Kiddyland - Tokyo's Amazing Toy Store

Kiddyland is a great name for a toy store!  I don't know if it is the world's best toy store, but it sure feels like one of the best when you visit.  I know I really enjoyed my visit and seeing all of the different toys, clothes, stuffies, gadgets, stationary, and much more.

Kiddyland Front   Flickr / seq

While they have some of the anime figures and Gundam models on the top floor this isn't what this store is about - go to Akihabara for that.  The store isn't as big as one of the massive Toys R Us stores for example in terms of square footage, but it is DENSELY packed with amazing and wonderful toys.  There are 5 stories of toys in this building with themed floors / areas by brand.  So there is a Winnie the Pooh section, or a Hello Kitty / Sanrio section, a Ghibli section, etc. 

Hello Kitty / Tostzilla

Wandering from floor to floor is like popping down multiple levels of Alice's rabbit hole and when you pick up and check out the toys, you're taking the potion marked "drink me!"  There is a massive variety of stuff and it is well worth a visit if you are in Harajuku checking out the architecture and fashions, etc.  There are going to be toys / widgets / gadgets that will appeal to all ages here.  If you have kids, taking them here and the Pokemon Center Store will probably get you the best parent of all time award (as long as you get them something and to be fair - get something for yourself too).

Ghibli Stuffies / Tostzilla

There will be stuff here you have never seen before as they have a really good selection.  For example, the Ghibli toys were really well stocked with great variety and they had stuff that the Ghibli Museum didn't have (but the Ghibli Museum has exclusives too like this Mei cosplaying as Totoro, etc.).

I'm also amazed that specialty stores like this can exist still as they seem to have gone extinct back in North America in most places.  I think high population density and the fact there are still lots of cool toys for all ages allows these places to exist.  This is something that seems to be rare back home now.

There are great little themed displays of toys too, but just remember that the displays constantly rotate so you will likely see different things when you visit, even if you don't buy.

This map below shows the location of Kiddyland as the helicopter.

View Shibuya Shinjuku Harajuku in a larger map

 

KIDDY LAND - Harajuku
6-1-9 Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

This branch of the Kiddyland shops was recently renovated in the summer of 2012 and is now open again!
Danny Choo recently visited the reopened site in September and here's a link to this article.

Check the Kiddyland website here for current details (look under the SHOPS menu - so I don't mislead you!!!)

Some cool little toys that link together to dance together shown below in the next two videos shot by the anonymous mass of videographers out there.  There are Sanrio characters or even Disney characters to make your own small world after all.

Other Tokyo Anime / Otaku Highlights Worth Visiting

• Gundam Cafe and AKB48 Cafe in Akihabara
• Gundam Front Mini-Theme Park in Odaiba (with another Gundam Cafe)
• Tokyo's Fantastic Kiddyland Toy Store
• The First Evangelion Store in Harajuku
• Pokemon Store in Hamamatsucho
• Tokyo's Theme Cafes
• The Ultra-tall Tokyo Skytree!
• Sweets Land, Character Street, and Ramen Street at Tokyo Station
• Yokohama Ramen Museum and Nissin Cup Noodle Museum 
• The Ghibli Museum in Mitaka