One of the part-time jobs I had was working at the Toys R Us near me. I was so excited to work there since it was retail and I could be around toys all day. Well toys of today are not 1/100th as cute as they were when I was little, and dealing with stocking, customers and cold co-workers was just too tiring for me. I lasted 2 months haha!
The interior of Toys R Us in Sunshine city. Note the bento boxes
I much prefer going to Toys R Us as a customer, rather than a stock clerk at 6:00 am. I don't go to the Toys R Us here much anymore since the toys don't interest me, but I always try to stop there while I am in Japan. Sometimes to the great embarrassment of my friends who happen to accompany me haha XD
Tons of PreCure stationary items to make your school day cuter
Toys R Us in Japan is very much the same as Toys R Us in America when it comes to layout, signage and atmosphere. Well I did go to one in Namba Osaka that was different, but the rest have been similar so far. Where the difference comes in is the toys of course!
Sylvanian Families are still popular in Japan, did you know that's where they came from?
There are so many sets to make simple foods like these!
It's possible to find some American toys in Japanese Toys R Us...s but the majority are Japanese toys. I personally don't pay much attention to the boys toys, but I can say a fair bit about the selection of toys for girls. The major themes currently available for girls toys in Japanese Toys R Us include PreCure, Sylvanian Families, fake food, and Licca dolls.
Some Tamagotchi and Cinnamoroll branded food making sets
PreCure is the current magical girl show that is popular in Japan, and like any popular show would do they are merchandising the crap out of it. You can get wands, plushies, figures, stationary etc. But while PreCure figures might be popular now, the fashion doll Licca has and continues to enjoy the affections of young Japanese girls.
These little PreCure figures are about 14$, expensive imo!
Even Blythe is available in Japanese Toys R Us
One of the things that stood out to me most was the difference between Licca and our own fashion doll Barbie. They really didn't have many Barbies available, Licca took up 90% of the fashion doll aisle. When you see the two side by side it becomes really obvious what values are instilled in Japanese girls and which are instilled in American girls.
Japanese beauty vs American beauty?
I bought some stickers and Whipple fake sweets making sets during my visit to Toys R Us during Japan Trip 5. I would have loved to break down and buy some cute dolls or something, but Japanese toys are really expensive in my opinion. But I plan to visit TRU again, it is one of my favorite stores still haha^^
this looks like a paradise :DDD
ReplyDeleteI love visiting Toys R Us in the States, but I guess I would love it even more in Japan:)
ReplyDeleteoh i would love a blythe doll :3
ReplyDeletesuper cute store!!!i miss my days as a kid in toys r us,not a care in the world! <3
ReplyDeleteOMG so much cute stuff, I need it all!
ReplyDeletevery cute post sara, this definitely was the sweetness I needed to brighten my boring work day =_=
I thinks is funny you only lasted 2 months at TRU i try not to workin places I like to visit, i worked at JoAnn fabrics for like 6months I thought it would be awesome to be so close to sewing stuff but I hated it!! I hope to never do customer service again DX
btw, im super jealous of the toy selection there, those are toys i DREAM of!!
I kinda started hiperventilating when I saw all the blythes... ;A; I bet they were cheaper than they're in other places...
ReplyDeleteI'd also love to have a licca, everytime someone talks about them, I get more and more interested x3
Anyways, I loved toys'r'us when I was little, I'd love to go to a japanese toys'r'us, I could die of cuteness overload!!
Oh how I miss Japanese toy stores </3
ReplyDeleteI never did have a Licca-chan doll. I had the old Jenny doll (Takara barbie I guess)
Such cute stuff I wonder if we have the store here in Germany, too? Anyway, I'm sure the ones in Japan have much more cute stuff! :-))
ReplyDeleteomg I would spend so much money there! I looove Licca and Sylvanian Families :D
ReplyDeleteOhh!!
ReplyDeletei want the tamagotchi cookie maker*_______*!!!
Oohhh! If only I could visit Japan, I would also stop in there...not just for my daughter...but for myself too! I'm interested in the bento boxes and stationary sets! 8)
ReplyDelete<33 Rena
Their toys are so cute! I could spend hours in there just looking at things O__O
ReplyDeletewow. i should have been a little kid in japan. would have had a much happier childhood with THOSE toys :) !
ReplyDeleteTRA is like kid's heaven. and the japanese store, is heaven to me. sooo much adorableness in one store! :D
ReplyDeleteHaahaa omggggggg! So much stuff I seriously don't need but totally would want!
ReplyDeletegosh I love the TRU in Ikebukuro! I always go there when I feel like decorating something sweet`ish, they just have the biggest variety of deco items in there!
ReplyDeleteI went to the Toys R Us here in the spring. It was so disappointing! Most of the toys were so cheap. About Barbie and Licca; Barbie has always meant to represent an adult and Licca is supposed to be 11, right? I think that's what the little card that came with my daughter's doll said. Still I think her doll's clothes are a little much. She has a very short dress and high heels! This Licca is more childlike. I would like to try the animal shaped foods. Come to think of it, I did eat too many animal shaped sweet breads last time I was in Japan. Very bad for the skin.
ReplyDeletefrom Kelli
That must be the best Toys R Us ever. I wish they carried the fake food, Licca, and all the cute stuff at the local Toys R Us! Now I know to take a look at Toys R Us when I go to Japan lol.
ReplyDeleteomg my first job was at Toys R Us, haha!! XD I only lasted 2 weeks, so congrats to you!
ReplyDeleteI had no idea the Sylvanian toys were Japanese~ I used to have so many of those when I was little.
i loved Toys R Us over there. i bought a few Blythe dolls there...... and they also had the frying panda pan and cute things for the kitchen : )
ReplyDeleteOmg, I had no idea there was Toys R Us in Japan! It looks really fun! Haha, I still like to browse Toys R Us too :P
ReplyDeletewoah, Japan toys r us make the American version look like a joke...I seriously need to go to Japan someday and stock up on all those amazing fake sweets!
ReplyDeletethe classic barbie with a bob is too cute for words! :) what a wonderful "wasteland"! :)
ReplyDeleteoh what a nice and cute post. i want to go to the toys r us in tokyo too :) the pics are so cute.
ReplyDeleteThat's really cool. If I had a chance to visit a japanese Toys R US I'd definitely buy that fake food stuff haha.
ReplyDeleteThank god I don't live in Japan. I would buy all precure merchandise (yeah, i'm big fan xDDDD)
ReplyDeleteMy poor money T_T
Looking at your photos I suddenly feel like a child because I want to buy all those things!! *—* I haven't been to a TRU for years, but the one in Japan seems so awesome..!
ReplyDeleteI prefer Japan's store, basically for the food sets and Icca :p
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess the japanese beauty standard is 'cute', while ours is more 'sexy'. I've noticed the My Little Ponies changing a lot over the years, too. They used to actually look like brightly colored ponies. Now they have strange bodies. =C But they're still cute~
ReplyDeleteSo, yes, you've probably noticed I also love toys and toy stores~ =D
I cannot believe how easy it is to purchase blythes in japan! no online shopping or what, just go to toys r us! amazing!!
ReplyDeleteoh wow *________* the little girl inside me can't help but feel super jealousy! the toys stores here are all dull and unimaginative compared to these pictures.
ReplyDeleteToo cute!! I love fake sweets sets... I wish I could buy them here!
ReplyDeleteThat looks like fun! I think we never grow out of enjoying wandering around toy shops. I can understand your frustration about working in one though, it sounds way too stressful!
ReplyDeleteif only the toyshops here was anything close to the cuteness of these! >w<
ReplyDeleteOh man when I was 12, I used to LOVE to go to Toys R Us, I guess I outgrew it, or maybe the selection just became not so interesting anymore.
ReplyDeleteThese are the kind of toys I wished I had back in my day!! Anything animal like and cute. I would be so all over the doll house with the cute little mice in it! XD and the dessert sets? dude. Forget easy bake oven!
ReplyDeleteOMG I remember Sylvanian Families I haven't thought about thenm since the 90's I remembered I really wanted one but never got one... I had no idea they were still in production!!
ReplyDeleteI didn't found it when iw as in Japan T_T
ReplyDeleteI think I want a Licca doll now *.*
ReplyDeletefood making sets are awesome... I need them all! :D
ReplyDeletedie happy?!
ReplyDeleteHee hee...I'd love to visit this one day! XD
ReplyDeleteomg toysrus in japan! that's a dream come true! im loving those Sylvanian Families .. i haven't heard of them before - but they look so cute.. this a must-visit when i go to Japan (one day...)
ReplyDeletenice find! i really love the toys. for me! hehe.... they look soooooooooooooooooo cute!
ReplyDeleteHehe~~ Totally worth it to raise your kids there just for the toys ♥
ReplyDelete....maybe ;)