This brings back so much memories.... I was stationed in Japan for 5 years on a base just south of Tokyo. Every weekend I made it a point to go see different places and experience the culture. I also made it a point to visit all these hobby stores, that is why I have an extensive collection of model kits made by Japanese companies... Now that I am retired I look forward to going back..
do you mind me asking how old are you? I assume you're from the US military, so might I ask which branch were you from? I'm planning to join the military but can't decide where to join
It’s absolutely amazing to see how a civilized people conduct themselves as they go about their busy day. The cleanliness of the environment is as expected from 🇯🇵. In contrast, I live west of Flint, Michigan. Where it looks like a dystopian ghetto nightmare crossed with downtown Berlin 1943! They population will steal your teeth if you fall asleep with your mouth open. And, the roads are worse than Fallujia following an IED !! I look forward to visiting 🇯🇵 and going to the Tamiya shop someday 👍👍
@@MrJakr4 If Odaiba is only 1 store, its good to go and check the prices there versus in Akihabara where there are 2 more stores people can compare prices with. Then, they have 3 stores to compare prices from. :) P. S. Remember to write down the gumpla models you want, before heading out there. Once you're at those stores, you can easily forget your real objectives and just buy what you see. lol
Thanks for the tour of the shops! They look fantastic. Can you slow down the panning a bit? Things get a bit dizzying when moving around so quickly in the stores.
Oh man, seeing your video, i miss my trip to japan. I went to yodobashi camera and gundam base and i was in awed by so many kits. Its like a kid being in wonderland. Something about snap building kits and top coat feels very relaxing.
Going to Japan alone would make me say "Chewie, we're home" but going with a lovely smart lass sharing your love for all things nerdy, I would say "Someone up there likes me"
Did you go to Gundam Front in Odaiba? I was there a few weeks ago and bought 3 Gundam models, it is by far the biggest store for all Gundam merchandise (way more than Yodobashi in Akihabara). The lifesize 1/1 Gundam Unicorn at Gundam front is worth a visit and after 7pm every half hour you get to see the RX-0 change from Unicorn mode to destroy mode too. Really cool. I also got a free Zaku model from Uniqlo in Ginza when i bought 2 Gundam 40th aniversary t-shirts.
First of all thanks for the great video. I am sooooo going to Japan and pick up kits I already have. It would have been nice to see regular hobby stores that sold other models kits other then gundam and I see you did just that.
It was cool to see a big gunpla store I just wish your camera guy had gone a little slower when walking through. I realize they had a little of everything, it just would have been nice to if the camera could have had the time to show it and focus a touch. Especially on the smaller harder to see a glance boxes.
Me and my wife will go to Japan soon and will like to know places to shop for gundam and also I was impressed by the saint seiya good statue.! Thanks for sharing
I have this reoccurring dream where I am walking through a toys r us in the 80s but I'm like 30 and I have cash so I can buy whatever I want and it's all there. Masters of the universe... gi Joe... thundercats transformers ...mask the whole nine yards. All the playsets everything..
that is where we want to go one day and just UPS it back or bring nothng and just suitcases and pack them with gundams put it on the plane and bring them back...
Good thinking, just collapse the boxes and fit as many gumplas into least boxes as possible. Don't UPS them. Cost more than $20+ to ship a box overseas to and from Japan.
I wonder if gunpla would be less expensive at independent retailers or at the fundamentals base? I’m actually going next year and already thinking of where to shop
If you're talking about the Fundamentals Base where the Unicorn Gundam now stands, its a little more there than at the independent retailers (not by much, probably $1-5 difference, depending on which model you want and how popular it is). Your best bet is to go to at least 2 independent retailers (yes, each retailer will have slightly different prices) and the Fundamentals Base once. Then, on your 2nd visit (same trip), revisit the location that had it at a lower price. :) That's how I do it. :)
I recommend doing your shopping at Akihabara, but you really need to walk around comparing prices. You wouldn't initially think, but there are some massive price differences. I got the HIRM ARF for around 9500 yen, but saw it at up to 13000
Does anyone have any recommendations for transporting a bunch of gunpla kits back to the hotel, short of buying a suitcase and rolling everything around with me all day? I’m planning on staying by Disney Seas so everywhere will be kinda far for me, as far as I can tell (except for maybe Gundam base) Also, how late doe these gunpla and anime stores open till in Akihabara? I just ask because, if I can, i was going to try and buy everything at the end of the day, but I don’t know how plausible that would be. Especially with a group of people.
@@winghong631 Sorry, no idea. Unless you're planning multiple trips or asking the group to help you carry a few of these Gunpla's around with you. The stores in Akihabara, I've been to Big Camera as late as 8-8:30pm. They don't stay open too long, since they're electronic stores (Yodobashi stays open maybe until 9pm, its a huge mall). The earlier the better.
I'm not her (obviously) but have bought gunpla in Tokyo. The cheapest stores really vary on a kit by kit basis, but Gundam Base is always the most expensive. I ended up buying my kits at around 4 different places, but good recommendations are Radio Kaikan, Surugaya and Yodobashi, but you'll be better off just walking around and taking note of all the prices of the kits you want.
Gunpla Meli, are the gunpla more cheaper to buy in Japan? How can you describe the selection of Gunpla? Are there many rare kits out there? Anyways another nice vlog!! Keep up the briliiant work :))
@@signizy93 @Signizy93, Gunpla are a lot cheaper in Japan. Say a Gunpla you want costs $35 USD (US Dollars), in Japan its approximately $22 (this also depends on currency conversion for the day/week you're there and what model you want to buy). I purchased 3 little Haro's that costs $10 each on Amazon in the US (in hobby stores about $14-21 dollars each). I got it in Japan for about $5 dollars (391 yen) each in late 2018. I spent $10-12 on 3 models that would've cost me about $35 at the local hobby store ($18-22 on Amazon US in late 2018). I hope this gives you an idea of the cost differences. :) Also, don't eat American food everyday in Japan (only because the cost is higher there and portions are smaller). Do your best to eat mostly Japanese food there (tastes sooo good and a lot cheaper than when you purchase Japanese food in the US). :) One other suggestion, depending on how many Gunpla's you want to purchase there, you might want to consolidate your purchased sets into as few boxes as possible. Example, if you purchase 4-6 boxed 1/144 or 1/100 scale sets of mobile suits, you might want to toss/collapse 3 out of the 6 boxes, and fit the sets into the 3 remaining boxes. The boxes tend to be larger than what's inside to protect it when its shipped to stores, etc. Just make sure you're not over-stuffing your suitcase on your return trip (put clothes around the boxes, to help protect the contents). Then, you're all set. Everything I purchased there, came well. Only 1 of my boxes were a little squeezed, because of how my luggage was handled. :)
I want to visit the Japanese Bandai Models store to find the Bandai Star Trek Voyager model kits! And some of their (Bandai's) Space Battleship Yamato model kits! That's among the major things that are on my "Visiting Japan Bucket List"! (See Tokyo, and Die in Ecstasy!)
Mel! I’ve been following you for a few weeks now, i love ur content. I just want-to know, is it expensive to go to japan? Like how much would you say is needed to go to japan? 10,000 - 15,000 ?
How could you have gone to Akiba and missed the Gundam Cafe? It have a much better theme than, the one in Odaiba prefecture and I've ate at that same sushi restaurant and was so delicious, but I only waited 35mins.
![ILLSLICK - THE KING'S LANDING [Freestyle]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/feIJJnNkTfk/mqdefault.jpg)
I think I would burn an entire paycheck on Gunpla if I went there.
For me its my entire life savings...
And they would be cheaper
No sh1t sherlock
@@chaikagaz You spend so much it literally went on FIRE
This brings back so much memories.... I was stationed in Japan for 5 years on a base just south of Tokyo. Every weekend I made it a point to go see different places and experience the culture. I also made it a point to visit all these hobby stores, that is why I have an extensive collection of model kits made by Japanese companies... Now that I am retired I look forward to going back..
do you mind me asking how old are you? I assume you're from the US military, so might I ask which branch were you from? I'm planning to join the military but can't decide where to join
Tamiya 🇯🇵🇯🇵👍👍
I can only dream of the day I can go to Japan and buy hella gunpla
Its a dream come true.
Make it happen
Love the visit but the camera is moving WAY to fast. Slow down and pan it folks :)
Kickstart
It’s absolutely amazing to see how a civilized people conduct themselves as they go about their busy day. The cleanliness of the environment is as expected from 🇯🇵. In contrast, I live west of Flint, Michigan. Where it looks like a dystopian ghetto nightmare crossed with downtown Berlin 1943! They population will steal your teeth if you fall asleep with your mouth open. And, the roads are worse than Fallujia following an IED !!
I look forward to visiting 🇯🇵 and going to the Tamiya shop someday 👍👍
You should make a video on tips on going to japan(more specifically gundam related trip)
2:10 Holly S....this is Heaven for gunpla fan
There is arguably more to buy in Odaiba
@@MrJakr4 If Odaiba is only 1 store, its good to go and check the prices there versus in Akihabara where there are 2 more stores people can compare prices with. Then, they have 3 stores to compare prices from. :)
P. S. Remember to write down the gumpla models you want, before heading out there. Once you're at those stores, you can easily forget your real objectives and just buy what you see. lol
i agree but the price is skyrocket tho
...
Marty McFly is still right, "All the BEST stuff is (still) made in Japan"
Thanks for the tour of the shops! They look fantastic. Can you slow down the panning a bit? Things get a bit dizzying when moving around so quickly in the stores.
All those beautiful kits and I bet I could STILL not find the few I have been seeking for the past several years. lol
I like how the battle hymn of the republic is playing in the background.
Imagine just having a shop near that has PG just sitting on shelf like its no big deal.
Oh man, seeing your video, i miss my trip to japan. I went to yodobashi camera and gundam base and i was in awed by so many kits. Its like a kid being in wonderland. Something about snap building kits and top coat feels very relaxing.
Going to Japan alone would make me say "Chewie, we're home" but going with a lovely smart lass sharing your love for all things nerdy, I would say "Someone up there likes me"
Did you go to Gundam Front in Odaiba?
I was there a few weeks ago and bought 3 Gundam models, it is by far the biggest store for all Gundam merchandise (way more than Yodobashi in Akihabara). The lifesize 1/1 Gundam Unicorn at Gundam front is worth a visit and after 7pm every half hour you get to see the RX-0 change from Unicorn mode to destroy mode too.
Really cool.
I also got a free Zaku model from Uniqlo in Ginza when i bought 2 Gundam 40th aniversary t-shirts.
Yup I always go visit when u go to japan
wow I literally can spend the whole day in that gundam store
You haven't seen nothing yet until you go to the Bandai Hobby Center(and the factory) in Shizuoka, is basically the pantheon of Gunpla.
Omg....I swear I'm very new to gunpla builds and this right here is jaw dropping Haha
Just being able to buy gunpla for MSRP is a dream, let alone quite below it.
bro who would i not kill to have a selection of that
I need to go one of these places and get some P Bandai kits. No more third-party sellers! Wish I could have seen more of the MG wall.
First of all thanks for the great video. I am sooooo going to Japan and pick up kits I already have. It would have been nice to see regular hobby stores that sold other models kits other then gundam and I see you did just that.
ようこそ！Hope you like Tokyo
Are kits cheaper to buy in places like these than in the base in Odaiba? not really looking for exclusives just a bunch of RX-78 variants.
It was cool to see a big gunpla store I just wish your camera guy had gone a little slower when walking through. I realize they had a little of everything, it just would have been nice to if the camera could have had the time to show it and focus a touch. Especially on the smaller harder to see a glance boxes.
Gunpla heaven 🥺
Wow 😮 I’ve got no words to describe this
this is heaven...
This is paradise!
That boy at 0:56, definitely looks like shin chan hahaha 😂😂😂
Me and my wife will go to Japan soon and will like to know places to shop for gundam and also I was impressed by the saint seiya good statue.! Thanks for sharing
I have this reoccurring dream where I am walking through a toys r us in the 80s but I'm like 30 and I have cash so I can buy whatever I want and it's all there. Masters of the universe... gi Joe... thundercats transformers ...mask the whole nine yards. All the playsets everything..
this is heaven
that is where we want to go one day and just UPS it back or bring nothng and just suitcases and pack them with gundams put it on the plane and bring them back...
Good thinking, just collapse the boxes and fit as many gumplas into least boxes as possible.
Don't UPS them. Cost more than $20+ to ship a box overseas to and from Japan.
difficult choices Meli? ^^
it's impossible forme to choose Something, too much kit! love it
(I want a shop like this ^^)
1:47 One of places I hear great things about for buying GunPla.
3:40 RG 00 series ....
That sushi place at the end looked good!
@xxnike629xx
"1:47 One of places I hear great things about for buying GunPla.
"
Yeah, its a great place for you to hoard *BOXES* *:P*
I got a nosebleed from the thumbnail
literally living the dream !!!
I have a Google Sheets with all the Gundam I've bought and built, for just such purchasing emergencies
Where was the hobby off located you went to? I'm Navy stationed in Japan and love the hobby "thrift" stores.
Go yodobashi camera😊
2:55 Sagittarius no Gold Cloth!
Gunpla heaven
I dream of the day I can go to that Gunpla store
U need a better cameraman....
He is just too fast with his movements and no focus of some good stuff.
I wonder if gunpla would be less expensive at independent retailers or at the fundamentals base? I’m actually going next year and already thinking of where to shop
If you're talking about the Fundamentals Base where the Unicorn Gundam now stands, its a little more there than at the independent retailers (not by much, probably $1-5 difference, depending on which model you want and how popular it is).
Your best bet is to go to at least 2 independent retailers (yes, each retailer will have slightly different prices) and the Fundamentals Base once. Then, on your 2nd visit (same trip), revisit the location that had it at a lower price. :)
That's how I do it. :)
I recommend doing your shopping at Akihabara, but you really need to walk around comparing prices. You wouldn't initially think, but there are some massive price differences. I got the HIRM ARF for around 9500 yen, but saw it at up to 13000
Does anyone have any recommendations for transporting a bunch of gunpla kits back to the hotel, short of buying a suitcase and rolling everything around with me all day? I’m planning on staying by Disney Seas so everywhere will be kinda far for me, as far as I can tell (except for maybe Gundam base)
Also, how late doe these gunpla and anime stores open till in Akihabara? I just ask because, if I can, i was going to try and buy everything at the end of the day, but I don’t know how plausible that would be. Especially with a group of people.
@@winghong631 Sorry, no idea. Unless you're planning multiple trips or asking the group to help you carry a few of these Gunpla's around with you.
The stores in Akihabara, I've been to Big Camera as late as 8-8:30pm. They don't stay open too long, since they're electronic stores (Yodobashi stays open maybe until 9pm, its a huge mall).
The earlier the better.
Oh ho God help me! I'm about to go crazy over them gunplas!
日本を楽しんでくださってる様で
嬉しいなぁ〜
やっぱガンプ最高っすね^_^
Hi Gunpla Meli!
Which shop sells cheap brand new Gundam?
What the price difference from Gundam Base?
I'm not her (obviously) but have bought gunpla in Tokyo. The cheapest stores really vary on a kit by kit basis, but Gundam Base is always the most expensive. I ended up buying my kits at around 4 different places, but good recommendations are Radio Kaikan, Surugaya and Yodobashi, but you'll be better off just walking around and taking note of all the prices of the kits you want.
I would leave that store broke. Why must gunpla be so cruel yet so satisfying!
Beutifull view... Shaky is not the real problem... The camera are going to fast... It felt like a roller-coaster ride
Thanks for sharing, I would have a field day shopping there.
Gunpla Meli, are the gunpla more cheaper to buy in Japan? How can you describe the selection of Gunpla? Are there many rare kits out there? Anyways another nice vlog!! Keep up the briliiant work :))
Yes much cheaper I normally buy all my kits when I’m in japan. Rare kits are at the Gundam front or second hand good stores. Thanks! :)
@@Gunplameli How cheaper is it? Im going to japan for 4 weeks in august, and im planning to get what i can/afford.
@@signizy93 @Signizy93, Gunpla are a lot cheaper in Japan.
Say a Gunpla you want costs $35 USD (US Dollars), in Japan its approximately $22 (this also depends on currency conversion for the day/week you're there and what model you want to buy). I purchased 3 little Haro's that costs $10 each on Amazon in the US (in hobby stores about $14-21 dollars each). I got it in Japan for about $5 dollars (391 yen) each in late 2018. I spent $10-12 on 3 models that would've cost me about $35 at the local hobby store ($18-22 on Amazon US in late 2018). I hope this gives you an idea of the cost differences. :)
Also, don't eat American food everyday in Japan (only because the cost is higher there and portions are smaller). Do your best to eat mostly Japanese food there (tastes sooo good and a lot cheaper than when you purchase Japanese food in the US). :)
One other suggestion, depending on how many Gunpla's you want to purchase there, you might want to consolidate your purchased sets into as few boxes as possible.
Example, if you purchase 4-6 boxed 1/144 or 1/100 scale sets of mobile suits, you might want to toss/collapse 3 out of the 6 boxes, and fit the sets into the 3 remaining boxes.
The boxes tend to be larger than what's inside to protect it when its shipped to stores, etc. Just make sure you're not over-stuffing your suitcase on your return trip (put clothes around the boxes, to help protect the contents). Then, you're all set.
Everything I purchased there, came well. Only 1 of my boxes were a little squeezed, because of how my luggage was handled. :)
@@dragonballz0 Hi, thanks a lot for the info. What are some of your favorite places to shop for cheap gunpla?
yes, yes, galore tons of it multiples of the same kits, cheaper..that is why we wan to go there one day and just go crazy
2:10 this is making me want to go to Japan even more
ガンダムは世界で愛されてますね✨✨
So what's that pancake place called? I'm going to Tokyo in May and that place looks awesome!
I want to visit the Japanese Bandai Models store to find the Bandai Star Trek Voyager model kits!
And some of their (Bandai's) Space Battleship Yamato model kits! That's among the major things that are on my "Visiting Japan Bucket List"!
(See Tokyo, and Die in Ecstasy!)
Going late October! Cannot wait!
I've been there!!! LOL!!! Great memories and can't wait to go back!!!
Gashpon
So
Mad
Fun!!!
My
Very
Like
Mad
Gashpon.xd
for the shaky part of the video, it's actually quite stable for so don't worry about it X)
Man !! I missed Yodobashi Akiba's song 😩😢 " Yodobashi Bic Camera ~" 😂
Mel! I’ve been following you for a few weeks now, i love ur content. I just want-to know, is it expensive to go to japan? Like how much would you say is needed to go to japan? 10,000 - 15,000 ?
wow this is what you call heaven
that hobbyoff music drives me crazy. i don't know how the workers can stand it all shift. and its not quiet either
There are 13 yodobashi stores in Tokyo, which one provide the most gunpla variety?
What’s the last shop you went into ? It had power ranger stuff!
So many good ones
How i wish i can go there some time. I need to know the locations you've gone because they all look amazing to go to.
I’m going to japan next week, would you mind tell me the name and address of the shop at 5:20 minutes ? Thanksxx
great vids!
are you going to do a japan haul vid?
This, and camera stores. I would have a field day in Japan!
is the gunpla store in tokyo pricing cheaper than what we would pay in US from websites?
Could you please share or say the exact location of this Sega Store
nowadays, I'm still looking for HY2M DOM, but they are so rare...
can someone explain if all those gunpla are from cannon tv series?
Oh Wow 4; 17 0079 Gundam models that's my Fave that store rocks
Wish there was a gundam store where I live.
they running like chickens but prehistoric HHAHAHA
Awesome VLOG!
Did you need to learn some Japanese before going to Japan for easier communication with the locals?
How could you have gone to Akiba and missed the Gundam Cafe? It have a much better theme than, the one in Odaiba prefecture and I've ate at that same sushi restaurant and was so delicious, but I only waited 35mins.
I literally have a recurring dream that I am in one of these stores. Someday
Hi what about transformers G1 do u like those?
what's that restaurant ya'll went to at the end of the vlog?
Could spend all day shopping for gunpla there.
Hanstui I spend houuuurs here
I wish someday I could go to Japan and buy alot of Gunplas
I wish they have a store like that here in hawaii
I miss model stores
Is miniature war gaming popular in Japan?
I wish I can go there.. Luv it...
I think her fart from the last video scared everyone on this comments section lol
that wasn't me thooooo
Yeah I definitely hesitated to push play lol
I wonder if it smells like roses
LMAO
Did she? Didnt hear any fart sounds tho
I know its not related to your channel but u guys skipped the scale 1:1 gold cloth 😭
so this is what dreams are made of.
The Camera to fast moveing
Well at least barnes and noble had IBO kits once
oh this makes me want to go to japan so bad!!!!!
I saw the evangelion matal build I wonder how much is costs in there... Hmmm... I wish I can get there too :(
“Aw man,why do the Japanese get all the good stuff?”
I wonder if they still produce age series
Which pancake restaurant is this?
So jealous!!!
AWESOME!!!!!
海外の方の動画でハードオフの音楽を聞くことになるとは