copy and paste the kanji address up to the postal code, it can't read building name so its something like
Tokyo,Taito-ku, Chiyoda X-XX-X- certain shops might have moved to a different building so check before you go.
- I wasn't able to navigate Ikeburoko for Volks but the Mandrake shop was mostly mangas
- Ended up missing out on Shinjuku and Shibuya
- Tokyo has more range than Osaka (at least to me)
Akiba
Yellow Submarine stores are mostly gaming cards, but Yellow Submarine Rouge is dolls, custom doll clothes (Hakama T_T) and pieces of Pulips, Teayang clothes, Azone stuff
Mandrake (Nakano and Akiba) has 1/3 dolls, 1/4 dolls on sale (2nd hand)
Geestores and the Cospatio(Cosplay) shops also sells Azone stuff (discounts as oppose to Azone label store <3) and Obitsus. Geestore has a loyalty card thing going on (not sure if its temp or permanent), they stamp a card for you as you buy stuff, you can earn discounts this way
Azone Label shop (Radio Kaikan building) has Azone and Obitsu stuff at regular prices, but the other stores that carry Azone stuff might have it discounted, check out the stores that carry Azone stuff first before checking out the Radio Kaikan one. Also Azone Radio Kaikan sells stuff like Fashion Royalty and whatnot parted out
Volks - the Radio Kaikan branch has a rental locker area for consignment sale, Who knows what you might find there. Keep an eye out for their sale though. I bought a Final Fantasy 7 RedXIII at half the price of what I would have to pay on my shores.
Volks store walking guide (couldn't find Ikeburoko branch)
Re-ments open boxes of re-ment, weapons, musical instruments
2nd hand bookstores - If manga is your fancy, keep an eye out for them (Junkudo, Book off, etc)
Osaka.
While less in range than Tokyo but still worth it since it has a Cospiato and some shop selling Obitsu and Azone stuff
A
Japan forum that might help answer some tour questions
Useful for
train route planning Because Old maps above are old.
2015 edition of Akiba doll raid map. Please google shop to check accuracy as unable to confirm before trip