I was introduced to the wonderful Bar Plastic Model in Kabukicho during my last trip to Tokyo:

http://www.plastic-model.net/

Go there with your friends (preferably less than 5, as the place won't seat more than a half-dozen), pull up a stool and play with Soul of Chogokin toys as you listen to the owner's collection of anime theme song 78s. Only in Japan...

That's cool and an interesting trend.

Looks a little less sterile than this place:

http://gangusouko.sakura.ne.jp/index2.htm

Is that the one that's run by this guy?

http://www011.upp.so-net.ne.jp/pony-hp/

hmmm, there used to be this new joint called Figure Complex Bar which had toys:

http://toybotstudios.blogspot.com/2006/ ... tokyo.html

Yeah, same guy. Unfortunately for us Gajin, his toy 'club' is for Japanese only...

I wouldn't want any Gaijin touching my toys either.

The're all criminals.

I've often wondered if this sentiment is what keeps most toysellers in Japan from selling directly to non-Japanese buyers, as opposed to the simple pain of overseas commerce. A Nationalistic-Consumerism, if you will. A 'Keep your greasy, fat gansta hands off of our culture' kind of thing...

I wish there were more gimmicky bars and restraunts like this in the States. I mean I know there's some gimmicky joints, particularly in NY, LA and bigger citites, but still NOT ENOUGH! I don't even drink but the bars in Japan seem so cool I'd hang at them.

It's not exactly widespread, but the attitude exists. The idea that some rare toys are leaving Japan doesn't sit well with some people.

The guy who ran Bar Plastic Model was overjoyed to have three gaijin in his bar, identifying the songs as he played them for us. He was pretty shocked by our knowledge. "How in the world do you know who Byclosser is?"

Tokyo has the best bars!

One of my all time faves is a little hole called 'Office'. The gimmick is that it's set-up like an office, with desks and crap and even a projector for late night PowerPoint presos.

Some pics:



Some locals hard at work whilst I got hammered:



There was a DJ spinning old Studio One Ska and Soul records:



The view:



Unlike a lot of the bars I visited, it was Chillaxin:



The desks were loaded with legal pads full of sketches from folks from all over, here's what I left behind:

Yup Tokyo bars RULE.

Data turned me on to Bar "Tight" in Shibuya.

Great people in there and they even had Mikazuki (Gegege No Kitaro!) Sake for me.

I killed the whole bottle.

I think the most people he ever fit in there was 17, it was packed enough with just 8.