Since it seems there was a little interest in this topic,
here's a bit more info:
First of all, to be clear (kind of), what I'm talking about here is 2chan's
imageboard,
which is more properly known as 'Futaba Channel'.
This is in order to differentiate it from the text boards, of which there are hundreds
- all as impenetrable to me as the Japanese taste for
natto.
This English translation of the Homepage is good:
http://www.bluethree.us/futaba/but doesn't seem to have been updated recently.
A Google Translation of the Homepage reveals a few differences:
http://tinyurl.com/oc3asband will also translate posts, albeit with the usual idiosyncracies.
Apart from Toys, other boards of interest might be:
Tokusatsu (Sentai Shows), Giant Robots, Model Kits, Model Kits (Flipside), Figures, & Dolls.
It's my belief that Japanese society is slowly but surely becoming more conservative,
and I think 2chan reflects this.
Mainly, it's good for finding out what ordinary Japanese people think about News stories.
It's nowhere near as anarchic as it allegedly used to be,
or as it's counterparts in other countries these days are.
The weirdest board I've found is 'Mathematics'.
However I'd steer clear of that one unless you've got a strong stomach ...
Really.
"Toys" is a new board, so who knows how it will go?
But in all honesty, the answer to Rich's orig question is prob:
"No, there isn't a Japanese version of Skullbrain"(i.e. an imageboard dealing specifically w/Japanese toys)
- at least if there is one, I've never found it.
Lastly, sadly, I don't think you can post on Futaba Channel from outside Japan.
This is to prevent crapflooding and DDoS attacks from weeaboos & Koreans,
though there ARE ways around it I believe.
Anyway, enjoy ...
but don't look at the Boobies, m'kay?
