# Buying Cubes in Japan?



## minsarker (Dec 10, 2009)

Hey guys. I have been on here but I mostly just read stuff. I live in the US and use my random assortment of eastsheens and storeboughts for the time being. Looking to buy a DIY soon but who knows.

Anywho, I am going on vacation to Japan for 2.5 weeks in the next few days. Can I find random cubes to buy there for cheap/semi cheap or even like in the 10dollar range? I want to buy random cubes just to get some and compare. I know in the US I can just find them at bookstores and lots of other places but where should I go to find them in japan?

I am really serious with these questions. I really do not know where to find/if there are any good ones out there. Let me know!

Thanks!


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## Zubon (Dec 10, 2009)

Japan is not really the best place to get cheap cubes in stores.

I only really know about Tokyo but if you go to a department store called "LOFT" (ロフト) they sell various cubes for about 1500 yen. Last time I was there, I think they had pyraminxs, megaminxs and skewbs etc. Loft is all over Japan and it is one of the only places where you can get the Gentosha puzzles (Floppy, Void, Tower cubes) for only about 1200 yen.

If you want to buy a genuine Japan Speedcubing Kit (JSK), you can go to "Don Quixote" (ドン・キホーテ) which is a large discount shop found all over Japan. They sell the JSK kits usually for about 2000 yen which is much cheaper than any online shops.

If you go to many 100yen shops like Daiso (ダイソー), they have 100 yen dollar shop cubes that are pretty bad.

Storeboughts go for about 1400 yen and are made my megahouse which I think is different to the ones available in America.

Other than that, it is not so easy to find cubes here. Most DIY cubes are made in China. I was in Shanghai this year and there were cubes for sale everywhere. Most cubers here buy DIYs from online shops.

Also, the yen in extremely high at the moment so compared with the US dollar, things will seem expensive for you.

Good luck, if you need any more info, just PM me.


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## hr.mohr (Dec 10, 2009)

I bought a JSK in Kiddyland in Tokyo.


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## Zubon (Dec 10, 2009)

hr.mohr said:


> I bought a JSK in Kiddyland in Tokyo.



That's right. The JSK (or SCK as they call it here) is available in many department stores. If you want a store that is easy to find, Kiddyland is in Harajuku in Tokyo or Umeda in Osaka. 

The discount wholesaler Don Quixote (http://www.donki.com/index.php) sells the JSK much cheaper than regular stores. About 2 years ago they must have bought a ton of JSKs because at most stores they have piles of them heavily discounted. You can also get stackmat sets with a timer, mat and cups for under $10 US.


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## iSpinz (Dec 10, 2009)

me want


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## Zarxrax (Dec 10, 2009)

I saw JSK and Floppy Cubes all over the place in Japan.
I also saw picture cubes and keychain cubes literally everywhere. The picture cubes are all crappy quality though.


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## minsarker (Dec 14, 2009)

Well I just go to Japan yesterday and I made my way to a grocery store and a 100yen shop. I saw the picture hello kitty cubes and the dollar store weak plastic looking cubes.

I wanna see some JSKs 

Thanks for the info guys! Sorry about the late post.


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## hyunchoi98 (Jan 6, 2010)

Sorry for bumping the thread
but can anyone tell me address to Don Quixote (ドン・キホーテ)?
A map would be better!
I'm going to go to Tokyo in February so can anyone recommend any more cube shops or general sights?


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## Zubon (Jan 6, 2010)

There are 38 Don Quixote stores in greater Tokyo so you might want to be a bit more specific.

In terms of ones that are easy to get to for tourists, there is one in Shibuya if you follow the road that splits at the 109 building to the left, past Yodobashi Camera store. However, that store is always crowded so you might not see any cheap cubes there.

There is also an easy to get to store if you go out of the East exit of Shinjyuku station but that also is popular so your mileage may vary.
If you are Korean, there is also one in Shin Oukubo right in the middle of the Korean town.

If you go to Akihabara and walk for a while along the main street to the right when you exit the station, you will reach a small area where there are a lot of second hand toy shops. There sometimes have rare and old Japanese cubes but most of them are pretty bad for speed solving unless you like collecting.

The Don Quixote has an English website. Also if you pay more than 10,000 yen, you can get it duty free if you show your passport.

http://www.donki.com/shop/index_en.php?lang=en&shopid=#13

Korean
http://www.donki-kr.com/


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## Zarxrax (Jan 6, 2010)

hyunchoi98 said:


> I'm going to go to Tokyo in February so can anyone recommend any more cube shops or general sights?



Odaiba is worth visiting. Its a futuristic city built on a man-made island. They have some good attractions there, but unfortunately you can no longer find the 1:1 scale gundam there  If you visit odaiba, check out the shopping complex called "Venus Fort", and go to the bottom floor (the one with kids and dogs walking around, not the fancy-shmancy upper floors), and at the VERY end, you should find a shop with all kinds of cool stuff, and near the back of the store they sell various cube-related stuff.

Also, Nara is a worth visiting if you can manage it. Its quite a ways from tokyo though, so very expensive by train. A nice woman there gave me a personal guided tour for 3 hours for only 20 bucks.


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## hyunchoi98 (Jan 7, 2010)

Can you get stackmats at LOFT too?


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## Zubon (Jan 7, 2010)

You can't get stackmats at LOFT. They are quite rare to find in Tokyo but if you are lucky you might be able to find first generation stackmat sets (including cups and mat) for under 1000yen (about $9 US) at Don Quixote.


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## hyunchoi98 (Feb 1, 2010)

Zarxrax said:


> hyunchoi98 said:
> 
> 
> > I'm going to go to Tokyo in February so can anyone recommend any more cube shops or general sights?
> ...




Thanks! I'm in a hotel in Odaiba actually, lol.




Zubon said:


> There are 38 Don Quixote stores in greater Tokyo so you might want to be a bit more specific.
> 
> In terms of ones that are easy to get to for tourists, there is one in Shibuya if you follow the road that splits at the 109 building to the left, past Yodobashi Camera store. However, that store is always crowded so you might not see any cheap cubes there.
> 
> ...



I'm going to Akihabara and Shinjuku tommorrow so can you tell me exactly on what floor and where the cubes are? Thanks!!!


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## Blake4512 (Feb 1, 2010)

This thread is making me jealous xD


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## hyunchoi98 (Feb 1, 2010)

lol
I wish i could sleep later.


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## iSpinz (Feb 1, 2010)

Zarxrax said:


> hyunchoi98 said:
> 
> 
> > I'm going to go to Tokyo in February so can anyone recommend any more cube shops or general sights?
> ...


WHAT!!!

A 1:1 scale Gundam???


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## Zubon (Feb 1, 2010)

hyunchoi98 said:


> Zarxrax said:
> 
> 
> > Zubon said:
> ...


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## 4Chan (Feb 1, 2010)

Whilst everyone is on the topic of Japan,

Zubon, my friend tells me your name means "pants"?
I thought that was funny. (x


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## hyunchoi98 (Feb 2, 2010)

Thanks guys!
Although i was really dissapointed 'cause i couldn't buy cubes at 
Don Quixote (shibuya). They only had 3x3s and 2x2s and no JSKs at all.
They only had one shelf of cubes!

@Zarxrax 

Thanks so much! I went to the store in Venus fort and it was great!I was hoping for tower cubesbut they didn't have it. but i bought a Rubik's alarm clock!

I found a toys'r'us at "Aqua City" in Odaiba. It's right next to our hotel! (Actually i'm typing this in the hotel's pc room)
And i got a megahoush 4x4! It's not that great but my dad bought it for me.
There were JSKs but they were too expensive. 2299 yen and i only had 3000yen to spend. (2299 yen is $25.35 USD) There were tower cubes at the north side (?) observatory of the tokyo city hall. I didn't buy them 'cause i figured that Don Quixote would be much cheaper but they didn't have them as i said.

Hoping to get some at Tokyo disneyland!


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