Get a taste of doll culture in Tokyo

Orient Industry
The first and largest showroom for Orient is located a stone’s throw away from Akihabara (left). Reservations are required for a 30-minute visit, but inside are dozens of models and lines, including some 15 variant faces. The atmosphere is decidedly disquieting, but under the gaze of hundreds of dolls one can test the weight, durability and flexibility of Orient products before buying.
Suguru Building, 2F, 5-23-11 Ueno, Taito-ku. Tel: 03-3832-4832. Open daily 11am-6pm. Nearest stn: Okachimachi. www.orient-doll.com/top.html

Volks Akihabara Showroom
This shop on the sixth floor of the Radio Kaikan is the crowning jewel of the Volks doll empire—more a museum than a store. Walk the aisles and see completed Dollfies, consult experts and thumb through albums of photos taken by customers. The showroom also offers the latest information on dolls parties.

Radio Kaikan, 6F, 1-15-16 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku. Tel: 03-5295-8160. Open daily 11am-6pm. Nearest stn: Akihabara. http://tinyurl.com/6oh6vs

St. Grace’s Court
This unique costume diner is a “sister café” where nuns alternate between serving tea and engaging in mock Catholic ritual. The staff and customers are all hardcore fan types, and the owner allows them to organize exchange parties (koryukai) and take pictures of their dolls. There is even a “doll set” (¥700) of miniature tea and sweets on the menu for users to order for use in posing their dolls or offering them refreshments.

Chiyoda K1 Building, 1-B1F, 2-19-33 Kanda Sudacho, Chiyoda-ku. Tel: 03-5298-5947. Open Mon-Thu noon-11pm, Fri-Sun noon-5am. Nearest stn: Akihabara. www.st-gracecourt.com

Café Saya
A hotbed of doll user activity located outside Shinjuku, Saya is an antiquated café boasting an impressive lineup of doll events, including private exhibitions and sales, do-it-yourself workshops, and doll exchange parties. Like many such places, the space is typically only open when rented out for events, and these can be reservation-only or private affairs. Saya does, however, run a doll café most Saturdays.

3-37-1 Kamiya, Kita-ku. Tel: 03-3903-5462. Open noon-6pm (different if there is an event). Nearest stn: Higashi-Jujo. http://cafesaya.net/CAFE/

Maiden Doll and Dollfie Dream Gallery

These websites, made by users to display pictures of dolls, are among the hundreds in cyberspace. Fans submit reviews, share thoughts or send in their own images. Though most of the text is in Japanese, the beauty of the dolls and depth of activity on the part of users comes through.

http://maidendoll.nobody.jp; http://dollfiedream.arcadiangarden.com

Dolls Party
For more information on Volks’ Dolls Party events:

www.volks.co.jp/jp/event/dolpa_portal/index.html