;)
Wow! Awesome! How about another?
;)
I just love these and think it will be so much fun shopping for them in Japan. One of the blogs I read said there is a Volks outlet in Akiba, and also some other shops in Akiba such as Mandarake Akiba. These dolls are quite something. They come in sizes starting from around 8 inches tall up to just over two feet. They are made out of a hard plastic somewhat similar to a Barbie, but that is about where the similarities end. These dolls are customizable in practically every way. Of course there is the expected, with shops featuring wigs, clothing, shoes, and accessories for the little darlings all over the web. You can also change out their eyes, buy them plain and paint faces and nails, or buy them with pre-painted faces and nails. It is a bit weird to find oneself clicking about peering at glass eyes and "elegant" hands. Oh yes, forgot to mention you can customize hands, feet, body shapes....pretty much every single thing about these dolls. I'm pretty certain DD will be wanting one if she gets a peep at them when we travel to Japan.
Speaking of Akiba (a short form of Akihabara derived from Akiba-kei, meaning Akihabara-style), I found a great webby all about Akihabara with an old list of shops here. I am sure a few of them have changed since then, and more will change before we finally make our trip, but it is sort of fun to look them over.
If you click on the maps link, you see all the shops in the area for various items. I think the ball jointed dolls probably come under "Hobby/Figures", don't you? The bad news about all this is...OHHHHH nooo! Another area I shall have to drag the teenagers out of, kicking and screaming. Quite possibly I shall be the one kicking and screaming, after having been drug round this area for...hm....drat. I'm sure they will want a full day to look round here. *sigh* Another re-do of the vacation itinerary. I'm pretty sure I only had an afternoon planned for here. There are just too many really cool places to spend a day in Tokyo. I wonder how much of this stuff is open on a Sunday? Perhaps I can start early on our Sunday in Tokyo in Harajuku, then entice the teens out of there by offering to take them to Akiba....and finish out the day there. Hmmmmm.
This brings to mind another issue that may present a problem on this trip to Japan, and that is packing our bags. Yeah, just mention of packing kinda makes me sigh, too! Oh, I won't have any problem pulling together our cases for the trip over. I've carefully chosen arrangements that will put at the least a washing machine within our reach part of the time. No, what worries me is packing to come home. I'm sure we will be collecting stacks of items, between visits to Harajuku, Akiba, and the Ghibli, not to mention those amazing 100 yen shops. The problem will be how to artfully distribute everything so nothing gets broken and we don't go overweight.
I have on past vacations managed to distribute items so that we each have less than the allowed 50 pounds in each checked bag (wonder what they'd say if we show up at Tsukiji Fish Market and ask them can they weight our bags? hahaha! Or possibly even weirder, I wonder what would happen if we pack all our stuff for the trip over in three bags and shove a 50 pound weight in the fourth. Hmmm. Nah they wouldn't ask any uncomfy questions about that at all. -*eyeroll*- The thing is, I have a feeling we will need every pound of that fifty we can get on the trip back, and we can judge by comparison better than we can just guess weight.
According to my research, there is in fact a weight as well as size limit for carry on luggage. I'm fairly sure on at least one occasion I have been over the weight limit slightly without them commenting, but they sure get testy if you go over the size limit a squidge. As far as I could tell, as long as you didn't drag up your bag like it weighed a ton, they just let you past, but I am not sure I want to rely on that. Maybe we will just ship a box home to ourselves, except I am uncertain what to do at customs about that box. Seems like it asks on your customs form did you ship anything home? More research required, but I think I will hold off on that one until closer to our trip as you never know when these things might change.
Oh yeah, one other thing about those dolls. Expensive. I saw a price of $275 for one doll already customized somewhat similar to the first picture up there. YIKE! I have to wait to show that to Restil until I am sure I am up to reviving him when he passes out from the sticker shock.
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