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

Very excitedly reading through this thread as I go to Tokyo a week today!! I'm going with my university and the friends I'll be with are not into dolls so I'm trying to limit visits purely because there's other stuff they (and I) want to do. Think I'm gonna go for Dollyteria (we are staying in the Ikebukuro area anyway) and then probably Akihabara shops like Mandarake, Dolk, Azone shop. Are those the ones people would recommend? I'm also considering trying to find a little (probably secondhand) doll to bring home as a souvenir! (Plus clothes for my other dollies!)

 

Hello! I live and work near Tokyo if anyone wants to have a doll day! XD

 

Hello! I'm planning a trip to Japan, and I was wondering where I could find some physical stores with BJD stuff aside from Mandarake/Mirai/Volks store. Thanks!

 

Not BJD but there's a smart doll store in Tokyo I believe.

 

I know there's a physical Dolk Station store as well in Akibahara somewhere. I'm going to see if I can find it when I'm in Tokyo!

 

Yes, the DOLK store in Akihabara is lovely! I believe there's one in Nagoya as well, but I've only been to the Tokyo one.

 

It is not BJD store, but I have seen BookOff Japan selling volks dolls they have received second hand, so it would be worth swinging into any you happen to come across in your travels, maybe.

Dollyteria also has physical stores of you are looking for more used bjds and goods options!

 

Radio Kaikan building in Akihabara has two stores with dolls: One is a Volks store and the other sells Obitsus, Azone dolls and anime merch.
The DolKstore is a little outside the main section of Akihabara. Maybe a 15 min walk from Radio Kaikan. It's nicely stocked and has two stories. The address can be found here: Tokyo Store - Dolk Station
I recommend these two places specificaly. You can visit both within 2 hours but there's alot to look at so it may take even longer hah!

 

I recently went to Tokyo and would highly recommend Dollyteria in the Ikebukuro area (bought a little doll for myself there! It also had tons of wigs and misc accessories) and the Mandarake complex in Ahkibahra! (Brilliant for clothes! Found some kimonos for my crew in there!)

 

Hi everyone! I'm new and I think this is my first real post. I don't have a doll yet but I've done a lot of admiring, and I'm so lucky to get to go to Japan this fall.

Are there any store fronts I should be on the look out for?

 

Hi there. I lived in Tokyo for five years, so I know most of the stores there.

Firstly there is the Dolk storefront in Akihabara which sells new dolls and accessories for a variety of companies. Last I checked, there was also a Dolk in Osaka.

Then there’s the Volks stores—I know there’s one in Akihabara at the top of the Radio Kaikan building, and there’s also one in Harajuku. These are mostly showcases but you can order Volks dolls and they also tend to sell some Volks clothing and maintenance gear for both resin and vinyl dollies.

Now for the used stores; There’s a store called Mandarake in Akihabara, Shibuya, and Nakano which deals in used dolls and accessories (along with manga, doujinshi, games, action figures, etc.).

There’s also a store called DollyTeria in Ikebukuro. It used to be part of a lolita clothing shop called Closet Child, but I think it’s its own store now but still in the same location. They sell used dolls and accessories, and sometimes you can find good deals on goods that are slightly to moderately damaged.

There is also a store called Parabox in Nakano that deals in Obitsu vinyl dolls—some of the clothes and eyes, etc. there will fit resin dolls as well.

And lastly, there is another vinyl doll store in the Akihabara Radio Kaikan building called AZone. Again, you can find clothing there in a variety of sizes along with off-topic dolls and some other unusual dolls like the Angel Philia series.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask me any questions and I can try to help.

 

Omg this is super helpful!!

I've been to Japan once before, but I didn't know about the hobby then. Mandarake was hard to navigate when I went (I went to the location in Nakano), I found some good anime figures while I was there.

DollyTeria might be up my alley too, I don't have a ton saved up so used dolls would be great for me, thank you!

 

This thread has been super helpful! I knew I'd find something like this here. ^_^

I'm going to Japan for my sixth time already, but only discovered this hobby in the middle of my last trip so I wasn't sure where to go!

I'm starting my trip in Tokyo since I've only been there a couple of times (I usually go to Osaka/Kobe) and spending a few days there before making my way to Kobe to spend the rest of my trip with friends and catching my return flight there.

I knew about the Volks stores, but knew there had to be a lot more. I'm definitely going to check out the shops in Tokyo and Osaka. I might go to Kyoto, but it's pretty hot there during the summer and it's mostly buses to get to a lot of areas. I might go if I have time the day we visit Yamazaki, we'll see...

Does anyone know of a list or directory of the shops? I've noticed that several of them have closed over the years and this thread is pretty long so I'm sure I'd miss some. >_<

 

There aren't really "a lot more" like you might think. It's true that the hobby started with Volks and anime/figurine/doll-collecting hobbies are firmly established in Japanese culture... but how many Japanese resin doll companies can you actually think of, besides Volks? There's Alchemic Labo, but Unoas usually have very limited availability, and to my knowledge don't really have storefronts or big conventions like Dollfies. The vast majority of companies are Korean or Chinese, with a growing market in Europe. Within Japan, Volks really dominates the resin scene in terms of both shopping and events, and most of the other doll hobby content consists of either old-fashioned traditional dolls or plastic/vinyl ones like Azone, Pullip, Momoko, etc. So aside from the Volks shops, there's Dolk for imported doll brands, and secondhand shops like Dollyteria and Mandarake. The only other dealer shop I know of off the top of my head is one called Sora*Iro, which google says has a shop outside Tokyo, but I never made it out to look in person.

 

Offerings in other countries are beside the point, that's not what I'm asking about or what this thread is about. I also didn't specify that I was only looking for resin dolls.

Also, there are already a lot of shops listed here. I was just trying to get some feedback from others to see what ones are worth visiting and if there's anything new.

I'm not sure why you are being so critical. I've been there a few times already (twice in the past year even) and think I have a good idea of what I can expect.

 

I wasn't trying to be critical, I just got the impression--since you said you skimmed the thread and thought you might have missed some recommendations--that you thought there might be a lot more shops than that handful that have been mentioned often in this thread (Volks, Dolk, Dollyteria, Mandarake). I wasn't trying to compare to what shops may or may not be available in other countries either, just pointing out that there aren't a lot of on-topic domestic brands in Japan and so not a lot of shops either. I was just trying to be helpful, but if you've been there recently and have "a good idea of what to expect" yourself, then I'm not sure what more information you were hoping for. Catsby posted a pretty thorough list just a month ago.

As far as a directory, there's this, but it doesn't seem to be updated very often, so you would still have to check each place individually to try to figure out if it still exists.

 

Thanks for clarifying. :-)

I did see both of those lists. The one Catsby posted is helpful, but limited to Tokyo from what I can see. The other list, as you mentioned, doesn't appear to be up to date.

I will probably be spending about 4-5 days in Tokyo, but then I'll be in or near Kobe for the rest of my trip so hopefully I'll be able to identify a few more shops in the Kansai area before I leave. I know it can be difficult to find specific shops in the shopping districts if you don't know where to look so I just want to figure out which ones are worth my time before I leave.

This will probably be my last trip to Japan for a while since I start grad school this fall (farewell free time!) so I'm just trying to make the most of it.

 

H!

Have you thought about trying to time for a doll event?

IDoll is having a Tokyo Event this Summer:
ドール関連手作りグッズ展示即売会”アイドール”

I've not been in years, the same holds true for Dolpas, you could see if you could time your trip to go to one. I Doll tends to have a greater variety of dolls though than Dolpa.

For non-resin dolls I love the Castle Little Shop in Nihombashi. My daughter also insists we make the pilgrimage out to Licca Castle. It's quite far, and this time I hope to rent a car so we can visit some caves as well, but it does have special items.

I love Dollyteria in Ikebukuro and in the past i've done well at the Mandarake in Nakano.

Kobe had a small Volks branch but I don't remember anything else when I went in '09.

Honestly, I try to avoid DenDen Town and Akihabara because now I travel with my daughter and I've seen stuff in both places I wish I could scrub from my brain.

I usually go to Japan once a year.

 

@yukiri I don't know about anything else, but I can confirm that Volks still has their shop in Kobe - you can find more info here.

 

Oh wow, I'm surprised at how frequent that event is. I hadn't heard of it before. Unfortunately I timed my trip right after the Nagoya one, so I won't be able to check it out this time. I'm sure there will be a next time though.

I did check out the Kobe Volks shop the last time I was there in February. I discovered the dolls in the back when I was there shopping for a friend (he kindly house/cat sit for me in exchange for some souvenirs). I wanted to check out the ones in Osaka and Kyoto while we were there, but I got really sick just a couple of days into the trip and had to reserve my strength for my friends' wedding!

The shopping is honestly pretty limited in Kobe so I don't expect much else there, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are at least a few shops in Osaka. I'm still debating whether I want to go to Kyoto or not... my memories of being there last June during the heat wave are making me a little reluctant to visit again during the summer.

 

Also, in case you didn't know, the Kyoto Tenshi-no-Sato requires you to schedule an appointment to visit. And I think the expectation is basically that you either are coming with your Volks doll for photos and clothes shopping, or you're there to buy a Volks doll (or maybe at least some accessories for the Volks doll you surely have back home). It's not an environment for casual browsing.

 

I don't know, I've browsed when going to Tenshi no Sato but I've not been since 2010. I don't always bring dolls with me, they get heavy fast, even Yos. I'm pretty sure I just browsed that last trip in 2010.

I've not gone since 2010, because now I go to Japan with my daughter and she is under 13 and so isn't allowed in Tenshi no Sato. And going is not worth trying to find a sitter.

iDoll is very frequent but varies in size. I've only been to the smaller Osaka iDolls. I saw a lot of Korean dolls there, but at least when I went the dolls that were popular in Japan were not always the same ones that are popular with the non-Japanese. So you see a lot of LaTis and Blue Fairy had a much stronger presence then you will find here on DoA. There are also Doll Shows. I think the next one isn't until September. They're also a mix of doll varieties.

In general, iDoll and Doll Show don't get exclusive resin dolls, though I think once Blue Fairy made a special release as did Alchemic Lab (but we're talking like a decade ago.)

Osaka use to have a Dolks. They're a dealer who has a presence on this forum if I remember correctly and represents several companies. It's sort of neat because it's a chance to see dolls in person you might not see otherwise. But again, I limit my Den Den Town time because there is some really disturbing stuff in some of the stores and I have a kid with me. I have gone to all the Mandarakes.

I guess the one plus of hitting up various Volks stores is if you are in the market for a specific doll, sometimes there are some still in stock. Stock really does vary by store though.

Japan is hot and humid in the Summer. But it's when my daughter doesn't have school. We were in Kyoto in June last year as well and for us, the heat wasn't as bad as the terrible rain in Kamikochi.

Good luck!

 

I did see that about the Kyoto shop. It doesn't look like it's too much of a hassle though. They allow you to do it online up to one week before your visit and the fee is pretty small.

I did notice this on the site though:
"As for Dollfie Dream®, members of Osaka Showroom and Doll Design Department are earnestly making necessary arrangements for widening their appeal in Kansai Area. Please look forward to that."
Are they going to make the Osaka location more like the one in Akihabara?

I think I do recall seeing the Dolks while I was in Osaka, but wasn't up for visiting all of the shops in the area. I ran out of steam pretty quick once I started getting feverish. Ugh. Sorry to hear you've had such bad experiences in those areas. I haven't really seen too much out in the open at least.

I wonder if you went earlier in June than we did? We arrived in Japan the day after Osaka had that earthquake. I remember feeling pretty lucky that the trains and everything were back to normal by the time we arrived since a lot of lines were out of service when we departed LA and there were reports of people being stranded at Kansai Airport. After that they had a pretty nasty heat wave last summer. We missed the worst of it and the major flooding that hit the area right after we left. I definitely would have preferred to go earlier in the year, but had to coordinate with the schedules for a group of four. My very first time in Japan was in late April during sakura season and it was amazing.

 

Actually, I think we must have been there the same time, maybe we're just more heat resistant. We too arrived in Japan right after the quake, and spent that first super rainy day post quake at USJ. The park was awesome because no one was there, but we had an awful time trying to get to Kyoto. We stayed in Japan until a little after the 4th. We spent the first part of our trip in Kyoto, then went to Kanazawa, Matsumoto, Kamikochi, Nagano before going to Tokyo and making a day trip to Matsushima. This trip we're going to explore more of Nara-ken and go to Hanamaki onsen.

This is my daughter's 4th trip and my I don't know what number for me.

I've been to Japan at least one day of every single month.

 

That's awesome. I love visiting , especially after making friends there. I've tried to make it a point to go at least once every two years, but I was able to go a lot more frequently once I was done with college. Of course now I'm going back for my PhD so I won't have as much time for the next 4-5 years.

What do you usually end up doing while you're there? I find myself doing a lot more venturing outside of the city now that I'm more familiar with Japan. I've done quite a few hikes and stays in the country side that were amazing.

I just double checked on the day we were in Kyoto. It looks like it hit 91F that day, which was one of the hotter days until the heat wave that started around the 10th of July. Even just the day before it was almost 10 degrees cooler. I do okay (not great) with heat, but the humidity there is pretty terrible. Even my Japanese friend was having trouble with the heat, but he planned a few stops at some amazing tea shops which helped a lot. I might go back just for more of that matcha, even with how expensive it was.

I guess I'll just have to check the forecast and see what I'm in for temp wise! I'll see if I can find some extended forecasts to help me plan as the dates get closer.

 

I guess if I knew the exact date I could tell you where we were and what we were doing.

I use to go to Japan 2-3x a year and then had a kid and took a break for 5 years and now go once a year with my child. I have some friends in Japan, which is why I always need to spend some time in Osaka and Tokyo.

We have dietary restrictions so going too far into the countryside can be challenging. I've found from reading Japan Guide what some people consider traveling outside cities and what others consider traveling outside cities can vary wildly. I do think Kamikochi qualifies under all methodologies though. We were there last year. It poured and we were freezing. Where we are going in Nara-ken is not as heavily touristed and we hope to visit the 48 Falls between Osaka and Nagoya. I'm pretty excited. Ononimachi where Licca's Castle is located is pretty rural and we hope to make it to Abukamado Caves. I find the more rural an area is, the more having a rental car comes in handy because trains are less than once an hour and some places (like Towadako and Osorezan are only reachable by bus.)

I think it is always hot in Japan in the Summer. I'm seeing estimates of 85+ while we are in Kansai. I think it's just the season and global warming.

 

Ugh, I know what you mean about the rural trains and buses! One of my favorite stops is on the Kii Peninsula. I usually take the train to Katsuura or Shingu then take a bus to the trail heads and visit the grand shrines along the Kumano Kodo (Nachi Taisha is near Nachi Falls, the largest single-tier waterfall in Japan). Missing a bus can mean waiting a long time and they stop running pretty early too so round trips can be difficult to plan.

The last time I went there I went with a group that I wasn't sure would be up for the strenuous hiking so I booked a bnb in the mountains. It was an old farmhouse at the end of a dead-end road between forested mountains that raised their own animals and grew their own food. I don't think it gets much more rural than that! The food was absolutely amazing and vegetarian! I'm actually pescatarian myself (though I limit fish & seafood) so I can relate to some of the dietary struggles. They made their own fermented foods, miso, tofu (best black sesame tofu I've ever had!) and it was all sourced there.

I haven't checked out the spots you've mentioned yet, but they look interesting. You'll have to share when you get back! I've also never really looked into renting a car or getting an IDP, but it actually seems like it would be worthwhile for a group even with the rental fees, high cost of gas, and tolls. Some of those long rural bus and train routes can get spendy and vacation time itself is too expensive to spend it waiting on hourly transportation.

 

I've only been to Wakayama, Tanabe and Kainan in Wakayama-ken.

The problem with many places in Japan is they are vegetarian style vs. actually vegetarian and contain fish or shellfish. It's a real problem places like Koya-san. (which I've been to) There are actual vegetarian places, but there are not as many as one would think. Some places are more willing to work with you though. I do travel with a young child and sometimes she can be a picky eater. Vegan ramen and gyoza are always a big hit but ryokan food not always.

Yeah, I missed the bus at Osorezan. I cam really close to begging one of the military families to just drive me to the nearest JR train station.

If you want real hiking and camping you want the Japan Alps. It was pouring in Kamikochi when we were there but for hardcore hikers and climbers there are actual climbs. I just did the easy walk around the ponds. We stayed in a little wood cottage and the night before in a ryokan up on a mountainside. Norikura will also give you some good hikes. That's the big plus of Summer, a lot of higher elevations which are not accessible other times of year offer wonderful hikes. At some point, I would try to Hakusan. If we have time we'll do some easy hikes around Akita-Komagatake.

If you go to less touristed areas (aka not places on the Tokaido train line) there are some toll passes. I plan to use a TEP one for Tohoku. I know there is also a KEP one for Kyushu and one for Hokkaido and Chubu. I think the trickiest thing is looking into drop off fees. I plan to rent in Morioka or Ichinoseki and return to one of those stations as well because it costs less if you return a car in the same prefecture (Iwate-ken in my case) However, if you're in a large enough group and splitting the fees it might not be an issue.

Tohoku has its bigger cities but it also has a lot of countryside. Even the big cities can feel somewhat rural outside of Sendai.

Good luck!

 

Can anyone advise on selling dolls in Japan without residency? My currency (pound) is super weak right now so was thinking of selling some dolls while I'm in Japan. Mandarake always offer horrible prices but I know they take sales from non residents. I wondered if anyone had recently tried selling to Dollyteria as a tourist? I imagine the prices are probably similar with more hassle?

 

@babytarragon I have experience with this

They do not deal with non residents. You will need to have a member card (they can make one for you in store) and a local account for them to deposit the payment to, they will not give you payment in cash. If you are foreigner you will need to have a resident certificate (not tourist) + passport or ID or drivers license

For Mandarake, its very easy and quick but you are right, the price the give you is a quarter of the market price, but they give you cash and appraisal is instant (dollyteria told me they take 3 days for appraisal). The most difficult part is finding someone that is willing to help in English, but knowing a little Japanese will go a long way. You will also have to leave them the full address of your stay (even if you stay in a hotel) and a phone number and they will copy your passport, so you need to bring your original passport with you too.

 

@babytarragon You could try emailing them and seeing if you could set up an appointment so that they would expect you at a certain time, date and location? But yes, @GreenTeaSlug is totally correct, those places give you next to nothing for items. I had a friend living in Japan who was desperate once and she sold some items and the price she got was awful. But she was in a real bind so she sold them. You are better off slashing your sales prices in half than to try and sell them second hand shops. Maybe try different ways to sell like other forums, Facebook, Instagram, etc .... ? Good luck!

 

Has anyone been to BJD stores in Japan? Which one did you go to and how was it?

I'm planning to go to Japan next summer as my graduation present and friend suggested I look into seeing if there were any bjd shops to visit. Which I was like "YES! what a great idea!" but I looked at some old threads and nothing was definitive and many have closed or moved. Does anyone know any more recent details?

I don't know many bjd sellers that arent Korean or Chinese. I know that Ringdoll has a Japan line but I have not found out whether or not they have a showroom. Also, can you actually buy a doll there? Like, do they have dolls that are ready for sale? I would love to be able to take one home if I find one I particularly like (omg imagine if I can pick him up myself )

Thanks!

 

Volks and Dolk stock are both in Akihabara, in the same building (Radio Kaikan).
At dolk, you can bring home any of the dolls they have on display. You can also pick up dolls at Volks on the spot.

Mirai Store is in Ginza.

Secondhand shops like Mandarake are also worth a visit. Mandarake Complex is great. This one is in Nakano.

There is also a Mandarake in Akihabara but the one in Nakano is bigger. I can spend hours there, not just BJD but all sorts of other collectibles. I hope that helps!

 

Thank you @pris84 and @GreenTeaSlug for the useful information. I'll focus on sales before my trip instead because the 3 day appraisal especially sounds like a massive hassle!

 

If you live in Tokyo or you visited in the last few years, what are your favourite places to shop for bjd in person? I'm aware of at least some of the options, but interested to hear your personal opinions and experiences

 

I hope this post is okay!!
I will be going on holliday to Japan next year and really want to visit some cool shops that sell bjd's or bjd-clothing or anything bjd-related really!

We'll be visiting Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto for sure, and some small towns.

I would really love some tips on what shops I should visit and where to find them. It's my first trip to Japan so any help is super welcome!! ❤️

 

Dollyteria also has an outlet in Shibuya and Shinjuku! It's kind of out of the way, but I found that it had a whole ton of Switch and Volks full bodies when I was there about a month ago. The Dollyteria in Ikebukuro is really empty at the moment, for some reason. By far the best one was the one in Akihabara Radio Kaikan--it was really small compared to the others, but they were the best organized and least crowded. I got a fullset Myoudoll LingWei there for like $220 and a cute wa-loli outfit for less than 20 there!

 

Wow, this is all great advice thanks so much! I will be checking these out online so I can plan the best doll-route for when I'm there! This is super helpful!

And wow, those prices are amazing!! I would be so happy to find something like that!!!

idrisfynn, I added you on IG, so I can maybe ask you some more Japan questions when I have them. Hope that's okay!

 

I would add that Dollyteria and Mandarake are secondhand consignment shops, so 1) each location will have different items, and 2) there is a possibility that the items are not legit (that's just as much a problem in Japan as anywhere).

 

From-Sen in Akihabara is nice too! I almost couldn’t find it but it was totally worth going!
ＳＥＮ秋葉原店について-ドールスタジオSEN

I think it’s still there, but Dolk has a shop in Tokyo too! I got some nice NineStyle stuff there :3
DOLK 東京店／東京Plus店｜DOLK（ドルク）

I also remember a little portion of a Mandarake (I think) in Nakano Broadway on the second floor? They had used clothes and such just kinda tucked away in a corner. Nakano Broadway is a good stop for a lot of things!

 

Whoa really? Is this a problem online as well? I was pretty sure they veriified items' legitimacy before putting them for sale.

 

Ooh, those all sound really interesting too. Thanks!!

The recast thing scares me though. Can anyone tell me if the stores are clear and honest about what's real and not? I would be scared to insult people by asking, but I would want to make sure!
And do you also know if it's also a risk in the stores that sell only new dolls or only the second hand market? I really want to make sure I don't get stuck with a fake..

 

Dollyteria says that they verify legitimacy when they purchase from the owner (海外製キャストドール買取注意 - ドーリーテリア) . I didn't know that, so thanks for the opportunity to learn something new
Mandarake also claims to check in general, but since they aren't a doll specialty shop, I personally don't know how all their buyers at all their stores could be trained well enough to spot every mold, and I'm not finding a more detailed policy easily.

 

Dollyteria will show you the CoA for any dolls that have them and when you buy a doll they will let you inspect it. I *think* they require CoA for any doll sculpted after a certain point? But my LingWei, a Switch Waseon head, and the PeaksWoods girls I looked at all had paperwork, original boxes, etc proving they were legit.

Aw man, I wish I'd known about From-SEN! I went basically everywhere else lol.

 

Also curious about Dollyteria Yokohama, as I'll be in Yokohama one of the days

 

I was in Japan this January/February. Yokohama's Dollyteria is not very big – it shares a space with Closet Child, their sister 2nd hand jfash company.
Yokohama does have a Volks store if you're into their dolls.
If you're going more into the Tokyo metro area I'd recommened Mandarake in Nakano Broadway and Doll Up in Akihabara

 

Thank you!
Happy to see that both the sumika and dollyteria/closet child are near my hotel

 

There was a recast sold on Mandarake recently, I think last year, so it's definitely MUCH safer than most places, but not perfect since they aren't a specialty store. It's a lot less of a problem there than it might be here

 

Hello guys

Does anyone who has been to Dollk in Japan know if they have Alice in Labyrinth dolls in stock?
I'm going to Japan and would like to bring one back with me.

 

They didn't (that I recall) at the location when I was there in March, but the way it's laid out, the displays seem to be whatever they have in at the time. It's not terribly big.