Toys, character goods, anime/manga-related
Anpanman Shop - Retail: Yotsuya 3-chome
[Open noon-6pm daily.]
A shop devoted to the bean-jam-pastry hero and immensely popular children's cartoon character Anpanman, with thousands of different character items on sale.
Doraemon Future Department Store - Retail: Daiba
[Open 10am-9pm daily.]
Fifty years after his manga debut, the time-traveling robotic cat now has his first official shop, fashioned vaguely after a 20th-century European department store. As you'd expect, it's jam-packed with Doraemon character goods, many of them...
Godzilla Store - Retail: Shinjuku
[Open 11am-9pm daily.]
Everybody's favorite giant lizard now has his own retail shop, where you'll find a huge assortment of Godzilla-themed goods - everything from T-shirts and socks to rather nice bomber jackets. There's the expected selection of plastic toys and movie...
Gundam Base Tokyo - Retail: Daiba
[Open 10am-9pm daily.]
Located on the seventh floor of DiverCity shopping mall in Aomi, this megastore and mini theme park is devoted to the giant battle robots of the popular Gundam anime series. Hardcore fans will enjoy exploring the galleries showcasing historic...
Legoland Discovery Center - Attraction: Daiba
[Open 10am-8pm (enter by 6pm; weekends one hour later) daily.]
The Legoland Discovery Center is a mini-theme park inside the Tokyo Decks shopping complex, offering fun activities and charming attractions for visitors of all ages. There are a couple of entertaining rides, a 3D adventure movie, and hands-on...
Mandarake Complex - Retail: Akihabara
[Open noon-8pm daily.]
A Mecca for manga maniacs, Mandarake carries a huge selection of toys, figurines and other collectibles as well as new and used comics.
Mandarake Shibuya - Retail: Shibuya
[Open noon-8pm daily.]
This conveniently located outlet of the comic-book specialty store carries action figures and toys, videos and music, and hundreds of thousands of comic books, both new and used.
Nakano Broadway - Shopping complex: Nakano
[Open noon-8pm daily.]
The ground floor of Nakano Broadway looks like a typical neighborhood arcade - dozens of shops selling handbags, sneakers, pet supplies and so on. But step onto the escalator and prepare to enter a different world - a warren of tiny,...
Pensta - Retail: Ueno
[Open 9am-10pm (weekends -9pm) daily.]
Illustrator Chiharu Sakazaki's beloved penguin mascot, Suica's Penguin, now has an exclusive character goods shop inside JR Ueno Station. Images of the efficient urban penguin, originally designed to promote prepaid Suica cards from private railway...
Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo - Retail: Ikebukuro
[Open 10am-8pm daily.]
Open since the end of 2014, this mega-shop offers the biggest selection of Pokemon goods in Japan, including lots of limited-edition items. You'll find everything from Pokemon-themed ramen, curry and candies to tableware, slippers and stationery. ...
Pokemon DX - Retail: Nihonbashi
[Open 10:30am-9pm daily.]
The largest Pokemon shop in Japan with 1,300 square meters of retail space, Pokemon DX is also the home of the first permanent Pokemon Cafe, serving Pokemon-themed food and drink and providing ample photo opportunities. As you would expect, a huge...
Popondetta Akihabara - Retail: Akihabara
[Open noon-8:30pm. Closed 3rd Wed.]
The highlight of this model-railroad shop is a giant Tokyo-inspired track layout that takes up most of the second floor. Customers can rent one of several tracks by the hour, and either rent a model train here or bring their own.
Tintin Shop - Retail: Harajuku
[Open 11:30am-7pm daily.]
A well-stocked shop devoted to the beloved Belgian comic-book hero and his dog, Snowy.
Tokyo Toy Museum - Museum Shop Apty - Retail: Yotsuya 3-chome
[Open 10am-4pm. Closed Thursdays.]
The gallery shop at the Tokyo Toy Museum is worth a stop on its own, whether or not your're visiting the museum. They carry an intriguing selection of beautifully designed wooden toys, Russian nesting dolls, unusual games and unique small toys...
Yokohama Anpanman Children's Museum - Amusement park: Yokohama Takashimacho
[Open 10am-5pm (last entry 4pm) daily.]
Aimed squarely at the six-and-under crowd, this popular mini-museum and shopping zone is devoted to the cartoon-pastry hero and his many plush and collectible friends. The second and third floors of the building house the actual museum, which...