Sofubi has exploded in popularity in recent years. What started as a small hobby in Japan has spread into a worldwide phenomenon. Today, toy collectors from all over the world travel to Japan to hunt for rare and exclusive sofubi.
Japan has tons of sofubi specialty stores. There are household names that many toy collectors are familiar with, such as Mandarake, as well as hidden sofubi spots.
In addition, many of these specialty stores work with artists to craft original sofubi. Most of these are only produced in limited quantities and sold exclusively in Japan. They are almost impossible to get in the West (without help from ZenMarket) but occasionally pop up in Japanese sofubi specialty stores.
In this article, we will introduce you to Japan’s best sofubi shops. We’ll talk about sofubi shops that sell vintage toys and specialty shops that sell and produce designer sofubi. We will also tell you how to snag rare sofubi using Zenmarket’s platform.
Mandarake
Mandarake is one of Japan’s biggest and most popular stores for toy collectors. They are a used/second-hand store that sells toys and figures, comic books, CDs and DVDs, video games, retro game consoles, doujinshi, and, of course, sofubi.
The company started as a second-hand manga and bookstore in 1987. They eventually expanded their operations and are now one of Japan’s biggest dealers for used collectibles.
Several varieties of Godzilla sofubi. Image courtesy of briizilla on Reddit
Mandarake is lauded for its impressive collection of vintage sofubi. Their stores are a haven for fans of Ultraman, Godzilla, Gamera, and other vintage Kaiju and Tokusatsu characters. Mandarake has branches in Umeda, Osaka (Mandarake Grand Chaos), Kokura, Fukuoka, Utsunomiya, Nagoya, Shibuya, Nayuta, Ikebukuro (Mandarake LaLaLa), Akihabara (Mandarake Complex and Mandarake CoCoo), Nakano Broadway, Chiba (Mandarake SAHRA), and Sapporo.
In addition to Mandarake’s Nakano Store, Mandarake has another sofubi specialist store in Akihabara called Mandarake Cocoo. This store has everything from high-end vintage sofubi from the 1960s and 1970s to hard-to-find modern sofubi by indie artists.
Sofubi is an abbreviation of Soft Vinyl (ソフトビニール). Image courtesy of user mimiikaii on Reddit
Mandarake has an online store where you can browse up-to-date selections from their sofubi collection. You can easily get items from Mandarake through Zenmarket.
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T-Base
T-Base is the perfect place for those looking for modern sofubi created by Japanese artists. T-Base Japan is a Tokyo-based store that specializes in crafting and selling sofubi. Their store offers unique deals and offers that allow everyone to experience Japanese sofubi culture.
T-Base works with in-house sofubi artists, such as KINGSTOY, dark entertainment, Studio24, Jelly Roger, Cool General Store, TOY AND MARY, Grape Brain, and many more. Popular T-Base original characters include Nappy, Adventurous Rockbat, Kirin Knight, and Kyu-Kappa.
Classic Sofubi such as Mechagodzilla are often repainted by well-known artists to give them a new look! Image courtesy of Arregui on Reddit
In addition to their original works, T-Base crafts sofubi based on popular Kaiju, such as Godzilla. They also sell anime figures from other brands, including Nendroid.
Speaking of T-Base’s unique purchase experience, the company offers limited-edition items only produced once. These items tend to go up in value due to their extreme rarity.
Some sofubi are also only available via pre-order. And, of course, the extremely rare holy-grail level sofubi can only be acquired via winning their sofubi lottery through their smartphone app.
Kaiju can be a great way for sofubi collectors to upgrade their inventory and express themselves. Image courtesy of EdgyEdgEl0rd on Reddit
You can buy from T-Base’s online store through Zenmarket.
Medicom Toy is one of Japan’s most popular toy makers. They are best known for hits such as BE@RBRICKS and Kubrick. They are also known for collaborating with well-known brands, such as Toei and Toho.
Medicom was founded in 1996 by Tastuhiko Akashi. He was inspired to create his own line of toys after buying toys and collectibles from ZAAP! Tastuhiko Akashi already had previous experience with manufacturing at his desk job. As a hobby, he also created fan-made toys based on anime, such as Tetsujin #28 and Lupin the Third.
In 2000, Medicom Toy found success with their Kubrick line of toys. This success led to collaborations with famous Japanese anime, such as Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Heavily modified "Bug Bunny" sobufi. Image courtesy of toshihikoito on X.com
Aside from BE@RBRICK and Kubrick, Medicom Toy is well-known for releasing Sofubi. They are the manufacturer of Toei’s Kamen Rider Retro Sofubi collection and other Kamen Rider Sofubi figures. Medicom Toy has also collaborated with Toho to create various Godzilla sofubi toy lines, such as the Vinyl Wars series.
You can buy their products from Medicom Toy’s official online stores (MCT Tokyo, Yahoo Japan, Zozotown, CJMArt, and Amazon Japan) through Zenmarket.
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Jungle Special Hobby Shop
Jungle (Jungle Special Hobby Shop) is another great spot for toy collectors. They specialize in anime and Japanese pop culture collectibles. They opened their doors in 1995 in Osaka and eventually opened another store in Los Angeles in 2001.
In addition to their massive collection of modern anime toys and figures, Jungle offers tons of vintage Japanese toys and sofubi. Their selection includes retro TOEI sofubi figures, vintage Ultraman Toys, Godzilla, and many more.
Several varients for each character can be found, for example these Goccodo figures. Image courtesy of toshihikoito on X.com
You’ll find vintage and hard-to-find sofubi from brands such as Bandai, Bullmark, and Poppy. Just like with Mandarake, Jungle also buys and trades old items from their customers, which constantly replenishes their inventory.
Unlike the other hobby shops on this list, Jungle doesn’t specialize in sofubi. They usually don’t sell modern designer sofubi, and they do not manufacture original sofubi.
However, their selection of vintage toys is hard to beat. If you’re a Godzilla and Kaiju fan, Jungle is worth visiting.
In addition to Jungle’s physical stores, they also have an online store where you can browse their selection of vintage sofubi. You can purchase Jungle’s offerings through Zenmarket.
Gallery of Hakaba
Gallery of Hakaba (hakabanogarou) is another great place to find retro-inspired sofubi. This store is an exhibit that celebrates Japanese SFX animation, movies, manga, and pop culture. They specialize in Kaiju and Tokusatsu-related products.
Gallery of Hakaba commonly sells sofubi inspired by Ultraman and Godzilla. They usually do re-runs of sofubi/toys from the 1960s-1980s using the original mold by companies such as Bullmark.
In addition to reruns, Gallery of Hakaba is also a dealer of original sofubi crafted by Japanese and overseas brands and manufacturers. They also work with companies to bring sofubi with special colorways.
Some examples of sofubi brands and artists that Gallery of Hakaba carries include Art Junkie, Kaiju One, Max Toy, Science Patrol, Electric Toys, K Production, and many more. Gallery of Hakaba is located at Nakano City, Tokyo. They also have an online store with a dedicated section for sofubi. You can buy sofubi from Gallery of Hakaba through Zenmarket.
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Showcasing a vibrant array of Deathra sofubi figures, this collection captures the essence of creative display. Image courtesy of Tyuhhi on Reddit.
Other Notable Sofubi Shops in Japan
Cosmo Knight Alpha (Bemon Store) - One store that deserves a special mention in this list is the legendary Cosmo Knight Alpha. This sofubi specialty store located in Tokyo is home to extremely rare sofubi. You will find vintage Cosmos Gachapon figures, Kaiju, and many more.
However, the highlight of Cosmo Knight Alpha is its massive BEMON collection. Many collectors consider this store to have many holy grail sofubi you won’t find anywhere else. Unfortunately, Cosmo Knight Alpha does not run an online store, so you will have to visit to see their massive sofubi collection.
Mercari, and Rakuma - Sofubi can also be bought from online Japanese second-hand websites, including JDirectItems Auction, Mercari, and Rakuma. These websites usually have most of the popular sofubi categories. And occasionally, some rare and hard-to-find holy grail sofubi also pops up.
These websites only sell to Japanese citizens. However, you can easily buy from these stores using Zenmarket.
Explore more about Sofubi and Japanese toys on our blog. Stay updated and never miss an opportunity to grab rare Sofubi through ZenMarket!
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