FIELD NOTES // TOKYO

January 4, 2026

SUPER FESTIVAL — where collectors buy like they’re defusing a bomb.

Tokyo sells you everything, then quietly asks: what did you actually need?

This happens in Chiyoda, inside Kitanomaru Park — that green pocket next to the Imperial Palace. The venue is the Science Museum, and two minutes away sits Nippon Budokan (martial arts temple by day, legendary concert box by night). Tokyo’s favorite trick: history stays visible, but it gets repurposed.

Season: early autumn (late September) hits best. The air is still warm, the crowd is sharp, and you’re not sweating onto someone’s 1970s vinyl.

You come here for one reason:
to hunt one object that survived Japan’s entire taste cycle — and still wins.

Image note: AI visuals. Human judgment. Real places.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Super Festival is a toy-collector sales event run by Art Storm. It’s not a cute “vintage fair.” It’s a concentrated room of dealers and private sellers where people move fast, talk little, and carry tote bags like equipment.

Rhythm: doors open → the real collectors sweep → the room settles into quiet negotiations.
Stock: sofubi (soft vinyl), kaiju, retro action figures, die-cast, tin toys, garage kits, model kits, odd imports, prototypes, and things that feel like they shouldn’t be on a table in public.
Vibe: acrylic cases clicking open • plastic smell + old cardboard • hands hovering • the sound of someone finding “the one” and trying not to show it.
Truth test: if you need curated nostalgia with candles, skip it.

ONE SELECTIVE HIT

One sofubi kaiju that looks like it shouldn’t exist.

Not a rare-find flex. Not a haul. Just one object that makes your brain go quiet.

Do it like this:

Walk one full loop without buying.
When something stops you twice, that’s your signal.
Ask one question. Touch nothing until invited.
Buy one piece — ideally hand-painted, slightly imperfect, unmistakably yours.

One object. One story. Leave.

QUICK FACTS

Super Festival is a collector-first event by Art Storm — it’s a sales floor, not a museum exhibit.

It’s typically held at Science Museum (Kagaku Gijutsukan), Kitanomaru Park, Chiyoda, and usually runs multiple times per year (check listings for exact dates).

Best access is via Takebashi or Kudanshita (then a short walk through the park). Expect tight aisles and fast decisions — the room rewards attention, not browsing.

HOW TO ENJOY IT

Arrive at opening. The first hour is for people who actually collect.
Bring cash and a bag that closes. Paper bags are for tourists and broken hearts.
Don’t carry a backpack through tight aisles unless you enjoy making enemies.
Set one rule: one purchase only. If you “need” ten things, you’re just anxious.
Negotiation is quiet here. Short sentences. No theater.

Plan B (if you’re done in 12 minutes)

MOMAT (National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo): clean your eyes after the toy overload.
Budokan loop: walk past Nippon Budokan and let Kitanomaru Park absorb your adrenaline.