Medicom Toy 30th Anniversary Exhibition

Six days of queueing in Omotesando

The Medicom Toy Exhibition is held annually in Tokyo. In 2026 it marked the company’s thirtieth year, ran for six days at Omotesando Hills – and we, Michael and Marion, were there for every one of them.

What we got wrong

On opening day we were at the door at 8:00. Sales and the exhibition were not due to start until 11, so we thought we were early. The waiting numbers in our hands said otherwise: 163 and 164. For the draw on the H×S model we had come for, that was already too late.

On the Sunday we meant to do better and, thanks to jet lag, slept until 13:00. The most important piece of advice on this page was learned the hard way.

How the lottery works

From Monday it ran properly: on site from 6:30 every morning, over five hours in the queue each day, and a number under 60 each time – the threshold at which entry to the H×S draw is guaranteed.

H×S stands for Hirota Saigansho, a Japanese soft-vinyl maker Medicom Toy has worked with for years – the same collaboration appeared as a hidden pair in Series 45. The draw was the real moment of each day: five hours of waiting, and then a ticket decides whether you are allowed to buy.

The bear that carries a secret

A giant BE@RBRICK hung from the atrium ceiling, and an oversized anniversary cake with a pearl-white figure guarded the entrance. But the photograph everyone wanted was of a flowering 3000%.

That giant is more than decoration: it is the original for the Super Secret of Series 52. Open a blind box from that series and, with luck, you are holding the miniature of exactly this bear – and most people who pull it have no idea what it is a copy of.

Four things we will do differently

Be there by 7:00 at the latest. It is the only way to keep full choice of the merchandise and a chance in the lottery.
Every day is a fresh chance. Medicom spreads the scarce numbers across all exhibition days – sold out on Monday does not mean sold out on Tuesday.
One piece per person, per model, per day. Plan the wish list around that.
Set an alarm. The jet lag is real.

What we brought back

Below is everything that came back from Tokyo. Apart from Series 52, most of these models were available only at the exhibition – every piece queued for in person, chosen on the spot and in some cases won by draw. We will be there again next year.