C41, E6 chemical availability in Japan?

[paradoxbox]

Anyone here living in Japan and develop their own C41 or E6?

I'm having a real hard time finding somewhere within Tokyo that supplies the chemicals. There is the Naniwa color kit N which is comparable to Tetenal's press kit but it's only 1L and costs 2,500yen/$25, too expensive.

Anyone know where to get chemicals for doing these processes?

[tgtaylor]

Fuji C-41 chemistry and possibly E-6 (I use Kodak chemistry and never look in that section of the counter) is available at a photog store here in California so surely you should be able to find it in Tokyo.

[Hiro]

I don't do it myself but will report back if those who do can give me pointers to specific shops. Looks some people concoct their own in Mason jars.

Google was uncharacteristically helpless. There were mentions of Kodak's Flexicolor (C-41RA) and Fuji's "Hobby Kit," but nothing much about valid suppliers.

If you want some immediate action, try National Photo near the Jingumae subway station (Metro Chiyoda Line): Shibuya-ku, Jingumae 6-13-11, NP Bldg. (http://www.nationalphoto.co.jp/index01.htm -- only in Japanese). It appears they have some chemicals. If you can't find where it is, try copy/paste [渋谷区神宮前6-13-11] into Google Maps, or [Latitude 35°40'0.26"N / Longitude 139°42'19.72"E] into GoogleEarth or your GPS.

[paradoxbox]

Thanks for the posts.

I can read/write Japanese, unfortunately that shop doesn't have C41 or E6 chemicals. They have paper developing chemicals but I don't think those could be used to do film with any kind of predictable results.

Black and white chemicals are available easily but I have around 40 rolls of 35mm C41 and I would like to use some 4x5 c41 sheets and develop them myself, processing here is 300-500yen (3-5$) per roll.

Yodobashi, Bic Camera and Sakura also do not carry c41 or e6 chemicals and they are the biggest camera stores on the planet.

Are these chemicals banned for public use or something in Japan?

[Hiro]

Some updates--

Cyber Graphics (formerly Oriental Direct) sells Kodak/Fuji "equivalents."
https://www.cybergraphics.co.jp/e-co...ry.cgi?id=8200
They list only replenishers, but reportedly you can get the starter kit as well if you ask them. This is apparently a web-only store.

That may be too much for the amount you indicated. If so, you could try Naniwa Color Kit S (for papers). Some people successfully developed color negs by using 1/2 dilution. For example:
http://www.surveytec.com/camera/darkroom/naniwa.html
One package develops 40 rolls (probably 135).

From what I've found, most (including mega-) stores no longer handle color film chemicals. I don't know whether it's due to the general trend in film popularity, concerns over substances contained, or else.