All About Tokyo Character Street in Tokyo Station Part 1: Kawaii (Cute) Items
If you love some Japanese characters, there is a perfect place to go shopping in Tokyo Station. It is Tokyo Character Street.
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| Tokyo Character Street displays of each shop |
Many character item shops gather in the floor, and importantly, all of them are official shops of the characters!
I have a lot to talk about it, so I recommend 6 of the shops with photos and shop information in this article. I list the other shops as well, and explanations and photos of them will be on the next post.
This is all about kawaii (=pretty) characters in Tokyo Station. I especially push the 6th shop which is not very well-known overseas.
Contents
1: Pokemon Store
The biggest Pokemon official shop in Japan is Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo in Ikebukuro. There are Pokemon Centers and Pokemon Stores in Japan, and Pokemon Stores are smaller than Pokemon Centers.
However, this Pokemon Store in Tokyo Character Street can’t be missed.
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| Pokemon Store in Tokyo Station |
This Pokemon Store has the latest Pokemon official items as well as Pokemon Centers, even if it doesn’t have all the items.
More importantly, you can’t meet the Station Master Pikachu items anywhere but here!
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| RARE! Stationmaster Pikachus in Tokyo Station |
If you are a big fan of Pokemon, it is another must-go beside Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo.
Travel Tip: You will find the signatures of Junichi Masuda, Tsunekazu Ishihara and Shoko Nakagawa, who are all Pokemon related people back of this Station Master Pikachu. See the proof here!
Helpful Links
2: Tamagotchi Store Tokyo
Attention! This store has CLOSED on 5 June, 2016. But I keep this article for our memories.
There are two tamagotchi official stores in Japan; one is Tamagotchi Department Store in Harajuku, and Tamagotchi Store in Tokyo Character Street is the other.
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| Tamagotchi Store in Tokyo Station |
Tamagotchi Store Tokyo has limited items, too. Tamagotchi Department Store has its limited items inspired by Harajuku pop culture. On the other hand, you will find designs of tamagotchi with Tokyo Tower and Station Master Kuchipatchi items in Tokyo Character Street.
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| Stationmaster Kuchipatchi! |
…Many shops in Tokyo Character Street sell stationmaster things. Stationmaster Miffy was also cute!
If you are a big fan of tamagotchi, it is a good idea to visit both of Tamagotchi Store Tokyo & Tamagotchi Department Store in Harajuku.
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| BIG Tamagotchi display |
And the big tamagotchi display on the wall is so amazing! I’ve uploaded photos of how big it is on Facebook Album.
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| History of Tamagotchi |
From the original tamagotchis in 1996 to the latest Tamagotchi 4U. How many do you know?
Helpful Links
- Tumblr of Tokyo Direct Guide – mainly about tamagotchis!
- Memorial Album of Tamagotchi Department Store Harajuku
3: Donguri Republic (Studio Ghibli Official Shop)
(Attention! Donguri Garden was renewed into Donguri Republic in June, 2015. The shop itself hasn’t changed. See it here.)
My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away… Studio Ghibli characters’ official shop is in Tokyo Character Street.
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| Ghibli Official Shop in Tokyo Character Street |
I must say that the official items sold at Donguri Garden are very, very high-quality.
Just small accessories, towels, dishes, dioramas are amazingly detailed. The mild, soft, natural tastes of Totoro and other Ghibli anime movies are realized very well.
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| My Neighbor Totoro Summer Items |
They always offer wonderful seasonal items. Personally, I love the Totoro’s music box very much.
You might not have time to visit Ghibli Museum – or you are visiting Japan for Ghibli. Whichever you are, Tokyo Character Street is the perfect place.
Helpful Links
4: Hello Kitty Shop
Hello Kitty is now popular world wide. I have an international friend who love Kitty so much.
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| Hello Kitty Shop |
This Hello Kitty shop has a wide range of items. Sometimes, they have rare items such as Kitty’s anniversary designs, etc. Tokyo and Japan designs (Kitty in kimono, for example) will be great souvenirs.
5: Rilakkuma Store
Rilakkuma is popular internationally, too. I’ve been posting kawaii stuff on Monthly Kawaii News on this blog and Tumblr beside practical travel guides, so I know how many Rilakkuma fans are all around!
I think that Rilakkuma Store is the biggest shop in Tokyo Character Street. There are always many customers at the checkout counters.
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| Rilakkuma Store |
Rilakkuma Store is in Kiddy Land Harajuku, too. Comparing the two Rilakkuma Stores, Tokyo Character Street has a wide range of Rilakkuma items beside Kiddy Land has other San-X characters such as Jimbe san, etc. If you are a fan of Sumikko Gurashi, its official shop opened in Tokyo Character Street in 2017!
Helpful Links
- Harajuku Sightseeing Guide by Tokyo Direct Guide
- Kawaii Character News Backnumbers
6: Kapibara-san Kyurutto Shop
Have you seen Kapibara-san? Personally, I love them the best now!!
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| My beloved Kapibarasan shop!! |
Kapibara san shop is located next to Rilakkuma Store. It is a small shop, but it is full of fluffy, relaxing and super cute items.
Kapibara-san is not as well-known as Rilakkuma, but it is very popular in Japan. I believe that you love him if you are a Rilakkuma fan. You will be a kawaii leader with these items!
Actually, I uploaded some videos of the capybara family in Ueno Zoo. Kapibara san is the reason why I mentioned to real capybaras.
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| Kapibarasan items in the showcase!! |
My love to Kapibara-san won’t stop. Do you follow me?
Shop List of Tokyo Character Street
So, how were the 6 cute shops? And here is the list of the other shops in Tokyo Character Street.
- Moomin Shop mini Tokyo Station
- Nameko Official Shop Tokyo Station Head Store
- Aikatsu! Style
- Precure Pretty Store (super heroines)
- Snoopy Town mini
- miffy style
- Shochiku Kabuki-ya Honpo (Kabuki is traditional Japanese drama.)
- JACKIE’S DREAM The Bears’ School Official Shop
Some new shops opened in 2017.
- Otona Joshi Biyori (makeups of popular characters such as Sailor Moon)
- Crayon Shin-chan Official Shop
- Sumikko Gurashi Shop
- Prism Stone Pripara Shop
- Yorozu Mart mini (Yokai Watch official store)
- Tokyo Gashapon Street (capsule toys)
Guides and pics were updated! Please go to List & Guide of the New Shops in Tokyo Character Street
- JUMP SHOP (An official item shop of Shonen Jump, the leading manga magazine. It includes One Piece, Naruto, Breach, Dragon Ball, etc.)
- PLARAIL SHOP (miniature trains)
- TOMICA SHOP (miniature cars)
- Ultraman Shop (super heroes)
- LEGO click brick
The following are the shops of Japanese TV stations. They sell Japanese TV program related items, so their customers are mainly Japanese locals.
But, actually, you have chances to meet some popular character items there because the animes are broadcast by one of these TV stations.So I add some hints for you.
- NHK Character Shop
- Fuji TV Shop – One Piece anime, etc.
- TV TOKYO Shop – Pokemon anime, etc.
- TBS Store – K-on! anime, etc.
- Nittere-ya (Nihon TV shop) – Detective Konan, etc.
- TV ASAHI Shop – Doraemon, etc.
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All About Tokyo Character Street
- All About Tokyo Character Street in Tokyo Station Part 1: Kawaii (Cute) Items
- The Best Japanese Souvenirs at Kabuki Shop – All About Tokyo Character Street in Tokyo Station Part 2
- 5+ Cool Shops of Heroes, Heroines & Machines – All About Tokyo Character Street in Tokyo Station Part 3
Tokyo Character Street Visitor Information
Location
Yaesu North Exit underground floor in Tokyo Station, inside First Avenue Tokyo Station (also called, Tokyo Eki Ichibangai in Japanese)
The Easiest JR Train Map & Subway Maps of Tokyo City – Have simplified train and subway maps for your comfortable trip to visit Tokyo Station!
Travel Tip: The subway station of Otemachi is connected to Tokyo Station.
How to get to Tokyo Character Street
Go out of Yaesu North Exit of Tokyo Station and go down stairs to B1 floor. Or, Go out of Yaesu Central Exit, go left and go down to B1 floor.
Travel Tip: Yaesu is the opposite side to Marunouchi exits. Yaesu is the east district of Tokyo Station, where some Daimaru and some other old department stores are. Marunouchi is a district leading to Imperial Palace that is famous for cherry blossoms.
Opening Hours of the Shops
10:00 – 20:30 every day
(Shop info is based on that in March, 2015.)
Helpful Links to Visit Tokyo Character Street
- Tokyo Station Official Maps in English by Japan Railway
- First Avenue Tokyo Station Official Floor Guide in English (PDF)
- First Avenue Tokyo Station Official Floor Guide in Chinese (PDF)
- First Avenue Tokyo Station Official Floor Guide in Korean (PDF)
- Hotels near Tokyo Station – Imperial Palace is near Tokyo Station Marunouchi Exits. There are 5-star luxury hotels including Shangri-La Hotel Tokyo, Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, and retro & modern The Tokyo Station Hotel.
Fun Links!
- Tumblr of Tokyo Direct Guide – The CUTEST social channel of mine.
- Pokemon Center in Ikebukuro – a Report of “Mega” Opening & Guide to Visit there
- Tamagotchi Department Store Re-opened in Harajuku
Fantastic! I really like the tamagotchi – they were very popular in Australia a few years ago, but are not so easy to find these days. I don't know why! It's interesting that I've seen all the characters, but not in such great numbers! It must be fun to shop along that street!
Hi, Red!
I suppose that Bandai has feelings that it is not very easy to develop their tamagotchi brand internationally. But I met many tamagotchi fans in foreign countries in my blog and social media, so I believe that tamagotchi can be BIGGER than now, as Rilakkuma, and so on.
It's a paradise for dot-eye character fans… like me!
Could do you know how to get to either tamagotchi stores from fussa?
Hi!
Tamagotchi Store is inside Tokyo Station, and Tamagotchi Department Store is in Harajuku, so JR Chuo Line and Yamanote Line will take you there. It won't be difficult.
See this simple JR train map of Tokyo.