My friend Jun from Japan is staying with me. We just recorded a video and wanted to do an E4 Q&A, similar to the one with Gary!
Jun owns/operates a card shop in Japan, and has been collecting for a long time. If you have any questions you want to ask about Japan, or anything in general now is your chance. Pics below for reference, and probably memes:
What were the biggest challenges with opening a store in Japan and would you have still done it knowing all that you do now about setting up and operating? Have you noticed an increase in competition for cards from Western buyers through middleman sites and has it negatively affected what you’re able purchase locally?
Hello Jun! I am very interested and hoping to one day visit Japan, however I do not know any Japanese. How hard or easy do you think it is to get by when planning a trip to a touristy area of the country? Thank you!
I bought 50 SM P 270. When can I expect to afford a Porsche?
But seriously to both of you thanks for the opportunity and: What are your thoughts of the new scream promos? How and when do you expect short term price points to settle and do you see these having long term success as with something like the Mario/Luigi pikas? Japanese promos are something I’ve only recently gotten into as I’m finally nearing completion on most English goals.
What made you decide to move and fall in love with Japan? Did you like pokemon prior to moving there? What currently lower priced japanese promos/limited collectors cards would you bet on seeing the next hype train/price inflation? Has Scott complained about the E4 discord yet (pst, shout out the discord via youtube for once).
Three Questions (if its allowed): Aloha Jun, how long have you lived in Japan and what unique experiences have you had in Japan that you could say, “Only in Japan”? I know Scott talked about in his video that their are some exclusive Pokemon websites only available for Japanese residents, what is the reason for this? (I know Scott mentioned some reasons as well)
Side note: You never happened to be in the military have you? I was stationed over there for 3 years in Yokosuka!
It was great to see you at Worlds again and eat Nashville barbecue together that Sunday night.
My questions are: What are some misunderstood parts of the Japanese card market? What do you think holds back more English only collectors from transitioning into Japanese sets and promos?
1. How do Yugioh and Magic compare in popularity to Pokemon in Japan?
2. Many local game shops in the US use TCG Player and Troll and Toad to price their in-store single cards. In general, how is this sort of pricing handled inside of game shops in Japan?
3. Any standout TCGs or collectibles that are uniquely Japanese? Coins, stamps and baseball cards seem to be the American staples.