Hello all,
I will have a small trip to Tokyo in March and I would like to get some Hasegawa or Tamiya models (perhaps a Zero), as they should be a lot more convenient than in Europe. Any experience advice or address?

The only time I actually, personally bought a kit in Japan, it was in Gifu. A long ways from Tokyo, sorry. I saw the shop from the car on the way to work, the Tamiya stars caught my eye. Prices were delightfull, no MRC or ToA markups (100%). Not as 'organized' as an American hobby shop but stuffed with kits.

Now if you're headed to Seoul anytime soon, I can pass on a couple of shops there.

Thanks!
Most importantly, I just need the prices to be lower!
Unfortunately I won't go to Seoul, but in the future... who knows?

It's been 8-10 years, but I recall that with currency exchange and all, the kit was 1/2 - 2/3 of domestic price. Now of course the shipping was free, since I stuffed it in my suitcase and flew home on the ticket my employer purchased.

Korea was a bit more straight forward. The Academy boxes have a number on the side, just below the kit number, it's basically the Korean version of MSRP, in Won. For instance 8500 would be 8,500 Won, (at about 900 Won to the U$1.00), around U$8.50. Same kit in my local Hobby Town U$20.00.

I had a similar experience to Mark. When I was stationed in Okinawa I bought a Tamiy 1/350th German battleship Tirpitz for $20 USD at a street market. I also found a local hobby shop (identified by the Tamiya stars!) and had the same reflections that Mark did. Prices were great and the place was of course wonderfully cluttered! I found the store owner was really great and we eaasily overcame the language barrier because modelling is much the same. Plus we were both pretty good at charades, often acting out the motions of what I was trying to find or question I was asking.

It sounds so dumb but going to that hobby store several times during my stay was one of my most valued memories from my time there. Try and make it to one even if you miss some of the sites! It's kinda like the promised land for modellers and Tokyo is the center of the modelling world IMHO!

Hellbent

Japan is the same as Korea, the price is printed on the box. tamiya is printed in blue ink next to the kit number.
Shops on the other hand might be a little harder, I moved back to the US 5 years ago. I know my favorite shop the green leaf in Yokosuka has closed, though there are several in that area about an 1 hour south on the JR line train. A little closer to Tokyo, about 5 blocks from the Yokohama main train station is a shop called The Hobbit, area shops should be able to direct you there. So enjoy, there are again several in the area.
Just becarful shopping in certain districts where a lot of tourist may be shopping, going off the beaten is best for Japanese kit shopping. I.E. a hobby shop in a local shopping area near the stations outside of town will most likely give 10-20% discount as thank you for the business. Enjoy your trip.

This is turning into a neat thread. I posed a similar question before a series of trips to Seoul both on Armorama and Modeling Madness. HeavyArty on Armorama clued me in on a shop near 8th army HQ that turned out to be a little ways away from my hotel. My hotel was at a subway station and the store was right at a subway station so access was relatively easy and only cost U$2 for a round trip. I tried to pick up a kit for him there, but they didn't carry Academy(?)

Then I found out that there was another hobby shop in the shopping arcade under my hotel. They did carry Academy and helped me get the kit HeavyArty was looking for.