Retro Game Store Reviews: Surugaya’s Main Store

Welcome to the newest series of articles on TheJapanHobbyist.com. The goal of my retro game store reviews is to teach people about new places to buy retro games in Japan. I’ll be covering the inventory, the prices, and the places themselves. In today’s article I’ll be talking about one of best places I’ve ever visited for retro games: Surugaya’s main store in Shizuoka prefecture’s capital, Shizuoka City. As I stated in my previous article about game stores in Japan, the Surugaya chain is located all over Japan but they started out in the main island of Honshu around the Shizuoka/Kanagawa area. They carry a large selection and a wide range of anime, video game, and hobby goods in large stores. Whatever you’re looking for, odds are you’ll find it here.

The Selection

The Shizuoka City main store is absolutely massive as you can see from this list of goods on their floor guide. The 3rd floor of the Surugaya building is where you’ll find all sorts of video games, game consoles, and game accessories. But this alone doesn’t do the store justice. Here is what you’ll find in each section of the retro game floor:

Their rare and pricier games and consoles will usually be held behind glass showcases. In the pictures above you can see areas devoted to Super Nintendo (Super Famicom), Nintendo Handhelds, and Neo Geo, but there are actually much much more. You’ll find other showcases with newer systems like Playstation 5 here, as well other retro systems like the Playstation 2. If what you’re looking for isn’t in the shelves, be sure to check the showcases.

One of the benefits of going to massive game stores in Japan is that you’ll find a lot more than just games. Due to the lower cost of rent outside of big cities, places like Surugaya can stock everything and anything game related. Their selection of game accessories was impressive, with a number of controllers, adapters, and cables available. A lot of these accessories even had their boxes still too! Being the main store definitely has its perks, as the Shizuoka City store in the Surugaya Building has their pick of the best stuff.

Another thing you won’t see too much of at retro game stores in Japan are empty boxes and manuals from games. Sometimes games get lost but that doesn’t mean people throw away their boxes. I’ve been able to track down a number of manuals and boxes for games and systems I have thanks to the selections of these items at Surugaya’s larger stores. Sometimes it’s cheaper to buy loose games and their loose components than to buy completed versions (especially if you’re shopping in Tokyo). Keep this in mind if you’re shopping around at retro stores in Japan!

The real wealth of this store is 100% their stock of games. They have more retro games in one place than I’ve seen in any store I’ve ever been to in Japan. Not only is the number of games impressive, but the variety and amount of different games in each section is also the best I’ve ever seen. You could honestly stop at just this shop for all your retro gaming needs when you visit Japan and odds are you’d leave happy. That is, if you’re willing to pay the price they want.

Pricing

I’ve found some very good deals at Surugaya stores over the years, but I’ve also been appalled by some of the prices they wanted for rarer games and accessories. But if you want it bad enough, I guess people will pay it. The prices are definitely cheaper than what you’d find in Akihabara in Tokyo, or at shops in larger cities, but some of their premium items run at market prices or more depending on their stock and the quality of the item. That being said, it’s still probably cheaper here than at Super Potato (notoriously the most expensive retro gaming shop in Japan).

Access

Ok, so you’re sold. You wanna visit, but how do you get there? Luckily, Suruguya’s flagship store is pretty easy to get to. If you’re coming locally from within Shizuoka prefecture you can take a local train to Shizuoka Station. If you’re coming from outside of Shizuoka, your best bet is to take the Tokaido bullet train to Shizuoka station. The Nozomi will not stop at Shizuoka station, but most Hikari bullet trains do, and the Kodama bullet trains will 100% stop there. It’s around an hour trip on the bullet train from either Nagoya or Tokyo, so no matter which direction you’re coming from you should be able to arrive there. If you have the JR Rail pass, this stop should be be a no brainer.

Once you arrive, it’s about a 9 minute walk from the North Exit of Shizuoka station. Just make sure you don’t accidentally go to their other store in Shizuoka City which is mainly for idols, music, and manga. The first picture of this post is what you’ll see when you reach the correct building. The downtown area of Shizuoka City isn’t that big so it won’t be too hard to find your way there. That being said, there are a lot of good restaurants and sight seeing places nearby so be sure to explore while you’re there. I recommend West Coast Brewing for Craft Beer, Sawayaka Hamburger steaks in the Cenova building, and Aoba street for Oden in the cooler months.

The Verdict

So is Surugaya’s main store in Shizuoka City worth going to? Absolutely. Is it worth a day trip? 100%. Should I make it one of the main stops of my next trip? Well, if you’re a retro gamer I recommend it. You really can’t beat the selection and variety of goods in this shop. You can spend hours here and still probably not see it all. The only thing that might keep some people away is that it isn’t located in a major tourist spot like Tokyo, Yokohama, or Kyoto but that’s honestly why you SHOULD go. It’s a retro gaming adventure, and you’ll probably find a lot of gaming treasure there!

• Selection: 5/5
• Pricing: 3.5/5
• Ease of Access: 3.5/5

But wait, there’s more!

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