Toy Tokyo – Toys Paradise

Unless you are looking for this place, you are most likely to miss it. Even those who go to 2nd Avenue to search for this shop have to hunt really hard to find it. This, in spite the fact that the sign for this place is clearly visible from the street. Once you do manage to find it, you look at it a little dubiously. In all honesty, it looks like a shady deal; one that you wouldn’t want to risk without armed body guards.

The stairs leading up to the place are even less inspiring – black and white, battered and bruised – so make your way up really gingerly. But once you find the courage to go in and make it all the way up, your first look at the place is going to make you smile like a kid who’s got Santa to deliver all the things on his Christmas list. After all, you are in a toy store – but it’s like no other that you’ve ever seen!

Welcome to Toy Tokyo – an eccentric toy shop that’s a favorite among children and adults alike. This probably classifies under hedonism for toy collectors as Israel Levarek’s shop specializes in really cool Japanese imports and collectibles. What is it your heart desires? Samurai guys? Indiana Jones? Godzilla? There are things in this shop that you may probably never even have dreamt of. Hand-painted porcelain miniatures of the Simpsons, Pink Panther; and Transformers, Japanese “candy toys,” merchandise for Night Before Xmas, Gremlins, 007, Star Wars, and Tim Burton. They even have memorabilia for music bands. Beatles Lovers – head for this place immediately!

Toy Tokyo was set up in 2000 and rapidly gained a reputation for having the most unique inventory in Toronto. Customers of Toy Tokyo come back several times a week to check out the latest additions to the inventory. All their items come straight from Japan and Hong Kong, but there are domestic toys and collectibles too and even some rare and vintage items.

While wandering through this shop you may across several delightful things, all of which you would like to buy. If you feel like jumping for joy or expressing your excitement in anyway, you are advised against doing so. The shop is pretty cramped and enthusiasm of any kind may result in knocking a couple of things over. Another thing that will help you practice restraint is that things don’t come cheap here. Curb your urge to pick up everything you like; you just might run up a whopping bill. Besides, once you give in to the temptation, there’s no going back.

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