Off the Beaten Path: Magic Store profiles around Nagoya

1/16/13 Update – Fireball has changed it’s name to Advantage and has remodeled their store. It’s still in the same place but now it’s a little bit shinier ^_^. I have edited the text to reflect these changes.

I thought I had found most of the stores selling Magic cards and holding Magic events, but over the past month or so I’ve expanded my range a little and found a few more. Today I’ll be profiling two stores: Dvantage (Fireball previously) near Kamimaezu station, and Omocha (Toy) Hayakawa near Rokuban-cho.

Advantage (previously Fireball):

Fireball from the street

Dvantage (Fireball) is pretty ghetto. It’s in close vicinity to both Amenity Dream and Big Magic (maybe 5 minutes walk from each place), but it’s probably not the best place for buying Magic cards if you’re looking for a large selection. It does have a good amount of older cards, but the prices are so so. Sometimes you’ll find a good deal, but other times you’ll be ripped off I think. If you’re shopping around for older cards and have the time, I’d definitely check it out just to make sure you’re getting the best possible price. A few minutes of walking might save you 500+ yen.

Fireball’s card selection

The store has only a few tables, so it’s not really the place to go for casual play, and if you’re thinking of doing an event here, I’d probably recommend going somewhere else so you can play against more people. As you can see from the picture above, their selection isn’t too bad, but you’ll have to decide for yourself if you think you’re getting a good deal. They also have “buy” prices for certain cards, which can been seen here below the display cases (I believe they are in Japanese but I could be mistaken). On the plus side, they hold a few non standard events here such as Legacy from time to time. Be sure to check Wizards of the Coasts locator if you’re interested. 

I know I’m not talking up this place too much, but don’t get me wrong. I DEFINITELY think you should check it out just to know what’s there, and to help gauge the value of certain cards (especially older ones). If you take the time to look through their binders, you might see some cards you need cheaper that at  other places. 

HOW TO GET THERE:

The directions on how to get there can be a little confusing, so please let me know if you try to find it and get lost, and I will try to correct my mistake. Similar to the other Osu Kannon shops, Dvantage (Fireball) is closest to Kamimaezu station on the Tsurumai line. The Tsurumai line can be reached from Toyota City, and also at Fushimi station.

FROM NAGOYA STATION: Take the Higashiyama subway Line to Fushimi Station, then transfer to the Tsurumai line going towards Akaike (or Toyota). The second stop should be Kamimaezu station. Get off the subway and head towards exit #2. Once you reach street level, continue walking straight and take a left at the first small street you come to. Go straight for about a block and you should see the building on your RIGHT side. If you see a school, you’ve gone too far. Use the picture above for reference.

FROM KANAYAMA STATION (JR Tokaido line): From Kanayama transfer to the Meijo subway line going towards Ozone and get off at Kamimaezu station. From there, follow the above directions after you use exit #2.

Toy Hayakawa (Omocha Hayakawa):

Toy Hayakawa from the street

Toy Hayakawa is located on the way to Nagoya Port, and is typical of Magic stores that you’ll find in cities that are smaller or where the game isn’t that popular. Magic cards aren’t the main item at the store like they are at Big Magic or Amenity Dream, toys are.

Hayakawa’s Magic selection

Their selection of boosters packs and constructed decks wasn’t that bad, though most of their stuff is new. You’ll find some older cards here, but I wouldn’t recommend this as your first stop if you’re looking to complete a deck. Prices are decent, and you can find some really good deals here sometime. What I liked best about Hayakawa was their play area.

Hayakawa play area

On the second floor is a decent sized play area. It’s quiet and out of the way, and a good place to play some pick-up games with friends (as long as tournament isn’t going on). Hayakawa does have tournaments for Friday Night Magic, and they also host pre-releases. I don’t know how many people show up, but if you really want that promo card, then your best chance to get one might be here!

HOW TO GET HERE:

Again, this is a store that’s kind of out of the way and it might be tricky to get to. Via Kanayama station is the best way to get here. You can get to Kanayama station on the JR Tokaido line. If you’re coming from Gifu you can take the train going towards Toyohashi, and if you’re coming from Shizuoka or eastern Aichi prefecture, you can take the train going towards Gifu (Ogaki). Both the express trains and the local trains stop at Kanayama, so I recommend catching a Rapid train if you’re coming from a long distance away.

If you live within Nagoya, you can take the Meijo subway loop line (the purple one) to Kanayama station.

Once you are at Kanayama station, you have to change  to the MEIKO subway line. This is the line that heads towards Nagoya Port. The second stop is Rokuban-cho. Get off at this station and go to exit #2. Once you reach street level, cross the street to the other side and turn right (you should be walking away from the subway station at this point). After a few minutes you should be able to see the castle parapet of the store on your left side.

Until next time . . .

I still have two more stores off the beaten path that I’d like to profile, so look for another post from me in the coming week about it. We also are only two weeks away from the full spoiler list of Return to Ravnica, and it’s shaping up to be a pretty powerful set. I’ve been a little disappointed with the Selesnya cards so far, but Golgari and Izzet have really gotten me excited. I’ll also be putting together some new decks for the rotation in October and posting them here, as well as updating my GW Life gain deck. Until then, thanks for reading!