Japan Game Junk

A wonderful little gem of a Hard Off, this one in Satte, Saitama was visited on August 31, 2024. You need some private vehicular transportation to get there but you will be rewarded by so much pro wrestling stuff in addition to beautiful MSX glory!

Visited on August 25, 2024, it's the Momotaro Kingdom shop in Iruma, Saitama! Or maybe it is across the border in Tokorozawa... In any case, do not be confused by the entrance to the store, because instead of games and innocent animation stuff, you might be end up shopping for guns and pornography!

Always twirling, twirling, twirling towards gaming deals, this is the Guruguru Daiteitoku store in Iruma, Saitama! On August 25, 2024, they had 1000 yen tickets to maybe win a PS5! It is a fun place.

The first of a few shops visited in Iruma city of Saitama on August 25, 2024, this is the Fujisawa branch of Hard Off. It had not the SG but the Sega SC computer! Wow! And also a fat Mew DS! So much goodness I felt a little tingle!

The Nagatsuda branch of Hard off in Yokohama, Kanagawa has GAMES! Or I assume it does as it did on August 25, 2024! 'Tis a fine store.

In the Ichigao section of Yokohama, Kanagawa, is a Hard Off store! Yes, really! I know it is HARD to believe but I'm not OFF my rocker! It has MSX goodness!

Visited on August 24, 2024, this is the Hard Off store in Tomisato, Chiba! It is right next to a highway exit so you can grab some stuff right before dropping off your rental car as you head into Narita! It had a novel way to get you to pay through the teeth for a Gamecube!

My second visit to the Hard Off in Togane, Chiba was on August 23, 2024, and it was less crowded than on opening day! You will find nice tunes if you were born in the first half of the 80s! I already snagged a cheap fun little 'zilla before you could though!

A visit to Chiba's Boso peninsula on August 23, 2024 led me to the Togane Kanteidan where you can get a PS Vita for an inexpensive price! And zombie Steve!

In Sagamihara city of Kanagawa prefecture is the Higashi Hashimoto branch of Hard Off. If you don't have any friends, you can buy your own robot friend there, at least if you get there fast as it was there on August 18, 2024! And Flicky.

The Isehara Hard Off branch in Kanagawa prefecture on August 18, 2024 offered FREE TINY CANS OF DRINKS!!!!! It also has a spherical friend.

Another Tokyo Hard Off, this one being the Akiruno city branch visited on August 14, 2024! I BOUGHT A MAGIC EIGHT BALLLLLLLLLL

It is a unique Hard Off in Hamura, Tokyo, as visited on August 14, 2024! Half the store has construction equipment and junk! It is near a US military base! I regret not buying an adapter that would allow me to utilize the third most common format of Hudson-produced game cards!

On August 12, 2024, I again visited a WonderGoo branch that very few tourists would see, being the one in Shimotsuke, Tochigi prefecture. It's just so out there! Still, I got a nice controller for a bad console so go get one too if you want to drive into the country hinterland of Tochigi.

The newest Hard Off in Japan, located in Funabashi, Chiba prefecture, as visited on August 11, 2024! It was clean and nice. Nichibutsu!

An elegy is in order for the Surugaya in Yokohama. Visited on August 11, 2024, for the first time there were no treasures to uncover. Now crowded with foreign tourists, the prices have increased and locals only enjoy the appliances and cheap large items not fitting in the baggage of an international flight.

The second Mandai Shoten visited in one day, this one is the store in Iwatsuki ward of Saitama city! While the game sales area has shrunk, it still is worth a peek for interesting items. Go grab a Neo Geo Pocket Color or something.

Hellooooo and hear as I talk about Mandai Shoten in Kawagoe city, Saitama prefecture, as visited on July 26, 2024. The 2nd floor stuff recently moved to the first floor! I got some cheap junk game discs! Serial Experiments Lain was so expensive!

A store visited on its day of grand opening of July 26, 2024, this is Momotaro Kingdom in the Hashimoto area of Sagamihara city, Kanagawa prefecture! It's kind of nice and has a few interesting items and I got a free drink!

A true must-visit store, as visited on July 21, 2024! This is the Hard Off located in Kimitsu, Chiba, and it is the most south-easterly Hard Off in Japan. It is noteworthy to have some very rare systems available, sometimes unseen anywhere else in the country, and this visit surely lives up to the expectation. Plus I get a second copy of F1 Circus on the PC Engine!!!!!!!!!

On July 6, 2024, I visited the Hard Off store at the Across Plaza in Yamanashi city in Yamanashi prefecture and it is worth a visit! The long regretted lack of a Sanyo 3DO purchase aside, I always find stuff to enjoy. Including a TV Boy! Yes!

Joy be upon us as I visit the recently-opened first Surugaya store in Yamanashi prefecture! In the capital of Kofu, there are pricy rarities and cheap game soundtracks. And pricy game soundtracks. Maybe not the best Surugaya but you're hours away from any other so might as well go in!

Not Nintendo 64 but episode 64 as I talk about one of my favorite Hard Off stores, being the Satoyoshi store in Kofu, Yamanashi, as visited on July 6, 2024. A must-visit if looking for MSX or Laserdisc stuff, and maybe you can get some action in an elevator.

A visit to a Hard Off on a hill, with the Futaba store located in Kai, Yamanashi. On July 6, 2024 I unfortunately left empty handed, but it may be a worthwhile visit for fun with Harry Potter or tiny PC CD-ROMs.

There is no one true mecca of game stores in Japan for collectors looking to buy, and even if there was one it would certainly not be in Akihabara! However, there are a few must-visit stores, and this is one of them. Here I describe the original and best Mandai Shoten store in Kai city (very close to the border of Kofu city), Yamanashi. It may be a long drive from Tokyo or Nagoya but it may be wor...