Buying 40k in Japan (Yodobashi camera)

[Kierdale]

As well as the 5 Warhammer stores (Tokyo has Takadanobaba, Jimboucho, Harajuku and Ikebukuro. Osaka has Namba. They’re advertising for managers for Yokohama and, if I remember correctly, Kobe too) GW products can be bought at some other hobby stores (e.g. YellowSubmarine in Akihabara. Not in the Shinjuku store anymore) aaaaand in Yodobashi Camera.

Yodobashi Camera??

This is a big electrical appliance department store chain. The Akihabara One is HUGE. Mine, Kichijouji, is a mere 8 floors, with one given over to toys (dangerous. Best stay clear or your wallet will regret it), video games and plastic models.

They have a small GW selection which I’ll post about here, and lots of other makers (Tamiya, Mr.Hobby, etc). If there is demand, I’ll photograph/post about the other products too.

The GW range:

Most starter sets and easy-to-build stuff.

Sprays and Space Marine Heroes.

Bloodbowl there too.

And a (near) full rack of paints

Why shop here?

Well, Yodobashi has a point card. Whenever you buy something you get ten percent of the cost as points added to your card. You can use these as a discount on future purposes. These soon add up to a free/cheaper pot of paint (or, in my case, often a Space Marine Hero).

If you live in Japan it’s excellent.

If you’re visiting, making a card is easy and free. Split your shopping over two visits and get a bit of discount the second time. And keep the card for when you’re back again ;)

Non-GW, I will mention the ranges of decals they have made by independent companies, normally for super detailing Mecha models (warning symbols and superfine text, etc) which I often use (on my Mentors, etc.). I’ll try to snap some photos next time I visit the shop and post them.

Similarly there are also custom bitz for detailing mecha: different hand poses, rockets pods, guns and the like. I’ll try to get photos and link to the website when I have time.

[Son of Carnelian]

Thanks for the write-up!

[N1SB]

This is outstanding intel, thanks for this.  I have 2 follow-up questions pls:

 

1st, why is the GW stuff in particular in a glass cage?  I've seen this before with Xbox games long ago and the logic was that an average player might get confused by things designed for a market different than their own, so you had to ask for help from a salesperson who could advise you?  I remember as a kid living there, the shopkeeper wants to sell to you, but are very responsible to make sure you knew what you were getting, so that you weren't dissatisfied.

 

2nd, I noticed the Citadel paints are RIGHT BY the Japanese Tamiya and Mr. Hobby paints rather than by the GW stuff!  That's fascinating!  Do Japanese painters like Citadel paints?  I see the sign at the bottom saying it's water-soluble, as most of their own paints are enamels.  I have an inkling Japanese Hobbyists might be more interested in the paints than the miniatures! 

[Kierdale]

You’re welcome!

These microtext decals look excellent as script for whatever you need. Can always cut them up to change the shape of the paragraph too.

Another sheet of warnings and the like (the Beware Of Blast ones need to be put on noise marines!), including...

“the path of the righteous man is beset on all sides...”

The full quote!

I don’t know if anyone is keen to check the range or buy from Yodobashi online (it’s all in Japanese) but here’s a link:

Linky

[D3L]

The only thing is, unless you're stuck in Australia, there's little no point buying GW from any brick and mortar retailer in Asia due to the insane mark up (UK RRP + 30% after FX rates are taken into account)

as OP says, if you have to, then well yes you can get a discount this way, but in general it's more efficient to buy either from GW online, or in your home country (as long as said home country isn't Hong Kong or Australia)

[Kierdale]

N1SB, good questions. I honestly don’t know why all but the paints are in the locked cabinet (some GW spray can are in the cabinet, others at the bottom of the rack. Go figure).

To prevent theft (as they’re rather pricy compared to the other plastic kits in the hobby area)?

 

Anecdotal evidence, but I do remember a couple of non-GW modellers visiting GW Nakano years ago to buy paints, so it may be that they’re seen as good acrylics.

 

I’ll try to do some future posts on non-GW stuff (decals, bits) that can be picked up and used for 40k.

[ixzion]

Great update Kierdale! Now I know where I want to go next time I'm in Japan. I should still have my old point card somewhere (perhaps even with some points on it?), if I can find it.

 

The market for GW is really growing in Japan. When I first visited Japan in 2010 they only had a couple of stores (even one in Kichijoji, which was convenient for me, however it has since closed) and I felt the interest was shrinking, but now they're really on an upswing! It's great to see! 

[Kierdale]

Great update Kierdale! Now I know where I want to go next time I'm in Japan. I should still have my old point card somewhere (perhaps even with some points on it?), if I can find it.

 

The market for GW is really growing in Japan. When I first visited Japan in 2010 they only had a couple of stores (even one in Kichijoji, which was convenient for me, however it has since closed) and I felt the interest was shrinking, but now they're really on an upswing! It's great to see!

 

Send me a message when you’re next over. Bring a KillTeam ;)

Did you used to live near Kichijouji?

Yes, I visited the GW there once, before I got back into the hobby. As I live in Kichijouji it might be best that the store isn’t there anymore. Could’ve been dangerous :D

 

 

 

Fingers crossed the hobby grows sufficiently for us to have a third Golden Demon comp’!

[N1SB]

I've been thinking about this.  Does Yodobashi Camera, being such a big retail chain in Japan, especially for pop culture stuff, often have exclusive items for even video games or other things?

 

The parallel I'm thinking of is how Gamestop in the U.S. or Walmart, etc., often have exclusive content for video games they stock.  It'd be like a special weapon skin or armour, from some insert (like a card with a special code) in the game package.  It's like part of the negotiation between publishers/makers with the retailers (e.g. Walmart demands to have the lowest price, a game publisher can't do that, so they offer instead added value from some exclusive game weapon).

 

The context is, I'm still thinking about our Space Marine Heroes discussion as a Japanese-exclusive.  Like even if it wasn't demanded by Japanese retailers, it's a deal sweetener from GW to hopefully stock their items.  I'm looking at that shelf and I'm pretty sure Yodobashi Camera has been stocking GW stuff for less than 1 year.

[Finkmilkana]

This is outstanding intel, thanks for this.  I have 2 follow-up questions pls:

 

1st, why is the GW stuff in particular in a glass cage?  I've seen this before with Xbox games long ago and the logic was that an average player might get confused by things designed for a market different than their own, so you had to ask for help from a salesperson who could advise you?  I remember as a kid living there, the shopkeeper wants to sell to you, but are very responsible to make sure you knew what you were getting, so that you weren't dissatisfied.

I'm pretty sure that is not a general thing, though japanese stores seem to like to put stuff they want to draw special attention to behind glass.  I'm pretty sure at least the Osaka Umeda (this year) and the Kyoto (last year) ones do not have it behind glass. Its possible I misremember though, I've never actually been there to buy any (kinda pointless to do when always only in Japan for a few days), only walked by a few times.

The GW area is also usually quite tiny (one, maybe two shelfs) compared to the rows upon rows of japanese collector models.

 

 

I'm looking at that shelf and I'm pretty sure Yodobashi Camera has been stocking GW stuff for less than 1 year.

Its at least a bit more than a year, I saw some (not behind glass, but on a standard shelf) in March of last year in the Kyoto Yodobashi. At least most of the boxes back then also were not special releases/books/spray cans like this shelf, but normal model boxes (various factions including at least Astra Militarum, Marines, Tyranids and a few others I dont remember).

[N1SB]

Got it, thanks for correcting me.  I just noticed everything in that glass display came after 8th ed's launch, but perhaps it's just that one glass display.

 

GW here in Hong Kong has been making a big push via distributors to get their stuff into hobby stores and it's exactly 1 or 2 shelves at most in a shop stocked to the brim with Gundam and Tamiya cars.  What's curious to me now is, if anything, the stores here stock the fantasy Age of Sigmar range, the idea being if people wanted sci-fi, go look at our walls of Gundam, so might as well try something different from GW.

 

Thus, comparing these retailers is quite telling.

[D3L]

As soon as we get a date from an official source about the series 2 terminators, I'll pop over for the weekend and buy a set

[Kierdale]

An update on Yodobashi stock:

The cabinet from before. They do get the newest stuff in, including KT and Titanicus (a GM edition, Jpnz version, for 40,000yen).

A lot of MIG stuff in there too. Pigments, etc.

Paint rack

And the new rack of kits - AoS and 40k, bloodbowl, etc all crammed in! :D

And that’s just part of the whole hobby-goods area. I must do photos (or a video) of that sometime.