Visiting Japan in 1 month, any must-visit shops?

as title states, im gonna be going to Japan in early January and I want to know if anyone has any specific shops they had especially good experiences in. ill be in Tokyo and Osaka for ~5 days each.

would also love any other suggestions for places to visit / food to try if anyone is especially well-versed lol

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My advice is to not spend too much time in card shops and enjoy everything else.

If you’re into video games and Nintendo, you might like the 84 cafe

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Japan isn’t the free card haven people imagine. Most shops sell the same modern cards you can get on eBay or mercari. Also recommend searching the fourum since others often post about their recommended shops.

I personally like ninnin because they specialize in vintage

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I agree. I did two weeks in Japan back in October. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life, but the card scene itself was a little underwhelming. My girlfriend is awesome and we did a “card shop day” in each city, had a great time but I visited probably 50 or 60 shops and was pretty underwhelmed. Not much unique stuff and a lot of it was way overpriced. I think unless you have a connection over there you’re probably not going to be too impressed.

Like others have mentioned though, you’re going to have an amazing time with the rest of your trip though!

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Just got back from a 3 week trip in Japan. My advice, like many others in this thread, is just to enjoy your vacation and treat the card shops as secondary. If you’re in Akihabara or Ikebukuro it’s definitely worth poking your head into a few just to see what cards they have on display but prepare to be disappointed at the prices or selection. The market has become very optimized over there and mirrors what you see online or in Western auction houses.

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Yea recently my attention has shifted to western auctions for deals

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Following up what other people said, I only went to a couple card shops while there and found it to be mostly a waste of time. Although some people thrive on that stuff.

But I did want to mention that the PokĂ©mon Centers are fun to stop in, that’s something you can aim to do

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Calling @genchiro

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I’ve been to Japan for six weeks so far and will go there back again in a couple of days. I basically agree with what most people already said but I want to elaborate it a little bit further.

I really like going to card shops and just look at what they have to offer but if you expect crazy good deals you will be disappointed. In Tokyo, especially in Akihabara, prices were really extremely high and in many shops even higher than on eBay. Selection was okay but many shops pretty much just offer ultra modern cards with a few vintage ones mixed inbetween. I am also collecting Nintendo consoles/games (mainly everything from the Game Boy era) and there it is even more extreme.

Most of the really good deals on games and cards I found were either really in the outskirts of big cities or not in the main tourist cities/locations. I spent some time in Hokkaido and Northern Honshu and there prices were way cheaper than in Tokyo/Osaka/Kyoto. I will be in Kyushu/Okinawa next and will report afterwards how prices are there.

Still, I’d definitely recommend checking out some stores because some really have a nice atmosphere and it’s fun to look through them. And I would strongly suggest to check out a at least one Pokemon Center because I found it also really fun to walk through them (just a heads up, if you go to the major ones just be there either really early or expect a long queue because it can get really crowded there).

And last but not least, make sure not to spend to much time in card stores. Japan has so many amazing things to offer and it is my favorite country to visit. I wish you an amazing time in Japan and hope you will enjoy it.

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The service at card shops is good and it can be a fun experience, but be prepared to deal with a language barrier and to pay at or above market prices similar to North American card shops. The supply is good at shops in Tokyo and Osaka, but you can probably find anything you’ll see there online for the same or lower prices. It’s nice to be able to inspect cards in person though. You’ll probably enjoy the card shopping experience more if you are interested in a broad range of different cards and not looking for anything too specific.

The best finds are mostly off the beaten tourist path. You can find some very cool stuff if you go to recycle shops in super rural areas. I’m talking small towns and cities in prefectures not widely serviced by shinkansen lines.

For a 5 day stay, just enjoy the beautiful cities, the great food and local culture. I personally don’t find visiting Japanese card shops worth the time investment when you’re only there for a short time.

Some things I like to do in Tokyo or Osaka:
-Most of the “must see” lists you’ll find online are right: check out Ginza, Asakusa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Akihabara in Tokyo. Check out Dotonbori in Osaka and consider a day trip to Kyoto/Nara/Kobe.
-Consider renting a car and explore for a day or two that way. This is not for everyone but I just like driving in big cities. On the other hand, the transit in both cities is incredible by international standards and will efficiently get you anywhere you need to go. Avoid taking local trains/subways with huge luggage. Hotels can arrange a reasonably priced luggage forwarding service, which is definitely worth the cost.
-Both cities are great for ramen and sushi (cheap kaitenzushi is amazing, you don’t really need to splurge if you don’t want to). Osaka is known for okonomiyaki. Other must tries are: Shabu shabu, Tempura, Japanese curry.

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@thsigma Thanks for tagging!

If you’re looking for general advice and an idea of what to expect, check out these threads:

In general, most card prices are comparable to what you’ll find on Mercari or eBay, so don’t expect to stumble across too many deals. However, what you can look forward to is a wide variety of cards. You’ll likely see plenty of rare cards and find modern packs at retail prices.

Here are some shops I’d recommend checking out:

Osaka:

Definitely take a walk through Den Den Town and explore the different card shops—it’s basically Osaka’s version of Akihabara.

Interesting shops to visit:

  • Pureizu Osakanipponbashi Honten They have fair prices and are very strict when it comes to grading high-end cards. Sometimes, what they label as “damaged” could actually grade as a PSA 10!

  • Card labo Osaka-nipponbashi This store has an incredible selection of vintage cards—probably the largest in Osaka. It’s a blast to browse through their inventory.

  • ăƒŹă‚«Sunrise used to offer some crazy deals back in 2023. Nowadays, it’s more of a gamble, but it’s still definitely worth a visit.

Tokyo:

Definitely go to Akihabara and nakano Broadway it’s definitely worth to browse the areas there not just for cards but so browse and experience a very unique vibe you will find rarely anywhere else in the world.

For shops I would recommend:

  • Amenity dream has good prices for Modern boxes

  • Hareruya 2 is a hit or miss. They have a high turnover and almost different inventory every day. You can find super good prices or just overpriced crap. But definitely worth to check out

  • çŠçŠăƒˆăƒŹă‚«ç§‹è‘‰ćŽŸéŠæˆŻçŽ‹ă‚łăƒŹă‚Żă‚·ăƒ§ăƒłć°‚é–€ćș— is an interesting little shop with a lot of rare and vintage cards

  • Magi Shops are always a great place to browse. They often have some of the rarest cards in the game.

For non Pokemon things it’s definitely worth to take a day trip to Kyoto from Osaka. If it’s your first time in Japan it’s a must see, even tho the main attractions there are really overcrowded by tourist since the Japan hype started 2-3 years ago. So try to explore the city a bit and go off the beaten paths.

  • Go to at least one or two izakaya and experience the drinking culture in japan. It’s similar yet different.

  • Osaka is famous for its food so try to eat a different dish there for every meal.

  • If you like activities definitely go for a spo-cha also called Round1. These things are super fun an have everything from arcade games to bubble football and oversized Tennis.

  • If you’re looking to eat a specific dish or visit a particular type of restaurant, don’t search for the English word. Use Google Translate to find the Japanese name and search for that instead. Alternatively, use the icon menu on Google Maps to search visually—it works surprisingly well.

  • Hot Take #1:
    If you’re planning to try ramen, I’d recommend skipping Ichiran. The wait is usually 50 minutes, and it’s not significantly better than other local vendors. Instead, opt for a small, local restaurant—these often provide a much more authentic and enjoyable experience.

  • Hot Take #2:
    Give Mos Burger a try!

  • Lastly, make sure to get a Suica card at the airport. If you have an iPhone, you can even download the card directly onto your phone. You can charge the card and use it for all railways, as well as for payments at many shops and vending machines.

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