Inside the Mirai Store Tokyo!

As you may know, I've been in Japan the last 2 weeks and it was a stellar trip. We saw so much and had such an excellent time!

 

One of the highlights of the trip was getting to go to the Mirai Store and meeting Danny Choo. We made an appointment with him weeks in advance so we wouldn't miss him and could chat about stuff.

 

If you want to see what else we did on this day before we went to visit Danny, please check here:

 

viewtopic.php?f=31&t=15737&p=213289#p213289

 

 

 

So here's the pics of our trip to the Mirai Store, I hope you enjoy them!

 

As everyone must do when they make the trip to Gotanda....here's the shots from outside.

 

052 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

053 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

054 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

We arrived about 30 minutes early so we had to wait for them to open up. Since it was raining, we stood in the lobby area and took some pics to pass the time.

 

055(2) by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

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"Look! It's real! I'm really here!"

 

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"Who's this Mirai girl and why does she get her own store? I want a store Papa! I want to sell beer and cookies and sexy outfits! Well... I might keep the beer and cookies..."

 

And this is why you don't have a store dear.

 

058 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

After they opened up we got to look around the main store area while waiting for Danny to come down.

 

059 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

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As you can see, there are guys and girls EVERYWHERE. Which of course is awesome.

 

062 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Here's the wedding dresses.... these things are way bigger in person than the pics I've seen online.

 

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Man I love this one!

 

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I almost missed these! Clear Eiji and Mirai showing of the frames and charging systems available.

 

067 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

T-Rex Eiji? Some kind of genetic experiment gone awry?

 

068 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

069 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Now I don't know all these girls names, I just can't keep up with any of them anymore. Unless there's something specific I can say about them, I'll just share the pics.

 

070 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Isetan uniforms.

 

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Girl Und Panzer on the right, Frame Arms Girl on the left.

 

072 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Seeing her up close was great.

 

073 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Here's the info I'm allowed to give out..... the upper and lower torsos are all one piece, no add ons. The upper arm pieces are separate clip ons for now but may be built into the arms later. Her head is NOT a Chitose head even tho it's really similar. The gloves are replacement hands but the long sleeves are slip ons.

 

074 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

The leg armor was held in place with glue for now, not sure if these will be made permanent in the future or somehow attach to the stockings.

 

075 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Her name is Gourai and this is her default wig. There ARE plans for add ons to her setup but I can't say what they are or when they will be available. All I can say is that I saw something upstairs that was AMAZING.

 

076 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

The dark skin is so pretty in person.

 

077 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

And I want those damn sunglasses! They were made of metal and looked super cool.

 

078 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

This outfit was crazy. It had so many layers to it! Danny said it *might* be available late this year but he's not 100% sure about it yet. If it does make it into sales, it's NOT gonna be cheap.

 

079 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Here again, if I don't know the girls name or have any info on them, I'll just post the pics. If they weren't ones I know, I took multiple pics at different angles for people to see because I always hear people wishing they could see these from more than one angle.

 

080 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

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THIS is the girl Ed wanted to build in store but Danny said she wasn't available yet. I don't know her name but she is beautiful.

 

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Ok ladies, here's your boys! Actually, these are the new Eiji faces/heads. Danny said these will be available this year but he would *like* to sell thru all the older Eiji heads he has now before listing these for sale. Whether or not he waits for those to sell or not I'm not sure. He didn't give a definite on that. But I know a ton of people in the States sure want these boys and we made sure to tell Danny that.

 

096 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

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This short wig was super cute!

 

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Tan Chitose is just so hnnngggg..... especially in white. I know what MY tan Chitose will be wearing for a wardrobe! She'll have to share with Sprout.

 

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Ok, some info here. The girl on the left was super pretty and I commented on it to Danny. When I asked who she was, he said they made her and put her out here to gauge interest on what people thought of her. He said she got hardly anyone noticing her and that even after a bit of time in the showroom, she didn't garner much interest. So that lead to him saying that she wasn't going to be put into production due to lack of interest.

 

I thought she looked great and told him I'd buy her if she were available but the way he does market research, getting input thru social media and showroom sales interest, is how he gauges whether or not to make something for general purchase. It may not be the way a lot of companies do it but since he's limited for stock amounts and such, this way works best for him.

 

I can't recall what head she used or what faceup was on her but I know it's a little sad that this cute girl won't be made available.

 

109 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

More pretties on the table.

 

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Oh Kizuna... you do temp me.

 

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Can we get a tan girl with tanlines under her swimsuit?

 

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The adorableness that is the Tiger Kigu!

 

116 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Here's another sales note. Since coming out with the white tiger kigu, Danny said the sales on white versions over the yellow ones are over 5 to 1. Meaning that the white ones are so popular that he can't keep any in stock and that he will lean heavily towards stocking those MORE than the yellow ones. Whether this means he'll phase out the yellow ones over time is unknown but if you want one, make sure to stalk his store for restock listings.

 

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Chitose in a sheep kigu. I about lost my mind when I saw this.

 

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THAT is about as cute as you can get.

 

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I personally liked this girl more than any others I saw, especially her eyes.

 

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I asked him if he sold these eyes separately and he said not yet. This was another of his case studies in gathering interest on a girl and her setup. He said she had gotten some good interest so there's a possibility of making those eyes for sale later. I told him I *better* be on the top of that wait list!

 

125 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

126 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Now, on to the man himself, Danny! He was so cool to talk to and was very easy to chat with. He even helped get Ed setup to build his own Smartdoll while we were there! Here's proof that I was there and met him.... obligatory selfie with him.

 

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And him helping Ed pick out parts for his new girl.

 

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Ed decided to go after making his own girl while we were there and it was really neat watching him build her from parts. Here's pics of him putting her together.

 

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131 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

The box you see behind him is a heater to warm up the vinyl parts so they fit onto skeleton parts more easily.

 

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Getting her eyes straight. Ed chose to give his girl two different colored eyes.... something I hadn't seen done in a Smartdoll yet.

 

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Tah Dah! She's all done! Ed also bought her some really nice clothes from the store.

 

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Here she is up close. Ed named her Dani, a very cute and suiting name.

 

136 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

We chatted with Danny for a good while and then since he kept alluding to things upstairs, we managed to get him to show us his R&D department where all the secret goodies are kept. He was careful to tell us that we couldn't take any photos or talk about anything we saw up there so I can't divulge any info on anything he hasn't already shared on his social media accounts. But what I *can* say is that if you aren't an investor of his now, you better jump on the bandwagon while you can because this guy is going places. He has so many awesome things in the pipeline that we were blown away by. His vision and drive for getting new licenses is crazy.... he has two HUGE ones he just picked up and his plans for dolls for those are insane. He already named and hinted at them on Twitter and Instagram so I'm safe to mention them here now.

 

DC and Marvel.

 

Just sit and think about that.

 

When we came back downstairs, he brought along this girl. I have to say that she was so pretty! I really liked her look and style. The big rack helped too.

 

137 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

She reminds me of "Meat" from the anime "Food Wars"..... she just needs to be tan.

 

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So after several hours of pestering Danny, we had to say goodbye to him and let him get back to work. Meanwhile, our DD girls were getting restless, especially Manami.

 

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She decided to wander around and spread her special brand of trouble....

 

"Hey Papa, buy me this dress. I'd look way better in it than this girl does."

 

"EXCUSE ME???"

 

142 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

M - "Oooo, can we take her home? She's hot."

 

Sorry but no, I don't have enuff money for that adoption right now.

 

M - "Can we at least buy her clothes? I want that shirt!"

 

We'll see...

 

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"Can we bring these hotties home?"

 

Will you stop asking me that? I can't adopt every girl here!

 

"You never get me anything I want...."

 

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Manami, since you won't stop with your antics, I need you to talk to someone. He's right behind you.

 

M - "Uh oh. This can't be good."

 

Trooper - "Maam, you need to come with me for a body cavity search."

 

M - "Well..... crap."

 

145 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

And that's that! It was a great time there and we had a ton of fun talking to Danny and spending A LOT of money. If I ever make it back to Japan I'll definitely go visit him again. If YOU get to go there, make sure you hit up the store, you won't regret it.

 

Thanks for looking!

 

 

 

Billy

The store is definitely worth visiting! It's a shame there wasnt half that many girls when I was there last time though, over a year ago. There's a lot I'd really like to see in person.

Oh, wow! I am just a little bit envious now! What a dream come true.

 

I want to sell beer and cookies and sexy outfits!

 

(That sounds like one of my Blythe girls.)

 

I am so in love with Starlight. And here I was, saying I would never buy a milk girl...

But then on the other hand, I also really want the new milk skin boy.

I loved seeing Kurenai (?) in cocoa with those purple-blueish eyes! I do hope he puts those in production.

Thanks for sharing all of these pics and info, Billy! It's so cool you were able to talk about some of the future smart doll plans with Danny himself. Those are some pretty big properties so I'm really wondering how that'll turn out. Now for some other comments..

 

T-Rex Eiji? Some kind of genetic experiment gone awry?

 

068 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Ayyyy I remember this guy! He was milk-skin in my photos though, unless that's just lighting or something

 

Ok ladies, here's your boys!

 

lol thanks Billy! The head/neck connection in the second Crimson v2 pic worries me a little but I'm still getting him sooner or later...

 

I can't recall what head she used or what faceup was on her but I know it's a little sad that this cute girl won't be made available.

 

109 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Aw no, you mean this picture? The girl on the left was Sana. I liked her faceup! I think her head mold is the same as Sunlight & Starlight(the girl that asianed wanted to build). It's too bad that she won't be given another chance, but I guess that's just how it goes.

 

I personally liked this girl more than any others I saw, especially her eyes.

 

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Moonlight! She was my favorite too. So pretty and gentle.

 

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She reminds me of "Meat" from the anime "Food Wars"..... she just needs to be tan.

 

Oh hey you're right, she does look like Nikumi in that getup! Twilight(the tea-skin version of her head mold with the more serious-looking faceup) would be perfect!

I'm sooo in love with moonlight it's ridiculous! I want her to b my first smart doll! But on a completely different note... I'm not the biggest DC fan but that's so cool he'll b doing Marvel too! I'd probably cave and buy Spider Gwen... and Gwen Pool... and Black Cat! I'm in trouble now!

Moonlight is on my want list. I hope she gets produced. Smart Doll Store looks like a place where I want to visit, so many nice looking dolls on display.

 

Btw any knowledge is the sheep kigurumi for sale?

Thanks for the photos and the insider bits. I'm quite curious to see what Danny does with the DC and Marvel licenses. Those are some pretty big licenses to get.

 

As Elianti already said, the tanned girl you like is called Sana. Danny posted her prototype along with Sunlight and Starlight in November last year. I think it makes sense for him to measure interest in certain products this way. Too bad that she didn't gather enough interest.

 

Starlight (the girl AsianEd liked) did. Danny announced that she went into production last month. So she'll get a release date soon-ish, I guess.

The store is definitely worth visiting! It's a shame there wasnt half that many girls when I was there last time though, over a year ago. There's a lot I'd really like to see in person.

 

Well, this just means that you need to go visit again so you can see everything!

 

Oh, wow! I am just a little bit envious now! What a dream come true.

 

I want to sell beer and cookies and sexy outfits!

 

(That sounds like one of my Blythe girls.)

 

I loved seeing Kurenai (?) in cocoa with those purple-blueish eyes! I do hope he puts those in production.

 

Thanks! It was definitely on my dollie bucket list! That's funny that one of your girls thinks like Manami! You better keep an eye on her. And I hope he makes those purple eyes too, I really want some!

 

Thanks for sharing all of these pics and info, Billy! It's so cool you were able to talk about some of the future smart doll plans with Danny himself. Those are some pretty big properties so I'm really wondering how that'll turn out.

 

No problem! It was fun going there and taking all of them. It was also great to talk to Danny, he's an amazing guy. And don't worry about what he'll do for those properties.... he's already hinted at two different characters in his social media. People just haven't picked up on the hints yet. Once they do, all heck is going to break loose.

 

Aw no, you mean this picture? The girl on the left was Sana. I liked her faceup! I think her head mold is the same as Sunlight & Starlight(the girl that asianed wanted to build). It's too bad that she won't be given another chance, but I guess that's just how it goes.

 

Yeah, that's her. I really liked her a lot so it was sad to know she won't be made available. But I see why he does what he does so it makes sense.

 

Moonlight! She was my favorite too. So pretty and gentle.

 

Ah cool, I didn't know her name, thanks!

 

I'm sooo in love with moonlight it's ridiculous! I want her to b my first smart doll! But on a completely different note... I'm not the biggest DC fan but that's so cool he'll b doing Marvel too! I'd probably cave and buy Spider Gwen... and Gwen Pool... and Black Cat! I'm in trouble now!

 

I have no idea who he will be working on next for those two properties but the sneak peeks we got are VERY promising and more mainstream than the characters you mentioned above.

 

Moonlight is on my want list. I hope she gets produced. Smart Doll Store looks like a place where I want to visit, so many nice looking dolls on display.

 

I hope she does too! And yes it is, that store is like a tiny Disneyland for me.

 

Btw any knowledge is the sheep kigurumi for sale?

 

Not yet but I asked him about it and he just kind of smiled. So I'm hoping that means it will be made!

 

Thanks for the photos and the insider bits. I'm quite curious to see what Danny does with the DC and Marvel licenses. Those are some pretty big licenses to get.

 

You're welcome! He's already given hints at the first 2 characters he's working for those licenses on his social media. If you go back and look, I'm sure you can easily figure out who they are. We only saw some parts from one of them but man were they well done and awesome!

 

As Elianti already said, the tanned girl you like is called Sana. Danny posted her prototype along with Sunlight and Starlight in November last year. I think it makes sense for him to measure interest in certain products this way. Too bad that she didn't gather enough interest.

 

Yeah it sucks for sure but oh well, you can't save them all.

 

Starlight (the girl AsianEd liked) did. Danny announced that she went into production last month. So she'll get a release date soon-ish, I guess.

 

Yeah, Danny said she'd be out soon but didn't have any for him to put together. I'm guessing within a few months at most for her.

 

 

 

Billy

Oh Kizuna... you do temp me.

 

Kizuna tempts me too. She looks just so adorably saucy. And that sheep kirgirumi! Love it!

So jealous! I want to go and build one myself!

 

But the boyfriend has a grudge against Danny Choo...

If I ever get to go, I'll have to visit the store. I'd probably even get a SmD.

 

I saw this photo:

 

 

And now have to ask, is that a Baofeng UV-5R? Is Danny also an amateur radio operator? I've just got to know.

So jealous! I want to go and build one myself!

 

But the boyfriend has a grudge against Danny Choo...

 

Well, that's your boyfriend's problem.

Great pics Billy , thanks for sharing I would love to go myself but a bit concerned about the language barrier seeing I only speak English lol

Man, my friends and I are totally going to Japan next year. It looks like lots of fun.

 

So Danny's really working on a 1/3 scale Iron Man, huh?

So jealous! I want to go and build one myself! But the boyfriend has a grudge against Danny Choo...

 

If you get that chance then definitely go. And as someone else already said, your BF's problem is HIS problem, not yours. Why would he have anything against Danny?

 

If I ever get to go, I'll have to visit the store. I'd probably even get a SmD.

 

I already have two of his girls and an Eiji and the urge to buy a Kizuna while I was there was REAL. It was hard enuff not going overboard with what I did purchase, mainly shoes, eyes and clothing. I raided the crap out of his discount bins!

 

I saw this photo and now have to ask, is that a Baofeng UV-5R? Is Danny also an amateur radio operator? I've just got to know.

 

I have no idea what kind of radio that is but those are used by Danny and his employees to talk to each other on different floors. The main store, sales area and clothing development areas are all downstairs but the R&D areas, main office and all his packing, picking and shipping are done upstairs. He had one on his belt and so did a few of the workers we saw so it makes things easier than getting on a phone or going up and down stairs to get stuff moved or ask someone a question.

 

Great pics Billy , thanks for sharing I would love to go myself but a bit concerned about the language barrier seeing I only speak English lol

 

You're welcome! Why should you be worried about only speaking English? You DO know that Danny was born and raised in ENGLAND right? His birth language is English and he even has the British accent when he speaks it! But he's also fluent in many other languages which I find cool as hell. Also, his wife spoke English as did two other employees we dealt with while buying clothing and such. So please don't hold back because you only speak English! You'll have no issues whatsoever there!

 

Man, my friends and I are totally going to Japan next year. It looks like lots of fun.

 

Dude, you NEED to go! It's everything you think it is and a whole lot more. I really never thought I'd be able to go back after my first trip out there in 2010 but when the opportunity came up for a second trip? I jumped all over it. And if I could afford it, I'd go again and again!

 

So Danny's really working on a 1/3 scale Iron Man, huh?

 

Since he's already shown the parts we saw in person online on his Twitter and Instagram, I can go ahead and say.........

 

No comment.

 

Here's the photo of the parts he teased online a little while ago.

 

http://www.dannychoo.com/en/post/27640/Up+Coming+Smartdoll+Licences+WIP.html

 

*I* think those look like Iron Man hands but you never know with Danny. All I can really say is that iif you're a doll fan AND a comic book fan, you're going to go broke in the next few years due to him. LOL

 

 

 

Billy

He is working on a Supergirl and Wonderwoman Smart Doll, isn't he? I'm pretty sure that I saw him say something about making a prototype of these characters on Twitter and Facebook. His Twitter is a bit of a nightmare to find stuff on due to the retweets.

 

If I ever go back to Tokyo, the Mirai Store is at the top of my list to visit. I got to meet Danny in 2014 but back then, there was no Mirai Store yet.

He is working on a Supergirl and Wonderwoman Smart Doll, isn't he? I'm pretty sure that I saw him say something about making a prototype of these characters on Twitter and Facebook. His Twitter is a bit of a nightmare to find stuff on due to the retweets.

 

He dropped hints to us about some of the characters he's working on but I really can't confirm or deny any of them right now. I don't want to overstep my bounds.

 

If I ever go back to Tokyo, the Mirai Store is at the top of my list to visit. I got to meet Danny in 2014 but back then, there was no Mirai Store yet.

 

Cool, I hope you get to go there and see him again! I wanted to meet with him way back on 2010 when I was last in Japan but he was too busy with other things to meet up in the timeframe I was there. But we made up for it this time.... he was gracious with his time with us and I am flattered he allowed us to hang out like we did.

 

 

 

Billy

I know Danny speaks good English lol , no my concern is with accommodation and getting around japan ect , I wish I learnt Japanese in school 40 year ago lol

I know Danny speaks good English lol , no my concern is with accommodation and getting around japan ect , I wish I learnt Japanese in school 40 year ago lol

Every year millions of people who can't speak a word of Japanese have vacations in Japan, and they all seem to manage. My father and sister also manage pretty well.

It's hard for me to judge the approximate difficulty because I've never had the experience of going there without knowing any Japanese at all (even the first time I visited about 10 years ago I had been learning it for 4 years), but millions of people everywhere can't be wrong. Besides, baldylox isn't exactly fluent himself, as far as I know anyway, and he had a great time!

Tokyo especially is pretty easy for english-speakers, especially now that they're putting in an even greater effort to gear up for the Olympics.

Why would he have anything against Danny?

 

Long story short, Danny stopped doing Gundam reviews and got into dolls.

The grudge is over and he will buy me a SmartDoll if Danny does another Gundam review or releases a Gundam SmartDoll. xD

Long story short, Danny stopped doing Gundam reviews and got into dolls.

The grudge is over and he will buy me a SmartDoll if Danny does another Gundam review or releases a Gundam SmartDoll. xD

 

Wow. I hate to sound snotty but that's one petty little thing to be bothered about. So I suppose since the BF won't be buying you a SmD anytime soon, you can just buy one yourself. I see nothing wrong there!

 

 

Billy

Why would he have anything against Danny?

 

Long story short, Danny stopped doing Gundam reviews and got into dolls.

The grudge is over and he will buy me a SmartDoll if Danny does another Gundam review or releases a Gundam SmartDoll. xD

 

I don't know why, but I assumed the grudge was going to be over something much worse. I'm glad to know it's just because of Gundam and not because Danny is a serial puppy kicker or something.

I met Danny back in 2014 when. I made it down to Anime Expo. He's such a character. He really has alot of energy and passion for what he does. After his panel, he was happy to let me take a pic with him. So Kimmy and I got a pic with him and Mirai. I'm on my phone currently or I'd post it.

Thanks for the lovely pics! Sucks to hear Sana won't be made. V_V Her cat-like features and tan are so charming. Maybe I'll look up the post on social media and give her a like...better than nothing? Like a lot of us on here, Moonlight's unique look has me smitten.