Traveling mid April, looking for recommendations

[ronin]

Hello all,

 

Some last minute news dropped on me at work that I need to travel to Vietnam in mid April for a week.  Of course I immediately started plotting how I could parlay that into a stop over in Japan on the trip home.

 

Assuming that is able to happen, looking for recommendations on a numbers of fronts.  My in-laws are in Chiba prefecture and I know the Tokyo area well, but willing to travel out a bit.

 

So where are the best places for n gauge trains (selection and/or price)?

Any favorite train related places to see?  (I've been to the big train museum a little north of Tokyo a couple of years ago.)

 

Thanks for the help!

 

Eric

[paolo]

Hi Eric,

Regarding model shops in Tokyo, a trip to Akihabara is a must.

Yodobashi Camera has probably the best selection and prices, they are tax free and if you pay with VISA you get like 4-5% off.

Other interesting shops also in Akihabara are Volks, Models Imon, TamTam Hobby Shop (this one also have used items).

If you're into KATO, you could go also to their main shop, Hobby Center KATO in Shinjuku. Huge selection but it's quite expensive compared to other shops.

 

For train watching, I love Tokyo station, you can see A LOT of Shinkansen there. There is a "visitor ticket" you can buy at the ticketing machines that allow you to access the platforms without actually buying a train ticket, it's around 400 yen if I remember correctly.

 

 

Shimogoinden Bridge at Nippori station is a good place to spot trains from above.

 

 

 

Paolo

[Yavianice]

On 3/28/2019 at 2:44 AM, ronin said:

Hello all,

 

Some last minute news dropped on me at work that I need to travel to Vietnam in mid April for a week.  Of course I immediately started plotting how I could parlay that into a stop over in Japan on the trip home.

 

Assuming that is able to happen, looking for recommendations on a numbers of fronts.  My in-laws are in Chiba prefecture and I know the Tokyo area well, but willing to travel out a bit.

 

So where are the best places for n gauge trains (selection and/or price)?

Any favorite train related places to see?  (I've been to the big train museum a little north of Tokyo a couple of years ago.)

 

Thanks for the help!

 

Eric

 

See my signature for a list of shops and train related things to do in Japan.

 

It's not yet complete, but could be a good starting point.