Harajuku Kiddyland To Close For Redevelopment

[Mulboyne]

Popular toy store Kiddyland will close its current Harajuku premises at the end of August for a full-scale refit. If all goes to plan, the shop will reopen in the summer of 2012. This year is actually the 60th anniversary of Kiddyland although the current location dates back to 1966. The company is planning to sell the land to Mitsubishi Estate who will then build a new development in which Kiddyland will be a key tenant. While construction work takes place, the store will likely operate from a temporary location elsewhere (there's a similar arrangement for the Roppongi Almond coffee shop). Here's the slightly flaky artist's impression of the new site:

[Iraira]

Yokoso Japan is about to take another hit.

[Coligny]

Yokoso Japan is about to take another hit.

It's a good toy shop (a-la not so bad joshin's kid's land)or is it like japanese Toy'r'us where you go full of hope and leave with a strong desire to kill yourself ?

Is it worthy of a first-last visit before closure ?

[Taro Toporific]

Is it worthy of a first-last visit before closure?

Nope.

The old building was a super-crap death trap that violated HUNDREDS of the current Japanese building codes. The problem is the building site is too small to build something that's a improvement for shopping flow over the old building's chokepoints at the stairwells and micro-elevator.

It's hard to tell from the drawing but it looks like the 30m X 70m footprint that the old building occupied may have been expanded, which makes sense as is the old Kiddyland site was way too small for an "improved" replacement building.

[Yokohammer]

It's hard to tell from the drawing but it looks like the 30m X 70m footprint that the old building occupied may have been expanded, which makes sense as is the old Kiddyland site was way too small for an "improved" replacement building.

Mitsubishi have probably bought up the entire block, or a good chunk of it. That's the only way this makes sense.

As much as the old store was shoe-horned into a space that's way too small for it, and change is inevitable, it's kind of sad to see old establishments like this get "upgraded" to glitzy steel-and-glass structures (or whatever). Not that I've even been to Kiddyland in the last 20 years or so, but still ...

On the other hand, I wouldn't have wanted to be in there if a fire broke out.

[Kuang_Grade]

Nope.

The old building was a super-crap death trap that violated HUNDREDS of the current Japanese building codes. The problem is the building site is too small to build something that's a improvement for shopping flow over the old building's chokepoints at the stairwells and micro-elevator.

Ah, but wasn't some of the appeal of the place that as all that stuff burned, emitting toxic gases and blinding smoke, as you stumble to find the exits that aren't there that you will be surrounded by happy character goods things like Badtz Maru and Nyan Nyan Nyanko as you gasp your last breath.

[Cyka UchuuJin]

dammit. now where the hell am i going to buy those blasted Blatz whoredolls for boyf's kids?

[FG Lurker]

dammit. now where the hell am i going to buy those blasted Blatz whoredolls for boyf's kids?

Not entirely sure if you're kidding or not... But if you want a kiddyland they're a chain so you should be able to find your whoredolls of desire.

[Cyka UchuuJin]

Not entirely sure if you're kidding or not... But if you want a kiddyland they're a chain so you should be able to find your whoredolls of desire.

nope, not kidding. couple years ago, boyf's 7 year old HAD to have a Bratz doll, and after many hours of searching all of Tokyoville for one, Greji managed to track them down at the Harajuku Kiddyland.

and then i went there and spent a bajillion yen on more ge ge ge kitaro crap than a sane person should.

[Coligny]

nope, not kidding. couple years ago, boyf's 7 year old HAD to have a Bratz doll, and after many hours of searching all of Tokyoville for one, Greji managed to track them down at the Harajuku Kiddyland.

Kids toyshops, highschools, pet stores... exactly the kind of place you want Greji to hang around... shiver...

[Iraira]

Kids toyshops, highschools, pet stores... exactly the kind of place you want Greji to hang around... shiver...

Lately, he's been hanging out at foot & mouth cow pastures. We can all learn much from the master.

[Greji]

Lately, he's been hanging out at foot & mouth cow pastures. We can all learn much from the master.

Hey! It wasn't me who bragged about french kissing all those heifers. Besides they wouldn't let me in the feed lot...