A Glimpse Into Japan's Retro Mega Stores (56K DEATH!)

[gtmtnbiker]

Thanks for the collection of photos. How did you take them? With a cellphone camera? I'm surprised that you were able to take so many pictures without someone from the store saying something.

More power to you if you're able to snag cheap deals and resell them on Ebay for a handsome profit.

In Japan, are there a good number of people into retro gaming? I wonder how these stores stay in business if they don't get much traffic due to their location.

[hashiriya1]

It sounds like you're got all of Tohoku covered! Great! Living in the Tokyo metro area, there's not much need for me to have a car. Gotta admit, I wish I had access to the same shops as you do.

Here's a quick questions for you: how common are PC Engines where you are? Any model of system. I have a very hard time finding PCEs around Tokyo outside of places like Akihabara. I only see them every few months, while I come across Neo Geos and 3DO quite often for some reason (not many games though, unfortunately).

I lived in Tokyo for 2 years, while owning 2 cars (R32 GT-R, DC5 Type-R ). I was paying 60,000 yen per month to keep them garaged. A car is useless in Tokyo, but I am too much of a car nut to not have a car, or two. I am one of those guys who go to Daikokufuto every weekend to look for a race. Yep, I am one of those Shutoko/Wangan battlers. The scene Tokyo Xtreme Racer is based on. Up here in Sendai, parking is cheaper, but the racing scene isn't as exciting. Still, I go to the mountains with friends every weekend to hit the touges.

PC Engines are very common. Prices depend on where you go. The thing about these "Takara Hakken" shops is that their prces are always different, even if it's the same owner. But PC Engines are abundant.

You should rent a car one day. There are several of these shops close to Tokyo. There's one in Funabashi (Chiba) that is pretty good with good prices. There are several in Chiba, but that one is the closet. If you want to venture further, Tochigi has a couple of good ones too.

[hashiriya1]

Thanks for the collection of photos. How did you take them? With a cellphone camera? I'm surprised that you were able to take so many pictures without someone from the store saying something.

More power to you if you're able to snag cheap deals and resell them on Ebay for a handsome profit.

In Japan, are there a good number of people into retro gaming? I wonder how these stores stay in business if they don't get much traffic due to their location.

Nobody cares that I take pictures in there. It's just a bunch of snotnose kids working in those places. You can't get away with it as easily in game shops in big cities, tho.

There are tons of people into retro gaming. Game Center CX (retro gaming program) is very popular. These places are packed on weekends, and somewhat crowded on weekdays. I usually go around 11PM on weeknights, and there is a fair amount of people shopping at that time. Trust me, they get PLENTY of foot traffic.

[Breetai]

It sounds like you're got all of Tohoku covered! Great! Living in the Tokyo metro area, there's not much need for me to have a car. Gotta admit, I wish I had access to the same shops as you do.

Here's a quick questions for you: how common are PC Engines where you are? Any model of system. I have a very hard time finding PCEs around Tokyo outside of places like Akihabara. I only see them every few months, while I come across Neo Geos and 3DO quite often for some reason (not many games though, unfortunately).

I lived in Tokyo for 2 years, while owning 2 cars (R32 GT-R, DC5 Type-R ). I was paying 60,000 yen per month to keep them garaged. A car is useless in Tokyo, but I am too much of a car nut to not have a car, or two. I am one of those guys who go to Daikokufuto every weekend to look for a race. Yep, I am one of those Shutoko/Wangan battlers. The scene Tokyo Xtreme Racer is based on. Up here in Sendai, parking is cheaper, but the racing scene isn't as exciting. Still, I go to the mountains with friends every weekend to hit the touges.

PC Engines are very common. Prices depend on where you go. The thing about these "Takara Hakken" shops is that their prces are always different, even if it's the same owner. But PC Engines are abundant.

You should rent a car one day. There are several of these shops close to Tokyo. There's one in Funabashi (Chiba) that is pretty good with good prices. There are several in Chiba, but that one is the closet. If you want to venture further, Tochigi has a couple of good ones too.

I definitely know all about how expensive parking is in Tokyo. Pointless... unless, of course, you're into cars as you are. If you can afford the hobby, then all the power to you!

I rented a car once and drove to Fukuoka with some friends. Mostly as an excuse to check out Hiroshima. Fukuoka, as I'm sure you know, isn't too far from Hiroshima compared with how far away Tokyo is from those places. Only a few more hours.

As for the racing scene... I've got Wangan Midnight on my PS3 and Tokyo Xtreme 3 on PS2, and that's about as close as I'm likely to get to it.

Do you have pics of your cars posted? I'm not a car nut, but I definitely appreciate the beauty of a nice car. If it's been customized, I might drool a little.

[hashiriya1]

Do you have pics of your cars posted? I'm not a car nut, but I definitely appreciate the beauty of a nice car. If it's been customized, I might drool a little.

I sold the DC5, so now I just have an R32 GT-R and a Subaru Pleo. Here is my R32.
The 2nd pic is my friends and I waiting for battles up in the mountain roads.

[ToKeN]

nice r32 and that silvia if im not mistaken. i wanted to buy an r32 here in the u.s but the closest car was in canada and had to pick it up never got it though. ended up buying something else.

[Anayo]

I want to go to a store like that before I'm dead. XD

[fuctfuct]

Wow! If there was a place like this in town i would have an empty savings account!

[noiseredux]

sick.

[Unleaded Logic]

Thanks for the collection of photos. How did you take them? With a cellphone camera? I'm surprised that you were able to take so many pictures without someone from the store saying something.

More power to you if you're able to snag cheap deals and resell them on Ebay for a handsome profit.

In Japan, are there a good number of people into retro gaming? I wonder how these stores stay in business if they don't get much traffic due to their location.

Nobody cares that I take pictures in there. It's just a bunch of snotnose kids working in those places. You can't get away with it as easily in game shops in big cities, tho.

There are tons of people into retro gaming. Game Center CX (retro gaming program) is very popular. These places are packed on weekends, and somewhat crowded on weekdays. I usually go around 11PM on weeknights, and there is a fair amount of people shopping at that time. Trust me, they get PLENTY of foot traffic.

I love Game Center CX, I wish some company in the U.S. would pick up the rights to do the DVD's. I hear they have them subbbed, but no one wants to pick them up...

Man that store was amazing.