The Toy Stores of Tokyo

Nov 28, 2022

The Toy Stores of Tokyo

With Thanksgiving behind us, we are officially into the Christmas season. For most of us in the Capital with children, it is time to get busy shopping for presents. While there are still plenty of online options, there is something much more satisfying about going to a good toy store and picking the best gifts for your little ones. Also, the kids get suspicious of all the delivery boxes that inevitably pile up. So, we’ve compiled a list of toy stores to help you go through your shopping lists before the big day on December 25th.

Toys R Us – Multiple locations

Toys R Us is sadly gone in its birthplace of the USA, but it lives on just fine here in Japan. We all know what kind of toy store this is since most of us have probably been to one. The Japanese Toys R Us are still as crammed with toys as the old American counterparts, but I’m pretty sure they don’t make birthday announcements over the intercom like they used to in the US. 

Toys R Us, Babies R Us Odaiba store

Address: Aqua City Odaiba, 1 Chome-7-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tōkyō-to 135-0091 (map link)
Tel: 03-5564-5011

Toys R Us, Babies R Us Ikebukuro Sunshine City shop

Address: Sunshine City Alpha B1, Ikekuro 1-3-1-1 Higashiikebukuro, Toshima-Ku, Tokyo-to 170-0013  (map link)
Tel: 03-3983-5400

Website: toysrus.co.jp

Kiddyland – Harajuku

Kiddyland may as well be the Japanese answer to Toys R Us. There are 80 Kiddyland stores throughout Japan, but the Harajuku Flagship shop is the king of them all. Picture this: five entire floors of fun and games. Your kids will not want to leave. At over 60 years old, it is also a local institution. It sells everything you would expect with the latest exclusive Hello Kitty and Rilakkuma products found nowhere else. From time to time, they also hold special events, particularly around Christmas and Halloween. It is the quintessential Japanese toy store so maybe give this one a try. 

Address: 6-1-9 Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001 (map link)
Website: www.kiddyland.co.jp/en
Tel: 03-3409-3431
Opening times: Daily: 11:00-20:00

Hakuhinkan Toy Park – Ginza

This may be Tokyo’s most incredible toy store, saying something. Perhaps the largest of all Tokyo’s toyshops, Hakuhinkan is the epicenter of all things kawaii. It also serves as the headquarters for the Licca-chan Club, Japan’s answer to Barbie. This cultural experience is worth the visit by itself, but feel free to stop by the two floors of restaurants and the theatre on the 8th floor. 

Address: 8-8-11, Ginza, Chuo-Ku, Tokyo 104-8132 (map link)
Website: www.hakuhinkan.co.jp/index.html
Tel: 03-3571-8007
Opening times: Daily: 11:00-20:00

Yamashiroya – Ueno

The more down to Earth neighborhood of Ueno also brings something to the table with Yamashiroya. Here you will find six floors dedicated to toys, novelties, figures, model kits, character goods, plushies, games, and a multitude of anime and Japanese toy brands. The store is so stuffed with toys that getting around can be challenging. That said, it may not be the best place to bring a stroller. Otherwise, it is a whole lot of fun.

Address: 6 Chome-14-6 Ueno, Taito, Tokyo 110-0005 (map link)
Website: www.e-yamashiroya.com
Tel: 03-3831-2320
Opening times: Daily: 11:00-20:30

Tokyu Hands – Ikebukuro and Shibuya

As we work our way down the list, we arrive at Tokyu Hands. Tokyu hands is a wonderful department store that offers all sorts of goods appealing to kids. This ranges from toys and handicrafts to face paints and bikes. It is all sold here. There are a few dotted around the city, including one in the main Tokyo Station, so check the website for details of your nearest store. The stores in Ikebukuro and Shibuya are best known for toys.

Ikebukuro

Address: 1-28-10 Higashiikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo 170-0013 (map link)
Website: ikebukuro.tokyu-hands.co.jp
Tel: 03-3980-6111
Opening times: 10:00-21:00

Shibuya

Address: JapanTimes Square 12-18 Udagawachō, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo-to 150-0042 (map link)
Website: www.shibuya.tokyu-hands.co.jp
Tel: 03-5489-5111
Opening times: 10:00-20:30

Tokyo Character Street – Tokyo Station

I’ve written about Character Street before. If your kids have been here awhile, they probably have a favorite local cartoon, manga, or anime character, and this place has them all. Tokyo Character Street is perhaps the ultimate place to shop for TV-struck kids. Located on the basement floor of the Tokyo Station beneath the Yaesu Exit, Tokyo Character Street is an underground avenue of stores run by multiple television stations, media brands, and toy makers. Whether it is Doraemon dolls, cuddly Hello Kitty, or Domo-kun and Doraemon dongles to hang from your Snoopy cell phone cover, here you can find it all. 

Address: First Avenue, Level B1, Tokyo Station
1 Chome-9 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo-to 100-0005 (map link)
Website: www.tokyoeki-1bangai.co.jp/street/character
Opening times:10:00-20:30

Toys Terao – Asakusa

Last we come to the elder statesman of Tokyo’s toy stores. Those play peddling behemoths are excellent choices, but where is the history? Toys Terao’s prime location of Nakamise-Dori in front of Senso-Ji temple has enabled the family running this tiny store to continue business for five generations and nearly 130 years. The small shop is a toy-selling institution featured in various media over the years and sells many classic toys. 

Address: 1-37-1 Asakusa, Taito -ku (map link)
Website: www.toysterao.com
Tel: 03-3841-0147
Opening times: 9:00-19:00

DozoDomo, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons