Tokyo Model Trains Shopping Guide 4K - Part 1: Akihabara 

The music is always amusing when you first walk into a shop.....but it doesn't take long until you are singing along with it! 😃

I took my first trip to Japan this January and hit up every shop that you've mentioned in the video except for Yodobashi Camera! A really incredible place to purchase model trains. I had no idea the Popondetta in Akihabara was larger than just the small shop, I wondered why it was so small considering I was in a larger one in Hiroshima. I purchased most of my items at TamTam, I loved the wide selection and good prices. I was hunting for a KATO FL12 decoder everywhere after purchasing an E5 Hayabusa set with all the add-on cars but never had any luck. Not even at the KATO center in Shinjuku! I'm normally an O-scale modeler but after visiting Japan I think I've been hooked on N-scale. Keep up the great videos!

Wow thanks for sharing

Very interesting and helpful, thank you.

Thank you, this was really interesting

Well, I am planning on going to Japan soon if a certain virus doesn't interfere.... Thank you for the train store advice.

この度は来日いただまして、誠にありがとうございます!日本国内での列車旅を心行くまでお楽しみくださいませ。HAVE a NICE train trip ,thnkyu !

Amazing Video, thanks for the great information. I am in Tokyo currently and your video is a wealth of knowledge!!

Wonderfull Video Seiya880! thank you!

muy bonitos trenes para jugar :) very nice train to play :)

digging this channel

What an amazing place, Love your channel too, liked and subbed! - Dave B.

excellent video

Nice, many shops close to each other. Funny to see!

Awesome video 👍, Subscribed 🎉

When i visit tokyo in the future i will totally come here

Hello from japan.nice video!

Great train video"thumbs up for me"

Thanks for the video! I'm in Tokyo right now and you mentioned a few shops I haven't been to yet. Gotta check them out. Furthermore, I'd like to mention that there are three more shops (small ones) I've been to, you haven't mentioned: - The 1st one is close to Radio Kaikan, on the other side of the street. It's another Pochi Hobbyland on 6th floor (over the Cardkingdom shop). - The 2nd one is Railmeister (レールマイスター). On the Map at 6:51, it's close to the traffic lights at the bottom left corner. From that junction, it's at the bottom right corner on the street going down. The entrance (stairs) is next to a optician and the shop is on 2nd floor. - The 3rd one is Habikoro (ハビコロ) in the Seek Base under the train tracks on the right of the map at 6:51. These shops are smaller ones, but I still found something to buy. You can just stop by on your Akihabara model train shop tour.

What a great video, really well edited! You have basically just planned my whole time in Tokyo when I finally get round to going! Thanks for including the information on which shops are tax free too. What was the name of the hotel you stayed at because I could just spend a whole day watching the station from the hotel room?

Very nice guide. If only Japan had a bit more DCC stuff. I mean if you a Japanese MRR transforme the trains run very smooth (much smoother than with European ones) However our modelrailway was build with DCC. We later extended with a extra tracks for the non-DCC Japanese trains, but would be nice if they could drive on our regular tracks) My dad is quite capable of adding DCC equipment to analogue trains, especially older ones from like the 80-90s but he he does not really wants to do that to Japanese ones cuz he is scared of braking the unit since he isn’t so familiar on how the electronics in Japanese Modell trains are build up. You know when my family goes to Akihabara it ends like this: My dad: goes to check out every Model train shop he can fin (I also help him find some, and shop with him cuz I also like model trains however not that much that I would spend a whole day shopping) Me: goes to check out as many Anime/Manga stores I can (also together with my dad sometimes cuz he also watches Anime) My sister: goes into some Maid cafe My mom: just awkwardly standing by the station thinking: „Why the hack did we come here“)

nice video. I have been to Japan twice recently and it's good to see a neighborhood that I really like. For the purchases of trains I prefer Imon model and for all that is rail it is Yodobashi ... you can have a discount in addition to the duty free of 5% if you pay with visa card. I came back this summer with a lot of kato purchases Stéphane

Good video. So many stores are hidden or if you cannot read jp it is easy to miss. Wish I saw this before my trip. I visited only a few of these.

quality content my dude. do you have any favourite hobby shops (for anywhere in japan, really) for train collectibles and memorabilia?

I swear I saw a comment asking about the Greenmax store, it's in the same building as Imon but they're on the fifth floor

Theres not really any g scale/gauge 1 in japan is there? I was hoping to get something to add to my set at home but couldn't find anything when I was in akihabara

Volks,it used to be a big one in radio kaikan before the renovation.

Nice video. I went also almost of model hobby shops there on our previous Tokyo, Japan trip with my family. Really had too many selections of N scale. I'm looking forward again to go back there on my upcoming 3rd Tokyo, Japan travel this year. I will also visit Popondetta and Kato Hobby Center.

Hello and thank you for a nice detailed video! If I was looking for an E5 series Hayabusa HO scale, where could I find it? I’ve been pretty lost lately, and I am hoping to find the place in akihabara! Thank you!

Interesting video have you used any of these for mail order or just used them to physically go in and shop?

That was fun. So they don’t have o gauge stuff like Lionel?

used your video to go to all these shops in November during my last trip -max 10% is H0 -employees don't speak English, -eg, in glass cabinet 2 JR freight locomotives, identical, one ¥70000, the other one ¥22000, pretty obvious that one asks "what is the difference..........answer: yes -the only shop that I really liked from the video was Popondetta -another place that i can highly recommend is Hobby Center Kato (Ochiai-Minami-Nagasaki Station) -as soon as I asked "do you speak English", guy left and returned with workmate that speaks good English (sometimes he used translation app :)

Great videos , do any of the stores you visited sell any kato American trains or are they all Japanese

So, which one store who have the cheapest price and good used conditions ???

Wow! So many stores with model trains. I wish you you slow down when showing the display items and its price. Wonder how the prices are in Japan compared to US?

Have you visited the Katsumi (KTM) store?

What would you advice someone who wants to start building his own railway station. I prefer bullet trains. I have to do this from scratch. Thanks

I saw the inventory of all those shops and I never saw any DCC stuff. Is it not popular over there?

Does Imon. carry HO scale trains with DCC. included.

10:46 i see that yamanote model. how much does that cost if you know?

Hi, i’ve been to Tokyo 4x already and saw these model train sets . But it’s only now i’m beginning to have interest in them. For starters, what brand do you recommend? I know Kato and tomix are popular. Also, can i use trains of one brand with tracks of the other ? Thanks

Do these shops have an online catalogue that i can check remotely? Im really interested in the n scale models, but my options are limited due to the current situation. Do you have any tips or recommendation on where to shop used n models from online platform? Thanks!!

Do they have H0m new or used? 1/87 Yo8000 was only produced by World Kougei and it's no longer in stock.

at 10:09, those red coaches look like Rhätische Bahn (Switzerland), is that possible?

i like know price tomix n scale starter set in japan tokio shops

by the way,did you go to hobby center kato?

Any store in the world.... Which sell spare store of union pacific? One bogguie...

Are any of these DCC equipped?

Shouldve gone to kato.

What we're the prices on the trains

hi, awesome guide, thanks! I'm new to the whole travel-shopping-thing, so how does that tax free / non tax free thing work?

Hello friend. Thanks for your videos. Could you help me with one spare of union pacific? Iam from Spain....

At the expense of being called a cheapskate I will go ahead and ask: Which store has the best prices?

I don't think that I could go to Japan. I would always be wondering, "okay, so when is the 8.0 earthquake going to happen?!?" Let's just say I have an acute case of Seismophobia...on steroids!

nothing for the American market? and not sure about shopping were the "ladys" work the streets. but they have lots for there markets. guess the American thing does not cross into all hobby's there.

You go through very fast, not showing prices and scale, need to slow down and show more details of trains and accessories and prices, give one hour in each store at least

Thank you for not doing the whole 'manic editing and whizzing through the shelves' kind of video. I find them intensely frustrating and can't understand how anybody can enjoy watching all that shaky footage where the viewer isn't allowed to really scrutinise and enjoy looking at all the truly incredible things on offer because the camera just pans through it all before random jump cuts by the editor. Horrible and unwatchable. So cheers for not doing that. :)

You pan way too fast!