Retro Game Store Reviews: Surugaya Yokohama

It’s become so normalized for me to visit Surugaya Yokohama that I totally forgot to write an article about it. Living near the city and passing by it daily on my way to Tokyo and other places for work means that I’m able to check out this branch a few times a month. I don’t have any data to back this up, but I believe that the Yokohama branch store is one of the busiest stores in the entire chain and I wouldn’t be surprised if it moves the largest volumes of goods either. Sure the Akihabara store probably has a lot of traffic, but since the branch there is actually broken into several stores (a video game one, an anime one, a figure one, etc) I don’t think they get the same numbers of visitors. The Akihabara Surugaya retro game store is also very small and cramped compared to the Yokohama store where there is a lot more floor space. And yet another benefit of the Yokohama location is that it’s located on the floor BELOW the Yokohama Pokemon Center and on the same floor as Yokohama Mint (which sells various sports and trading card games). Before I say anymore though, I should probably just move into the article.

The Selection

The selection probably doesn’t look that bad to you readers, but trust me when I say that it used to be LOTS better. Before Covid locked down Japan and before Japan lifted the lockdown to allow tourists back into the country, you could find just about everything here. Once the borders opened up, tourists poured back into the country and inventory started disappearing. The Yokohama branch wasn’t hit as bad as all the stores in Akihabara, but it’s still pretty visible in these pictures. Just look for all the empty spaces on the shelves, the leaning games due to not having others to prop them up, and the unstocked racks. I don’t know how many times I tried to find Switch and PS4 games only to give up because games were all mixed up and out of place.

But just because it’s messy doesn’t mean the selection isn’t good. It’s not great, but it is pretty large. You can find rare games there, and lots of complete in box games too. Their showcase offerings are a little small however, and their mix of accessories and hardware is painful to look at. They do have a great library of strategy guides and game related books though (bigger than pretty much any other Surugaya I’ve been to), and they usually have tons of games in their Outlet section as well.

The Price

I’ve picked up quite a few things at this store since I moved to Yokohama in 2017, but I shared some of my most recent purchases above. Overall the pricing here is still affordable (relatively speaking) compared to places in Tokyo, but prices have definitely gone up as stock disappeared and more foreigners visited. A lot of their games tend to be in good condition though, which I GUESS justifies higher prices, but some stuff still ends up being highway robbery. Their Gameboy Advance and DS showcase shelf is ridiculously expensive in my opinion. The occasional deal will pop up though, just don’t expect it to happen on any popular item like a Pokemon game or a classic favorite. Hardware and accessories also seem higher than what you’d pay at places outside of the city.

Access

This is where Surugaya Yokohama absolutely shines. The shop is located on the 7th floor of the Marui (0101) building, which located in the Porta area of Yokohama section. You can easily take a number of trains from Tokyo to Yokohama as it is a major transport hub (and the biggest in Kanagawa), and if you’re coming on the Tokaido bullet train you can stop at Shin Yokohama station then hop on the Yokohama Line and arrive at the station about 15 minutes later. Once there, just take any of the central exits and it’s a 4 minute walk to the building. Just look for the Lumine department store side of the station then head down the escalators and it’s a straight shot and a right at the Sogo department store.

The Verdict

This store is incredibly convenient and easy to get to, and because of that you’re going to have to pay a little bit more on the items you want. Sure you might find a copy of that old PS1 game you want in the countryside for 270 yen, but you’re probably going to end up spending more on transportation to get out there then to just buy it for 3-4 times more in Yokohama. That convenience also means that lots of other people are going to be there too, so don’t be too disappointed if the game you want isn’t available. The high amount of traffic also means that the store might be a little messy and it won’t always be easy to find the game you want if they DO have it.

• Selection: 4/5
• Pricing: 3.5/5
• Ease of Access: 5/5

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