Heroic's Toy Shop Guide Maps for HK, Osaka, Tokyo & SG

[Bladestorm]

Damn, that may pose a problem, since I'm probably going to have to lose the packaging due to weight issues. Is the tax amount usually very much?

It depends on the store. Some will do it at 2000 Yen, others (and I think Manadrake is one of them) you need to spend more like 5000-6000 Yen minimum. Some stores don't do it at all and say to do it at the airport but I never found anywhere a the airport (in terminal 3 or 2 at Narita) where you could do it manually as the booth for the tax free redemption just collects the receipts that have been taped to your passport by the stores you already got the redemption from.

[Bladestorm]

Thanks for digging this up; it will be useful for my upcoming trip

Is it still mostly up to date?

And as I will also be heading to Singapore, is CSC still a thing?
Even though it looks like I wont be in Singapore on a Sunday this time around.

I haven't been to Singapore in a while but price check before you go so you know what you're paying because it tends to be touted as the most expensive place to buy collectible toys in Asia these days... Last time I was there my son wanted a helicopter Drift (TF4) and it was NZ$36 more expensive than what I eventually paid in Hong Kong in a regular store (ie non-discounted). Can recommend some great food places if you want Hainan Chicken or Laksa there though.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

So, for everyone heading to Japan and planning on doing some TF shopping...try and make some time to check out Nagoya Mandarake and Jungle.
I've been doing some travel through Japan and Nagoya seems to be a forgotten treasure chest TF-wise. Better than anything in Tokyo selection-wise (possibly excluding Nakano Broadway) and only beaten by Hero Gangu (which is pretty pricey) in Osaka, the best prices I've seen in Japan so far, and definitely the places to go for 3rd party stuff in Japan. The 3P stuff isn't as affordable, but the range is the best I've seen.
Plus both stores are located in/around Osu, which is a pretty interesting little shopping district in its own right. A little bit of everything, kind of like a much smaller version of Osaka's Den Den Town and Shinsaibashi rolled into one. Also great if you're hankering for some international/non-Japanese food - the restaurants seem to be more focused on 'foreign' fare than most places I've been to. Fried chicken/karahage seems to be the local specialty.

Nagoya has a reputation in Japan for being boring/having nothing to do. But if you're a TF/anime fan, it's worth spending at least an afternoon looking around.

[valkyrie_76]

So, for everyone heading to Japan and planning on doing some TF shopping...try and make some time to check out Nagoya Mandarake and Jungle.
I've been doing some travel through Japan and Nagoya seems to be a forgotten treasure chest TF-wise. Better than anything in Tokyo selection-wise (possibly excluding Nakano Broadway) and only beaten by Hero Gangu (which is pretty pricey) in Osaka, the best prices I've seen in Japan so far, and definitely the places to go for 3rd party stuff in Japan. The 3P stuff isn't as affordable, but the range is the best I've seen.
Plus both stores are located in/around Osu, which is a pretty interesting little shopping district in its own right. A little bit of everything, kind of like a much smaller version of Osaka's Den Den Town and Shinsaibashi rolled into one. Also great if you're hankering for some international/non-Japanese food - the restaurants seem to be more focused on 'foreign' fare than most places I've been to. Fried chicken/karahage seems to be the local specialty.

Nagoya has a reputation in Japan for being boring/having nothing to do. But if you're a TF/anime fan, it's worth spending at least an afternoon looking around.

Like every place, its a hit and miss with that place. Been there a few times and as Heroic Decepticon knows, you can find a diamond and other times you keep finding coal.

I have noticed there has been more G1 stuff being sold on Mandarake lately but that maybe the New Years and people want money for the plastic crack addiction.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

^^ True. Plus it IS the tail-end of Chinese Golden Week, so the more well-known stores will have been picked over more than usual.
Still, it's worth making a stopover on the way between Tokyo-Kansai/vice versa, and it is still definitely the most affordable of the branches I've been to.

Apparently there's a shrine that houses the famous 'Kusanagi' katana here too, if you're interested in katana/samurai swords. I'd like to go and see it, but I have other plans for now.

[valkyrie_76]

^^ True. Plus it IS the tail-end of Chinese Golden Week, so the more well-known stores will have been picked over more than usual.
Still, it's worth making a stopover on the way between Tokyo-Kansai/vice versa, and it is still definitely the most affordable of the branches I've been to.

Apparently there's a shrine that houses the famous 'Kusanagi' katana here too, if you're interested in katana/samurai swords. I'd like to go and see it, but I have other plans for now.

Im glad to see your getting around other places than being stuck in Osaka. Also one of the advantages of being a tourist is the JR Railpass. I have hammered that many times and covered a great deal of Japan just riding on the JR system.

Also going back on the Mandarake plastic crack dens, Sapporo is a good place to visit if you are around and that has some good stuff too. Kokura is decent and Fukuoka used to be great but a lot of foreign buyers have cleaned that place out but saying that, I have bought an item for HD really cheap.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Im glad to see your getting around other places than being stuck in Osaka. Also one of the advantages of being a tourist is the JR Railpass. I have hammered that many times and covered a great deal of Japan just riding on the JR system.

Also going back on the Mandarake plastic crack dens, Sapporo is a good place to visit if you are around and that has some good stuff too. Kokura is decent and Fukuoka used to be great but a lot of foreign buyers have cleaned that place out but saying that, I have bought an item for HD really cheap.

Yeah, the 'see-Japan' stuff is long-overdue but well worth it. The past 2 weeks have been Tokyo-Hakone-Nagoya-Kobe/Hyogo. Hakone is amazingly beautiful, plus it has pirate-themed cruises on Lake Ashi/Ashinoko.

And yeah - if you're coming here and can manage it, the JR Passes are well worth getting. Much like the Hakone Free Pass it pretty much pays for itself, and then some. I imagine it'd be even better getting the regional-based JR Passes, but my plans are a bit loose atm so I've had to go for the general versions.

I'm planning a trip to see Nagasaki and Hiroshima before too long, so Kokura and Fukuoka should be doable. Cheers bra - I wouldn't have stopped over in Nagoya if not for your advice.

[GoktimusPrime]

Yeah, the 'see-Japan' stuff is long-overdue but well worth it. The past 2 weeks have been Tokyo-Hakone-Nagoya-Kobe/Hyogo. Hakone is amazingly beautiful, plus it has pirate-themed cruises on Lake Ashi/Ashinoko.

Can confirm.

I'm planning a trip to see Nagasaki and Hiroshima before too long, so Kokura and Fukuoka should be doable.

I've only been to Hiroshima out of those places, but there are some really nice little restaurants near Hiroshima station!

[valkyrie_76]

Yeah, the 'see-Japan' stuff is long-overdue but well worth it. The past 2 weeks have been Tokyo-Hakone-Nagoya-Kobe/Hyogo. Hakone is amazingly beautiful, plus it has pirate-themed cruises on Lake Ashi/Ashinoko.

And yeah - if you're coming here and can manage it, the JR Passes are well worth getting. Much like the Hakone Free Pass it pretty much pays for itself, and then some. I imagine it'd be even better getting the regional-based JR Passes, but my plans are a bit loose atm so I've had to go for the general versions.

I'm planning a trip to see Nagasaki and Hiroshima before too long, so Kokura and Fukuoka should be doable. Cheers bra - I wouldn't have stopped over in Nagoya if not for your advice.

Hiroshima is easy to get too but Nagasaki can and will take time as its two or three trains you have to take to get there but it is worth it. It took me 1 and a half hours to get there from Kokura if I remember correctly.

With the specific JRrail region passes, I wouldnt worry about that as they are slightly more expensive with less time but saying that, they are great if you are in one area for a few days, then its great but a normal 1-3 week JR pass is the best option.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

I'm researching it a bit now...from the looks of things, the easiest way seems to be to base myself in Fukuoka for a few days, taking day-trips to Nagasaki and Kokura. Fukuoka is located between the two, and seems to have the best concentration of hobby-shops in Kyushu.
After that, head to Hiroshima for another few days, do the Peace Memorial, maybe check out Miyajima if time allows, then back to Osaka.
It works out pretty well inasmuch as Kokura was the original target for the Fat Man bomb, and the main point of the trip is to see the atomic-bomb sites.

Apparently there's an issue with the region-specific passes for Kyushu, so the general pass is definitely the way to go.