The Energon Pub

So if you were going to go to Japan, where would you find transformers, specifically?

My friend is going to Japan this monday. She is going with her Aikido (martial arts) dojo to sightsee and also study there for some time. She says she will have some free time however, and I pleaded for her to find transformers she could for me while she was there. The thing is, i have no idea where any such places my plastic crack can be located. This is basically what she's going to be up to.

From 6/4 to 6/14, she will be in Narita/Tokyo, Shibuya, Tokyo, Handa, Senpoukaku, Shingu/Kumano, Nagisaya, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Kansai. I don't even know if all of these are even cities, but they're on her list of stuff to do that i'm reading here.

She cannot be bothered to know everything about transformers so i have to tell her exactly what to look for and such. I'd like for her to find binaltechs, get Masterpiece 1-5, and the japanese version of the transformers movie bumble bee with the clear windows, and perhaps other odd things she may stumble across during her travels. Last time she went, she brought me back Superlink Wingsabre and the Superlink Giftset which was quite awesome, considering i didn't have to go through ebay or pay shipping. I understand that she may be in the Akibara (or however it's spelled) electronics district in tokyo, and i recall something about a contest where someone will get to fly to japan and shop for tf's in this general location.

Which brings me back to the original question of where? I believe the Toy's R Us franchise is out there and that they carry mp05? but i think it sold out nationally already? Are there obscure action figure stores at any of these locations?

If anyone can help me out with this i'd really appreciate it and would like to help catalog these places with pictures of what they look like and what can be found inside and etc. for everyone states-side. I've always wondered this myself. Actual addresses or phone numbers would be mega helpful too

The Akihabara neighborhood in Tokyo's a pretty good spot. Most Toys R Us stores still have MP-3 and MP-04. The 2nd shipment of MP-05 is due out this month as well. The clear windowed Bumblebee is available at TRU stores and retails for around 2,300 yen.

nice! Knowing what to expect helps me know how much $ to give her in advance :>

Are there other places you've heard of?

Like for example in Manhattan, New York, there is a Toys R Us. But there is also Image Anime, Tokyo Toys, and Love Saves The Day which is downstairs of Tokyo Toys, last i saw anyway.

Here are couple links that will be helpful.

For Tokyo use this listing: http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+6336


For Osaka use this: http://seibertron.com/news/view.php?id=9580

thanks for the replies guys, i'm going through all of the info now and later tonight; i am trying anticipate what exactly she is going to encounter as far as selection but i have no idea. This is important because as she is not familiar with the details of transformers. Thus it becomes my task to provide her with pictures and info of what she should look for, but going though all the galleries on this site, it quickly becomes overwhelming.

What can she expect to find out there?

If i were to describe the selection here in the states, you would find chains like toys r us, kb's, walmart, target, and kmart carrying mostly the latest line of tf's, that now being the movie tf's. 3rd party chains like fry's (southwest us), perhaps some stop and shops out east, and maybe meijer's may have older items in stock like cybertron and even shelfwarming alternators. Other than that, you will not find much of anything else, unless if you go to a specialty shop, like image anime in manhattan, where you can find a variety of tf's. These shops however are very very few, practically inexistant in my area of the USA. There are a few thrift stores that i can find tf's at around my area here (Phoenix, Arizona), sometimes you can find old G1 stuff that is still in good shape, sometimes you don't find anything.

How would you describe your respective areas? Anything worth mentioning?

My friend went to kiddyland (spelling?) 2 years ago and can't remember what she saw as she didn't really pay attention. All i can remember from then was that she said she was seeing a lot of animal transformers (bestwars?) but couldn't explain their names as she had trouble reading japanese (she'd only gone through conversational japanese in school at that point). She also said she found a "black zarak" but i cannot discern if it was a recent one or the G1 one.

Are there any websites out there that catalog all of the japanese releases of transformers? I'm looking for something like http://www.unicron.com except for japanese releases, not american.

Your personal experiences and whatever you remember seeing would be of much help in this regard

I am happy to report that my friend has located MP 05 and movie bumblebee in akihabara so far.

she's having trouble finding other places where other tf's may be though. D:

She says she has some footage too, but details are still sketchy.

Osaka is still to come.

I'll post more info when i get it.

Sorry that we cannot give you much help with directions. Directions suck in Japan. There are no street names or numbers on buildings. Directions are based on relative landmarks which are constantly changing. A department store that is used as a landmark one year is gone the next.

The toy stores themselves quickly disappear and others reappear around the corner.

My best advice is ask your friend to get a map of the Akihabara and keep asking "Transformers toyz ga arimaska?", which means "Where do the Transformer toys exist?". People are pretty helpful in Japan and they'll point your friend in the right direction.

As far as toys that are out. Not too much to choose from except Movie Toys (which are Hasbro imports), MP Starscream. There may be a few KISS Transformers and MP Ultra Magnus toys hidden in Manga shops.

This is what she was able to find for me thanks to everyone's help; Mp 03, revoltech convoy, and 3 action figures from the armada line. What exactly are those anyway?

Also, she says she found this strange transforming gun thing, apparantly it lights up and stuff? Does anyone know what it is? I sure don't. :|

i like transforming guns :>


I'll ask her where these items came from exactly, i do not know at the moment. This way, fellow seibertronians can know where to go for items like these.

Please forgive my crappy cell phone quality pics but it was all i had at the moment.

whoops, forgot this one:

There are a lot of transforming guns. Some shot little pellets. I haven't seen that one yet. Pretty cool. Looks like you got some nice finds. Have your sister visit a manga shop like Mandarake if you want some of the older Transformers.

oh really? :-? Transforming pellet guns?

I have the takara reissue megatron; he shoots pellets :>

well, my x gf just got back from japan and brought me these which i'm thankful for; maybe next year

I didn't realize she was your ex-girlfriend.

How did you swing this Transformers deal?

Oh, well, she wanted to go to japan but didn't have the airfare to do so, so, i did her a favor and let her borrow the money to go, and in return, she did me a favor and found tf's

last year when she went, she was able to go to kiddyland in tokyo and there, she found superlink wingsabre and the superlink bruticus giftset.

I had to convince her to bring a bigger suitcase this time and so i gave her mine.

I will provide information and photos and such of the different places she went to for these items, i'd do it now but it's 2:19 am and she's sleeeping