Month: May 2010

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We all buy at the Yellow Submarine

Quotes from Boardgamegeek.com

I like Yellow Submarine and enjoy browsing at the store in South Shinjuku. I will say one thing though,
at the store in Akihabara I had a store clerk basicly follow me around the store like he thought I was going to steal something.
I felt he was racist. Maybe they have some non-Japanese shop lift at times, but Japanese must do so too. Does he
stay close to all the Japanese customers too? I doubt it. So the last time I was at the store in Akihabara that sells a lot
of games and has the game tables (for playing games) in the back, it wasn`t the nicest shopping experience.

It`s too bad they do that sometimes. I have had similar experiences at Toys r` Us in Hadano and another shop in Odawara.

It certainly highlights what it feels like to be a visible minority at times and makes me sympathize more with non-caucasian people
in Canada and how they are treated at times.


Where to buy & Play Games in Tokyo?

If you have spare time in Wednesday, there is a weekly boardgame meeting in Yellow Submarine in Akihabara between 1:00PM to 8:30PM. This is not English meeting but no charge. Free. You can join if you are interested in Japanese gamers. Some of guys can speak English and I think I can help you if I were there (usually 6:00PM to 8:30PM). If you want to make sure if I was there, just mail me. We played with some western guys before and there are only few problems to play games even if you can’t understand Japanese. Gaming itself is a language. I hope you will have great time in my country.
Joe

What`s the difference between the different
Yellow Sub Stores?

What’s the difference (aside from location, of course) between these two branches of yellow submarine?
http://www.yellowsubmarine.co.jp/shop/shop-017.htm
http://www.yellowsubmarine.co.jp/shop/shop-029.htm
Both sell boardgames and other types of games. Which of the two would be the best place to look for Japanese wargames and other non-Euro and non-TCG/CCG stuff?

Or would Shosen be a better place for that?
http://www.shosen.co.jp/hp/mart/index_mart.html

Joe Yamasaki

Lajos, I asked a couple of guys about the topic. People said there is not big difference between two yellow submarine stores. Sounds like about same. And if you are interested in Japanese wargames, yellow submarine has better lineup than Shosen. On the other hand, if you are looking for US games, Shosen might be better choice. I recommend yellow submarine Akihabara. Even you can’t find good game at the store, Shosen is near. You also can try Yodobashi Camera Akihabara for monopoly, life game, go, shogi and other non-gamers games for better price.
Joe

Gideon Marcus

Lajos wrote:
What’s the difference (aside from location, of course) between these two branches of yellow submarine?

http://www.yellowsubmarine.co.jp/shop/shop-017.htm
http://www.yellowsubmarine.co.jp/shop/shop-029.htm
Both sell boardgames and other types of games.

Which of the two would be the best place to look for Japanese wargames and other non-Euro and non-TCG/CCG stuff?
Or would Shosen be a better place for that?

http://www.shosen.co.jp/hp/mart/index_mart.html

I haven’t seen the Shinjuku store since 2003. I went to the Akihabara store just four months ago.

The Akihabara store is in a tower and has a decent sized role-playing/tabletop/miniature gaming room with a few tables. The people there have always looked friendly. I know some wargamers go in there too. I chatted with a couple of them.

Drake Coldwinter
(drakecoldwinter)
Canada
Quebec
Quebec

I went to the Shinjuku store last week, the basement is more for cards, there is another yellow submarine in the same building, second floor with plenty of boardgames, nice collection, not as big as the akihabara yellow submarine, but for sure it doesn’t pale away.

Andy Kitkowski
(zigguratbuilder)
United States

Hey all: I’m a huge tabletop RPGer ( http://www.j-rpg.com/talk), and buy all my Japanese RPGs from the Akihabara Yellow Sub. The Shinjuku yellow sub is great if you’re looking for US/International RPGs, but Akihabara has the best local collection of regular and indie J-RPGs.

For boardgames, though, I’ve found it very surprising that the TOKKYU HANDS in Shinjuku (right outside the station, next to Kinokuniya) is a great place to pick up both traditional and modern Japanese board games (the first floor), both in regular and travel sizes. They have all sorts of hanafuda, shogi, go, etc sets next to copies of contemporary Japanese board games. Plus, it’s really easy to spot and make time for, since it’s not too out of the way.

-Andy

I just came back from a visit to (among others) the Shinjuku Yellow Submarine. They have a nice collection of Euro games and some imported wargames as well. All in all a fine shop, but I couldn’t find anything to suit my obscure interests however. Maybe I’ll try Akihabara next week, although that neighborhood gives me a headache just thinking about it…
(I didn’t check out Tokyu Hands, but I’m sure that I will soon since Shinjuku is right on the way between central Tokyo and home.) .

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Kyoto Game Day, May 30th, 2010

I was thinking of advertising this Game Day on the group but I’ve been busy
lately.

So, the Game Day will take place on Sunday, 30 May, from 1pm to 9.30pm, at the
Kyoto kita-ku bunka kaikan
(http://www.kyotoconcerthall.org/kita/map.php), which
can be reached by bus (stop: kitaoji bus terminal) or underground (stop: kitaoji
station).

There will be a 1-hour break between 5pm and 6pm, since I messed up when booking
the rooms, but that will allow us to eat something at one of the restaurants in
the mall.

I’ll ask for a 300 yen participation for the room.

For what I can tell, we could be around 20 at peak, if everyone shows up as
expected.

Julien

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Where can you Buy Boardgames in English in Japan?

Ok, some of this info is a few years old, and I don’t know Japanese, but here is what I found:

At the Department Store Tokkyu Hands in Shinjuku (located right outside the station, next to Kinokuniya) you may find traditional Japanese games and modern games.

There’s a game publisher that owns a shop to sell games. They are locate near the Tokyo Dome.
Moebius Games
5F Umezawa Building
1-1-15 Kouraku Bunkyou-Ku
Website: http://www.mobius-games.co.jp/

Yellow Submarine is a small chain with a few locations, notably in Akihabara and Shinjuku. They seem to specialize in RPGs (like Dungeons and Dragons), Miniatures (like Warhammer) & CCGs (like Magic the Gathering), but have other types of games too.
Here are maps to their locations:
Akihabara:http://www.yellowsubmarine.co.jp/shop/sh…
Shinjuku: http://www.yellowsubmarine.co.jp/shop/sh…

Akihabara should have several places to find games. A couple that I found besides the Yellow Submarine:

Shosen Book Mart: This is supposed to have a great selection, but apparently to get to the game section you have to venture through the porno section, so enter at own risk!
Website: http://www.shosen.co.jp/hp/mart/index_ma…

Yodobashi Camera Akihabara: should find games like monopoly, life chess and go here.

If you are looking to meet other gamers, Japan`s International Gamers Guild meets about once a month. They describe themselves as “Japan’s largest and longest running English speaking and bilingual gaming group.” Show up and they may better suggestions, and you may meet some new friends to play games with.
Website: http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/JIGG…

And finally, Here is a map showing game shops around Tokyo:
http://www.tgiw.info/etc/link-t.html

Have fun!

JP
Source(s):
Board Game Geek:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/1203…

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Nagoya Hammer

New Wargaming Forum

Hi everyone,

This is just to let you know that there is a new wargaming forum for you to post messages to, discuss rules questions on and get details of club meetings in Japan from.

www.nagoyahammer.com

We are hoping that this can become the biggest Japanese based gaming page for people across the country. If you have any friends who play Warhammer, or any other wargame, card game or roleplaying game, please feel free to pass on the link.

Membership is, and always will be totally free, so come along and make new friends and find new players.

Regards,
Stuart

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Games Stores selling RPGs in Japan

This is a quick note to let you know of some game stores that sell RPGs in Japan.

The first is Role and Roll Station in Akihabara

www.arclight.co.jp/r_r_s/

Roll and Role is a good store. To get there:

Take the JR to Akihabara

EXit the Electric Town exit. Walk straight past Club Sega.

Go Right just past Yamagiwa Ribna

Roll and Roll station is on the opposite side of the street of a CoCos and Sunkus.

It is on the 6th floor.

Hours are 12-9pm Weekdays and 11-8pm Weekends

The other is Yellow Submarine, which can be found in Akihabara and Shinjuku.

www.yellowsubmarine.co.jp/

This was originally a post at the Wizards of the Coast Blog:

http://community.wizards.com/jigg/blog/2010/02/11/game_stores_in_tokyo

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Ultra Cheap Miniatures

Description

Ultra Cheap Miniatures – Yahoo Group

Is one of my favorite unsung sites for cheap

minis and I learn a thing or too.  Here is what they say:

This group is for links to ultra cheap wargaming.

How do you know if you are an ultra-cheap wargamer? Well, if you ever bought a Risk(c) game just to cannibalize the pieces and paint them as Napoleonics, or if you have a space fleet made of nuts, bolts, and bits from Michael’s Craft Shop, or if you cast your own figures, or if you have one or more armies of paper flats, or if you have painted up green army men to serve as Modern warfare miniatures, you probably qualify.

Note that this will not be a very active group, message-wise. Neither is it intended to be.

***THE MAIN PURPOSE IS !!!THE LINKS***.

If you have a link to a source of cheap miniatures, or free gaming rules, or anything similar, it belongs here.

!!!PUT IT IN THE LINKS SECTION!!!

And post an announcement about it. I will try to clear out the dead links every month or so.