Home

Articles

Gallery

Newsletter

Links

Contact us

 

 

Hobby Shops in Strange Places XXI:

Hachijoguchi Mokei, Kyoto, Japan

By Neal Izumi, Photos by VEB

 

Location: Kyoto, Hachijoguchi

 

Description: Hachijoguchi Mokei is located on the Hachijoguchi-side of the JR Kyoto train station, hence the name. The store carries plastic kits of all genres, as well as railroad models. The store is extremely small, with a standing room capacity of around six people. This is the kind of store that existed in abundance back in the 1970's. Despite the limited floor space, they manage to pack quite a bit onto the shelves. The shop is owned and run by Mr. Momii Tomiaki and his wife. Prices are retail.

 

Pros: A fun store to try telephone booth stuffing (Does anyone remember that ancient college antic?). It is also the only hobby store in the area. They even had the new (at that time) Tamiya P-47 Razorback in stock (see fisheye photo below.) The store is only about 15’ from one end to the other and specializes in trains mostly. The other store, Hobby Shop Showa, has gone the way of the Dodo Bird. We theorize that club member Leighton Kato spent enough money there on his last trip to clear the owner’s mortgage. They closed shop the day after he left, and moved to the countryside. Well, that is our theory anyway.

 

Cons: Retail prices (But they don’t charge the 5% Japanese sales tax). Not a good store for claustrophobic people.

 

Analysis: If you are stuck in the vicinity of Kyoto Tower, this is the only place we know of to get a plastic fix.

 

You can see the dent Lance made

with his head in the doorjamb.

 

Home

Articles

Gallery

Newsletter

Links

Contact us