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

I. Cannot. Wait.

And you should be able to take photos in Mandarake/Closet Child/Dolk, unless this policy is for all Japanese stores? xD

 

I might be able to take pictures of the store facade outside but I don't know how they feel about pictures of the inside, especially Nakano Broadway. Volks might have the displays up for that purpose but I remember Dolk had "no camera" signs up at their shop. They'll probably just think I'm an ignorant tourist takin pics like "Look at how craaaazy this country is!!!"


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I went to Tokyo in Oct and both Dolk and Volks Akihabara have a strict 'no photos' policy.

As for Nakano Broadway, I was able to take a couple of photos without any trouble. I didn't see any sign stating that you couldn't take photos.
Here is a photo of the BJDs and Dollfie Dreams that I saw there.

 

If I remember correctly, no photos are allowed in Mandarake, either. But with the setup of the Nakano Broadway store, it would be a lot easier to get away with it.

Also, the map for Closet Child isn't working (referrer denied? Some kind of error like that). I assume it's no longer above the Starbucks? Or at least the doll part isn't? I'm so excited to see the new place!

 

Ok, I ventured out to Ikebukuro today on my glorious new bike and went to these places:

K-books
Mandarake Ikebukuro
Closet Child Ikebukuro
Volks Showroom Ikebukuro

The verdict is:

K-books:
There's three or four buildings dedicated to otaku culture but I asked one of the shop managers and he said they no longer carry doll items

Mandarake Ikebukuro:
A lot of naked anime dudes, but no dolls or accessories

Volks Ikebukuro Showroom:
Closed--now an otaku cafe called Swallowtail

Closet Child Now called Dollyteria
Formerly part of Closet Child, it now has its own floor in a different building on the 4th floor. It is still owned by Closet Child but run separately as a secondhand doll store.



No photos allowed, obviously. It's blurry cause I coughed to make up for the flash sound (Japanese phones prevent you from disabling it.)



It's actually a very nice secondhand store. They have a ton of Volks limiteds, FCS, and one one-off and they have tags with "grades" for what condition the doll is in, with "A" being basically new to "C" as what I would categorize as "very yellow" or a botched-but-salvageable face-up. The going rate for a grade-A limited Volks head is around $300+ and $300 - $1000+ for a full set with box and papers based on its condition.

They also sell non-Japan and non-Volks BJDs of all sizes, including Soom, Iplehouse, Dream of Doll, Pipi, Lati, etc. I didn't see Fairyland, but I think it depends on the secondhands they get in.

They also sell Pulip and Blythe and lesser known doll companies.

Their clothes selection is really nice, and average pricing around $35 for a full set (compared to Dolk's $60+ for new clothes) and they sell both men and women clothes. They also sell new wigs of all sizes but they seem to be mostly vibrant colors or curly, probably to fit Lolita aesthetic.


I'll be checking these ones out tomorrow:

Akihabara Volks Tenshi no Sumika
Dolk
Harajuku Volks Tenshi no Mado
Nakano Broadway Mandarake


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[MENTION=66280]Grimoire[/MENTION], you are a godsend. Thank you so very much!! "Dollyteria" sounds like a great stop for dolly things! Sounds much more appealing to me especially price-wise than the other stores, but I'll still wait for your next guides and see When you said clothes and wigs selection, you meant for dolls though, correct? o.o
[MENTION=2910]Eiko82[/MENTION] Thank you for sharing that photo Are most of the things they carry in the Nakano Broadway one for DDs? I was told their clothing is a hit or miss on resin dolls, so I gotta make sure of that whilst shopping :P

 

Yes, clothes and wigs are for dolls from mini to large. The human-sized clothes are in the actual Closet Child store. Lol

Also, Dollyteria not far at all. If you go out the east exit of Ikebukuro station, it's 4 min walking.



Just keep going straight between these two buildings until you get to the area with trees and then it's on the left.



Sorry for such big pics. When I post from Tapatalk on my phone, it doesn't let me choose a size.

 

If I remember correctly, there was a mix of both. I mainly remember the Dollfie Dream stuff 'cause that's what I was looking for but I saw a couple of stores which had BJD stuff as well. My main complaint with Nakano Broadway was that it wasn't always presented in an appealing way compared to Dolk or Volks Akihabara. The stores sometimes gave a bit of a chaotic, messy impression IMO.

 

Yeah, I agree. I prefer Nakano Broadway for doujinshi and gashapon, as their doll selection is small and disorganized compared to other places. I do look if I'm there, though. No reason not to.

 

Now I know where the Closet Child moved to! I was there the other day and was sad to see it gone! I will have to try and find it when I go back. Thanks [MENTION=66280]Grimoire[/MENTION] !

 

So the sign that says "Closet Child" is actually Dollyteria? I'm a bit confused... It looks like the Closet Child on the map is the same one that's above the Starbucks when I do Google street view, but I can't find the place in your first picture. Argh...

EDIT: Also, while trying to find the Dollyteria on my own, I found this ad for a new location? If my very rudimentary Japanese is correct, there is a dedicated doll floor. Since my Japanese is rudimentary, I'm not entirely sure if they're talking about the Ikebukuro location, or if this is somewhere else in the area? Anyone who knows more Japanese than me who can clarify? http://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20150619/12/closetchild-ikebukuro/e1/97/j/o0800113213341602607.jpg Actually, never mind. I think I've got it. It is the Ikebukuro location. I found it using the Mr. Donut as a landmark. It really isn't that far from the other location, then.

 

I was confused myself but I think the Closet Child sign might just be old or they're using it so the people who previously went to the doll floor know what it is. The sign for the elevator and the actual store say "Dollyteria" or "Dollyteria by Closet Child."

Also, I sincerely apologize for lack of update. Turns out my apartment was decided last week so I've been in a rush to get everything situated. Priorities.


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"Yellow Submarine" is a short walk outside of the Akihabara station, and it is a tower of awesome new and used doll/toy shops (Volks, Azone, Obitsu, Pullip). I Highly recommend visiting it.
The Azone shop was HUGE! I bought so much stuff in this building that I had to mail some of it to myself because my suitcase got too full, lol!

Google Street view:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@35.6981...4!1sp1Dw7qrvk2LKTALXzWMkUA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

No worries, Grimoire! Real life comes first

Thank you so much for suggesting that! Sounds like another good stop! Is it very different than the Radio Kaikan building? Do they sell dolls mostly or their clothing/items? I must say that secondhand/used items is very intriguing for me because its cheaper and I'd like to splurge on a lot :P haha!

 

Yellow submarine is one of the stores inside radio kaikan. It's one of the larger ones, a whole floor if I remember right.

Edit: looked it up, they have the entire 6th floor

 

Ah, that makes sense, it sounded similar to Radio Kaikan :P Akihabara sounds more and more promising!

 

Does anyone here have a list of doll shops in Osaka?
I'll be going to Osaka in December and would like to stop by some shops if possible!
Any help is appreciated! Thank you! :-)

 

There's at least a Volks sumika and a big Azone store, both in the DenDen Town/ OtaRoad area (near Namba).

http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/model_c...e_holy_ground_of_pop_culture_in_the_west.html

Edit: Also a couple of Mandarake stores:
http://www.mandarake.co.jp/en/shop/osk.html (Umeda)
http://www.mandarake.co.jp/en/shop/gcs.html (Grandchaos)

 

Like sukeban said, you'll want to hit DenDen town. You can hit Volks and Azone but also DOLK. They are within a few minutes of each other.

http://dolk.jp/osaka.php
http://azoneosaka.blog72.fc2.com

DOLK has lots of brands! Clothing, shoes, wigs, accessories and dolls. Sometimes local dealers will sell in DOLK so you never know what you might find.

Both Mandarake's are worth checking out. Grandchaos is closest to Volks but a bit of a hike. You may find stuff in store that they have not listed on the website.

If you are making a side trip to Tokyo, you might want to check out Dolpa 34. Even if you aren't into Volks, they have tons and tons of dealers. The December Dolpa is the biggest. And if you're going to Kyoto, you could contact Volks to see if you can go to Tenshi no Sato. The museum alone is super impressive!

 

hey i know this is probebly going to be repetitive to some of you who are helping people with questions about showrooms and stores in japan but i was wondering to my situation.... im going to japan for a month ive already booked flights and accommodation so all im saving for is spending money, im hoping to have 5,000 at least for food, travel, spending, etc. the areas im planning to visit are 1 week in tokyo, 1 week in kyoto, 1 week in osaka, 2 days in hiroshima sightseeing, 2 days in nagoya, 2 days in takayama at the spring festival, last night in tokyo, flight to singapore as a stopover then back home. This will be in march/april from the 20th of march to the 16th of april in which time i hope to take lots of cherry blossom pictures

Ive been researching and found these two sites:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=z7gbbSf7Eoek.kIdFlW9vqzLA
http://www.angelden.net/photoguide/index.html

Are they still up to date and accurate? do you have any other links i could bookmark for next year? or have you any suggestions on places to visit while in these locations? im planning to do it all, shines, temples, castles, anime goods, dolls, aquariums and zoos, parks and gardens etc...
also do you think i have enough money to do all these things and also have money for a doll? ive heard theres alot of second hand shops i could potentially get a good deal from. Another question would be do i need a membership to get in? reservations? do they speak english enough for me to ask if i can look at the showrooms? how would i go about this?

Any help or experiences would be great! ty

 

Did you mean 50,000 yen? If so possibly enough if you don't have expensive tastes but you're unlikely to get a bjd as well as your travel and living in that. The second hand deals can be good but the kind of dolls being sold are things like volks which stated expensive.

If you go back about two pages on this thread we discuss the shops still around in Tokyo in reasonable depth. That Angelden link is very out of date in particular.

In Tokyo many people do speak reasonably good English but it'll be rare to find someone who can speak enough English to negotiate in depth with. You don't need memberships or reservations for the Volks showrooms, they are essentially just stores in which you need to be very quiet in!

The second hand shops are yellow submarine and mandarake, you can find more info on these by reading through this thread. The best ones for dolls are probably akihabara and nakano. You can check their current stock at http://order.mandarake.co.jp/order/listPage/list?categoryCode=020114&target=00
Just click the store you want to check from the filters at the top. Complex is akihabara and will likely have the most stuff.

 

As we have found, those two websites are now terribly out of date...


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thank you so much on this i will try to reread through some pages and find a new list of shops to look at so i dont get lost, i ment 5,000 aud which amounts to roughly 500,000 yen thats dollar for dollar price which will be less when i do convert as prices are really bad at the moment. my budget for a doll is 600 aud or 60,000 yen ^^; i hope to find a good deal and to see some awesome dolly showrooms!

 

I'm wanting to take a trip to Kyoto, specifically Tenshi No Sato. If I stayed for 6-8 weeks, could I do an FCS? Can I use a hotel address? Or would renting an apartment for my stay be a better route? Is there a shopping service that will mail my doll back to USA if Volks will not accept hotel or apartment addresses? Really wanting to do FCS and trying to figure it out short of moving to Japan :P

 

You might be able to rent a guesthouse for a couple of months but I'm not sure if Volks would still ask to see your gaijin card. Apartment rentals are usually fixed at 2 years and with evidence that you're staying that long.


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You need a Volks VS card in order to go to Tenshi no Sato but Volks may allow you in if you don't have one and if you email them ahead of time.

Also, you must be a Volks member in order to place an FCS order. Volks will only mail FCS orders within Japan and frown on shopping services. FCS will take a minimum of 8 weeks, maybe longer so it may not be ready to ship until you are leaving.

 

When I was living in Japan, I ordered an FCS from a Tenshi no Sumika—I ordered it in November, and around the beginning of February was when I got him. Depending on the amount of orders they have, it could be two months or a little longer than that.

Also, re: the Volks VS card—I have both the Japanese VS card and the USA Volks' members' card. When I scheduled my visit for Tenshi no Sato, I handed them both and they took my USA members' card, so FWIW, you can probably use either your USA members' card or Japanese card.

Another possibility is to find someone who has a Japanese address and ask them to hold the doll for you. Hope that helps!

 

Really? That's really weird about the VolksUSA card. I don't think you can do that anymore - enter with a VolksUSA card. They are pretty strict these days.

 

I have a Volks USA card. I'm just trying to figure out what would be the most realistic option: a) two visits - one to order, one to pickup b) one long stay c) one short visit +magically appearing trustworthy Japanese friend willing to mail my doll(s) or d)some other option I''m not aware of. Any help figuring this out would be most appreciated.

 

I would think it's entirely impractical to try an FCS if you're only visiting. They're getting very picky about who they will sell the FCS to, and if shopping services are frowned upon, I don't think they'd give a ton of leeway in mailing it to a hotel or short-term apartment, either. Note: I haven't personally tried to do it. And going the 'second trip' route - well, that would get exceptionally expensive and I don't think it would be worth it, just for a custom made doll. If something happened and there was a delay in production, you could be stuck not being able to get it. But maybe I'm just being a negative nancy...

There are forwarding services that MIGHT be able to help, but I'd ask them specifically if they'd be able to handle an FCS, or if they have done one before. I know of this one, but there are others: http://biginjap.com/en/ They are similar to a shopping service, though - so I'm not sure how obvious it would be to Volks that the address they're sending to isn't your own personal one.

As for Sato, I can't speak of current entry requirements. I went before they imposed them. I figure it doesn't hurt to ask if the USA member card will be good enough, since you have to make an appointment ahead of time to enter, anyway. Also, I thought there were places in Japan other than Sato that you could order FCS. Other Volks stores? It's not something I know a ton about, but I do remember seeing something like an order desk at other stores.

 

Your best option sounds like this: Place an FCS order with a shopping service (people on DoA or a friend you know of so you can get better communication) and get all the tricky bits and communication troubles out of the way before your trip. Plan it out so its ready some time when you're in Japan, and then just pick the doll up from the shopping service/friend when you're there. You'll have to make sure the shopping service will allow holding it until you're there and maybe meet up with you to deliver? To me it sounds like a good option as you don't need to worry about delivering to another forwarding address and if Volks might not accept that, yadda yadda. Worst case scenario it doesn't arrive when you're in Japan, but your shopping service already covers that and can deliver to your address back home

Only thing is, you'll be skipping out on the one-on-one FCS ordering process, which I do not know if its enjoyable or not for those who don't speak Japanese To me it sounds like a pretty messy situation trying to explain exactly what you want in another language...

 

I'd be willing to volunteer to have a FCS doll shipped to my Japanese address and hand it over to a person when they come to Japan, but I'm not a shopping service and I wouldn't want my address to be abused. :/



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I went to Sato a few months ago hoping to place an order.

I got an address from Tenso (as Dezarii suggested) and got a back up address from a friend who is living there. Long story short, they won't accept the addresses unless the person that has that address is present with you when placing an order. It might work for people who can carry a conversation in Japanese to pass off the address as theirs, but I had no word of Japanese save for a few that Ive picked up when shopping. They let me see the FCS room and the catalogs so that was good enough for me to place an order with the shopping services listed on DOA. They also request passports when "checking in" so that might tell them if you are working/living or a tourist I guess.

You can purchase the coordinate models for sure, Im not too sure about standards limiteds. You cant purchase or enter for the One Offs. There are great Sato exclusives like the kimonos, the other fans in there and the peaceful gardens so its still worth the visit.

I personally got a doll from Mandarake as a souvenir so I won't have to come back doll less. (what you see listed on their website is only about 5% of what is in the actual store).

 

As a note: You can buy the standard models that are in stock in store. So you can go home with a doll, even if it's not a custom FCS. Of course I know some heads are FCS only, so...

 

Ok, this is a weird question.... I use to go to Japan a lot and I'm hoping to go back in June 2016, however, I will have my future first grader in tow. Does anyone know what stores, if any, put restrictions on bringing in kids with you. It's likely to just be the two of us, so, no, no one to baby sit. She loves dolls and I would like to start sharing my hobbies.

 

Hmm I have a question as well, although its regarding the Tokyo Dolpas at Big Sight. Are there any outlets/malls or places to visit near the area? I'm travelling to Japan with family and would love it if they could be able to enjoy the surroundings while I'm at Dolpa.

 

That I can answer, there is a shopping complex on the opposite side of the island from Big Sight near the Daiba stop on the Yurikamome line. I know they have a Toys R Us, some clothing stores, restaurants, and I bought a suitcase there once. I think there is also a cat cafe. There is also a fake onsen you can visit on Odaiba and I think Fuji TV use to have a tour as well. Depending on where you and your family are staying, they can also easily visit Tokyo Disney and take a bus back to one of the hotels on Odaiba. (I could have sworn the Washington and the Sunroute (both nearly across the street from Big Sight in Ariake) were considered "Good Neighbor" hotels to Tokyo Disney. ) Oh, and Toyota use to have

Ah, http://www.aquacity.jp/en/top (AquaCity is the Mall)


Palette Town is the shopping is closer to Big Sight, but AquaCity has more to do IMHO.

I've never been here but: http://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en/ I might need to actually look into that for my science loving DD in June.

 

I can answer this

My 4 year old niece was with me all the time. We've been to Mandarake, Closet Child, Kiddyland (lol), Dollk, Jungle and Volks (Harajuku, Osaka and Akihabara). No one had an issue with me bringing her in. Dollk had a problem with her but it turns out it was only the frappe drink she had, so we had to throw it in the bin outside. She's always holding my hand, I dont want any problems with her mistakingly touching anything. Staff were very friendly and no one had an issue or gave stares, a store in Nakano even gave her some candy lol.

Ive got no idea about Sato though, since it seemed more mature/formal?? but they do require you to fill out your names when you reserve (everyone going in). I would ask them a question or include his age next to his name. Print out your confirmation as well as your reply making the reservation just to be safe.

 

I'm pretty certain that children aren't allowed at tenshi no sato, but I could be wrong. I've been there quite a few times and never seen a child there.

 

As for things to do in Odaiba, I know there's a giant arcade there if any of the people you're traveling with don't mind wasting some 100 yen coins. I waste way too much money playing Taiko Drum Master and Para Para, personally. There's also a giant ferris wheel to ride on.

 

Thank you thank you thank you! This is exactly what I needed to know. I was most interested in hearing can you take a young child to Mandarake, Dolk, and Closet Child, in particular Mandarake because DD is infatuated with CardCaptor Sakura and Sailor Moon and I was wondering if they had any old merchandise on top of used BJDs for me. Did you go to just the Nakano branch of Mandarake or some of the other ones?

I don't mind skipping Sato. I've been there many many times before and since I can't order FCS it just isn't all that appealing. The garden is nice, but I'd rather go see Kenroku-en in Kanazawa as a day trip. i'd rather visit an ordinary branch of Volks anyway.

 

You want to visit Akihabara's Volks store. There are 2 Volks stores there, one is on the main road that is more for anime figures/merchandise - the main floor with all the figures is always crowded, so avoid it so you dont trouble the little one - its seriously cramped. Its mostly of the newer anime merchandise anyway.

The other Volks Store was so difficult to find. Its the Volks Doll Point store and its on the last floor - take a look at the stores in that building, theres an Azone store and a Jungle store in the same place, the Volks upstairs has a plethora of items specifically for DD. Doll Point is in the same block with the main Volks store, in an alley next to an electronics store with speakers with those "great deals" leaflets handed out. Its on the same block - keep volks to your right and pass 2 or 3 stores down and it will be in a building with escalators at face. To you right means on the same block with the store (sorry english isn't my first language and I'm having trouble expressing my point properly - I dont want you to feel lost and waste hours like I did)

Mandarake in Akihabara doesnt carry a lot of the shoujo stuff. They have a great selection of BJD's and DD's - make sure to look at everything and try to not get overwhelmed, there are some really great deals and pretty rare dolls there.

The Mandarake in Osaka has some pretty neat and rare things, but the selection isn't as big. Its mostly focused on cosplay (I think cosplay was a big thing in that area, since there were a lot of stores catered to it) It had some really rare SM items (I got the wedding Usagi doll and the dancing Chibimoon SailorMoon music box!) I didnt see in the other stores nor online, but if you are going to be in Osaka, its the Umeda branch. Volks in Osaka had the biggest selection for BJD's, mostly because theres not a lot of interest for them there? Jungle also has a decent selection of BJD items - I think out of all the Jungle stores, this branch has the biggest selection. Its not huge, but its decent.

Nakano is the one you really want to visit. Its huge. Possibly the biggest Mandarake store - it has a lot of SM and "shoujo" items, and even in the same building that are non Mandarake stores, they carry a lot of Sailor Moon and Shoujo. Theres a whole floor with nothing but dolls rather than sections at some of the Mandrakes Ive been to. Go early - there are a lot of great stores there for vintage stuff.

Volks store in Harajuku doesnt have a lot to offer for DD's, but its the prettiest and the staff are super sweet. A lot of beautiful one offs, so make sure to look at them to get heartbroken lol. Closet child has decent selection but its small - the main store is a clothing store, and they have a little room full of dolls for sale - some are great bargains and some are over priced, but the selection is a lot bigger than what you see online.

Dolk in my opinion, isn't worth the visit if you've got a lot of things to do - its mostly clothing items from Dollheart, Sadol, Princess doll and some other vendors. They didnt have a lot of dolls to pick from, but there were some very cute sold out clothing from other stores. Its worth the visit for the cafe - not because it tastes good, but because you get to meet other doll enthusiasts and you see some dolls in person.

Google some of the stores before heading out though. Volks stores in Shinjuku and Ginza I found out were closed when I reached the area.

 

Eheheheh, I just realized, DD has more than 1 meaning. I've been frequenting so many parenting boards lately that now I see DD/use DD and think "darling daughter" and forgot it's also Dollfie Dream. I think the Dollfie Dreams are lovely, but I was referring to my darling daughter who I think prefers my minis and tinies to Dollfie Dreams. She's also recently found one of my Liccas so I am debating trying to go to the Castle. We will definitely visit the Toy Park in Ginza.

I've only been to the Radio Kaikan Aki Volks, I went to Japan a lot before she was born, but I've not been back since July 2010 and never with a little one, so having a child in tow is completely new to me. Is the bright neon green doll store the sort that sells things of a more... sexual nature? Because I admit that is why I wasn't sure some of the Mandarake's (or Volks for that matter) let kids in. I've seen some pretty risque and uhhh fascinating things for sale in the Volks in Osaka. Sometimes Akihabara overwhelms me. I did get my first Volks doll there, but it's just so.... Akihabara. DenDen Town seems more laid back.

I'd sort of like to visit Sora no Iro, the BF store.

I was wondering if you could bring a child to the Mandarake in Shibuya. That one use to have so many toys and other misc goods. And yeah, I was thinking of the wedding Usagi doll or one of the ancient dream pockets if I could find one at a good price. She also wants more CCS cards.

I've never been to Jungle, I'm not sure it existed when I was last in Japan. I've been to Mandarake in Shinsaibashi and Umeda.

I am awful curious about Dollyteria.

I've only been to one of those places you pay to pet cats. I am sure she would enjoy a cat cafe. I'm not interested in a maid cafe. I did a "high school" boy one once, and it was just sort of more amusing as a concept than something I want to do again.

I will probably try to see friends and see if any of my favorite restaurants are still in business. It will also be nice having a weaker yen. It was so strong in 2010! I wish I could time for a doll event but that is not possible with school. :/

I think Animate was just announcing or getting ready for the move when I was last there. While I don't look great in Lolitawear, I'd sort of like to find some cute used things for my child since she is incredibly girly and petite (hairclips, purses...). And I admit now, I love Starbucks for a break. It sounds like there is even more of them than there use to be (which I did not think was possible!)

And yeah I really love Sadol clothes and the one time I went to Dolks they had a ton of LaTi things. LaTi has such long ship times sometimes.

Thanks everyone, I am so excited to go back. I've wanted to for so long but I had to wait until I thought my daughter and I could handle the trip. Now I want to get in while she is still free on trains. XD;

 

I have a trip planned for next year. I have one evening to head to Akihabara to check out doll shops. (I am also doing Seoul Korea and Osaka. Seoul I have a local friend who plans to show me to doll shops. Not sure I'll have time in Osaka.). I found the following website listing doll shops everywhere, not sure how up to date it is: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=z7gbbSf7Eoek.kIdFlW9vqzLA

I'm interested in Doll clothes and secondary shops mostly. 60cm BJD dolls. I'm using Google Maps and checking out street view to give me an idea where things are from the stations. (I've been to Japan once, years ago, and had little problems with the stations, navigating outside the stations...didn't go so well, and wasn't into dolls then). So I think the Volks Akihabara shop is right near the construction (no longer under construction) area of the google street view. I'm trying to find then the Volks Doll Point Store based on the description above and the google street view, and can't find an escalator. If someone also could point out where DolK is as well, so I can see the street view for that one as well. I still have months and months but like to pre-plan ALOT.

I'm slowly going back through the posts in this thread. Some are really useful like the link to: http://www.angelden.net/photoguide/volks-akiba.html . Shows the escalator!

 

Thank you guys for the answers! ^^ I think AquaCity sounds really nice, as well as Tokyo Disneyland of course! May leave that one up to them :P
As for the arcade, I honestly want to be there myself and join in on the fun! We don't have many arcades here and I'm seriously deprived lol!

 

I'm in Japan right now. Dollyteria is great. It's now located down the street from Closet Child, and there's actually a map that tells you how to get there. Look for the Mister Donut, as it's on the 4F.

Tomorrow, I'll be hitting up Dolk in Kanda, hopefully. It's a short subway trip from Ikebukuro.

 

So my family and I finally booked tickets to Tokyo for December, and I cannot contain my excitement. I planned out my trip to visit the event of my dreams, a Tokyo Dolpa Although I'm super super nervous and can't imagine how I'm going to manage going there by myself since I speak no Japanese at all and the thought of being completely lost with no one to talk to freaks me out.

Are there any translators around? People who can speak minimal English? :'D How long does Dolpa take? I'm not planning on going the limited dolls route, just browsing the dealers and playing bingo and other games. I may be able to convince my sister to attend with me so I'm not completely alone, but I'm sure she won't agree to stay for 5 hours or something >_<

 

I'd post in the meet up thread section of the forum, there seems to be a pretty regular contingent of English speaking DoA members who go to Tokyo Dolpa, it's not like when I first went to Dolpas/Doll Shows and I was often the only obvious foreigner. But even when going with a group there will be alone time depending on what you want to do. I know they changed the lottery for LEs, but I would think foreigners would still get the choice of whether they wanted to do the Sumika line or the general admission line.

I know it sounds scary, but I traveled all over Japan by myself and the only Japanese I knew my first trip was "arigato" "sayonara" and quickly I picked up "sumimasen" XD; You can do it. It's usually pretty obvious figuring out what is for sale and paying for things.

A few notes, unless things have changed drastically since my last Japanese Dolpa, most dealers only take cash aka yen. Japanese ATMs can be persnicketty with foreign credit cards/ATM cards so I'd be sure to go to the Dolpa with a lot of yen depending on what you are hoping to purchase.

It helps to get your guidebook in advance, it allows you to get in line earlier than otherwise.

If your cell phone won't work in Japan, make sure to have a working cell, and when you're bored in line text people.

Think about whether you really want to bring a doll to Japan. Volks doesn't let non-Volks dolls into Dolpa and if you bring a doll to Big Sight, you will be carrying it around with you for a couple of hours at least. I personally find it gets old quickly, though I know there are other members who disagree.

Big Sight is relatively easy to get to. I doubt anything has happened to stop people from starting to arrive by 7 am or earlier, because people just like going to events early.

Dolpa lasts as long as you want it to last. People who want popular dealer items/Sumika items/LE dolls will arrive at 7 am. (BTW, I think foreigners can no longer try to get LE dolls. I think you must have a Japanese mailing addy. It's a relatively recent change. I want to say they open doors at 10, or is it 11? (I use to go to a lot of Japanese events, so they are sort of blur together now.) There are around ~750 dealers, though not all will have anything that remotely interests you. The most popular dealers sell out fast, but that doesn't mean you won't find things you like. In my day, Dolls Drug Kingdom was a hugely popular seller. Their outfits were nice, but I had no interest in spending $300 on a single outfit and they weren't really what I was looking for. I never stuck around for the bingo. My Japanese was not good enough to follow it, as it was done quickly. I also am never lucky at things like that, I never even won something at a NY Dolpa and that had much better odds.

 

I ended up going mid to late morning, and I was there until mid-afternoon if I'm remembering correctly. I didn't wait in a line to get in because I did go a bit late and everyone else was already in. I didn't involve myself with any of the special events because I wasn't interested in the LE items and really have no idea how any of it works. But I did do a good couple passes of the dealer's section and I looked at and photographed some of the display dolls. There's a meet-up area on one side where people gather, but I got the impression they were reserved for groups of friends who had planned meet-ups at the Dolpa. But as rkold said, there might be a DOA meet. I'd check that section.

Just out of curiosity, remembering back, there was one dealer who, from my best guess, was refusing to sell an item to me. She had a price sticker on it, it was hanging on her display, but when I asked about it, she said it was 'defective' and that she couldn't sell it. But on a second pass, the item still was on display and still had a price tag on it. I know some animation cel collectors will refuse to sell to foreigners, so aside from initially being taken aback I didn't think much of it. No point, really. It was only the one seller - the others ones were great. Is this something anyone else has experienced at a Japanese Dolpa?

 

I second Dollyteria. I've been there three times now and they have very decently priced clothing and a good number of secondhand dolls you can purchase. You can also get some low priced basic Volks dolls there. I'm in Japan right now and every time I go the stock changes a bit so it's good to go once in a while.

Yellow Submarine also has some nice places to look at. The Azone shop has some BJDs, and the Volks store in there, though not my thing, is pretty.

I need to go back to Akihabara Mandarake. I left pretty quickly the first time because it looked a bit dark and yellow. It didn't appeal.

It really does look like there are a lot of English speakers in Tokyo right now.

I'm a little disappointed about Dolpa, though. My one chance to go and I happen to be going to Germany the day before Dolpa. T.T What luck...

 

I'm glad I found this thread! I moved to Tokyo recently, and got into BJDs at about the same time, so I've been looking for doll shops (without a lot of success). So far the only ones I've found are the Radio Kaikan Volks (I'm not into DD, so there wasn't a lot to my taste there), the Dolk shop near Akihabara, and the Tenshi-no-Sato Volk's shop in Harajuku. I'll have to look into this Dollyteria place, and I've been meaning to check out Mandarake.

I'm also planning on going to Dolpa (I started a thread in the Conventions forum). It will be my first doll "event" (meetup or expo or anything), so I don't really know what to expect... I'm not planning on standing in any crazy-long lines for anything, but bingo sounds fun! So does a DoA meetup.

Edit: Oh, and by the way, if anyone is visiting the Tokyo area and feels like trusting a random stranger (me), I'd be happy to help with things like translating at a shop (I'd love to meet other BJD people, and being involved with the FCS process--even indirectly--sounds super fun). I'd even be willing to put my address to use for those pesky Volks orders, because I have boundless sympathy for foreigners dealing with Japanese red tape. I don't want to turn into a shipping service, but I could do it once or twice, and I'd be perfectly willing to hold onto things for pickup if the timing worked.

 

I think anyone can you the meet-up section you don't need to reserve there, but if you're shy or don't speak a lot of Japanese it can be hard going up to a group of complete strangers and chatting with them.

I've done the wait for Sumika items and a couple of times for LE dolls back when foreigners were allowed to try for them. I got my Yo SD Shin in person at Tokyo Dolpa in 2007. In general, I was much luckier with Sumika items. Volks has changed procedures many times in the past, so I can not say what the current procedure is. Sometimes, I don't mind the waits. About the only wait that was truly miserable for me was the Fall '07 Tenshi no Sato event. I just gave up after several hours there.

I am caucasian and I speak very limited Japanese, so I am very much an obvious foreigner. Between 1999 and 2010, I probably went to at least 10 Doll Shows, 1 I Doll Osaka, I did a Licca-chan Castle Tour as part of a Takara Nice Jenny group (vs. the times I went on my own), at least 5 Tokyo Dolpas, 2 or 3 Sato events, and I honestly can not say how many doujinshi events. About the only time I can think of when someone would not sell me something, it was a terrible misunderstanding on my part and thought that the PF in the outfit marked 7000 yen was a 7000 yen PF. It was the outfit, which was sold out. The doll was not for sale. I think at a doujinshi event I also have tried to purchase not for sale samples, but again they were samples, which the doujinshika would not sell to a Japanese person either. In general, I have been treated with a mix of fascination and great kindness at the events I've gone to. However, I am not ignorant, and I do know there are biases against foreigners in Japan, particularly foreigners of non-Japanese Asian descent. In the recent LA Dolpa thread, someone in Japan talked about a lot of recent anti-foreigner sentiment. I just have never personally experienced it and instead had many people be especially friendly or helpful to me because of my obvious non-Japanese ethnicity. Is it possible the outfit you wanted to buy was a sample which they just were not selling and they were not able to communicate that well to you? The fact it was still there lends possible credence to that. I have met many Japanese whose English is not all that good. I can't really fault them that since my Japanese is awful and it is their country.

Kittzel, I'd definitely recommend the Nakano Mandarake which is the easiest Mandarake to find imho. I've gotten some decent prices on used BJD there. In general the prices are better on the Japanese brands. I believe Sora*Iro also has a brick and mortar shop somewhere in the Tokyo area. I think she mostly carries BlueFairy and DayDream dolls.

 

@Grimoire I tend to ignore stairs and doors that aren't obvious entrances--I usually assume they're for staff only or something--so I went to the Harajuku Tenshi no Mado three times before I realized they had that upstairs room.

@rkold Thanks, I perused back a few more pages and read about Sora*Iro. It's really not on the way to anything (according to Google Maps, it's way out in the northeast, not technically even in Tokyo), so I'll have to make a special trip sometime. Nakano, however, is en route to a friends' house anyway, so I might check it out this weekend.

 

I've noticed the borders of Tokyo can be rather generous at times. I remember an article in '09 talking about Mt. Asama erupting an ash falling on part of Tokyo. According to a friend living in Tokyo at the time calling the areas where the ash fell "Tokyo" was somewhat generous, much like calling the area I live ~70 miles from NYC a suburb of NYC. Sure some people here work in NYC, but the vast majority do not since 70 miles each way is a pretty long commute.

If you like BF/Day Dream dolls I've heard Sora*Iro is really nice though. I'd love to go there. At one point Kiddyland sold a few PFs but I think they stopped a long time ago.

You can go to Doll Show in January. I've not gone in years but I use to love Doll Show. It has a greater mix of doll brands and varieties than Dolpa. There is also I Doll. I've only been to I Doll West, but it has the largest selection of Korean dolls on display and clothes made specifically for them vs. Volks. Volks use to participate in Doll Show and possibly I Doll Tokyo, but it looks like they don't anymore.

 

Oh, I didn't know Sora*Iro was more to the north! That's actually not too too bad from where I'm staying at now. Maybe I'll go stop by there sometime next week. Maybe I'll see someone from DOA there.

So browsing the past few pages, I feel like I really want to go to Mandarake Nakano now. To be honest I'm already quite over budget but I just like to look at stuff. Luckily, right now I'm only interested in Mature tinies so impulse purchasing is much lower. I went to Mandarake Akihabara and while they do have a good number of dolls, I don't like the inside layout. It's a bit dark and yellowed, plus all the dolls are kind of cramped into glass cases so it's just hard to focus on specific dolls. Is the Nakano location the same?

 

@rkold Ah, I'd looked up about iDoll, but I didn't know about Doll Show. Thanks! And Sora*Iro actually isn't all that far from me, it's just in the opposite direction from the city center.

As for the suburb thing: to the east, "Tokyo" doesn't extend too far before it becomes Chiba, but it stretches pretty far out west. There are people who commute two hours or more each way to come to work or school in the city center, all while staying within Tokyo prefecture. There are also a few teeny tiny far-flung islands, so you could be a 5-hour boat ride from Odaiba and still technically be "in Tokyo."