Imon Shinjuku

[railsquid]

Out of the blue, it seems, Imon has opened a Shinjuku branch.

 

 

Pretty much the same style as the other stores, at ca. 230sqm nice and spacious, seems split mainly between N and HO gauge.

 

More pictures here: https://railf.jp/news/2021/03/19/180000.html and here: https://rail.hobidas.com/news/330696/.

 

The building is owned by Imon Corporation and is freshly renovated. However persons even of average height should be aware that the overhead of the staircase between 2F and 1F is unexpectedly slightly lower than a person of average height, but there is no warning (that I noticed anyway); I found out the hard way.

 

[JR 500系]

I like the way they display their models, and those fresh flower gifts just shows how new it is!

[railsquid]

Certainly very nice for drooling browsing, though the N gauge prices can usually be bettered else where. On the other hand they have an excellent selection of parts and other bits'n'pieces.

[cteno4]

Omg, I’m drooling at the pictures, I think I would be a puddle on the floor if there in person! Makes even the best of train stores here look shabby and under stocked.
 

jeff

[serotta1972]

Those are beautifully displayed trains and aside from drooling will make me want to buy them even though I probably already have them.  I've not been in a proper hobby store with a large model train department in a long time since Franciscan Hobbies.  I walk away from train stores here now thinking, I have more trains than they do in all O, HO and in especially N Scale. 😁

[aircmdr]

Visited this shop in March 2023.  Very nice shop with large selection. Had previously visited IMON Akita, first visit to Shinjuku shop.  Liked the Shinjuku shop slightly better, but bought stuff at both places. 

[Madsing]

I visited their Shinjuku shop last week, and ended up buying most of my stuff from them. Imon Models is and remains my preferred shop. Either in Yokohama, Shibuya (the biggest store imho), Akihabara or Shinjuku. The availability of products can be checked from their web site beforehand. The service is great. They accept tax free purchases. I got a lot of help from a nice lady who has been really helpful locating what I needed in the store (and I don’t speak Japanese). They help you open and check all locomotives and trains that you purchase. Great service!

[Martijn Meerts]

On the one hand, I would love if they did international shipping on their online store. On the other hand, I'd be bankrupt in no time 😄

 

[ED75-775]

50 minutes ago, Martijn Meerts said:

On the one hand, I would love if they did international shipping on their online store. On the other hand, I'd be bankrupt in no time 😄

Yeah, no kidding Martijn. I've been in already and been very tempted to buy a pair of Tomix KoKi's. Had to remind myself that pace, not haste wins the race otherwise I will have no money very quickly either.

 

Didn't know they have a Shibuya branch, I might go and drool over that tomorrow afternoon after visiting Yokohama. The forecast calls for trams, trams, oh... and maybe a few trains.

[Martijn Meerts]

IMON is supposed to release a new steamer kit this month, which will be extremely tempting. So tempting in face, that over the past couple of months I've been slowly adding money to my Wise account to pay for the thing 😄

 

[Doddy]

@Martijn MeertsDo you mean this one?

 

Models Imon (Imon Corporation) has taken over the preservation of steam locomotive 9643 from Sapporo Beer Co. In cooperation with the town of Niseko, the locomotive will be preserved in the area adjacent to JR Hokkaido Niseko Station.

This video shows the transfer of the train from the Sapporo Biergarten to Niseko Town, where it has spent 44 years since it was decommissioned.
The filming was done by Daisuke Ito and Yoshihiro Imon of the Arishima Memorial Museum in Niseko Town.

 

 

[Martijn Meerts]

I doubt they'd release a kit of that, it's a bit big 😄

 

I was talking about https://www.imon.co.jp/models/goods447.MBR/sl8600, which is now announced to be released towards the end of the month. I've already made some inquiries about it 🙂

 

[Das Steinkopf]

On 5/25/2023 at 9:57 AM, Madsing said:

I visited their Shinjuku shop last week, and ended up buying most of my stuff from them. Imon Models is and remains my preferred shop. Either in Yokohama, Shibuya (the biggest store imho), Akihabara or Shinjuku. The availability of products can be checked from their web site beforehand. The service is great. They accept tax free purchases. I got a lot of help from a nice lady who has been really helpful locating what I needed in the store (and I don’t speak Japanese). They help you open and check all locomotives and trains that you purchase. Great service!

 

 I went to the Shibuya store a couple of times when I was in Tokyo last month and was pleasantly surprised, the staff were very helpful and their prices were very competitive when compared to Hobbysearch and even Yodobashi, I scored a Tomix 7168 EH200 for ¥8,800 which was the cheapest I could find anywhere and is even cheaper than AmiAmi if I had ordered from them online. The store is in a good position as it's not far from the station and is strategically placed for those that are travelling with the other half, Shibuya 109 is just across the road and is guaranteed to keep the wife occupied for more than enough time looking at the various fashion outlets, mind you the whole thing could end up being an expensive exercise with spending frenzies breaking out on both sides of the street, that said you won't feel guilty for how much you have just spent on trains. 

[Raicho485]

Yeah, Imon / Monta are the best. Better than pochi. Most of my secondhand Japanese model trains are purchased from them. 
Purchased vintage brass model as well. It’s too expensive to buy brand new brass modeltrain now…
Mainly 16-ban (1/80), but Monta and Imon shinjuku does sell secondhand Japanese N scale trains as well.

 

 

[tossedman]

This shop is so on my list to visit when I return to Japan!

[Kingmeow]

Will be in Tokyo in a few weeks.  I believe they are three Models Imon shops, Shibuya, Shinjuku and Akihabara.

 

If you only have time for one shop, which is the better of the three?  A plus would be spare parts and esoteric "stuff".

[bill937ca]

Six stores: Shibuya, Shinjuku, Akihabara, Yokohama, Ikebukuro and Oi.

 

The Models Imon web site has maps and floor plans for individual stores. Shinjuku store.

 

https://www.imon.co.jp/MODELS/INDEX088.MBR/SHOP

 

https://www.imon.co.jp/MODELS/INDEX086.MBR/SHOP

 

Store guide by product

https://www.imon.co.jp/pages/shopinfo

 

Edited October 4 by bill937ca

[Kamome]

Shibuya is their main branch and if you want to ogle at the beautiful brass 1/87 12mm amongst other things, this is where to come.  They don't carry everything in the other stores although the used selection will differ between each. Akihabara is relatively small, be it in two halves, so I don't think it adds anything that you wouldn't get elsewhere other than their selection of used items. Shinjuku has more Kato American and European stock than the others.

 

Certainly for HO parts, HO kits,  narrow gauge, Shibuya is the only store, but if you're looking for something particular, you can check stock through the website and see which store is holding stock. If it's Japanese N scale, then Shinjuku or Shibuya are fine. 

 

I find their service is always exceptional, both in store and through online orders. On my last visit to Tokyo I went to the Akihabara store , as I was based in Nippori and the Shibuya store but haven't been to the Shinjuku store for a while.

Edited October 4 by Kamome

[Kingmeow]

Thank you @Kamome !  That's the exact info I was looking for!  I don't need Kato American as I'm in the US and I have a ton of stuff already.  😎  Looking at floor plans may give you an idea of the size of the retail space but certainly not what "flavor" they stock.  I will be in Tokyo at the end of a 3 week tour around the country and I don't know how tolerant my wife will be by then after visiting umpteenth model train stores.  🤣  I figure one Models Imon may be better.

 

Shibuya it is!  😃

[N-Osoi]

16 hours ago, bill937ca said:

The Models Imon web site has maps and floor plans for individual stores.

Wow what a great shop and website, even when auto-translated to English. I'll try and visit next March