What To Do On A Tokyo Rainy Day

Above, the entrance to the Nakano Broadway. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If you are in Tokyo and it starts to rain, there is no cause for alarm as the good folks at Tokyo Cheapo have several suggestions on what to do, while also staying dry at the same time.

Their article begins with:

Put away that teruterubouzu (a Japanese rain repelling charm) and embrace the drizzly day. Due to Tokyo’s densely packed buildings, you can do almost anything in the rain with one umbrella. But everybody knows opening and closing your umbrella every time you enter and exit a building is a hassle, so take this opportunity to try some activities that will keep you dry and entertained. Here are three recommendations of what to do and where to go.

Actually, they have six suggestions, one of which is pictured at top (a place for shopping for kaiju and other otaku goodies).

To see what they suggest, go here.

50 Things To Do In Harajuku

Above, Harajuku Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Suppose you, as a major Godzilla/kaiju fan, want to go to Japan to buy up all kinds of toys for your collection, but you're married and have daughters and they are balking at making such a trip.

How do you convince them to go along so you can feed your passion?

Well, Tsunagu Japan has a list of 50 things for them to do in Harajuku so that they can shop to their heart's content while you are doing your own shopping (at the Nakano Broadway or other meccas of monster toys). The list may just convince them that they can shop on their own, leaving you in peaceful bliss.

To see the list, go here.

Tsunagu Japan: "50 Things To Do In Tokyo"

Above, yakatabune cruisers (right) moored on the Sumida River in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tokyo is one of the most populous cities in the world. It also has many things for visitors to see and do.

Tsunagu Japan has posted a list of "50 Things To Do In Tokyo." I have probably seen or done about half of them. For you Godzilla fans, they also include shopping at Nakano Broadway at the Mandarake stores (number 41).

They begin with:

Tokyo is where Japan's melting pot sits. While Tokyo has an image of being a huge city, one of its biggest charms is actually that it has plenty of hidden areas. While it's fun going to all the famous sightseeing areas, you can also experience the way Tokyo-ites truly live.

 To see the list (3 pages of them), go here.

Mandarake At Nakano Broadway

When kaiju fans go over to Japan to see the locations and landmarks shown in their favorite movies, they also make it a point to gather up all the monster toys they can get their hands on (as long as they are affordable). 

The biggest mecca for buying new and vintage monster toys is the Nakano Broadway mall. Here, they will find stores in the upper floors that cater to their collecting desires. The biggest are stores of Mandarake.

Above, "Nipper," the RCA Victor mascot figure bought at Mandarake. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Mandarake has several stores, each specializing in different aspects of Japanese pop-culture. They have 25 stores in Nakano Broadway alone.

Metropolis magazine has a spotlight article on Nakano's Mandarake. They begin it with:

Mandarake (pronounced “man-dah-rah-keh”) is a chain of stores that specializes in buying and reselling Japanese pop culture merchandise. Starting from its humble beginnings as a used comic store in Nakano Broadway, Mandarake has grown to 11 branches around the country, an international online store and a mind-bending 25 individual stores in Nakano Broadway itself. 

Each store targets a specific niche and is staffed by people who are active members of that niche, sharing their customers’s passions and providing more personalized service. There are also international staff who speak English, Chinese and other languages.

Above, the entrance to Nakano Broadway. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Most of what Godzilla (and other kaiju) fans are looking for can be found in Mandarake's "Special" stores.

The Metropolis article states:

Mandarake’s most popular stores with both Japanese and international customers are its Special stores. Each store caters to specific types of figurines and models. On the second floor, Special 4 delivers doe-eyed damsels to collectors of bishōjo (beautiful girl) figurines. Special 5 stocks a selection of Japanese and Western superhero and movie-themed action figures and statues. The original Special has an assortment of classic toys, including Transformers and that quintessential Japanese pop culture icon, Godzilla. On the third floor, Special 2 serves up Japanese Tokusatsu series, including Kamen Rider products. Special 3 sells Japanese manga representative of modern pop culture, such as Dragon Ball and Saint Seiya.

So, if you are a serious or casual collector of monster toys, a stop at Nakano Broadway is a "must-do."

To read more, go here.

To read Metropolis magazine's Nakano Special Guide, go here.

Remembering Tom Dougherty

Above, Christmas Day 2010 in Ginza with (from left) Kenji Sahara, Hiroshi Koizumi
Diane Dougherty, Tom Dougherty and Akira Takarada. Photo courtesy of Clawmark Toys.

In any fandom, there are the good guys and there are the not-so-good guys (for various reasons). In the case of Tom Dougherty of Clawmark Toys, he was definitely one of the good guys.

I learned this evening from Loren Portillo's posting at Facebook that Tom passed away.

About two or three years ago, I contacted Tom about sponsoring a Godzilla celebrity for an appearance at an upcoming Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo in Los Angeles. Tom replied that he was unable to do anything at the time. He said he was recently diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS).

This came as a big shock as Tom was one of the most enthusiastic and active Godzilla and kaiju toy dealers around. Not long before, Tom sent me several photos of an event held in Ginza by the Godzilla Fan Club that he and Diane attended to post on this blog that featured Godzilla actors Kenji Sahara, Hiroshi Koizumi and Akira Takarada. Tom looked like his usual enthusiastic self in one of the photos (it is posted above).

With the news that Tom gave me, I knew then that it was a matter of time when the neuro-degenerative disease would eventually claim his life. So when Loren Portillo posted the news on Tom's passing, I was not too surprised. But it was tough news nonetheless.

He and his wife Diane lived in Japan (off and on) and he would regale us at G-FEST with stories of their roadtrips around Japan in their search for toys to sell though their Clawmark Toys business.

I probably first met Tom at a G-FEST convention around 1999 or 2000. We had a great time in Japan in 2001 when Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival. Following the movie, several of us (we must have had a group of 30), including Tom and Diane, then headed to Nakano for a dinner party at a Chinese restaurant at the Broadway Mall. The dinner party included Kenpachiro Satsuma (the Heisei Godzilla), among others. It was a night that I, for one, have never forgotten.

Tom's Clawmark Toys was one of the best dealers in Godzilla/kaiju toys and other collectibles. He was fair in his pricing and one can always rely on fast delivery from Clawmark.

His presence at fan events will be greatly missed. A big void has been left behind by his passing.

My condolences go out to his wife Diane and the Dougherty family.

Tokyo Cheapo: 3 Cheapo Ideas For A Rainy Day In Tokyo

Above, one idea is to visit a mall. The Broadway Mall in Nakano
should be on your itinerary anyway. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With my last trip to Japan earlier this year, I have now visited the country in each of the four seasons. In every season, I have encountered rain there at one time or another. It is just the way it is.

But, as an article posted by Tokyo Cheapo points out, one shouldn't allow rain to dampen one's activities in exploring the city.

They have three suggestions for things to do should the city be hit with a rainstorm. One of their suggestions is what a kaiju fan should include in their itinerary anyway.

They begin with:

Put away that teruterubouzu (a Japanese rain repelling charm) and embrace the drizzly day. Due to Tokyo’s densely packed buildings, you can do almost anything in the rain with one umbrella. But everybody knows opening and closing your umbrella every time you enter and exit a building is a hassle, so take this opportunity to try some activities that will keep you dry and entertained. Here are three recommendations of what to do and where to go.

To see what they suggest, go here.

Best Local Bookstores In Tokyo

Above, the entrance to the Broadway Nakano. One bookstore on
the list is located there on the third floor. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of my favorite activities is to rummage around in used bookstores. That is one thing I hadn't done in Japan (well, maybe once in Sendai), but if I wanted to rummage around in bookstores, Time Out Tokyo has a list of several of the best ones.

It begins with:

In a world where Kindles are killing the bookstore, it's refreshing to realise that, in Tokyo, paper is still very much alive and trending. It's nearly impossible to stroll around any neighbourhood and not come across a secondhand bookstore, and there are new stores popping up all the time too. Just in Jimbocho, known as Tokyo's 'book town', there are over 176 secondhand bookshops, covering everything from rare collectors' titles to books featuring ukiyo-e paintings. 

Recently, there's been renewed interest in the world of printing, evident in the opening of independent bookshops that focus on the paper and the art of binding. In comparison to the one-dimensional gratification of e-books and online bookstores, these shops offer a more holistic experience by hosting exhibitions, workshops and author interaction. Here we introduce the top 10 local bookshops – from well-known to niche shops specialising in a particular field. They may not all offer books in English, but there are plenty of art, photography and comic books for your visual pleasure.

To see the best local bookstores in Tokyo, go here. 

Nakano Broadway

Above, the entrance to the Nakano Broadway. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For the past 15 or so years (maybe even longer) the Nakano Broadway Mall has been legendary for being the place to go to buy new and vintage kaiju toys of all makes and sizes.

I first visited the Broadway Nakano in 2001 and was impressed by the number of shops catering to the Japanese pop-culture collector.

Mandarake has several stores in the mall with each one targeting to differing interests. Another great store for finding kaiju items is Robot Robot.

Tokyoing.net has a picture article on the Broadway Nakano. They have several photos of different shops (oddly, no shop names are provided except for Print Mouse). Most of the photos appear to be of Mandarake shops.

They begin with:

Are you interested in manga and anime? And, are you going to Japan for the first time?
If you are so, I recommend you to visit NAKANO BROADWAY. 

Even though Akihabara is famous and attractive town for fans of anime, this town is too big for first visit. 

On the other hand, NAKANO BROADWAY is not crowded with people, and easy to look for products of anime, manga.

I don't know when the writer of the pictorial article went there, but the Broadway Nakano has always been crowded whenever I've been there. But since the mall has four floors, the upper floors have fewer people to have to contend with.

To view the photos, go here. 

ANN: Nerd Tour Japan Day 4

Above, the entrance to Nakano Broadway. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Anime News Service (ANN) posted "Day Four" of the Nerd Tour Japan 2014 and this time Zac Bertschy and Hope Chapman visit several otaku-oriented places. They have plenty of photographs to show for it.

First, they stop at the Ghibli Museum. Then, they head over to the Nakano Broadway, where Mandarake, Robot Robot and other collectible stores are clustered. Afterwards, they head over to Harajuku to the Bunny Café, where rescued rabbits can be adopted or, for a fee, can be cuddled. Across from the Bunny Café is a cat café where people can hang out with the kitties.

Their next edition will be Osaka and Disneysea.

To see the photos and read about them, go here.

The Other Otaku Heaven: Nakano Broadway

Above, the entrance to Nakano Broadway.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Ever since I first stepped foot inside the Nakano Broadway mall in 2001, it has been a "must" stop each time I've been to Japan ever since. Sometimes I've found some items I was interested in, sometimes not.

Nakano Broadway is a haven for those who are collectors of kaiju toys, anime, manga and other items of Japanese pop culture. Mandarake dominates the floors where collectibles are found. There are other stores of interest that are also worth checking out. Robot Robot is another favorite.

Japantravelinfo.com's "Only In Japan" has an article on the Nakano Broadway that collectors should read.

It begins with:

Any visitor to Tokyo interested in anime and manga will surely have Akihabara high on their to-do list. However, on the other side of Tokyo, Nakano Broadway is just as much a must-see for fans of Japan pop culture. A short walk north of Nakano Station, Nakano Broadway is a four story shopping mall whose second and third floors are entirely dedicated to anime, manga and collectibles. It can be easy to lose your bearings once inside, but the shops listed below are all notable for the range and quality of their merchandise.

Above, a RCA-Victor "Nipper" figure I picked up at Mandarake
at the Nakano Broadway mall.  Photo by Armand Vaquer. 

 To read the article, go here.

Kaiju Toy-Buying In Tokyo

Above, the entrance to the Broadway Mall in the Nakano section of Tokyo.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the things that attracts fans of Japanese science-fiction and fantasy movies to Japan is to fill in gaps in their collections of character toys and movie memorabilia.

There are two sections of Tokyo that are my favorite sources for collectibles.

The Nakano section of Tokyo is one major source for monster goods.  Near Nakano's JR Chuo Line station (north exit) is the Broadway Mall.  In the mall (in the upper floors) are several stores of Mandarake.  Each store specializes in genre collectibles.  One store would specialize in manga.  Another would specialize in toy collectibles.  I last went there in December 2010 and purchased a porcelain figure of "Nipper," the RCA Victor dog ("His Master's Voice").

Over the years, I've made many purchases of Godzilla and Gamera-related toys at Mandarake.  (See page 26 in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.)

Also, the Broadway Mall (third floor) has another store that specializes in kaiju toys and collectibles, Robot Robot.  Both Robot Robot and Mandarake sell used as well as new toys.

More recently, I found a toy store right on Nakamise Street in Asakusa that sells kaiju collectibles.  And, on a side street off of Nakamise Street, is another toy store where I've purchased kaiju toys.  It is right next door to a McDonalds restaurant (photo below), which makes finding it easy.

The nice thing about purchasing kaiju toys in Japan is that the prices are reasonable, whereas, U.S. importers greatly jack-up the prices.  There are other places in Tokyo where fans can buy collectibles.  Akihabara is a mecca for otaku.

For Ultraman collectibles, the Rox department store in Asakusa is the place to go.  A statue of Ultraman stands at the store's entrance (photo below).

And, in the Setagaya district of Tokyo, Ultraman goods can be found at the Ultraman Shopping District (Ultraman characters adorn storefronts and lamposts). See page 22 of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

For more information on the Broadway Mall, go here.