Retro Game Store Reviews: Fuji Kanteidan

I was going to do some articles about some nearby gaming stores I’ve been to, but I’ve decided to keep going with the heavy hitters of retro gaming in Japan. In my first article I talked about the major store chains that sell retro games, but I also mentioned that there were some regional and local stores that you wouldn’t find unless you lived in that area. The Kanteidan group in Shizuoka prefecture is one such regional chain. They are a recycle/reuse shop that deal in used clothing, anime goods, trading cards, media such as music and movies, and of course video games. My first experience was going to one in Hamamatsu City when I lived there, but I didn’t know there was more than one until I started hunting for retro games a few years back. One of my first Retro Game road trips was to Shizuoka, where my wife and I went to Shizuoka in a rental car and checked out a number of stores during a long weekend. I found some of the most impressive retro stores I’ve ever been to there, and today I’d like to talk about one of them: the Fuji Kanteidan store.

The Selection

The game area at Fuji Kanteidan was impressive. I’ve been there twice (once on my roadtrip and more recently when I had work in Shizuoka prefecture), and while their stock changes constantly, they’ve managed to keep a very large amount of various games in their inventory. Their wall of Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, and accessories was especially impressive, and they have a huge selection of Famicom (NES) and Super Famicom (SNES) games. If Amiibo is your thing, they have showcases full of them, and they have shelves and shelves of Gamecube, Nintendo 64, Playstation 2, Playstation 1, and PS3 games as well.

Pricing

Pricing is where Fuji Kanteidan really shines. Not only are the prices cheaper than most places in the big cities, they also had everything categorized and priced so you can easily find what you’re looking. As you can see from the above picture, they had the most popular games all stocked together and ready to be purchased. For an industry that relies on moving stock quickly, they really knew what they are doing. While they had some pricier stuff that I’d probably have to pass on, the majority of things were at “buy now” prices. I’ve made a variety of purchases at these stores whenever I go there. I always tend to find something for a great price or something I didn’t even know I was looking for.

Access

While the best way to get to the Fuji Kanteidan store is by car, it’s not so horrible to walk to either. The last time I went I took the JR train on the local Tokaido line to Yoshiwara station and walked there. It took about 25 minutes but it was pretty much a straight shot. There is another station nearby, Jatco-mae on the Gakunan Electric train line from Yoshiwara station, but it would only save you a few minutes I think. If you’re coming by bullet train, you can get off at Shin-Fuji station, but it’s kind of hard to get to the JR Tokaido line from there. It’s almost easier just to go to Mishima or Shizuoka by bullet train then to take the JR Tokaido line to Yoshiwara station. It’s probably cheaper than taking a taxi from Shin-Fuji as well. The Kodama bullet trains stop at both of these stations, as well as most Hikari, but the Nozomi bullet trains do not. Keep that in mind while planning your trip here.

The Verdict

So do I recommend going to the Fuji Kanteidan store? Well, I wouldn’t be writing this article spotlighting it if I didn’t. It’s got a great selection of games, some amazing prices, and is always stocked with good stuff. You could easily spend 1-2 hours going through all of their inventory, and if you’re heading there by car you can check out some really cool places since it’s by Mt. Fuji. Where else can you go shopping for games and get this kind of view?

• Selection = 5/5
• Pricing = 5/5
• Ease of Access = 2.5/5

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