In two weeks time I go to Tokyo and stay there for three weeks.

During my many visits to Tokyo I have never seen a MMR shop. There are of course big areas in Tokyo that I have never visited.
I was in a big toy store once (in Tokyo somewhere), they had a small area with MMR, where they actually had a ROCO H0 model of the NSB El 16. Fun for me!

In Tokyo I will stay in Shinjuku, Mitaka and Hachioji.
I will also stay a few days in Ohta, Gunma prefecture.

Thanks for the link, Robert.

I will have a look, but unfortunately I'm not that good in Japanese [:(]

The Tenshodo shop in Ginza is worth a visit. (only Japanese [:(][:(])

Tenshodo appear to be more well-known as a jewellery shop in Ginza, but they manufacture some exquisite model trains in N and HO scale. Prices are suitably high...[:(][:(]
¥273000 for a random HO scale C55 loco -- absolutely beautiful, but pricey and fragile!

The first floor is indeed a jewelery shop.
Push on up, and things get better
They have a selection of Märklin and other Euro stuff up on Floor 4.

Note that HO scale is definitely a minority in Japan -- N scale is most common -- undoubtedly due to the tiny flats/houses that are the standard in Japanese cities (HO simply won't fit!).
HO is restricted to oddballs like The Maerklin Chuff-Chuff Club of Nagoya or the high quality "super-realistic" modellers.

To get to Tenshodo, take the Metro to Ginza station (not Higashi-Ginza, but Ginza) and head for Exit A5 -- Tenshodo is literally next to this exit.



The shop itself:


The staff are keen to help, but may not have much English (and almost certainly no Norwegan ). In typical Japanese fashion, everything is possible, but perhaps not actually available... Hi!!
MrsKelly and I bought some great stuff:
* a "Hiruma Model Craft" laser-cut rural station kit P-7057
* Preiser #10019 "Japanese Railway Personel"
* Preiser #10119 "Japanese persons"
and a few more items.

There is a floor with second-hand stuff, where you might get a bargain, or something unusual.

If you buy more than (I think) ¥10000, you can get a tax refund at the airport.

email me if you need more details.

Have a good flight and trip,intruder.

Hi Hajime,

I think intruder was already in Japan.

By the way, the next days will be very busy, and until now it has been busier than excpected.

Tomorrow morning (07:26 from Tokyo Station) we travel to Kyoto with Shinkansen, back again in the evening.

On Sunday afternoon we move to Hachioji. We will travel Hachioji-Takao every day. I do not know what the evenings will bring.

Back to Shinjuku late Friday March 9. Maybe I get some spare time Saturday March 10. Return home Sunday March 11.

Thanks for the advice, Damon We had a nice late lunch/early dinner at a small resaurant at Kyoto station. 6600 Yen for five people is not so bad.

You are right about the station signs, not possible to read them. We road the 700-series. I will post some photos when I return to Norway (I need my image altering software)

I live in Nagoya-area, but I go on a business trip to Tokyo every week, so we can meet someday.[8)]

Anyway, I want to visit your country and watch the prototype of 37662.[:I]

It look to be busy holiday.

Can you please post some images from Japan Svein,Japan is one of my favorite countries(even though i have not been there yet).

Be patient, Nikos.

Please wait untill I am back home to my "ordinary" PC. This was the last Tuesday. Tomorrow the last Wednesday etc. I go home Sunday morning, but I leave some many things left that I hadn't time to do, so maybe I have to stay another week? I have to send a photo back to my wife so she knows whom to look for when she picks me up at the airport Sunday night CET.

Arigato, Hajime-san

Back in Shinjuku again, after a dinner with some collegues.

I will do my best to put in some more spare time in my next visit to Japan (do not know when).

Very nice images Svein,thank you.

Excellent photos Svein!!

Those 700 series Shinkansen reminds me of a platypus, though...

Thanks for the kind words, gentlemen!

I can absolutely recommend a visit to Japan.
Very friendly and polite people, a lot of different but very good food, good beer, good whisky. When I am in Japan, I try to stick to Japanese stuff, not imported things. Asahi has a very good black draft beer. Hmmm.
Except for a visit to an Irish pub occationally, that is.

There are also a lot of things to look at and to excperience in Japan, like our trip to Kyoto.

Only one thing that for us Norwegians is a little bit strange - it's a lot of people in Japan. We are approx 4,5 million people in Norway, approx halv a million lives in our capital city Oslo, by some people called "the worlds largest village".
At one railway station in Tokyo, Shinjuku JR station, I was told some years ago that two million peolpe come and go every day. "Wrong, it's three million!" said one of my Japanese collegues during my visit to japan, just over a month ago. I have used that station a lot, but fortunately going out from the city center, against the main trafic.

My advice: If you ever have the chance to visit Japan - do it!