My name is Richie and I am a hardcore Dragon Ball collector! I recently took a trip to Tokyo, Japan for the sole purpose of hunting for Dragon Ball figures. During my trip I discovered a mass of stores that contained everything I was looking for and more.
I figured the readers of this site might be curious about my trip and the places I was able to check out. So I wrote up a brief article/FAQ for anyone interested in making the trip themselves or for those who are just curious.
With that said, let’s move on to the FAQ.
1. How Long Were You in Japan?
5 Days total, from Aug 23 (B-day) to Aug 27 and as soon as I landed, I was out and about hunting for DBZ figures.
2. What are the Prices Like in Japan?
All the stores varied in prices. One store could be selling one item for 500 yen, but the store next to it, would be selling it for 1000 yen.
My recommendation? Visit and browse all stores before you commit to buying because you will probably find it cheaper at another spot.
3. How Much Money Should I Bring?
The wife and I actually spent $4,000 USD during our time there. $500 of it went towards food, public transportation and a hotel. $3500 went towards Dragon Ball figures.
However, I’m sure you could do fine with less than $4000, considering your party and spending habits.
4. Where Should I Look for Dragon Ball Figures?
The following locations should be more then enough to suit your needs:
Akihabara (Akihabara Station)
Akihabara station was only 25 minutes away from my hotel (New Sanno Hotel/Hiro-o Station). Depending on which train exit you go out, you could simply walk straight and run into the Akihabara strip but I would recommend picking up a physical map.
It’s possible the train station may have one, but I was lucky enough to obtain one from a figure shop owner.
As anyone can tell you, there are hundreds and hundreds of stores within Akihabara. My recommendation? If you can, go to all of them! If the outside of it looks like an anime store then chances are it is. If you go inside, 9 times out of 10, it will contain anime figures and other merchandise.
Must See Stores:
Mandarake and cube display shops (there are 2 stores within akihabara, unfortunately I dont recall the name of them)
*Note: Do not waste your time going to Animate or Kotobukiya if you are looking for DBZ figures*
Nakano Broadway (Nakano Station):
Nakano Broadway was a true diamond in the rough. I actually enjoyed my time here more than Akihabara. When exiting Nakano Station, take the NORTH exit and walk straight out for about 8-10 minutes. Eventually, you will run into a section that has “NAKANO BROADWAY” displayed right in front. You can’t miss it.
All the figure shops are compiled in one building (4 Floors), which was convenient for my wife and I.
Additionally, I found many amazing figures for great prices. Simply go through every corner of each floor, and you will not be disappointed.
*Note: Do not waste your time going through the first floor as it only sells produce goods*
Shibuya Mandarake (Shibuya Station)
This particular location was a last minute stop for me. I will tell you now that this was the best location out of all of the stores I went to. This spot contained a handful of “holy grails” within Dragon Ball collecting. I was very lucky and was able to pick up all of the pieces I did not already own here.
In order to get there, go through the Shibuya Crosswalk exit and go towards the shopping district. From that point on, bust out your smartphone and use Google Maps to locate “Mandarake”. Good Luck; you will not regret visiting this location.
5. Where Else Would You Recommend to Visit?
J-World located in Sunshine City (Ikebekuro Station)
When exiting the Ikebekuro Station, follow the signs towards “Sunshine City”. Once you are finally out on the street, bust out your smartphone and use Google Maps to locate “J-World”.
This location hosts the world’s first theme park for “JUMP” Anime. Meaning you’re certain to find some Dragon Ball items here.
The theme park includes these DBZ attractions:
- Saiyan Pod
- Nimbus Cloud
- Dragon ball Radar Hunt
- 3D Kamehameha with Goku
- Goku Cosplay
- Dragon Ball Theme’d Food
- JUMP Store with Dragon ball merchandise
- Showcase of upcoming Dragon ball figures
- Dragon ball photo booth
- Dragon ball gashapon machines
and more..
The general admission of 800JPY but you can get an unlimited pass for 2600JPY, which might be a good idea considering the rides and attractions costs are additional the general admission pass.
*Note: All information is up to date as of August, 2015.
Conclusion:
This concludes my trip to Tokyo, Japan and FAQ. There are many other locations to hunt Dragon Ball figures, but this write up just covers the places I was able to visit. If you so happen to discover more shops, please inform me so I can join in on the fun. Keep on hauling DBZ collectors!
Gallery:
Richie Shia runs a popular Facebook group called DBZ Collectors United.
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I’m going to Japan in April/May, thanks for your recommendations. I was actually wondering, while you were out there did you see alot of the DBZ Wold Collectable Figures?
Hi :). Thank you very much for sharing your experience. Its my wish to travel sometimes to Tokyo too and now I have a few shops where I can buy figures.