Paradise Toy Land Renewal Visit (Pics + Video)

 

Paradise Toy Land, one of Taipei's best toy shops, recently underwent a major facelift.

Here are a couple of snaps of the store:

And here's a video I shot:




Here's the store info:

Store address: Dun Hua S. Rd Sec 1, Lane 187, No. 17, Taipei, Taiwan
Phone number: (+886) (0)2-2776-6224
Fax: (+886) (0) 2 2776-4858
Website: www.paradisetoyland.com

By the way, this is also the first video I'm uploading that I shot with my new camera, a Canon S120. The frame rate is 60 fps, and it was shot in HD with Canon's IS, which creates a smooth image when you're standing still or walking forward. I find that when turning left and right (which I have to do a lot in this video), it's not as smooth. But in general I think the quality is much higher than with my previous videos. If you like it and want to see more videos from me, please head to YouTube to like the video, comment, and subscribe to my channel.

Thanks!

Happy Holidays with Arcade & Crane Game Snaps from Kichijoji!

Kaiju Korner wishes you and yours a great holiday season! During the holidays people are out to have a good time with friends and family. In Tokyo, that often means heading to one of the city's hot spots. There are plenty in the city, and one that stands out is Kichijoji, a district in Western Tokyo about 15 minutes from Shinjuku.

Kichijoji has plenty to see and do, from huge electronics and department stores to tiny boutique shops and alleyway eateries. As we wind down 2013 and gear up for the new year, here are some snaps I took the other day in the area.

Like the sign says, coppice Nordic Christmas!

 Arcades, crane games, and Tommy Lee Jones after the jump:

Vintage Pachi (Bootleg) Kaiju Toys

Bootleg sofubi toys go back decades. It wasn't long after the release of blockbuster toys from Ultraman, Godzilla, and other properties that low cost. unlicensed figures appeared on the scene. These days, there are quite a few collectors who are after knockoff toys of yesteryear. There's a certain personality to bootleg toys that can be hard to put your finger on - you just know it when you see it!

Mandarake currently has a very nice display of some very early pachi kaiju toys. Some of them look like straight up dinosaurs. Others bear a pretty close resemblance to well known Japanese monsters. And one thing's for sure - they go for quite a bit more than they did back in the day!

Clutter Magazine #19 with my interview with Mutant Vinyl Hardcore

Just out is the new issue of Clutter magazine. Among lots of other content, it contains my interview with Rich aka LASH aka the man behind Mutant Vinyl Hardcore. A lot of planning, phone conversations, and work went into the piece, which is one of the most extensive interviews I've ever done. I hope you check it out, as Rich put a lot of thought into his answers, providing an excellent insight into his work, his toy making process, plans going forward, and tons of other material.

It's super easy to get the issue, and it's really cheap (the sale page has it at $3 + shipping). Click here to pick up a copy.

PS: Looks like they've also marked down a bunch of  back issues to $5. Some of the recent issues have really nice pieces on indie toy makers. So it might be nice to do a little bundle and save on shipping costs.

Japanese Monster Movie Poster Trading Cards

I recently came across these cool trading cards featuring scaled-down versions of movie posters from some of Japan's most famous kaiju-themed films, like Godzilla vs. Hedorah and Godzilla vs. Mecha Godzilla. The cards, which are on good, heavy paper stock, were made in 1995 in Japan by Amada, a company that's been making paper-based items for quite a long time.

Here are pics of the cards I got:

 More after the jump:

Secret Base Mazinger Z + Devilman Mini FIgures

Here's a new look at Secret Base's popular line of mini figures. These are shots I recently took at the store.

Mazinger Z

 More after the jump: