Due to copyright issues, I've removed all maps from this site. I will at some point try to draw rough maps based on my knowledge.

Totoco

5-6-4 Asakusabashi
Taito-ku, Tokyo
Japan
Tel: 03-3851 8603

Hours: 12:00-18:00 M-Th, Sat. and Sun. (The store is also closed the second week end of every month)

These are the directions I received from one of the men who works in Totoco. I had thought his name was Tanimura, but I found out August 2000 it was something else. He said it very quickly, so I missed it, but it sounded like Myoshi.

Take the Asakusa line subway (run by Toei) to Asakusabashi Station. Make sure you don't take an express train that skips Asakusabashi Station. I once took an express accidentally and missed the stop. Look for a subway that says "Local." Follow the directions to Exit 4A. (You can also take the JR Sobu Line to Asakusabashi Station, make sure you use the North Exit.) Walk away from the tracks and turn left at the Mizuho bank. (It is either 1 or 2 blocks from the station and it has a relatively large blue sign.) Go straight on this street until you come to the third traffic light. (You will have just passed an elementary school.) Turn right at the third traffic light. It is not a short walk. Turn left at the first corner onto the tiny street. It is an extremely narrow short street. Totoco is on the right hand side of the road, a little way down the road. I remember thinking somehow I had missed the turn, but I hadn't. They take US credit cards.

Volks

I spent a lot of time trying to find Volks, but now I am much better at finding it. The following are directions to the Akihabara branch. I have been to the Ikebukuro branch, but I can never remember the directions. I will try to write them down this next trip.

Take one of the JR lines to Akihabara Station. You can use either the JR Sobu line or the JR Yamanote line. The JR Sobu line continues onto Asakusabashi Station, near Totoco. Use the Denki-gai or Electric Town exit from the station. Walk along the street next to the station. If you look up you will see a large building which, says VS on the 5th or 6th floor. This building, the Radio Kaikan building, contains Volks. (Volks goes by VS in the directory which is one reason I had such a hard time finding it.) To get to an entrance/elevator to reach the 5th or 6th floor, go down the second block (It's a very small alley way which doesn't look like a street but is.) and turn in when you see an elevator. Volks is on either the 5th or 6th floor, I just can't remember. They take US credit cards.

Takashimaya/Mitsukoshi Ginza branches

To get to the Nihonbashi branch of either Takashimaya take the Maronouchi subway line or the JR Yamanote to Tokyo Station, where, you use the Yaesu central exit and walk straight, away from the station until you come to Chuo Dori. (It is the big shopping street in Ginza/Nihonbashi.) I believe it actually has a street sign with its name Chuo Dori written on it in English characters. At Chuo Dori, turn to the left and walk until you come to the Takashimaya, it is on the right hand side of the road.

To get to Mitsukoshi, Matsuya and Matsuzakaya when you get to Chuo dori turn right and continue down the block. Make sure you look up when you get to Mitsukoshi, supposedly the clock opposite the Mitsukoshi building is a famous landmark. Both department stores take US credit cards. I would recommend visiting on a Sunday, when Chuo dori is closed to vehicular traffic and becomes a pedestrian throughfare.

Toys R Us

The TRU Ikebukuro branch is located in the basement of the Sunshine 60 Building. (Sorry no lab, just TRU.) To get there, exit from the Ikebukuro Station on the Seibu/East side of the station. If possible, use the underground passage which, has signs saying Sunshine City building. When you exit the station, look for Green dori (A very crowded street that is usually only open to pedestrians) or signs to the Sunshine 60 Building. Follow Green dori/the Sunshine 60 signs until you see a Tokyu Hands building on the right and an expressway. Right next to the Tokyu Hands building, there is an underground entrance to the Sunshine 60 building. Use this entrance to avoid traffic lights and because TRU is in basement level. Once down the stairs, you will see signs to TRU. Continue on until to you come to the store. (It is on the other side of the Sunshine 60 complex but it is not too far a walk.) They take US credit cards.

There is also a TRU located in Odaiba. The easiest way to get there is to take a train or subway to Shimbashi station and change there for the Yurikamome line. While somewhat expensive, the Yurikamome line is excessively scenic and Odaiba is a lot of fun. Take the Yurikamome line to the 'Daiba' exit. (If you're going to doing more than a round trip via the Yurikamome line, spring for the 1 day pass. It saves you from long lines and let you get on and off the train line at will. The ferris wheel is fun, there is a huge gaming center, an onsen park, Tokyo Big Site, Fuji TV building and a Toyota showroom with a mini-car ride to see in Odaiba.) At the Daiba exit exit towards the mall and the scenic overlook of Rainbow Bridge. Just enter the mall and go to the basement level where the foodcourt is. Make a left past the food court and you will some to the the TRU.

Kiddyland

Kiddyland is relatively easy to find. To get there, take either the JR Yamanote line to Harajuku Station or Chiyoda subway line to Meijijingumae. For the Yamanote line, use the Ometo-sando dori exit. (If you can't find the Ometo-sando exit use the Takeshita exit and head towards the Meijijigumae subway stop as the subway is on Ometo-sando dori.) Walk down Ometo-sando dori in the opposite direction of Harajuku Station and away from Meiji Jingu. It is on the corner, on the right hand side of the road. If you come to Ometo-sando subway station on the Chiyoda line you have gone too far and head back towards the station. It is quite large though, and rather hard to miss. If you take the Chiyoda subway line to Meijijingumae, use exit 4. You will be on the correct side of Ometo-sando dori. Cross Meiji dori heading away from Condomania and Kiddyland is several stores down. They take US credit cards.

Licca-chan Castle

Hours: 9:00-17:00 Tu-Sun. (Last ticket to the museum sold at 16:00)

These are directions to Licca-chan Castle. I am making the assumption that you will be taking a train which, if you are a tourist, is the most convenient way to get to the Castle because car rentals are 1) Very expensive and 2) The Japanese drive on the other side of the road, like the British. Take the Tohoku line from either Tokyo Station or Ueno Station to Koriyama Station. (If you have a rail pass take advantage of it and use the shinkansen. You can get a 4 day JR East Flex pass which would cover going back and forth to Narita via train, the Castle and a 4th day on JR East.) At Koriyama, you will transfer to a local train to Ononimatchi. (When I was last visiting the Castle, the local train left Koriyama at 9:00 am, 9:25 am, 11:20 am and 12:50, think about this or you could have a LONG wait in Koriyama. There is a small shopping center in the Koriyama Station, complete with a branch of Animate, but it is still better to catch the local train quickly.) If you tell the ticket man Ono, he will know which train you want even if you can't speak Japanese. (Or at least he did in my case.) Even the local train has the train station names written out in English characters, so you should be fine. I think it is 8 or 9 stops from Koriyama, you will be on the train from Koriyama for at least 1/2 an hour. On my local train, Ononimatchi was the last stop. You'll be able to see the Castle from the train. There is only one way to exit from the train station, and once you are out on the main road turn right. You'll see the Castle, so just heads towards it. After a bit, (I can't remember how many blocks, but it's sort of obvious and the Castle is hard to miss.) you'll come to a light, where you'll turn left (heading away from the train tracks) and the Castle is 1 or 2 short block down on your right. They currently take US credit cards. Hurrah!

Licca Club 67

Licca Club 67 opened in October 2000, and is an easy to find alternative to making the long trek to Totoco. Like Totoco, Licca Club 67 accepts foreign credit cards. The nearest train station to Licca Club 67 is the JR line's Shimbashi Station. (You can also get there by using the JR line's Yurakucho or Tokyo Station, it depends on if you enjoy walking and what else you have planned for a particular day. I like to walk from Tokyo Station, because I love walking on Chuo dori. It's really well designed for pedestrian traffic, plus you get to pass several huge department stores. From Tokyo Station, use the Yaesu Central exit and head away from the station until you come to Chuo dori. Make a right onto Chuo dori, and walk straight for several blocks until you come to the Toy Park, it is on the right. The entrance to Licca Club 67 is around the corner from the Chuo dori entrance to Hakuhinkan Toy Park. ) From Shimbashi Station, use the Ginza exit and head away from the station until you come to Chuo dori. It should only be a few short blocks away. Make a left turn and head north, passing under the overpass for the Tokyo Expressway. Hakuhinkan Toy Park is just on the other side of the expressway on Chuo dori. You can also use the Shimbashi subway stop on either the Toei Asakusa line or the Ginza line. From the Ginza line use exit 1 heading toward the huge intersection about a block or two away. At the intersection, make a left onto Chuo dori and follow the above directions. From the Toei Asakusa line use the A3 exit. Head north towards the Tokyo Expressway. You should be on Chuo dori, so just follow the above directions. They take US credit cards.