Photos of Train Shops in Tokyo

[lurkingknight]

shame I didn't know about this store when I was there.. I walked right by that building

 

 

Not a photo but a video introduction to Tam Tam Akihabara.

 

[Guest keio6000]

Tam Tam akihabara on one hand is great, but on the other hand in temrs of boxed trains most of the time most of the 'good' stuff is gone quickly and what's left in terms of rolling stock is stuff that you can get almost anywhere else for roughly the same price.    maybe my message is coming accross wrong - what i mean to say is that it really is an excellent store, but if your needs for boxed kato, tomix, or microace rolling stock are a bit more specialized, you may have a hard time finding what you want there.  on the other hand, if you want something NEW and if they happen to have it, it's a great place and so if you have a 'wish list', that is a good place to start.

 

that said, TamTam in Samigahara is probably better in every aspect, except that you have to drag yourself out to Samigahara.  I never eat donuts, but there is a little donut shop at the station there at Kobuchi station (I think its a mr donut) that I make a point of going to.  Also, the supermarkets there (Ito Yokado and whatever the other one is) are large by tokyo standards, so you can combine your trip out there with some grocery shopping.  I think there's a little cardstock model of the Sagamihara Tamtam for sale too - a nice one to add to your layout!

 

I have a "secret" store that has saved me twice on trips to Japan.  Yes, I have paid pretty much full price or close to it (I think 5%-10% off max off) but two times I have found things there that were impossible to find elsewhere (including at Yahoo jp auctions) except at an extravagant price.  That store is (and you won't believe this)... Tokyu Hands shibuya.  Yes they have that little boys toys hobby floor there which has been there since at least the mid 80s.  Yes, no serious modeller goes there.   Yes, this is exactly why some stock tends to linger there a bit longer even after it's sold out everywhere train people tend to go.  On my last trip *2 months ago* I bought MicroAce A3751 Keio 7000 old colour 8-car set there for probably something like JPY 18000 (catalog price: JPY 19400) even though this was released in 2009!   On a trip before I found something there equally improbable, but I don't remember exactly offhand now what it was (I think it was a rare Odakyu commuter set).   And yes, my Akihabara stops now inlude about 15 total places, so when I say 'nowhere to be found' in Akihabara, I'm pretty sure I mean it!

Edited July 1, 2013 by keio6000

[cteno4]

Keio,

 

thanks great tips! cant wait till i get back to japan, but not sure the wife is going to be so excited about tracking down fun hobby shops...

 

Berkeley CA has a hobby shop like this. its in the basement of the ACE hardware store of all places! really a great hobby shop and been there for years and years and from Capt's note it sounds like its still holding in strong. 

 

jeff

[bill937ca]

I have a "secret" store that has saved me twice on trips to Japan.  Yes, I have paid pretty much full price or close to it (I think 5%-10% off max off) but two times I have found things there that were impossible to find elsewhere (including at Yahoo jp auctions) except at an extravagant price.  That store is (and you won't believe this)... Tokyu Hands shibuya.  Yes they have that little boys toys hobby floor there which has been there since at least the mid 80s.  Yes, no serious modeller goes there.   Yes, this is exactly why some stock tends to linger there a bit longer even after it's sold out everywhere train people tend to go.  On my last trip *2 months ago* I bought MicroAce A3751 Keio 7000 old colour 8-car set there for probably something like JPY 18000 (catalog price: JPY 19400) even though this was released in 2009!   On a trip before I found something there equally improbable, but I don't remember exactly offhand now what it was (I think it was a rare Odakyu commuter set).   And yes, my Akihabara stops now inlude about 15 total places, so when I say 'nowhere to be found' in Akihabara, I'm pretty sure I mean it!

 

 

There are many Tokyu Hands stores, but as far as I heard Shibuya is the only one that carries model trains.

[bikkuri bahn]

Interesting point about the "secret" hobby shops where the older stock tend to linger more on the shelves. I notice another phenomenon in the online world- stores that accept credit cards tend to sell out quickly, while those that only accept cash or bank transfer tend to have stuff move slower off the shelves, which is great for a HO modeler like me, who has limited funds and also likes stuff that was released 2~3 years ago that I wasn't aware of.

Edited July 10, 2013 by bikkuri bahn

[gmat]

I recently visited Yamanaka Hobby Shop next to Akabane Station.

I stumbled onto this reference while looking here at an AFV Modeller's Extremely Prejudiced Guide to Tokyo Hobby Shops

 

Tokyo Hobby Shops Home page.

http://tokyo-hobby-shops.geraet040.net/

 

Look at Shinjuku and West.

http://tokyo-hobby-shops.geraet040.net/#shop_list

 

This is their homepage in Japanese.

http://www.yamanaka-mokei.com/kaitori.html

 

The second floor has lots of trains, many older sets and many appear to be second hand. I mean lots of trains. I can't comment on the prices but they seem OK. A Kato ATSF F7 was priced at 6000 yen. CaptOblivious, there didn't seem to be a 211 for sale. I'm still looking for you. Bikkuri Bahn, there was about a display case and a half of HO trains, or at least more than I've seen in a while. 

 

About a 4 minute walk from the station. 

 

The bakery just outside the East exit has some pretty good pizza slices. The tonkatsu restaurant just outside of the turnstiles is good and there is a lunch tonkatsu set for 819 yen. I ordered it just before four so it's available quite late in the day. Free refills on rice, sliced cabbage and miso soup. I'll be going there again. 

 

On a sadder note, Mokei Center/Nakama Hobbies in Nishi-Ogikubo closed in May. 

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[bikkuri bahn]

 Bikkuri Bahn, there was about a display case and a half of HO trains, or at least more than I've seen in a while.

Thanks gmat.  That's pretty good for a general hobby shop- typically you'll just have a quarter of a showcase (maybe) with some of the green Kato boxes and a smattering of grey Tomix- something akin to the leftover puppy at the petshop that nobody ever seems to want to take home.

[gmat]

I'll go and see if I can take some pictures inside.

 

Grant

[jrcrunch]

hi grant

 

what is your best place for HO scale trains. esp old ones? im looking for HO e231 yamanote line thanks

[EVO-X]

Yeah BOOK OFF! I found some of them in Tokyo. I went crazy inside as they also had car magazines for nearly nothing... Two boxes were send home to Germany and my suitcase was filled as well.

[Claude_Dreyfus]

I have booked a week's holiday in Tokyo; which is seriously exciting!  :D 

 

I'm still putting an itinerary together; although a trip on the Chuo line is on my to-do list (with a visit to Matsumoto castle). One of the things I want to do is visit a good model shop. I probably will only be able to do the one, so I would like something with a wide variety. I initially though of Tam Tam...any other suggestions? It would need to be in Tokyo, and fairly central.

 

TIA

[kvp]

If they are still around:

http://www.popondetta.com/

http://whereintokyo.com/venues/25135.html

[vegasrider]

I'm looking to complete my set, anyone have an idea where I should go? I will be in Tokyo in mid December. These are the brass models, my trains were bought during the late 60's or early 70's by my father. 

 

Edited December 3, 2014 by vegasrider

[cteno4]

Nariichi San at modeltrainplus might have some ideas, he also does personal shopping

 

http://www.modeltrainplus.net

 

Cheers

 

Jeff