In case you haven’t realized I’m fairly geeky about a lot of things, Japanese video games included. I don’t think I’m lying when I say a lot of you guys are as well, and one of the main reasons why so many of you visit Akihabara is to go searching for secondhand video games.
Well, I hear you! And I’m not satisfied with any of the other articles out there so I decided to put my own one together. I’ve stomped up and down the streets of Japan’s electronic capital more times than I care to remember, and I’ll be bringing you first-hand recommendations, experience, and tips to make sure you have the most successful time buying video games in Japan.
Where to buy second-hand games in Japan
The bulk of this article is going to be about specific Akihabara game stores where you can buy second-hand and retro videogames in Japan. It’s easily the best place in Tokyo (and probably Japan) for the amount of Japanese video game stores that are there.
But what do you do if you’re not planning on visiting Akihabara? Luckily, you’ve still got a lot of options.
In fact, I would even go as far as to suggest that shops like these that are away from the big cities might just give you a better selection. So many of the places on here have a high chance of being picked dry, but on the flip side, they also get their stock replenished quickly. Pros and cons I suppose.
“Off” stores
Off stores are the Japanese second-hand stores you’ll want to visit if you’re after used items, games included. They’re ALL across Japan, and you’d be hard-pressed not to find one, whatever your itinerary looks like.
Check out the article I’ve linked above if you want to know more, but in short, it’s worth popping your head into practically all the Off stores if you’re searching for secondhand games in Japan.
I’ve been into almost all of them, and still somehow stumbled across a few games here and there, even if it didn’t seem like the shop would. So always check!
GEO
GEO doesn’t have many super old or rare games, but it usually has a good selection of second-hand video games. They sort of remind me of the blockbusters of Japan with a big stock of CDs, DVDs, snack food, and games.
They’re all over the country(971 of them as far as I can tell), so there’s a good chance you’ll run into one during your travels.
Recycle Shops
Second-hand stores in Japan are called ‘Recycle Shops’, so a great way to find retro games or secondhand games is to type in “Recycle shops in x” replacing X with where you are, or simply search for “Recycle shops” and see what google throws up.
You’ll be amazed at the random shops you’ll find, and it’s a great way to find places that may just have that hidden gem you’ve been looking for!
For instance, there’s one near me called ‘Mandai Shoten’ which has loads of Japanese video games, and it’s not a place that I’ve ever seen mentioned online.
Independent gaming stores
Just like the above, if you’re staying in an Airbnb instead of a hotel in Japan, finding independent gaming stores is a great way to catch those great deals.
Simply type: “Gaming stores near me”, “Gaming stores in x”, or “gaming stores” and google maps will populate with places you’ve never heard of, but should likely visit.
Opening Hours
Of course, this only works if you get there at the right time and on the right day. I’ll warn you now, Google Opening hours are often wrong. They’re literally the bane of my existence at this point.
I’ve been to more than a few places only to be let down by a massive ‘closed’ sign hanging off the front door. If you’ve got time to return on another day, take a photo of the sign, look around for any writing, and try to translate it, and find the actual opening hours so you can return without being disappointed.
As a rule of thumb, places are often closed mid-week, and often open later and stay open later in the day. That’s not much to go on when you’re in Japan, but still worth keeping in mind.
Public holidays often affect opening times as well, and this is something Google usually can warn you about beforehand. Usually…
1. Book-Off
Location: 〒101-0025 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Kanda Sakumacho, 1 Chome−６−4, Danke Akihabara Bldg., 1~6F
Floor: 1st
Opening Hours: 10AM – 10PM
Book-Off is a second-hand store in Japan that sells (believe it or not) lots of books, but also DVDs, CDs, and what we’re most interested in, second-hand games. While it’s not a specific Japan games store, it still has an absolutely fantastic collection of retro games.
This particular Book Off is right next to the station, so provided you take the right exit (which I almost always don’t!) it’s very easy to get to and definitely worth a look. As I mentioned at the start of the article, these are the kind of shops that can normally produce great finds – this one may not due to its popular location, but who knows what you’ll stumble across!
The shelves were filled with games from consoles like DS, PS1, PS2, N64, and more. I’d hazard a guess that more than 95% of them are in pristine condition, and the Japanese PS2 games looked incredible.
That’s a point to note about buying from a Japanese video game store: While you may not always find bargains or crazy good deals, you will 9 times out of 10 find retro video games that are in fantastic condition.
Everything you buy here will be wrapped in plastic, like it’s just come off the production line (and some honestly won’t have been touched since that point), and will be tested unless stated otherwise. Sometimes the games or consoles will have writing on them (on the white sticker), so just use your phone to translate it.
I’ve made the mistake more than once of picking something up and realizing it actually had issues with it. Make sure to double-check!
The majority of the stock is going to be Japanese, but if you look hard enough then you’ll find a lot of English games as well. Although, with games like the one in the photo below, who the hell wants English games?
2. TRADER2
Location: 1 Chome-4-9 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021
Floor: 1st
Opening Hours: 11AM – 8PM
Next up we’ve got Trader, more specifically Trader 2. The main (bigger) store, Trader, is along the strip so make sure to visit there as well if you’re after something specific.
Trader 2 is a Japanese game store that also sells anime figures, CDs, and DVDs as well. I prefer this store over its bigger brother, but that’s purely down to personal preference and the fact I always seem to walk this way for some reason instead of down the main road.
It’s got a good amount of retro games for sale, though most are newer than the ones you’ll find elsewhere. I suppose it really depends on what you’d call ‘Retro’, but to me, that’s gonna be PS1 and below.
They’ve got a load of Japanese PS5 games available as well if you’re after something a bit newer.
3. Jan-gle
Location: 〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 1 Chome−8−11 安川ビル1階
Floor: 1st
Opening Hours: 10AM – 7PM
Jan-gle is by far the smallest Japanese video game store in Akihabara, but that’s no reason for you not to check it out. If you’re looking for a specific game, they may still have it.
That said, the offerings here definitely aren’t old. You’ll be looking at systems like Nintendo Switch, PSP, Nintendo DS, PS4, PS3, and Wii. They do accept other games, but they’re less likely to have any in stock compared to the bigger retro game stores in Akihabara.
This bin full of games at the front of the store is the majority of their selection. At least this way you won’t have to worry about spending too much time here if you still want to check it out.
4. Super Potato
Location: 〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 1 Chome−11−2 ３階～５階 北林ビル
Floor: 3rd & 4th (5th if you’re looking to actually play them)
Opening Hours: 11AM – 8PM
Easily the most popular place on the list, and it’s not hard to see why. The 3rd and 4th floors of this building are literally covered in some of the oldest and rarest video games you’ve never heard of and it’s constantly packed with visitors who may well have come to Akihabara for this one reason.
Most of them are in fantastic condition and will have separate stickers on them to warn you about any potential issues if they aren’t. One thing to keep in mind is that because of its popularity, you likely won’t find any fantastic deals here.
That’s not to say that the games are overpriced, but the people who work here definitely know what they’re doing. In fact, I used my trip to Super Potato Akihabara as the basis for the article about the most expensive video games in Tokyo.
5. Beep
Location: 〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 3 Chome−9−8 中栄ビル B1
Floor: B1F
Opening Hours: 11AM – 8PM (CLOSED WEDNESDAY)
Beep is the kind of place you’d miss if you didn’t know it was there. It’s located completely underground and this little sign is the only suggestion of its existence.
If you’re looking for a grotto/treasure trove of all things retro, then this is the Japan video game store for you. It gives me the vibes of Nakano Broadway, and in this case, that’s a very good thing.
Walking down those stairs and through the door is like walking into an alternate universe that existed years ago.
All the best 8-bit soundtracks will be playing, the room will be filled with CRT TVs with retro games lined up ready to play. Prices aren’t too bad, and the experience is even better. I highly recommend a visit even if you’re not planning to buy anything!
6. Mandarake
Location: 3 Chome-11-12 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021
Floor: 6th
Opening Hours: 12AM – 8PM
This place is BIG.
I thought the biggest Mandarake I’d go to would be in Nakano Broadway but after visiting here I know that’s not true. Mandarake sells DVDs, CDs, retro games, magazines, models, figurines, old toys, retro tech, pretty much every geek’s passion, and everything you could think of.
Of course, we’re only interested in the retro video games section which is on the 6th floor, and boy is it extensive. You’ll be presented with wall after wall of games on almost all gaming systems you can think of, and then they’ve got a couple of glass cabinets where they keep the most expensive and rarest of all their products.
The quality is fantastic and the range of games is, in my opinion, the biggest of all the Japan gaming shops in Akihabara. It may not be an off-the-beaten-track kind of shop where you’ll find a super rare game for a small price, but you won’t find a bigger selection anywhere else in Akihabara.
7. Surugaya Speciality Store
Location: 〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 3 Chome−9−8 東洋ビル １階
Floor: 1st
Opening Hours: 11AM – 9PM (Monday-Friday) 10AM-9PM (Saturday-Sunday)
This might be the most unassuming Japanese game store in Akihabara because from the front it honestly looks a little bureaucratic and kind of boring. However, head on inside through the doors on the left-hand side and you’ll be presented with one of the best collections of retro games in Japan.
I first stumbled across this place about a year ago, and it’s since become one of my favorite places in Akihabara to search for retro games, consoles, and accessories. They’ve got an entire section where consoles are stacked from floor to ceiling, all of which are available for you to touch and inspect as well.
Of course, you’ll find all of the systems you’re looking for, though it all seems a bit more like a yard sale than in any of the other shops. The games aren’t in any worse of a condition, but it makes you feel like if you go hunting then you’ll find something good!
It’s not the biggest of all Japan game stores, but what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in stock!
Honorable Mentions:
The first two honorable mentions are places I haven’t managed to get to yet (no thanks to Google’s opening hours…) so I’ll leave them in this section until I can do a full review with pictures which I’ll add in later. The last two are a little different (but I’ll explain when we get there!)
Friends
Location: 6 Chome-14-13 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021
Floor: 2nd & 3rd
Opening Hours: 11AM-8PM Thursday-Monday (CLOSED Tuesday & Wednesday)
Located relatively close to Yusha Kobo keyboard specialty shop, Friends is a retro videogames shop that comes highly recommended by those who have visited. It’s small, but like most of the offerings in this article, its products are aplenty and in pristine and fully working order.
The shop itself is split over two floors: The second floor holds the majority of the retro games and systems, and the third floor has some of the newer games as well as guides, magazines, and gaming books.
I really like these small shops, they feel much more personable than the bigger chains, even if they don’t have as many items.
Retro Game Camp
Location: 〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 3 Chome−14−7 新末広ビル C
Floor: 1st
Opening Hours: 11AM – 8PM
Another small yet densely packed Japanese game store in Akihabara. Unfortunately, another one that I’ve tried to visit more than once only to find it closed (damn you, google!)
It’s small but PACKED with stuff. This is both a good and bad thing, obviously, it’s not pleasant when it’s busy, but when there’s a load of stock on the shelves, it makes finding gems all the more easy.
Retro Game Camp is located on the main Akihabara road which means there’s absolutely no reason not to pop in if it’s open. It’s in such a popular place but I would imagine most people walk past it without realising what they’ve just passed.
Tokyo Radio Department Store
Location: 1 Chome-4-9 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021
Floor: 1st
Opening Hours: 11AM – 8PM
This was one I was originally very excited to visit, but unfortunately, I couldn’t find the gaming shop inside Tokyo Radio Department Store or any sign that it even existed in the first place. カデンノケンチャン is the name of the shop, so perhaps I’m just not great at finding places because apparently, it was somewhere on the first floor.
You’ll walk past the Tokyo Radio Department store on your way to Trader2, so it’s worth popping in just to check. Shops come and go from this place fairly frequently, so it’s definitely worth having a look every so often.
Radio Kaikan
Location: 1 Chome-4-9 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021
Floor: 1st
Opening Hours: 11AM – 8PM
Radio Kaikan may just be the most well-known building in the whole of Akihabara. Unfortunately, it’s lacking in Japan game stores or anything that sells retro games. The reason it’s on this list is because it does seem to have a few pop-up stores from time to time that sell games, and there was a permanent store a while ago that had a small selection of video games.
Again, it’s not the best place to buy retro games in Tokyo, but it’s still worth double-checking if you’ve got the time. If you haven’t, you can skip it.
FAQs about Retro Games in Japan
Are retro games expensive in Japan?
On the whole, retro games (and most video games) are much cheaper in Japan AND in better condition. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean you’re likely to walk into any one of these video game shops in Tokyo and find a bargain.
I mean, you might, but this is getting harder and harder to do. Especially in Tokyo, where people are incredibly wise about the products they have and how much money they are worth.
Prefer Pokemon cards to retro games? Akihabara and Ikebukuro are the best places to buy Pokemon cards in Tokyo, and I’ve made a guide about exactly how to buy them.
