A frind of mine is going to japan in 2 weeks. He said he would try to pick up some figures for me while he is there. Is there anyone who can help me come up with a master list of the stores and how to find them? Also, if anyone knows of anything special happening around that time, exclusives, shop only items, please let me know that as well.

Main shops I want to send him to:

Secret Base
Thrashout
RealxHead
Nanako Broadway
Mandarake
Rumble Monsters
Cure (if there is a physical location)

Anyhelp will be super appreciated.

List here, shoot me an email: wizeguy23@hotmail.com, or PM me any info.
Thanks Guys!

lol, with all those shops you are sending him on a full time job. They all aren't so close to each other esp. RxH

he likes a challenge... Amazing Race Kaiju style!

S7's Tokyo Underground book should answer just about any questions related to a treasure hunt whilst in Tokyo.

lol.....you gotta get him the book.

All these places are kind of sort of near each other:
Secret Base
Thrashout
Nakano Broadway
Mandarake (Shibuya, Nakano Broadway, Akihabara)

Also Original Fake, Erostica and BxH

These are a lot farther away:

RxH
Rumble Monsters (is there a shop?????)
Cure (far and expensive to get to)

Thrashout is not open to the public except for special occasions and I think the guys will be in the US at that time.

At least 10 shops listed in Tokyo Underground have either moved or are no longer open, including some (previously) major shops like Forest Gangu, Thrashout, etc.

Cure does indeed have a shop, but your friend will have to spend 1/2 day getting there and back. The Real Head shop is also outside the city center- your friend will spend several hours getting out there, finding the shop, and heading back to Tokyo.

I'd recommend 3 locations, so you don't drive your friend nuts:

1) Nakano Broadway (everything under 1 roof!)
2) Harajuku (for the Bounty Hunter, Secret Base, and Erostika (which sells some Rumble Monsters toys - there is no RM shop) cluster. They're all in the same building! Plus, it's an easy 10 minute walk from the subway station)
3) Akihabara (The Mandarake is outstanding, but it's new, so it's not in Tokyo Underground. Plus there are several Liberty shops, which are good.)

Each of those are 1/2 day trips which land you a TON of shops during each go. So lots of bang for your buck. There are plenty of other shops, but finding each of them can be an adventure in itself. For a trip costing several thousand dollars, I reckon it's not the way your friend wants to spend his time, eh?

Thanks for the tips guys!

pretty awesome friend. i had people want me to get sneakers for them when i was over and told them i didn't have enough suitcase space.

Well duh, between Nikes and vinyls for myself, I'd have ZERO room for bringin back either of those for other people if I were coming back from Japan.

Anyone familiar with Hakuhinkan Toy Park? My friend emailed me and said he is right by there. Would they carry JP Vinyl?