My daughter and her friends love to buy and collect mechanical pencils, the kind with different Japanese characters on them (some kind of pig (can't remember his name)), Hello Kitty, etc.) She has a friend who is Japanese-American who says there are stores devoted to these in Tokyo. Has anyone ever seen or been to these stores?

(I have only been to the 7- or 8-level stationery store in Ginza, but I don't remember seeing these kinds of pencils. I did see some at the toy store in Ginza, but there were just a few.)

Thanks!

Bookstores have an entire section devoted to pencils, pens etc. Stationary stores as well. Cute character ones can be found in gift/variety shops, JUSCO, SATY...no challenge to find them really if you are shopping. They are cheap, too, usually 100 yen or so.

Great info, KimJapan -- thanks!

You might want to try Itoya in Ginza, the entire building full of various stationery items. Though they are more functional than cute/kitche side. I also found Hello Kitty stores on upper floor of Daimaru department store next to Tokyo station.

I'm partial the stuff from Muji.

I think I have been to Itoya, and that did seem more functional. I have never been to the Daimaru store or Muji. Is Muji a chain, and is it only found in Tokyo?

Muji is a chain, with their goods found even in convenience stores nowadays. It means "no brand". There are no characters on their goods.

I've seen Muji stuff in Hong Kong and many places around Asia. You can probably find them in N. America too. However, like Kim says, you won't find all the characters on their stuff.

So that's what Muji means! Yes, my daughter will not be happy if there are not characters on the pencils, so I'll try some of the other places mentioned.