Collectible Shops in Tokyo?
ajw
Posts: 2,281 ✭✭✭
I'm going to Tokyo for work next weekend and am wondering if there are any shops worth visiting, even if only to look around. I've never been to Japan and am open to all sorts of suggestions.
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we went a couple of years ago in support of the fuji rock festival, this was right after the nuclear meltdown. after the festival we spent about a week in tokyo to explore the city and the culture. it was absolutely fascinating. we stayed at the cerulean tower hotel in shibuya square (tokyo's time square). there are a few "vintage" shops in this vicinity. some that mirror the gremlin shop from the movie. particularly a very cool musical / car advertising shop w/ tons of old guitars and americana memorabilia. can not read japanese, but if you hang a right outta the main entrance of the cerulean and then hang a left on the 2nd block, you can't miss it.
they do have "flea markets" there as well. they are usually open air lots and they are usually located at the base of various shrines, ie arai yakushi temple, hanazono shrine, etc. this is where you will find the nice authentic japanese mementos vs the tourist trap crap.
if you haven't been, get ready! the trains are absolutely amazing, the country is as clean as can be. you will be starred at a lot because of your height and hair color. the doors are smaller, the trains are faster, the food is weirder, and the toilets are computer operated paralleling a star wars flick.
speaking of the food, get ready...we went to go eat at a spot before one of the shows and it was a buffet sytle restaurant (a lot of restaurants there are like this). anyways, I couldn't find one thing that was appeasing. so I find this tray of hard boiled eggs and said "this will have to do". anyways, get back to my seat w/ the rest of the guys in the band and go to crack this thing and a half formed chicken embryo drips out. needless to say everyone got an enormous laugh outta this and I wasn't hungry any longer, so win win. apparently it's a delicacy there and quite a life lesson that things aren't always what they appear, even when you are literally holding it in your own hand.
not sure if you are going with or will be chaperoned w/ someone that speaks japanese. we did not and it was interesting. this is not mexico, there is not a lot of people that speak engrish so be prepared to spend a few extra minutes if you are trying to figure out which train to take or happen to get lost...
if ya have any other questions, feel free to pm me and have a blast!
oedo market - this one was smaller but had better stuff
heiwajima fair - this one was huge!! like 300+ vendors. we didn't get to finish this one, but when we go back, this will be high on the to do list.
sure ya can google these for more exact info as to location, times and things like that
and if you do find yourself near the cerulean hotel, be sure to take an elevator to the observation deck. it's one of the tallest buildings and the view is absolutely breath taking. I lived in nyc a few years ago and it doesn't hold a candle in relationship to the shear amount of buildings. tokyo goes on and on and on in every direction....
Card Shops in Japan
About the "half formed chicken embryo", it's called "balut" and I've actually tried it before. My mother in-law is vietnamese and pressured me into eating one. Absolutely disgusting! The egg and yolk actually taste the same as a "normal" egg but the duck embryo has a very metallic taste to it, not something I'd ever want to eat again.
Why and YUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK
I went to Tokyo last year and will try to remember the bookstore I went to that sold baseball cards.