Tokyu Hands

Tokyu Hands is a hobbyist's paradise. It's stuffed full of the crazy kind of stuff that you might only find in Japan. In my first job in Tokyo, my advertising agency's partner was the Tokyu Group, which is a massive rail line & retailing conglomerate -- one of six that built up modern day Tokyo. One of their stores is Tokyu Hands, which was a favorite place for Anne & I to browse & shop. We brought the kids. Here, Amelia & I are wearing Onigiri masks... onigiri are big triangles of rice, wrapped in seaweed (nori), usually containing something like pickled plum or fish inside. They're an inexpensive mainstay of the Japanese commuter's diet.

Amelia bought a bunch of erasers in different shapes, and Forrest found the "Gun O'Clock Red" alarm clock he was looking for. If you've got some time to kill, you can browse their site for all kinds of crazy stuff, like endoscopy ear cleaners or emergency underwear kits to use during an earthquake. Use the Google's 'translate this page' feature!