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[JPN] Going to Tokyo for the next week, anything special to look out for?

superstarbeejaysuperstarbeejay Member Posts: 121
in Shopping Elsewhere
I'm going to Tokyo for work on Saturday, staying until the following Sunday. Are there any sets that i should look out for? I know the first ideas set #21100 was exclusive to Japan so I'll keep an eye out for that.

Anything else that I might have a better chance of finding?

Comments

  • ShibShib Member Posts: 5,459
    I can't advise you on LEGO in Japan, but I spent a month in Japan a few years ago and will advise you, if you can;

    -eat at Coco's Curry House - absolutely stunning Katsu curry

    -eat at Joyfull - I still dream about that place

    -snacks by meiji are generally good (but chocolate nowhere near as good as UK)
    2 particular snacks to look out for are little chocolate biscuits called Horn (just brilliant for being able to tell people you have the horn then showing them the biscuits) and chocolates called MeltyKiss (In fact can I give you a list of things to bring back for me? :-P)
    Limited (and regional) editions of KitKat are a massive thing over there, so you will see really odd flavours, some nice, others awful.
    Try as many snacks as you can, the Japanese taste palette is so different to the western palette that everything is so different to what you expect. 

    I frequently visited a Toys R Us near where I was staying over there and all in all it was a much nicer experience than visiting a UK Toys R Us (but that might have just been because of all the anime stuff they had) - Unfortunately when I was over there I was in dark age so can't comment on the LEGO.

    There really are Vending machines everywhere, which is surprisingly useful for tourists just wanting snacks and drinks at odd times. 
    LostInTranslationTheBigLegoskiandhehkcrazy88
  • LostInTranslationLostInTranslation Member Posts: 5,572
    I don't think there's much exclusive really aside from the Tokyo key chain and magnet.  (Which I never saw at all when I was there a few years back).
    I did find a Thanksgiving turkey polybag in the unofficial Lego "Click Brick" Shop in the mall under the main station that was unavailable in the UK. That's worth a visit definitely and if you have kids,  there's loads of shops down there selling merchandise relating to cute cartoon characters.  Plus Baumkuchen shops! (it's very tasty). 

    I thought the models of Tokyo city at the Tokyo LDC were incredible too,  well worth a visit in my opinion.  I got a brick keyring engraved with "I love lego"  in Japanese there too :-) 
    In the mall where the LDC is situated there was a Toys R Us as well where I picked up a Japanese Lego catalogue :-) 

    There was a big toy shop called Hakuhinkan in the Ginza district that had some older sets at the time too.  

    I never saw either of the CuuSoo original sets when I was there,  in any toy shop, and like I say this was a few years ago.  
    Hope this helps.  Obviously some things may have changed since I was there,  but it's a start! 

    Shib
  • LostInTranslationLostInTranslation Member Posts: 5,572
    Ahhhh the Kitkats!!  So many weird and wonderful flavours! 

    Re  vending machines,  the LDC had some which dispensed CMFs,  back as far as series 2!  And they had been long gone for ages! 
    Shibkhmellymel
  • LostInTranslationLostInTranslation Member Posts: 5,572
    My haul of tasty treats from my trip.  Those yuzu crisp stick things were so deeelish. 
    ShibBrickDancerToc13andhe77ncaachampssnowhitiehkcrazy88
  • superstarbeejaysuperstarbeejay Member Posts: 121
    amazing, who would have guessed kitkat would be such a big thing. I am planning to go to at least one clickbrick. There are 2 new stores opening when I am there and both have opening week offers. The prices seem to be about the same as here so no massive bargains to be had. The only thing I did notice was the #60098 train is about £85 on amazon which is ok but not worth lugging halfway round the world. I wonder if lego has much presence in Akihabara? I was hoping the retro scene would have flowed over into lego.
  • ContrailsContrails Member Posts: 14
    If you are looking for Lego go to BIC Camera and Yodabashi. BIC gives tax free and 6% discount if you charge with VISA. Prices of Lego in Japan is very good. Quiet a lot of  sets are cheapest in the world. 
  • Toc13Toc13 Member Posts: 1,144
    If anyone is missing the strange flavour kitkats, Cybercandy have carried many of them over the years. It's where I used to get my green tea ones & the like.
     As for Meltykiss, I have a decent Chinese supermarket across the street from work that have them in a lot of the time. I tried some purely because of the name (along with the Wife cakes)
  • khmellymelkhmellymel Member Posts: 1,313
    edited November 2015
    The last time I was in Tokyo was May 2013, and I too was hoping Akihabara would have some good Lego finds,  but no dice.  Only saw a few Lego related goods, like Lego phone covers and the like.  I do reccommend Akihabara anyway as the whole district is fun, but hopefully the Lego situation there has changed to be more like you were thinking as it would be a great place for it!  Have fun on your trip!
  • superstarbeejaysuperstarbeejay Member Posts: 121
    So far I have a few things that I would have bought in a flash at the price in the UK but don't want to fill my case with Lego yet.

    Heavy train for £85, villa savoye for under £30, birds for about £25, technic race car about £45. Lots of things are slightly cheaper than the UK but not worth carrying halfway round the world. I am going to find out how much shipping by sea would be for a big box if Lego buys. It might be worth me doing that if I want some of the bigger sets.
  • superstarbeejaysuperstarbeejay Member Posts: 121
    I have managed to bag a 70172 for £45 and a villa savoye for £35. Bought a couple of named bricks for my family too. Now to work out how to get it all on the plane.
  • 3stackshs3stackshs Member Posts: 299
    I live in Japan and can tell you non-licensed LEGO is cheap here.  shipping is like travel (ridiculously expensive).  
  • beabea Member Posts: 227
    3stackshs said:
    I live in Japan and can tell you non-licensed LEGO is cheap here.  shipping is like travel (ridiculously expensive).  
    What stores sell lego for a good price? I visited Japan recently and only stopped in at BIC Camera and the like but the prices for lego didn't seem particularly appealing.
  • superstarbeejaysuperstarbeejay Member Posts: 121
    My observation was that it wasn't stupidly cheap and I went to several toy stores, clickbrick and BIC Camera. The architecture sets seemed to be the best value. However, this was in the more commercial areas of Tokyo. I assume that it is like London in that the central area is much more expensive than going further afield.
  • 3stackshs3stackshs Member Posts: 299
    Toys R Us surprisingly seems to have the best prices.  I'm in northern japan so I dont have access to a lot of the tokyo stores.  I have been to Click Brick a few times and their prices arent good.  In all honesty ToysRUs.co.jp has the best prices.....such as these after taxes prices:

    CMFs: $3 USD
    60080: $70 USD
    75105  $131 USD
    60051  $97 USD
    60096  $70 USD
    60078  $16 USD
    60076  $70 USD
    60074  $22 USD

    To name just a few.  Trains are usually really cheap even when they are first released....I think the Heavy Haul I got for like $140 or $150 on release day.  They tend to release city sets weeks or months before everywhere else here too.

  • superstarbeejaysuperstarbeejay Member Posts: 121
    Yeah I wanted to get to a toysrus but couldn't. Some of the online prices were great.
  • 77ncaachamps77ncaachamps Member Posts: 2,442
    AFOLs in Asia, when do the Lunar New Year sets normally go out: during Christmas season or after it?
  • Jern92Jern92 Member Posts: 890
    77ncaachamps said:
    AFOLs in Asia, when do the Lunar New Year sets normally go out: during Christmas season or after it?
    Hmmmmm... during the Lunar New Year? :-P
    kiki180703
  • 77ncaachamps77ncaachamps Member Posts: 2,442
    Jern92 said:
    77ncaachamps said:
    AFOLs in Asia, when do the Lunar New Year sets normally go out: during Christmas season or after it?
    Hmmmmm... during the Lunar New Year? :-P
    Well, I FIGURED THAT! ;p

    But Christmas sets were out before Christmas, so wouldn't Lunar New Year sets possibly be out at least a month before the holiday? :)
  • 3stackshs3stackshs Member Posts: 299
    All I have heard is within the next month or 2.
    kiki180703
  • Ma1234Ma1234 Member Posts: 693
    LEGO is so cheap for Americans in Japan now (and Canada too) because both currencies have collapsed against the U.S. dollar. It was barely two years ago that 100¥=$1, now it's more like 80¥=$1. 
  • BrickDancerBrickDancer Member Posts: 3,639
    ^And it's going to grow even more with the USD climbing and climbing. I predict by end of 2017, JPY to USD will be ~70¥:$1 the Euros to USD will be flipped 0.95:$1 (guessing parity in Q2:Q3 time frame after another round of Euro QE).

  • 77ncaachamps77ncaachamps Member Posts: 2,442
    Won't prices adjust in Japan and EU?

    I thought Lego was already expensive in the EU so the USD exchange rate won't really mean much, especially if we can continually get items at 5-20% off here in the States.
  • BrickDancerBrickDancer Member Posts: 3,639
    edited December 2015
    It's actually been reversed now for about a year or two, where the EU is cheaper than the US.

    Brickbank: €149.99 vs $159.99

    After conversion at today's rate of €1=$1.08; The EU price is equal to $161.99 after VAT/duties. While the US price still needs tax to be applied, which if applicable in one's state would be 7%-10% more on top of $159.99 so would be $171.19 - 175.99.

    This myth about the US getting stuff cheaper is now debunked. Add on top the 'No Discount' rule in place here, and certain countries in the EU is now much cheaper even. And its only gonna get worse for us as the USD continues it's climb while everyone else deflates their currency.
  • 3stackshs3stackshs Member Posts: 299
    edited December 2015
    @ma1234 True for any of the non-licensed themes.  Also we don't get the big creator sets anywhere but the brickset stores.  they are behind by a year or two usually and those are always overpriced.
  • brumeybrumey Member Posts: 1,002
    we also get european extreme mode here in EU!  atleast with MGS
  • Jern92Jern92 Member Posts: 890
    77ncaachamps said:
    Well, I FIGURED THAT! ;p

    But Christmas sets were out before Christmas, so wouldn't Lunar New Year sets possibly be out at least a month before the holiday? :)
    They're out in Hong Kong already. And will be out in Malaysia next week. Not sure about the rest of Asia though
  • 3stackshs3stackshs Member Posts: 299
    edited January 2016
    They came and went in Japan already.  Got one on Jan 1st at TRU free with a purchase of 3000 yen.  Went back on the 7th and they were gone.
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