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

I didn't make it to DollK in Akiba, but the Osaka one has a good mix of stuff for boys and girls of all sizes. Tiny store as well though. The Osaka one is just around the corner from the Volks store.

 

So is Dolk in Akihabara worth the trip? What brands of doll can you get? I'm thinking I'm going to go to Mandarake and then Volks, I'm just wondering whether or not to go to Dolk too!

 

Here are all the brands they carry:

http://dolkus.com

I have never been to the one in Tokyo but I did go to the one in Osaka. It's in the area of Volks and Manadarake, so I say if you have time you should try. I do find the prices higher than if you bought online but at Dolk they let you try things on, they have full dolls there for sale and sometimes you can find somethings that have been previously sold out. For example, I found the Crobidolls Coffee cup there when it had been sold out on the site.

 

Awesome, thank you! Looks like they have a fab selection, definetly worth a peek!

Is Mandarake a big store? I'm wondering how easy it is to find the dolly stuff. I'll be browsing for non-doll stuff too so I'm probably going to have a good look! I've heard the one in Nakano is better for something else I'm looking for, so I wonder if there's a difference between the branches in terms of how much doll stuff there is? Is there generally more in store then there is on the website? I love having a browse on the website!

 

If you go to Mandarake in Akihabara, all the doll stuff is on the second floor. Each floor has a different type of interest. I think it's about 7 or 8 floors? The doll floor isn't a large floor but doll stuff is crammed in the cabinets. Don't wait for the elevator inside, take the stairs on the outside of the building and just walk up one floor. Last time I went, they had a full set Chi for 150,000 yen which was a pretty awesome price. Mostly Volks dolls but there will be Blue Fairy, Unoa, etc … and I've even seen Crobidolls and other different companies in the cabinets too. And lots of outfits, shoes, wigs, etc …

Also, I would go to K-Books too. It's right across the street from the Mandarake. They have people selling some doll stuff but mostly Dollfie dreams but lots of other anime, toy items too.

Yeah. I find the prices a bit different depends on where you go. And yes, you will find things in the store that never make it online. I find Nakano on the high side probably because they seem to end up with all the really elusive and rarer dolls like the Rozen Maidens. But you will probably see Suigintou everywhere. Last time I was there, they had full sets of 2 Shinkus and 1 Suigintou for about 400,000 to 450,000 each. Nakano is worth the trip in my opinion because they have so many different shops with all sorts of stuff and a few arcades. So lots to look at. Have fun!

 

Thank you for your advice! I'm so excited to go. Think I might need more money then I anticipated though!

 

Oh look, it's me again!

Has anyone been to Tenshi no Mado? I wanted to go to Sato, but it's looking a bit unrealistic for this trip. Is Tenshi no Mado a nice substitute? The website looks nice! I can't seem to find any photos from someone that's been there though.

 

Tenshi no Mado is very nice and definitely worth going to but it's still not Tenshi no Sato. You're not suppose to take photos inside, so that's probably why you are having a hard time finding any. They have 2 buildings or 2 different entrances. The door on the left is on the main level and when you walk in, you'll see all their one offs. If you go into the basement, this is where their FCS is and they sell supplies and tools to work on your dolls. If you go to the entrance one the right (up the stairs outside) you'll walk into the shop with all the clothing, shoes and wigs. Tenshi no Sato has a garden, cafe, museum plus shopping where as Tenshi no Mado is really just shopping. But Tenshi no Mado is in Harajuku and there is always lots to see and do. I recommend Laforet because it's a multi-storey building of Japanese fashion. In the basement you'll find all the lolita brands like Baby the Stars shine bright, Angelic Pretty, etc plus stores like H. Naoto.

Not sure if you have this link or not? Tenshi no Mado webpage from Volks. It's all in Japanese, but it tells you how to get there. When are you planning on going?

 

I've been to both Mado and Sato. The latter is fairly large, with a 'museum' of all the previous limited release dolls and has the garden, as previously mentioned. That being said, Mado is still very nice, and the building is gorgeous. There was a Golden Week event going on the day I went, and I got a free sachet of milk tea powder just for going in. I haven't made it up yet - I kind of want to keep it as a souvenir because the packaging is so nice Mado and Sato are difference experiences, but both are worth it. But unfortunately, I wouldn't say Mado is a replacement for Sato.

 

Just popping in with something that I hope isn't too off-topic:

There's this graphic novel called "Japan Ai: A Tall Girl's Adventures in Japan" which is basically a fun little travelogue that includes a visit to Volks to get a FCS doll and view the museum, as well as other attractions and tidbits about the author's visit. I haven't read it recently but it was fun to look through, the art was cute, and for someone like me who won't be able to travel to Japan myself for a long time if ever, it was a fun way to sort of... live vicariously I guess?

Anyway, I thought I'd mention it here because it was really an enjoyable read, and I think it might be relevant, though I'm not sure how informative it is. If this is too off-topic I'm sorry! But I really enjoyed the book and I thought others might like it as well.

 

After visited 2 mandarake shops, I actually prefer the akihabara one. It's bigger than the Nakano thus has more on sale.
Only had chance to visit 2 shops in Osaka (around Nanba st)(plus had a peek in volks too), they're actually quite small, more stuff for SD owners though. tbh Osaka was quite a disappointment for me (an msd collector)

 

Thanks for this! I'm definitely going to look out for this manga series!

Not sure if anyone else mentioned, in Osaka is a place called Jungle and they are like a Mandarake. They sell second hand BJD and Dollfies. They have a fullest Ran on display but she's not for sale. Ugh. It's about a block down from the Volks store, on the same main drag. I found their prices a little better from Mandarake.

 

Wait really? Cool! So I guess it is pretty relevant, huh? :3

 

oh wow thanks for the post! i'm going to osaka during winter break, this will be helpful for reference!

 

I thought I would post this link to Tenshi no Sato. It was pointed out to me that the rules have slightly changed and they have gotten a bit stricter.

http://www.superdollfie.net/tenshinosato/about_en/

Reservation process is the same. Tenshi no Sato is no longer supporting Dollfie Dreams and therefore bringing your Dollfie Dreams are … discouraged.

 

I have a good chance of studying abroad in Tokyo, Japan this summer. Both me and my sister love BJDs and since she won't be going with me on this journey I'd really like to bring home a special resin friend for her. I've always bought dolls online so I have no idea if there's a way to get one in person over there. If there is some kind of specialty shop in Tokyo I'd really love to hear about it.

*I'll admit this question is a little different than the norm. If this is not the right area for it please move or remove it mods.

Derp I feel silly. It seems someone already beat me to the punch. Better go over there and get some knowledge then.

 

NO Way! I have that book too, so cool! Totally using it in a photoshoot then

 

That's not true for foreigners. I don't have a Volks point card and my husband and I got into Tenshi no Sato with just a reservation with no problems this October. You send an email to [email protected] letting them know the names of everyone going (if there's more than one of you) and what date, and they'll reply to confirm. You take that email and your passports along on the day and that will get you in.

 

Dear Everyone!
Do you have any information if the Doll shops are open during new year holidays in Tokyo? I will be visiting from December,30 to January,4 or5th..
I am still very confused about using this forum, so, sorry for another stupid question: is there any list of doll events taking place in Japan or nearby for 2014-2015? The event calendar of DOA is always empty - I guess, nobody bothers to used it?

 

I'm living in Tokyo so if anyone is visiting and want help to find all the dollie stores and maybe have a dollmeetup.
If I have time I happy to help. I always want to meet new doll owners.

 

I'm traveling to Tokyo in April with a couple of other UK collectors so maybe we can have a meet?

 

That sounds wonderful! One of my best friends comes in April and she is also a doll collector!
We should have a meetup, its gonna be so much fun!

 

I made a meet thread here:http://www.denofangels.com/forums/s...(-Friday-17th-April-)?p=11286602#post11286602

I'm around the weekend before the meet as well

 

Thanks for all your pointers, I had a great time in Tokyo! Tenshi no Mado was no Sato, but it was amazing. Getting to see all the one offs on display was lovely, and the staff were very friendly! I'm glad I went. Akihabara was fun too, but I preferred Mado. And Dolk...wow, what a shop! Didn't buy anything there though, I thought it was a bit pricey, but browsing was fun.

Mandarake was fun, but Nakano definitely had more then Akihabara. I really enjoyed digging around for bargains! I did find it hard to find nice stuff for boy dolls though.

Would have loved a meet up, maybe another time!

 

I all goes well I will be visiting Tokyo this May to study design abroad. It'll only be for a week or two but since I'm most interested in toy design I was wondering what were some of the best places for dolls would be? I might only have time for one day of real solo exploration since the rest of my class are mostly there for the graphic design expo...and hot springs. I'd like to find a place that has the biggest variety of BJD dolls and other toys in one building preferably. I've been looking online but it's a little confusing and overwhelming.

I've heard some strange sounding store names thrown around as I've been reading this but I'm pretty terrible at geography. Are these places all in in around the same neighborhood in Tokyo or are they on separate sides of town? Since I'll only have one doll day I want to make sure I plan it realistically and efficiently so I can absorb as much knowledge as possible.

Also any etiquette tips would be amazing. I'm American so I'm always afraid of being accidentally rude when I travel.

I think I may have popped in here before earlier this year but that was before my trip was official. I'm definitely going now. Just finished some of the paperwork today and talked with my degree plan rep.

 

That might be tricky to be honest. Tokyo is a huge city as I'm sure you know.

Best bet would probably be akihabara. It has a reasonably sized volks and dolk is there (although it's small and not open 7 days)

There's also Azone, although they don't sell bjd it gives an insight into what's popular in Japan as far as dolls go.

 

If I've posted this in the wrong place, I am so, so sorry

Last time I visited Japan, I had trouble finding Volks showrooms (I luckily stumbled across the Harajuku one, and found one in Osaka) and as my Japanese is, well, non-existent, I found trying to shop at Mandarake to be fairly hard Can anyone recommend good places to find BJDs in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto? Mainly Tokyo ^_^; It doesn't just have to be Volks - although I love them, I would also love to see what other lovely dolls I can find.

Again, so so sorry if I've posted this in the wrong place T___T

 

Hi Ladyshi! Exciting that you'll be visiting Volks!

In Tokyo, I found Tenshi no Mado in Harajuku the easiest to find by far. Have you considered checking out google streetview? It sounds crazy but I was so paranoid about not being able to find Volks that I familiarised myself with how to get there on streetview! I didn't even have to get my phone out for directions when I was there, I just walked straight there. I found finding the one in Akihabara much harder because I didn't look at streetview first...I ended up in the wrong building at first.

As for other places in Tokyo, Dolk was a fun place to visit. It was a bit of a walk away but fairly easy to find (we used a handheld wifi router connected to our phones to find our way around, invaluable). I found buying in Mandarake not so bad, I communicated mostly in hand gestures!

If you'll be in Kyoto though, I would definitely go to Tenshi no Sato above all else! It's like the HQ of Volks, beautiful gardens to walk around, a cafe, a museum and a shop. I have not personally been there though, you can find info on how to get there in this thread if you search it (you need to make an appointment I believe).

Good luck, and have a great time! If you prepare yourself really well before hand, you should have no trouble finding your way around

 

I use Street View, too! It's such a good pre-vacation tool, especially if I'm going somewhere I haven't been before.

For actual dolls, I think Mandarake is your best option aside from Volks. But yeah, I can understand how buying a doll there could be daunting. I'm thinking the Nakano location might be easiest, since the doll shop is dedicated and the clerk is there only to sell dolls and doll items. There's also Closet Child in Ikebukuro, which had a few dolls in stock, and a whole lot of BJD clothing at second-hand prices. The clothes alone are worth going through, even if there are no dolls you like.

I'm trying to think of non-Volks or Mandarake locations in Osaka. I know there was one I went to that was around the corner and behind the regular Den Den Town strip but I couldn't tell you which corner or how to find it. I'm sure someone else can probably fill that in. I can just verify it exists and they did have some Luts and Bluefairy dolls when I was there.

 

If I remember there is a Dolk shop in Den Den Town in Osaka (not sure if that's the shop [MENTION=12674]Edtel[/MENTION] mentioned about) but you can find their access info here.
https://dolk.jp/osaka.php

They have their location pinned on google maps (click on the button beneath the map) and according to the map you take the train to Niponbashi Station and get out on exit number 10. It should take around 10 mins walking from the station to the shop. ^ ^

 

I'm glad I'm not the only nutter staring at streetview! I too found the Nakano Mandarake had the most stuff. Have a really good dig for hidden gems.

Great tip about secound had shops idrisfynn! I stumbled upon a shop called Book Off on my last night in there that was like a cave of hidden treasure! No doll stuff, but I got a huge pile of new Sailor Moon merch for 100 yen each!

 

Hello dear doll lovers!

I'm very sorry if this post already exists.

Well a very dear friend of mine is in Japan for her honeymoon.
And she would like to see if she can find a doll there (her first one).
Does someone know a store?

I tried to find one but they're pretty hard to find!

Thankyou!!!!

 

Oh wow! So they're not that hard to find after all!

 

Well, I've done it again. My finger slipped on the 'book this flight' button, and I'm off to Japan again in January.

I've honestly read every page of this thread at some point, even though it was a long time ago, but I don't recall there was much discussion of stores in southern Japan, specifically Okinawa, or much discussion of stores in Kyushu. I'm going to be in Okinawa, Kagoshima and probably Beppu before heading northward. Is there anything doll-related down there that I should try to hit?

Also, are there any doll shows in January anywhere in the country? I'm just curious if I have to plan my itinerary around that or if I can just go at my own pace.

 

Unfortunately my favourite Japanese doll show is having its final even in September. Its literally called Doll Show and was held in southern tokyo.

There's also been Dollism event in Tokyo and osaka which is pretty good but I cant find any info about any upcoming.

 

I've been to the Sumika in Fukuoka. I was in the building, went up to what I thought was the right floor, but instead found myself standing at the entrance to a giant Daiso. This was not in any way a bad thing. I have such a weakness for 100 yen shops, it's not funny... I didn't realize they use British floor numbering, so the Sumika was actually on the floor below what I thought.

If there's nothing in the south, then I'll just concentrate my time on sightseeing until I get to Osaka.

 

Just wanted to ask, is this guide to get to the Volks Akihabara TnS up to date?

I've read that this particular Volks TnS building includes lots of other dolls (Blythe, Azone, etc.) and is also beside Dolk? Is Mandarake also in the area? Can anyone confirm?

I'm traveling with family and would like to keep dolly related trips to a minimum ^^; So I'm trying to kill multiple birds with one stone by going to one location for BJDs(TnS), clothing(Dolk) and Blythes(Instead of going to Junie Moon separately).

 

Chamillia, that is exactly where the Volks store is but it's a brand new building. It's still called Radio Kaikan and there is a kind of Akihabara gift shop on the ground floor at the front, selling tee shirts and Akiba themed chocolate boxes (yep..) so you'll know you're in the right spot. Azone is also in this building.

Volks was briefly down the next road while this building was being renovated, that's why some guides will send you to the wrong place!

Dolk is a little bit of a walk away, it's tucked away the other side of the river and isn't near many other shops, it's rather awkward to find.

Mandarake is further along the main Akihabara strip down a side road, it's probably 5 minutes walk from Volks through crowds.

 

Ah I see! So I could just ask for the Radio Kaikan building and hopefully someone will understand and guide me to the correct location ^^ Thank you!

Also, just wanted to make sure, from pictures of what I've seen, it seems that the only "Volks" section in the building is the "Doll Point" which is for DDs, is that really the case? Is it not a Tenshi no Sumika? o_O As in, is there not a separate floor for Super Dollfies? Or is the Doll Point considered both for DDs and the TnS? I'm so confused and the more I research I do, I get more lost x_x

Edit: There also seems to be two Volks locations in Akiba, one "Doll Point" and one "Hobby Square"? ._. I'm dying lol.

 

Oh no, there's a whole Volks floor! It's half things like garage kits and model railways, and half DDs and BJDs. This store is heavily DD focussed due to its location but there's also plenty of BJD stuff, including a big cabinet with outfits from various Japanese seamstresses which is pretty nice

 

Ah I see, makes more sense! Have you been to the Tenshi no Mado in Harajuku? Which one would you recommend more for "Resin" BJDs? And which provides a more dolly-enriched experience? How are the prices compared to the two locations? I would really want to buy stuff for my crew and just have an all out dolly-splurge (Both mentally and financially xD), but again, since my family can only tolerate one doll-related trip, I must keep it to a minimum.

And since Radio Kaikan isn't Volks only, I assume it would be okay to bring my Volks hybrid doll/any non-volks doll around just for fun? I would really love to take lots of pictures of the items and places (I'm a blogger as well) and I'd like to have my doll in them sometimes.

Last question, would there be any Blythe dolls at Radio Kaikan? Sorry for asking too many questions, thank you for putting up with me

 

Once you're in Volks Akiba you really are in their shop so visibly bringing in a hybrid or non Volks will not go down well. It's a quiet shop and any gaijin are carefully watched as the majority that go in (in my experience) laugh at the big creepy dolls rather than are legit customers, so they will be watching you lol.

OT: Radio Kaikan has a lot of shops which sell Blythe second hand, prices are high-ish. Mandarake probably cheaper

 

Ah man. Alright, no dollies in store, got it!

I guess I'm leaning towards the Akiba store and location in general rather than the Mado, because of Dolk and Mandarake as well. Thank you [MENTION=336]babytarragon[/MENTION] and [MENTION=3721]eleniel[/MENTION] ! Your info really helped me a lot!

 

I went to Mado in Harajuku for a hot minute when I came here just to window shop and grab a restringing hook, but they didn't seem to be selling a lot of merchandise per say. It was more like a beautiful showcase for ordering full choice and one-off lotteries with a bunch of elegant photo shoot areas and a tiny corner of official Volks doll supplies. I didn't see any dresses for sale or anything like that, but they might sell those at Akihabara instead.

So far, Dolk and the Mandarake in Nakano Broadway have been amazing for dress and wig shopping (but I've only been window shopping, haha). Dolk is super expensive so I'd only recommend you go if you want to find a unique wig or splurge on a cute outfit or prop. The Nakano Mandarake store is very small with one or two glass cases cramped full of hundreds of naked secondhand models from various brands (causes a lot of eye-brow raising by tourists) and a row of bins filled with clothes of a wide price range. I haven't been to the other Mandarakes because I heard that only the one in Nakano sells BJD stuff now.

Personally, I'd recommend Nakano Broadway as one of your stops if you have the time to make it out there. I have more time this weekend so I'm probably going to peruse the Akihabara Volks stop and Mado so if you have any requests for other places to check out ahead of time, let me know.

I could also probably write an updated guide for each of the BJD stores and what they have and post it here if people will give me a list of places to check. I didn't even know Shinjuku Alta's Volks closed until I got here, and apparently the Ikebukuro showcase has been closed for some time now, too. And Closet Child in Ikebukuro had their renewal opening last month.

 

You mean Dolk or Mado?


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Theeeeeere we go.

\(//∇//)\


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If the Ikebukuro Closet Child has moved (again), I would love updated instructions on how to find it. It had a fairly good selection of stuff the last time I was there.

 

The Nakano one does sound promising indeed. Unfortunately I do not think my family will want to go the distance for that one >_< Aghhhh I will definitely try to persuade them. Bins of clothing you say? Yes please! I really don't mind secondhand clothing at all, as long as its presentable and a good bargain I was mainly aiming to go to Mandarake in hopes of snatching up a Blythe as well as some pattern books and dolly magazines (They carry those right?) but we shall see

And 100% yes to the updated guide for BJD stores in Tokyo. I know a lot of others will appreciate it so much!

Thanks for the input again, Grimoire

Edit: Also, isn't Closet Child just a lolita clothing store? What's the association with BJDs? :S

 

Actually, the Ikebukuro one has an entire BJD section and according to the July reopening flyer, they relocated the doll section to an entire floor across the street. 　http://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20150619/12/closetchild-ikebukuro/e1/97/j/o0800113213341602607.jpg



Also, just so you know, these two fabulous guides already exist for BJD shops in Japan:

http://www.angelden.net/photoguide/

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=z7gbbSf7Eoek.kIdFlW9vqzLA

But they might be a little outdated. If you'll notice, the Volks Sumika in Shinjuku is still up even though it already closed and some google map locations say Ikebukuro Showroom is closed too.



I'll check out these stores this weekend and see if I can't get some more updated info:

Akihabara Volks Tenshi no Sumika
Dolk
Harajuku Volks Tenshi no Mado
Ikebukuro Volks Showroom
Ikebukuro Mandarake
Ikebukuro Closet Child
Nakano Broadway Mandarake

I'm just going to check to see if any locations changed or what's inside the stores specifically. I'm sure I can't take any pictures inside the store, so I'll just make notes of what's there. (And I'll pay attention to those pesky second floors this time! )

If anyone has any other store update request, let me know and I'll check it out. My job doesn't start for a couple of weeks so I've got nothing better to do.

 

The Angelden guide is sadly very out of date now. The Harajuku pics for example actually shows shop which shut in 2008 or so. The Akihabara one also still still shows the building which was damaged in the great Tohoku earthquake and subsequently torn down.

Haha I also went to Shinjuku Alta without realising Volks store had shut. Personally now I only bother with the Akihabara store now, I'm not even sure if Ikebukuro is still there? I didn't bother going since the K-books BJD section shut down.