In this collector interview, Richia Shia of the insanely popular DBZ Collectors United group and widely known for his “Shia Hauls” chronicles answers questions about his recent vacation and shopping trip to Tokyo,Japan. He also gives us pointers on what we should expect if we’re to take the journey to the land of the Rising Sun ourselves! It was definitely a good time picking his brain, and definitely expect more from him on this site in the future.
KS: How Long Were You in Tokyo?
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.
KS: What are the Prices Like in Over there?
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.
KS: 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.
KS: 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):
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.
KS: 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.
END INTERVIEW
It was an honor to interview this guy Richie Shia who has one of the most extensive Dragon Ball collections I’ve seen in my lifetime and runs such a great group in DBZ Collectors United! Make sure to join their group and interact with the crew by clicking here. Check out some of his pictures here below and let us know what you think in the comments!
