Retro Game Store Reviews: Hamakita Kanteidan

Sorry but not sorry, I’m back with a store review for ANOTHER Kanteidan store in Shizuoka. I honestly don’t know how they do it but this regional chain has impressed me again and again whenever I visit one of their stores. These pictures are actually from my 2nd visit to this specific store, as I didn’t take enough when I went there on my first visit. The inventory has changed since then (seems like the retro game area has moved around, or that they were in the process of moving their inventory around when I recently went). That’s actually a good segue into the first topic: Inventory.

The Selection

While the Hamakita Kanteidan might not seem as big as the Shimizu and Fuji stores at first, looks can be deceiving. While the other stores have a lot more Playstation 2, Super Famicom, and Famicom games, the inventory at the Hamikata store is much more balanced. Each section of games is solid, with a lot of variety between rare games and more popular ones. The shopping area is compact and easy to browse as well, with all games within reach (while the floor to ceiling games at the Shimizu store is impressive, it can be hard to find games you want in that style). While I like the accessory section here, it did feel a little smaller than the ones in Fuji and Shimizu. The showcases at the Hamakita store also seemed a little bare compared to other ones but like I stated above, I think it was because they were in the process of moving inventory around. Regardless of the state of inventory, you should be able to spend at least an hour or two here looking through what they have. I’ve found quite a few things while I was looking through here.

The Pricing

I’ve recently found Chibo Robo in Japanese for an even lower price, but compared to its English counterpart, that price was a steal. I initially came here after purchasing my Japanese GameCube to pick up accessories because they were either out of stock or overpriced at other locations, and price-wise I was very satisfied with what they had. Some games will be cheaper than others based on completion of the package or the amount of damage to it or the disc, but even those in good condition are a pretty good deal usually. The prices aren’t always streamlined between the different Kanteidan stores, but they are close enough. You can usually find something for about the same price you saw at others. Overall you’ll probably be able to find games and accessories at the Kanteidan stores for about 40-70% less than you would for them in a big city like Tokyo. Whenever I bought stuff at the chain I always felt like I saved so much money that it paid for the transportation there and back. That being said . . .

Access

The Hamakita Kanteidan store is located in northern Hamamatsu city. Hamamatsu is in western Shizuoka prefecture, and is the second biggest city in the prefecture behind Shizuoka City. To get there you’ll need to take either the Tokaido bullet train or the local Tokaido line train. The Kodama bullet trains all stop in Hamamatsu, and some Hikari bullet trains do too if you’re coming from Nagoya or Tokyo. Once there, you’ll have to walk to the Entetsu line and take the train from Shin Hamamatsu to Nishigasaki. Unlike the other stores I’ve talked about so far though, you’re not going to be able to walk to this one. It’s a 45 minute walk from the station (Enshu-Nishigasaki) on the Entetsu line. There are some buses that will get you close to the store but they leave from Kamijima station it seems and take about as long as walking. You could get a taxi from the station, but being in the countryside they might be few and far between depending on when you go there. Every time I’ve been there it was in a rental car with my family. If you’re going to Hamamatsu to check out retro game stuff, I honestly recommend just doing that. Cars are insanely useful in the Japan countryside, and it’s easier to drive in the rural areas than in the city. You’ll be able to check out multiple stores instead of just one or two without it.

The Verdict

Hamakita Kanteidan is another great store with a great selection and great prices, but the location of the store really hurts it. You’re really not going to be able to realistically access it without a car which will automatically turn a lot of people off from it. If you have a driver to get around in the area it’s definitely worth the stop, but if you’re trying to hoof it on your own there are many others that are more easily accessible places than this one.

• Selection: 4.5
• Pricing: 5/5
• Ease of Access: 1.5/5

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