Shopping Taking a Trip to Japan for Dollies? Info & Advice

I don't know if someone's mentioned this one yet, but I had always wanted to go with http://popjapantravel.com/ they have some marvelous looking trips!

 

When at Tenshi-No-Sato there were some dolls there, a few basic dolls like the 4 sisters and some of the MSD's like Maggie etc, no Yo size dolls. You can buy them together, they were like that in the box, they dont build them for you.

I went to alot of Volks stores and travelled to each one via train, then a short walk, to each of them. I wouldnt advise getting taxis to them, as this will be pricey.

and as said before, Its a 2hr trip from the airport to Tokyo, we went by shuttle bus, easiest way, as tired etc from the travelling. There are taxis at all main Western hotels, in Tokyo and Kyoto, we stayed a few days in Kyoto, in one of the biggest main hotels, right in the station lol and hundreds of Taxis, weonly took one once and thats because we were running late lol for a meal. The whole time we were in Japan, we took Bullet trains or normal trains, easy and easy to work out aswell. We bought a 1st class train pass, so took us on everything, apart from the train to our hotel in Tokyo bay, but it was very cheap to go on, so didnt bother us.

Im flying back after Christmas with my daughter and I will do the same thing, get a train pass here in UK and use it every day, its the best thing.

Also my Japanese is limited but I did fine and everyone was very helpful and kind, infact I would say that in all the places ive been in the world, in Japan they were the nicest and the people the most helful

 

o.o For real? I have travelled quite widely and have to say Japan is the WORST place I have been for communication, nicities and helpfulness. I expected to love it, but by the time I left I had lost any desire to go back, whereas europe constantly nags at me to go back. Maybe I just had the world's longest period of bad experiences? XD

 

Strange, everyone was very helpful, even when I looked lost lol, I had people walk over and ask to help, I loved it, so much so im going back without my husband, taking just my daughter.

 

I'm sort of with you there. I have had NO random help in Japan, although I also do my best to exude an aura of unapprochable-ness due to the frequency of perverts trying to pick me up. (Yes, I have been offered money and shown body parts I didn't need to see, among others.) It's very uncommon for people to talk to strangers, especially on the street, although an obvious confused looking foreigner may pick up someone who wants to attempt to speak English. I've also had some nasty comments aimed my way for, oh, standing on the street in Ginza looking at a restaurant's menu. I love Japan, but sometimes I can't handle the people.

Anyway, any place with cherry trees will be packed when they're blooming, with all available surfaces covered in tarps and revelers. They're really beautiful, but realize you *will* have do deal with crowds. If you're at all into museums, I strongly recommend the Edo-Tokyo Museum in Ryogoku (on the Ooedo line), although I can't remember off the top of my head if the exhibits had English explanations or not. Ueno and Asakusa are my favorites, but that may be because I'm a shopping whore

 

I went back in September, it was the first time I funded myself and me and my OH took total of...er...let's see.... he took about $4,000 spending money (he was in cahrge of paying for our food) and I took $1,600 for hotels (I was in charge of that) and about $1000 spending money so roughtly $7,000 money + flights were $1,600 for both of us and Japan rail passes (http://www.japanrailpass.net/) were $1,000 for 3 weeks for both of us. So in total we spent $10,000 or so.

This was for both of us, 3 weeks in a decent hotel, eating 3 meals a day + usually a ton of cake and stuff in between, and going for a SMAP concert that cost $1,000 for both of us We visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka (my home town XD) and Hokkaido.

And I think we ended up with about $200 left at the end. We also spend a fortune on arcades and I bought a ton of doujinshi It might have helped I was Japanese, but wee had a really good time and my oh can't wait to go back. We did browse around Tenshi no sumika in Akiba and Harajuku.

I dunno if anyone's mentioned already (I haven;'t read whole thread) but if you are planning on going to places not JUST tokyo then Japan rail pass is quite a good deal. It's like a travel card (thats what they are called in UK anyway) it lets you on all JR services, so all shinkansen aprat from Nozomi (the fastest one) and all underground services apart from the metro (I think it's called) and also the Narita express that goes from Narita to places like Ikebukuro (that's where we stayed in Tokyo, I hear there's a Sumika there too, I didn't know this but I loved Sunshine Tower/City) http://www.star-hotel.co.jp/ (It's a very short walk from the JR Ikebukuro station, so what I did, take the narita express to ikebukuro straigh5t from airport, go to hotel, dump all my stuff there and go out XD)

The majority of the hotels we stayed in were about 8,000 yen a night, never more than that (for a semi double room, it was just as good as a double room, imo unless you stay a long time in your hotel paying extra $20+ isn't worth it, might aswell spend it on something nicer!) they where all decent places.

It probably is best to learn a bit of japanese before you go, and get a slight knowladge of the food and stuff so you don't end up eating fast food all the time (Which I would think is a shame Japan has quite nice cheap food) Then again, I guess you can just get a phrase book and point at which ever one you want to say....However, some restaurants have got English menus so it is worth asking wether they have a english menu.

 

Feeling you BIG time!

These days I just flat out ignore those drunk guys that try to pick me up... Heck, I don't _know_ japanese and not english either... Not around them at least.

 

Yeah, I have to agree that maybe it's due to my appearance but I had a LOT of attention from perverts, basically whenever my boyfriend wasn't in eyeshot (and even then when we were walking hand in hand I got groped by some random guy once, and a few times when we were together on various subways, which is strange because he's a tall/big slightly menacing looking guy).
Beyond that I really didn't find people helpful at all. Luckily enough I speak some Japanese so I could ask random people "do you know how to get to ____" when I got totally lost once. Even there was instances when people wouldn't get up to let me sit on the subway when I was on crutches with my foot heavily bandaged and obviously injured when I was in Tokyo (but then again I found Tokyo to be the least friendly city I went to, Kyoto was my favourite by far and I highly recommend going there).
Beyond the perverted thing though, I found businessmen (though maybe it's because they were trying to get in my pants) and obasans the most helpful/nice, whereas I suppose jerks exist everywhere.

Don't get me wrong though, going to Japan was AMAZING and I super highly recommend it. I recommend staying as long as you can, there is tons to see and it's nice not to feel rushed (I went for almost a month, but spent a lot of that time in Awaji with my boyfriend though).
I just now know what of the 5 places I went to (Awaji, Kobe, Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo) I like the best and am now prepared for creepy guys and rude people when I go to live there in two years.

 

AAh... the old perception issue. In truth, Japan is no better, worse or even different from any other culture out there at the heart of it. Darren often goes on for days about how he has only ever seen the good side of life here (though he only really ever sees the good of anything), but he can speak the language, has lived her - on and off - for years and was probably born an anthropologist, so he can get along with anyone, anywhere.

For myself, I have certainly seen a seemier side to Japan. I have had some rather nasty things said about me for living with Darren - though we are not an 'issue' - and had my little sister's grave-site desecrated for her engagement to the Fat One in the past. And it is not just gaijin who get felt up on trains (though the chap who got his hand into my trousers had the unfortunate luck to be standing next to a detective. I'm told he and a JR worker beat him black and blue in a quiet corner of Ikebukuro Station - though that raises the issue of autocratic violence inherent in the Japanese justice system).

Nasty to be sure, but not unique to Japan. Idiots and bigots are idiots and bigots the world over. Japan is not, nor should be seen as, some pristine world of nodding, polite geiko. On the other hand, neither is the country bursting at the seams with nasty people.

"Please do not whitewash your inherent faults with your acquired virtues. I would have the faults. They are like my own." - Kahlil Gibran

If anyone has not been to Japan before, don't let our mutterings put you off.

Just come to Japan...

And look us up when you do.

Yuko.

 

Im planning to go to japan after i get my AA degree, which gives me a couple summers to save up lots of money. Cuz im a shop-a-holic xD.

i deff. want to go to Kyoto. Not sure about other places. i have heard of 100yen stores? are they located in a specific areas? or everywhere?

Ive taken some japanese classes but that was like two years ago.. anime and drama shows are the only source of japanese language influences i get nowadays. I figure i know the basics but one of those phrase books will help.

I really want to go to a dollie place at least once. Not sure what their called/where their located.

I plan on taking a friend with me, (if she can afford the trip) if not im scared to go by myself xD. esp. now that i hear about the stories of gropage on trains.. i never thought about that before. Is it really a big problem?

Hotels.. ive slept under a sink before, so i dont need anything big.. like a small hostel? i think their called. Something cheap but still a room...

But about the food... I have no idea on the types of food japan has.. Im a very picky eater, and im worried about not finding anything i like, and ive been told its rude if you dont eat the food you get?
this is my biggest worry.. (Getting lost.. im fine with that.. i get lost all the time xD) Ive had absolutly no input on food places. besides like gas station food. D;

 

I know that there's the secondhand Gothloli/ Jrock goods store, Closet Child in Ikebukuro. They get new things in a lot, but I know it's mostly Volks and Pullip, as well as a variety of owner-made clothing.

I know I ran across a shop like this in Akihabara as well, again with pre owned dolls, but their prices weren't nearly as good, and I can't remember for the life of me where it actually was >_<;;

 

I think the Nakano location of Mandarake sells a bit of doll stuff, but I'm not sure of the true amount they really have since I wasn't collecting these dolls yet when I was there last and wasn't really looking for it. I do remember seeing a limited doll for sale when I was there (and admitedly, it scared the bejeezus out of me at the time...)

Get off at Nakano Station (Tokyo Metro) and walk along the shopping arcade that's visible from the exit. The Mandarake is right at the very end of the arcade. I think the doll stuff was on the top floor, but don't quote me on that (the Nakano Mandarake confuses me enough as it is... >.<)

Might be better to look at the link to the actual store here - http://www.mandarake.co.jp/en/shop/nkn.html. The directory doesn't mention doll stuff specifically, but I remember that doll being there last time. And even if there isn't a lot of doll stuff, it's worth looking at for the other stuff, assuming you're into anime and such.

If you're headed to Japan after mid-April, I can give you a better report on what each location of Mandarake (in Tokyo, and MAYBE in Osaka) has for doll stuff. I'll be going there for doujinshi anyway. ^_^

 

There should be another Closet Child with a doll shop on Takeshita Dori in Harajuku, a short walk from the train station. My sister and I were there in September '06, and even though the doll shop was only one tiny upstairs room, we spent at least an hour in there deciding what to purchase (there was so much to see, and there's no place like it near us here at home)! It was great fun...and the fact that Cafe Crepe was directly across the street made it even better!

 

They actually converted this into the 'goth' part of Closet Child, and moved all the dolls to the Ikebukuro location. >_<;; The Ikebukuro shop has a lot more room and better lighting than the old one (and not to mention an ELEVATOR - the stairs up to the old doll store were scary @_@;; )

 

Awww. But the Harajuku location was so cute and tiny! But you're right, I totally forgot about the ladder...er...stairs to get up to it, though.

So then, I'd say the Ikebukuro Closet Child should definately be on the "must see" list of doll shops in Japan.

 

Looking for direct purchase here n_n

I'll be visiting Japan in like 3 weeks.
I'll be picking up my first BJD [which is a Yo ;D] there at the same time, so I was wondering if anyone knows any shops in Japan where I can purchase Yo-SD BOY clothes and accessories for him besides Volks showrooms and Tenshi-no-Sumikas/Sato.

Urban-wear preferred. Otherwise casual or other are good too

Or at least other clothing that fit Yo-SD's.
It would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

Hey I was wondering if there are any shops in Japan where you can purchase the Unoa dolls etc. I know they are on pre-order basis but I am just curious to whether you can buy them out there?

I really want to get one in the near future but I find the pre-order and signing up to crescent moon thing a little hard to get my head round . So if there is any unoa owners out there that can help me I'd really appreciate it

But I do know one thing for sure, you can put an unoa head on AOD bodies right?

 

No. You can't buy Unoa dolls in a shop anywhere. It's either through the pre-order or on DOA/Ebay/etc.

 

If you go to Japan, sometimes you can find a Unoa at a secondhand shop, such as Mandarake, or at doll shops that sell used dolls. Now that they are more widely available, the prices might not be as high as they once were.

 

You can find Unoss and Unoas at some shops in Japan ^__^ As Dollyface says, you can find them secondhand at Mandarakes. But sometimes you can find them in some of the shops in Radio Kaikan building (Akihabara). I saw a Unoss there last summer ^_~

 

I believe Closet Child also sells some secondhand BJDs?

 

I know there is an Azone store, but i cant remeber the location, had pretty nice stuff, but to be honest many random stores in the shibuya, akihabara and other areas have doll stuff.
i found most of them just walking around going to each store haah

 

Referencing the second linked thread: Closet Child in Ikebukuro has some secondhand doll items, and even dolls, for sale all the time. Closet Child in Harajuku does not. Neither the Mandarake in Ikebukuro nor the Mandarake in Shibuya ever had anything for dolls during the year I was in Japan.

 

does anyone know where the azone store in tokyo is?

 

there are Azone store in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyushu and etc... !

 

Don't forget Volks I only visited Volks in Shinjuku, Harajuku and Ginza but I know that we do have more here. Have a look at this, you will see where to find the Volks stores: http://www.crysania.com/cassiel/volks-directions.html

I also have a question: Are there any other BJD related stores in Tokyo except Volks?

 

There is another really good book, I think the title is: An Otaku's Guide to Tokyo.

It has decent maps and lists all the stores, with addresses, that deal with anything of an Otaku nature, including BJDs!

It had the addresses for the Azone shop, Volks, Mandrakes, etc. and showed where they were located on the map.

I mainly used the map for Akihabara, since I only had one day away from Tokyo Disney.

With the map out of the book and the address, the Taxi driver was even able to find and get me close to the little tiny gashpon shop that is on one of the alleys down there!

That's another good place to find cute inexpensive little things for BJDs, besides, gashpon machines are lots of fun! ^_^

 

I went for dolpa last year, I stayed for about a month. My plane ticket I got really cheap from lessno.com ($500!) And I rented an apartment in shinjuku which only cost $500 for the month! But Unfortunately didn't stay in.
I definately don't reccomend it for females travelling alone. Which the land lady was super nice, it's the other tourists you have to watch out for. it was an absolute disaster for me. 1 room with 9 french guys (great more people I can't understand) and all I had was a paper door D: And worst of all I was placed in another guy's room while he was at school D: Which wouldn't have been too fun when he got back. I had all these guys whispering and staring at me (being the only girl in the builing D I was terrified, left and rented a hotel. If you're travelling in a group or with a male by all means go for it, you get a laundry mat, stove, ect in your apartment. But if you're female, travelling alone get a hotel. It's better to spend the extra money rather than have a mob of guys attack you o.o

Food I found was very cheap in tokyo but drinks are not. My favorite place to eat was goodtimes in shinjuku station I loved the curry and it was just about 500 yen, and the plate was huge. For a glass of pop it wasn't uncommon for it to cost 600-700 yen D: So I usually stuck to the free water.
I also ate alot of convenience store food. Spagetti for under 300 yen FTW It was really good food actually

Also if you're like me and like to travel all over the city get a Suica card It's like a pay as you go card. Just fill it, and tap to get on the trains or even pay for stuff at convenience stores and restaurants Once it runs out just fill it with money again

As far as bad experiences go I didn't have any really, aside from that apartment o.o Everyone seemed really helpful. There was one guy who was a little scary and tried to pick me up. But it was nice for a change to hear "wow you're beautiful!" rather than stuff like " yo babe your butt looks bitchin, give me your number and we'll go back to my place" like I do here -_- He actually seemed really nice, showed me around and told me about some of japan's history and stuff. He wouldn't have been half bad if he didn't practially jump and kiss me in the park -_- Though he backed off a little when I told him no. Sadly I can't say the same for guys here where I live.

I actually found alot of the guys really sweet, once played with my dolls a little in the park and took some pictures and the guy working at H.Naoto told me off for shoppping in the plus size section lol. He didn't seem to think I needed plus size clothes.
I found a lot of people really nice and helpful. And really patient with me when I triend to communicate in broken japanese.
Only time I felt uncomfortable was shopping in Innocent world when a mob of lolita's stared at me the whole time I shopped o.o

Dolpa was deifinately worth it, I had so much fun despite not owning any volks dolls. And the dealers were super sweet. One actually helped me pic out the correct size pants for my EL.

For Tenshi no Sumika no one was really bothered that I brought my non volks dolls to the store. Actually a few seemed very excited to see different dolls. One guy working spent about 10 mins playing with Mephisto lol.

 

Me and my boyfriend are going next year to Japan! We have so many reasons to go (including dollies!) and I'm really very excited about it Our friend lives in Tokyo and offered to let us stay at her flat and show us round and stuff, which was incredibly sweet of her! I feel really lucky about that since I think you get a different side to a country when you're given some insight from somone who lives there ^^ Actually, aside from the comics and the culture and the dolls, I'm particularly excited about the food. I love food of all sorts and adore Japanese food ^.^

It seems the Tenshi no Sato place is only available to Volks members...? Is that right? In which case I don't think we could get in, as I've not bought anything from the company yet. Ah well, plenty of time 'till next year~!

 

I dont think I would make a special trip to go just for dolls. You can always get someone who is already there to buy them and then send them too you. When I was in tokyo, they really didnt have that many doll shops. they had a few volks stores, but nothing much else. there is also this place called nakano broadway that had a couple different types of dolls.

 

Tenshi no Sato is a fun trip, and yes, it probably is a 6 hour stop for those who have not been there before. If you are willing to train and bus it, you can generally get to most major sites/attractions in Japan without taxi (which is VERY expensive.)

I think the difference in trip depends on what you are interested in. Here is an example of the Shopping Trip:

Shopping (if you are a anime/manga fan as well as a doll fan Flying into Kansai gets you right there in the middle of the action. Get a Toyoko Inn room in town (Osaka,) hop on the subways to Nippombashi station and head to Den Den Town. Enjoy a day of Animate, K-Books, Melon Books, Gundams, Joshin Kids Lands, various little anime stores, and a massive Volks store smack in the middle of Den Den Town filled with figures, toys, and of course a Tenshi no Sumika. Wrap up the day by heading to Osaka station, exit out the North Exit, and go inside the Yodobashi Camera to find a big toy store and a Shonen Jump store. Expect to be destitute by the end of the day.

Day 2: Hop on the JR Rapid to Kyoto, take the subway up to Sanjo Keihan, go shopping for all sorts of things, anime stuff, loli stuff, clothes, shoes...

And/Or:

Hop on the JR Rapid to Kyoto, take the San-in/Sagano Line to Saga-Arashiyama. Tenshi no Sato is a five minute walk. Expect to dump the rest of your life savings there.

If you come in through Narita, start at Akihabara instead of Den Den Town. Volks is right outside the train station. Make sure you hit up Harajuku if you like cute clothes. If you want to go to several Sumikas, stop at Shinjuku Station. Volks is right outside. I have not been to the Harajuku or Ginza Sumikas, but feel free. Take a Shink or overnight bus to Kyoto/Osaka. I recommend the Oak Hotel or a Toyoko Inn for affordable accomodation in Tokyo.

For Cheap Food, Lawsons is your friend. So is 7/11, Circle K, SunKus, and a variety of other combini. McD's is decent for price too. Most curry places are plenty affordable as well. If you don't eat fish like myself, it is possible to feed yourself easily. If you are vegetarian, I suggest looking for advice online.

For those who like to mix shopping and scenery, going late March/early April is ideal for Sakura season. If you are in Tokyo, make sure you go to Ueno Park. If you are in Kansai, there are places to explore around Saga-Arashiyama. A day trip to Nara to see the temples and the Todaiji is great as well. Of course, there are plenty of shrines and castles around Kyoto as well. From Osaka, you can go to Himeji to see the castle there.

Crowd warning for late March/early April trains in the Saga-Arashiyama area: Don't be surprised if your train is late, and try to stay near a window with air. You may be so packed in there that your feet are barely touching the ground. When I was on a train from Saga-Arashiyama earlier in the year around this time, the train was an hour late, incredibly packed, and several people passed out from the heat (don't expect anyone to open windows on the train. If you have to, lean over and open it yourself.) It was not a pretty sight. Just a heads-up.

 

I'm going to Tokyo in April and I'm hoping to take a day trip to Tenshi no Sato while I'm there ^.^ Does anyone know of any good books to buy to prepare (phrases, etiquette, places to see, etc.)? And would it be possible to look around Kyoto a bit and go to Tenshi no Sato in a day (on a day trip from Tokyo...)? >.< All the info here is really helpful!

 

Some people consider the Lonely Planet series a pretty good staple for getting around. I agree with Dezarii about spending time in Kyoto if you're going to get all the way out there since it's a beautiful city as is.

My advice on etiquette is just be on your best behavior. If you're overly polite it just makes it look like you're being conscientious and you can judge from there. For other phrase books, check out any books you see in your local bookstore to see what might be useful to you. You can probably find anything from travelers' books that have point to text to phrase books just to get around in general.

 

I went to Tokyo 3 years ago but I didnt buy a doll back then just a lot of plush toys. Flight was around 500 Euros with British Airways. From Amsterdam to London to Tokyo lol and back. We stayed 2 weeks at a family hotel in Chidori-cho (its a 10-15min train ride to tokyo) for 500 euros a person. Hotel was simple but good. I wanted the Traditional Japanese room set up but the European style rooms cost just as much. You dont need to mind small lol.

Commuting every day between our hotel and Tokyo city was cheap, cheaper then the websites in Holland made me think. I was so glad I didnt buy a 2 week train ticket because I would have tossed away a lot of money on that.

Food tips in Japan, try to eat in family restaurants or those little noodle shops close in the back alleys. They were inexpensive and we had a good fill from them. Our guesthouse/hotel had a microwave so if we wanted something to eat we went to the local supermarket and bought our meals so we could heat it up and eat in our hotel.

That poisonious fish they call a delicacy. Dont try it. The taste is not something to be excited about and imo I waste of money, just like French Haute Cuisine, it looks fancy but thats about it.
Dont be as my traveling mate and try something out of the local broth tray (I dont know how its called but they have these pans with different types of food on a stick boiling in broth he got sick lol, so try it when you have a strong stomach). For a full noodle meal we paid 500 Yen at some shops but mind lunch hours extremely crowded. And they mostly dont speak english so have a little list of things you can have or cant eat in japanese. My travelmate survived on the no fish note he had with him lol. I just took pictures of the plastic food outside the shopwindow and pointed it out to the lady what I wanted. If you try your best Japanese people are very helpfull and friendly.

We went to a bunch of museums even to Disney Sea (that was most expensive trip I made) and we had a blast. I spent around a 1000 euros in sightseeing, trips, trainfair, food and souvenirs. I was addicted to those 100 Yen machines with the little prizes in them. If I had known my hotel had a washing room I would have brought less clothes so I could just wash my clothes there and bring more souvenirs lol.

I made a promise to my boyfriend that our honeymoon will be in Tokyo. So I am going back there. You can make Japan just as expensive if you want it to be. Lonely Planet books have lots of tips on how to get medium prized restaurants and ofcourse the deadly expensive ones.

Oh I forgot:
About etiquette and behaviour, some western behaviour seem rude to japanese and visa versa. I've noticed a lot of store clerks dont look you right in the eye when you make a purchase. They see you as a bit superior. I really had to get comfortable with bowing. When I entered a department store on opening everyone in the store was bowing to us, I had to keep myself from giggling to be respectfull to them. Also it seemed not done to be extremly loud in the public transport, everyone kept to themselves. Also openly kissing and being intimate is not often seen in Japan. Not like here anyways where couples eat eachothers face in public.
I read somewhere its impolite to blow your nose in public, that was a big problem for me cuz I went there in November and I had a runny nose lol.

We only stayed in Tokyo because I was a bit too scared to leave outside the city but its well worth it taking trips to other places.

 

I have plans to be in Japan during Golden Week this year, visiting friends who live in Kitakyushu. Does anyone know of bjd shops in that area, or in/around Fukuoka? I'm not sure how far outside of those cities I'll be able to go because of the general travel craziness that is Golden Week, but if it's not too far away I can probably get there somehow. Sadly, my friends aren't into dolls so I'm not sure how much help they would be if I asked them about the stores.

Also, I have several hours to kill in the Incheon International Airport, does anyone know if there are any shops there that sell bjd goods? (I know, it's a faint possibility but I've some hope!)

 

Hey hey~ I lived in Kumamoto so I know the area pretty well. If you go to Tenjin in Fukuoka there are two places I know of that you can find doll stuff. There's the Sumika in the Daei on the seventh floor and the Mandarake just down the street has a case with some doll stuff. Unfortunately, I doubt the airport will have doll stuff. It's hard enough to find doll stores as is, there really aren't that many of them, especially in Kyushu.

Unfortunately, I didn't have too much luck beyond that. Tenjin is a great place to hang out in general so I do recommend that.

 

If you go to Tenjin in Fukuoka there are two places I know of that you can find doll stuff. There's the Sumika in the Daei on the seventh floor and the Mandarake just down the street has a case with some doll stuff.

Thank you! I already have plans to hit Mandarake again and was wondering if they'd have anything there (it's been a few years since I last shopped there and mainly just hit the yaoi floor). I'll check out the other place as well!

 

I went in a group of 6 last summer, it was about $5000-$6000 for myself. However, plane tickets have gone up a lot since then and the exchange rate isn't as good now. Also, I had a few unexpected expenses that normally wouldn't be neccessary such as the $200 luggage I had to buy when mine broke in Kyoto, the $100 rebooking fee when we missed our flights, and all the times that I bought food/hated it/gave it some one else/bought something else to eat/ possibly repeat the previous cycle, haha. There's also the $500 in kimono, $300 in Lolita clothing, and $200 in gifts for friends & family; so really I'm sure I could have done it for a bit less than $5000. It was sooooo worth it though (although next time I'll bring my own food!)

I went to 3 Volks stores but aside from a vinyl dollfie-plus (barbie sized doll) and some little things, I did not buy a doll. I did however get my SD Megu suaded by the Doll Doctor at Tenshi-No-Sato!!
(best fifty-some dollars I've spent in a while, she's oldskin but now she can actually pose!)

 

I just came back from Tokyo (this afternoon), and for anyone who wants some up-to-date info concerning Closet Child -->

The Shinjuku and Harajuku locations both have just clothes. The Ikebukuro location (turn the corner by the shoe store next to the Tokyu Hands main entrance and look for the shady doorway by the Jam Pixy (girls' clothes) and hop on the elevator to the 5th floor) has all the dolls, some clothes and a Discwave which has a large selection of secondhand visual/rock CDs.

Most of the bjd are Volks. They had several limiteds for sale. I'm not following their prices on the secondhand market so I don't know if they're good or not. They did have one SD13 boy body (with the pretty knees) for 30,000 yen and an SD13 girl body for 20,000 yen. Their selection of clothes/shoes/wigs is very small.

Unless you are looking for places to hunt down a certain Volks limited, I generally would not recommend Closet Child for their bjd stuff (at least with their current stock). But the Ikebukuro location is definitely worth visiting if you have overlapping interests with the CDs and clothes.

For Johnny's Entertainment fans, the Harajuku Volks store is actually on the same street as the Johnny's store so it's kind of like killing two birds with one stone. But there are almost always a few dozen people waiting in line.

 

This is an update for Closet Child in Ikebukuro.
I went there early april this year. here are a couple of pictures of dolls they had, they also had more BJDs in another window ..and millions of blithe.....0_0
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc12/flo-light/P4090062.jpg
http://s212.photobucket.com/albums/cc12/flo-light/?action=view&current=P4090061.jpg

 

Ok... just one more question xD
Are there shops that sell Unoa's? (i already tried to find the answer but it's not very clear for me) or do I just have to be lucky to find one second hand?

 

Pretty much, be lucky for a second hand one.

Try the Mandarakes around Japan. They carry a lot of second-dolls, usually in almost perfect condition. I know there were two Unoas at the Nagoya Mandarake last I went, and the time before there were about six.

 

Myriamel: How much do they tend to go for there? A bit curious. ^^;

 

They can really vary in price. I've seen some Unoa as well at the Nakano Mandarake.

I want to say generally around 50-60,000 yen. Nearly all I've seen come strung and with a face up. Sometimes they include other plates/extras.

Prices between the branches can vary and some dolls I've found are very reasonably priced and others are not. I'm not sure why, but Osaka seemed to have higher prices than Tokyo.

 

Thank you!
im in Tokyo and Im not going to Nagoya 8(
But Im going to try the Mandarake in Nakano.

 

I've seen from 40,000 yen (I still regret not buying that blank kit) to 1180,000 yen for one I believe was put together, with clothes, and possibly a maker faceup.

Nagoya Mandarake tends to have a lot of dolls for prices that really range. Last time I was there (late June, early July), there were a couple Unoas, quite a few Volks limiteds (from Yo-Tenshi to SD-17), a Peakswood, and some tinies I can't remember the names of (not Pukis or Brownies, maybe Leekeworld or something?).

Good luck! (Psst, if you find a good selection, please share!)

 

I went to the Nakano one in June and they had about 4-5 Unoas but they went from like 60000 to 120000 yen, At the Akihabara one I found a DoC for 21000 that i bought haha, they have some cheap stuff but depends are when you go

 

I went to Mandarake in Nakano and I bought an Unoa L-bi! >w<
He was something like 47.000 yen. He's so cute!
They really had alot more than I had expected.

 

hi! i just stumbled upon this thread and thought this might be a good place to ask? if not i'm really sorry....

i'm going to go to osaka (nanba, amerika-mura, etc), kyoto (gion & arashiyama areas), kobe, & nara in october and i was wondering if there were any doll stores worth stopping by to pick up some neat msd clothes?

unfortunately, we won't be going to tokyo this time, but maybe next time!

thank you!

 

http://casissoda.livejournal.com/15069.html <- some doll shops on my guide, amongst other things. Has directions for CC Ikebukuro and a few other second hand doll shops.

 

Kazezakura, thanks! That's very interesting. I didn't know there are second hand doll shops. Will study your link carefully )))

 

Digging this back up since I'm heading over there soonish and was curious about any more recent experiences people may have had - not sure if things have changed in terms of locations, prices, etc. Thanks in advance!

 

I lived a year in Japan and went to the Dolpa/Volks' stores and whatnot, and here's what I do know:

1. Reserve in Advance. Especially if you're going to Tenshi no Sato or Dollpa. Sometimes the events are "VIP Only," which requires a card and a Japanese address, but I'm sure you can sign up for a Dollpa via the interwebs.

2. Learning Japanese through a game. Project Learn Japanese: Slime Forest is a sweet way to learn kanji, especially because it's a lot easier to do it beforehand via Internet.

Also, to anyone who has a DS: Get Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten. If you don't understand the kanji of what someone is saying, you can input it into the DS via your stylus, and it will translate it into English for you. Be forewarned though, it is a Japanese game, so you'll have to mess around with the settings a bit if you don't know Japanese. The DS thing is awesome because you can carry it around and input stuff into it on the go.

3. Make sure you have at least $200 in your pocket in cash when you leave the airport. That's the fee of overweight luggage (2 bags). If you're planning on buying a lot of stuff there, make sure you have the money.

4. Get a Suica card / Japan Rail Pass. I personally love the Suica card, because it's reloadable and I was spending more time in Japan than just 7 days (which is what the JRP is good for - a week). If you get the JRP, you pay a set fee, and then get to go through all the JR rails free. Be forewarned (again) that chikatestu (subways) are not on the JRP, and you must also take the slow bullet train if you're going to Kyoto from Tokyo (the JRP won't get you on the fastest rail there).

I uh... think that's it, between Monkeycancer and I. Pack room for dolls! >:3

If you guys have any questions or whatnot, feel free to PM me about it - I really do like answering stuff about Japan. :3