It may be all Halloween pumpkins in the shops right now, but just around the corner is Christmas -- the season of peace, goodwill and bank accounts plundered for presents, both for your own progeny and for all those nieces and nephews you've somehow acquired. In the runup to the festive season, here is a rundown of some of the top toy stores in Tokyo where you can offload all those yen.
Of all the big stores in the Tokyo area, the one most familiar to foreign residents is mega Toys "R" Us. The American chain operates 46 stores in the Kanto region, and they are really no bad places to shop -- in a warehouse sort of way. The broad aisles offer kids plenty of space to run around and happily get lost in. For standard toys, the sheer range of merchandise, both Japanese and foreign, is outstanding. Small kids can drive around in toy cars all day and nobody seems to mind. With its proximity to Toshimaen amusement park, a good store if you're within range is the Toshimaen branch in Nerima Ward.
Before that upstart Toys "R" Us came along, Kiddyland in Harajuku was arguably the best known among Tokyo toy stores. Its prime location on Omotesando ensures that the place is always packed to the gills, especially at weekends. Proximity to foreigner haunts has made Kiddyland more gaijin-friendly than most shops, and staff blanch less at requests in English. The range of goods tends to be safe and standard with few surprises.