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Old 2016.11.13, 09:53 PM   #1
herman
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tokyo, japan 06-2016

1.1
Greetings once again… last june 2016, I was quite fortunate to find my way back to Tokyo Japan… last time I was here, was waaaay back in 2004… here’s a link to the article ---> click here

Looked pretty much the same to me but I’m pretty sure that a lot has changed… the taxi driver told us that the tunnel we were passing through on our way to our hotel in shibuya from haneda airport was just completed last year after five years of construction (without any delays)… there were also new subway lines connecting to the much older lines…

Something really amazing was that just as I mentioned that Tokyo looked pretty much the same but I'm pretty sure that a lot has changed... was that we couldn't believe it when my my wife, and I came across and ate at the same restaurant at the tsukiji fish market 12 years ago!!! And the food tasted just as good as it did 12 years ago!!! A great testimony to the quality and dedication of how their food was and is still being prepared to this day... it was extra special now since we were able to bring our daughter and my brother in law to savor the restaurants really good food... oishi desu!!! but i digress....

A couple of weeks before leaving, I got to contact mr Ishikawa san of kyosho asking what hobby shops and tracks to visit in Tokyo, I also asked if the ARS track that I visited way back in 2004 was still there…
Got the following reply…

"Hello!!

ARS was closed many years ago.

In Akihabara , there is only one Mini-Z track.
Super Rajicon. Rajicon is for short Radio controlled.
http://www.super-rc.co.jp/shop/tokyo.html

Other three tracks are in Tokyo.

http://www.teis-p.com/rctop.html
http://aqualine.boo.jp/
http://www.kappa-space.com/

Please check these URL.
But all Japanese web site.
Please use google translation."

In addition to the above, Ishikawa san also gave me another shop that might be nice to visit –
futaba sangyo http://www.f-sangyo.co.jp

Last edited by herman; 2016.11.14 at 01:06 AM.
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Old 2016.11.13, 09:55 PM   #2
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Actually with the tight schedule that I had, I didn’t know if I would have the time to visit these places… so due to time constraints, I narrowed it down to Super Rajicon first (since it had a track, and if i didn't have any other time to visit any other shop/track)… and RC Champ second… (as I remember ordering some stuff from RC Champ a couple of years back)

After doing some research, I found out that RC Champ was quite near to Super Rajicon, and if I could pull it off, I could possibly visit both shops in one go...

A very small opportunity came after having dinner at 7:30pm… looking at google maps it would take about 35-40 minutes to get to akihabara (making my eta at around 8:05-8:10pm) and from the info I got from super rajicon website, the shop closes at 9pm…

After taking the subway to Suehirocho (G14 – Ginza line) it was a few min walk to the shop… from the pictures of their shop they posted on their website, I was able to identify and find it pretty easily (in spite of it being dark, and rainy)… oh and having rented a pocket wifi router proved its weight in gold in helping me navigate through this concrete jungle…

I went in and proceeded to the 2nd floor… lots of RC related stuff to see in here… but my main focus was mini-z of course…


Last edited by herman; 2016.11.14 at 01:08 AM.
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Old 2016.11.13, 09:56 PM   #3
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Apart from the other regular RC stuff, Super Rajicon practically had a whole isle of stuff dedicated to mini-z parts… I couldn’t help but ogle around at the stuff they had… parts, kits, bodies, tx’s, rims, tires etc. etc. etc. here are the pics….

ready kits



parts rack


rims route 246 and eagle parts...


rims square (remember square rims?) and atlas...


autoscales...





Last edited by herman; 2016.11.14 at 01:25 AM.
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Old 2016.11.13, 10:03 PM   #4
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The third floor housed their mini-z track (RCP) and their air guns… wish I took pictures of their air guns… I guess the reason why they pretty much had a lot of mini-z stuff in stock, is because of the track… which is quite logical… selling parts to support the regular guys at the track, and that occasional kit sale coming from interested customers.




There were a couple of drivers when I got to the third floor and track activity was winding down as it was pretty close to closing time. It was nice seeing a father and son (my guess he was probably below 10) working together on a car as a team.




before I knew it, it was closing time, so I had to go… it was fun and exciting to see the track and the shop… purchases were limited to 3 white bodies (911 porsche gt, audi a8, and the mclaren 12C) a white mclaren 12C autoscale, and the prized purchase…. Drumroll please… the mr03ve pro… (which up to this day is still in it’s original metal tin box – I guess, I’m really that busy)…

Pricewise, items were a bit marked down on the printed tag prices. Due to time constraints, I missed hitting two birds on this attempt, but who knows…. Maybe there might some free time on another day…

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Old 2016.11.13, 10:05 PM   #5
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And as luck would have it, weather was a lot better (no rain and clear skies) I had some free time on another day…. Hehehe… and so it was back to Akihabara… but to RC Champ this time, I stopped at the same station as rajicon - Suehirocho (G14 – Ginza line) but I had a much shorter walk… I chose this hobby shop because I have ordered some stuff from them online in the past through Hide san (Hideaki Higaki), and was hoping to meet him and finally put a face to his name… Again I got to locate the shop through the pictures they posted on their website (and my pocket wifi)…




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Old 2016.11.13, 10:06 PM   #6
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Here are some pics of the shop…







although they did have some mini-z parts, I felt that it wasn’t as quite as extensive as super rajicon, because super rajicon had a track, I think they had more parts in terms of variety to offer…

I also asked about Hide san and they said that he works at the shop in Osaka… oh well… probably I’ll have to travel to Osaka then…. Hahaha… prices were comparable and competitive…

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Old 2016.11.13, 10:08 PM   #7
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As a side note, I also had a friend who was visiting Japan with his family at the same time that we were there… he sent me pictures of one of Kyosho’s shops… which kinda turned me into the hulkish green with envy…. I did a search and found out that it was located in Odaiba… which was practically a stone’s throw away from sega’s joypolis which was where we were the exact time that he was at the Kyosho shop… grrrr…

He was kind enough to send me some pics…






It’s called kyosho village and Here’s some information on it:
http://www.kyosho.com/jpn/shop/kyosho_village/
and where it is located:
https://www.venusfort.co.jp/multi/en...map/index.html

I understand the shop is located within an outlet mall... kinda ideal if you are going with other people who are not into rc stuff... "take your time honey... just come back for me when you're done..." hehehe....

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Old 2016.11.13, 10:09 PM   #8
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But all in all… I was just content visiting super rajicon… wish that I could have been able to try out their track… but alas time was the kind enemy denying me this simple pleasure…

So there you have it… another wonderful mini-z adventure and quite an experience for me in Tokyo, Japan… would definitely love to go back again… and again… and again… hahaha…

Oh, just in case if somebody is heading off to Tokyo Japan, here’s some additional info on some hobby shops in akihabara…
http://www.ms.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~kiyoomi...akihabara.html




the list is pretty old but as of june 2016 I can verify that rc super rajicon and rc champ are still open since i've actually been to the shops… and futaba sangyo since ishikawa san recommended that shop... for the other shops, please try calling or emailing them first before you plan to visit to see if they are open…

Last edited by herman; 2016.11.14 at 12:48 AM.
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Old 2016.11.14, 07:06 AM   #9
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i dare say, there may be less than a handful of RC shops domestically that even come close to carrying that much mini-z stuff. I'm sure Kenon is likely the largest mini-z retail location (brick amd mortar store). always imagined walking into a store like those you've shared with us would be a little overwhelming just seeing all that at once. I would have to travel with a spare suitcase for sure
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Old 2016.11.14, 08:25 PM   #10
herman
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i always bring an "emergency" backpack to carry on "stuff" if you know what i mean... lol

at the time i visited kenon... it was the largest mini-z track/shop that i've been to...
after seeing super rajicon... i'm not sure... lol... kenon's track looks bigger though... and now thinking about it... the mrc track in taiwan may come close...

super rajicon does not only carry mini-z stuff but all other r/c stuff as well... and yep... it could be a little overwhelming looking at the amount of stuff that they have... wish i could have taken more pictures of the other isles...

in terms of variety and number of hobby shops within close proximity to each other... i'd say nothing beats hong kong ... you can have a hobby shop right next door , or just cross the street to another shop, just to compare prices... haven't been there lately so i still hope that the hobby shops are still there... as of last, some have had to either close or relocate due to high rental rates ...
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Old 2017.08.15, 01:11 AM   #11
herman
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after seeing super rajicon akihabara....

you might want to visit super rajicon osaka here -----> click me

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