Best gadget and toys from Tokyo?

October 27, 2009 10:17 AM

I would be visiting Tokyo in three week's time. Can you tell me about any must-buy weird, cool or geeky gadgets that I could get during my time there, and where to get it ? Bonus point if it's easy to figure out even if it's in japanese, or if it has english interface, and not too expensive.
posted by joewandy to shopping (19 comments total)

How about a Kuru Toga?
posted by StarmanDXE at 10:20 AM on October 27 [1 favorite]

Hardly a gadget, but some weird kitkat flavors are a must-buy in Japan. Yuzu and shishito pepper is good, green tea kitkats not so much.
posted by foodgeek at 10:28 AM on October 27

Oh: and don't overlook gachapon machines for random/fun trinkets! They are infinitely better than the stateside equivalents...
posted by StarmanDXE at 10:28 AM on October 27

Hardly a gadget, but some weird kitkat flavors are a must-buy in Japan. Yuzu and shishito pepper is good, green tea kitkats not so much.

Mmm, yes: FOOD! I fell in love with red bean paste wherever/in-whatever I could find it :D Make sure to eat as much as you can of everything! And try their sodas as they are all made with sugar instead of corn syrup. (Boy, could I go for some "Royal Milk Tea" right about now...)

I think you will find the most enjoyment is had by just browsing seemingly "normal" places like grocery stores and the like :)
posted by StarmanDXE at 10:31 AM on October 27

The Hakuhinkan toy store in Ginza is worth a visit, if only for the stuffed animals.

My favourite toys in Japan would have to be PlaRail trains. You can often buy little train set models of famous places in Japan.

Tomica also sells awesome die-cast metal cars, better and more realistic than any cars you'll find at Toys R Us.

Convenience stores also sell really cool and really cheap toys.
posted by KokuRyu at 10:34 AM on October 27

This isn't specific, but you should consider taking a trip to Akihabara and just wandering around the electronics stores there. Almost everything for sale will be available for you to touch so you'll be able to tell if the interface is intuitive right away.

If you want more playful, toy-like goods check out the Yamashironoya in Ueno.

However, if you're really just looking for something hard to find in the states look for electronic dictionaries or denshi jisho. They are good for word and Kanji lookups and are easier to carry than a Japanese-English, English-Japanese dictionary. Canon brand ones almost always offer an English mode.
posted by Alison at 10:40 AM on October 27

Somewhere in the Narita Airport is an open air gift shop that has these USB toys in the shape of different breeds of dog. When you plug it in, the dog humps your computer. I bought 5.
posted by spec80 at 10:41 AM on October 27 [1 favorite]

Tomica also sells awesome die-cast metal cars, better and more realistic than any cars you'll find at Toys R Us.

My vote goes to Choro-Q. But, perhaps I just have a soft-spot for super-deformed (SD) things (such as Gundam models...)
posted by StarmanDXE at 10:43 AM on October 27

Hardly a gadget, but some weird kitkat flavors are a must-buy in Japan.

Japanese Snickers bars are slightly, but distinctly salty. They're quite good.
posted by deadmessenger at 10:52 AM on October 27

Tokyu Hands, in Shibuya. You'll find all kinds of only-in-Japan goofiness there.
posted by deadmessenger at 10:55 AM on October 27 [2 favorites]

gun o clock!
you should be able to find it at a yodabashi or something
posted by raw sugar at 10:56 AM on October 27

Seconding gochapon machines and blind-box figures (Akihabara is lousy with both (and, by lousy, I mean wonderfully full of). There are a lot of housewares stores, and most carry smallish lunch boxes that are a) very handy to own and b) often encrusted with slightly bizarre English phrases and c) not too expensive . I bought a bunch in the $8-10 range for gifts when I went a few years abck. I also got a friend some special salt from the Tobacco and Salt Museum in Shibuya, which is possibly my 2nd favorite museum in the world (after the Vasamuseet in Stockholm).
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:14 AM on October 27

Just north of Akihabara is Okachimachi, which is basically a shopping arcade under the Yamanote tracks that stretches on to Ueno.

Lots of crazy stores in that arcade, or at least there were back in the 90s.
posted by mokuba at 11:18 AM on October 27

Tokyu Hands, in Shibuya. You'll find all kinds of only-in-Japan goofiness there.

Emphatically agreed. Budget at least two hours and run it bottom to top.
posted by monocyte at 12:36 PM on October 27

Thirding Tokyu Hands. The one in Shinjuku might be easier to find. Take the south exit from Shinjuku Station. You'll see a tall building (NTT Tower) in front of you. Tokyu Hands is in the building slightly to the left, connected to Takashimaya Times Square.

Another fun one is Don Quixote. They're scattered all over, but there's one just northeast of Shinjuku Station. Their logo is a blue cartoon penguin.

Loft is also worth checking out. They're a competitor to Tokyu Hands with a bit more of a focus on interior goods. Shibuya and Ikebukuro both have a Loft AND Tokyu Hands.

Odaiba is great for shopping and restaurants. Lots of stores with all sorts of cool/strange gizmos and gadgets. Very futuristic feel to the whole area. One of the train stops there is called "Tokyo Teleport Station," and it's probably the only place in the world where I'd pause for a moment and wonder, "...really?"

Last time I visited a Uniqlo (kind of a Japanese Gap, but cooler), they were selling limited-edition video game shirts.

As for specific things to buy, this site might give you some ideas. Maybe an Otamatone?
posted by mshrike at 1:15 PM on October 27

There's a clock that you can get (not sure where, but worth checking) that, as an alarm, plays the different door closing songs of the different stations along the Yamanote Line.

As Mokuba said, if you go north from Akihabara, you'll get to Okachimachi. If you keep going, you'll end up in Ameyoko, which is like the vestigal remains of the black market. Lots of cheap stuff, usually clothes and knockoffs. If you go all the way to the end, it's across from Ueno station. On the Ameyoko side of the street (turn right out of the mouth of Ameyoko, and go under the tracks) is a 6 story toy store. If you're into toys at all, that's a pretty decent place to go.

As far as electronics, there's not a lot in Japan that isn't all over the world anymore. Cameras will be bilingual, video cameras likely won't be. Electronic dictionaries can be useful, but aren't cheap, and most do require some understanding of Japanese to use them. Your best bet is things like toys, gachapon, and random oddness (Ramen in a can, from a vending machine, for instance. For the novelty, if not the flavor)
posted by Ghidorah at 4:54 PM on October 27

A banana case. A friend brought one back from Tokyo a few years ago. Not sure where exactly you'd go to buy one, but I imagine any Y200 store will sell something similar.
posted by robotot at 6:45 PM on October 27

Nthing the TOKYU HANDS. Personally, I prefer the Shibuya one, and there are signs from the JR station directing you there. Just follow the signs to SUNSHINE CITY (mall). They have a lot of the items listed above.

And I am surprised no one has yet mentioned a 100-YEN store. They're like a dollar store, but the products are actually the things you want, with brand names, and in good quality. Buy buy buy!!

CURRENT KIT KAT FLAVORS seem to be vegetable, kinako (soy powder - it's good!), ginger ale, and ume (plum) soda. They seem to be just changing for fall/winter, so some of these may disappear soon. Some cities have special flavors all the time - Tokyo has soy, Kobe has pudding, Kyoto had green tea and red bean.

OTHER WEIRD FLAVORS I tend to send home are Pringles and soda. Fanta comes in Cassis (blackberry) for now, Pepsi in RED BEAN. Bleh? I'm trying it tonight. Pringles currently has a weird America-theme going on with the short cans - cheeseburger deluxe, hot dog with all the fixings, bacon cheese baked potato, stuff like that.
posted by whatzit at 7:57 PM on October 27

And I am surprised no one has yet mentioned a 100-YEN store. They're like a dollar store, but the products are actually the things you want, with brand names, and in good quality. Buy buy buy!!

Yeah -- the usual recommendation for foreigners is the Daiso on Takeshita-dori in Harajuku, since all the signs are written in English and Japanese. If you're going to Akihabara, though, I recommend visiting the one in Kinshicho three stops east -- it's on the 7th floor of the Arca Kit shopping center northwest of the station.

Oh, and I second mshrike's recommendation of Loft as well as everyone's recommendation of Tokyu Hands. Visit both chains' main stores in Shibuya since they're the largest.

If you gave us some more information on what you like we might be able to give you some more concrete advice.
posted by armage at 12:08 AM on October 28