The State of Retro Gaming in Japan: The Best and Worst places to buy retro games in 2026

I had considered doing another “State of Retro Gaming in Japan” update this summer but after careful consideration I felt it was just more of the same and it didn’t really help people reading the articles to navigate the the retro game market in Japan effectively. I’d like to try something different this time and instead of going over the individual health of the hardware and software for each system, I think it would be more helpful to let people know what each individual chain of stores has going for, and against it. Another reason for this is that it can be confusing if I say that there are a lot of a certain type of game, but a person goes to a particular chain and is disappointed by their inventory.

I will still do a general “year in review” of the health of retro games in Japan, but for the summer I will be talking about how each chain is fairing compared to others. By chains, I mean any company that has more than one store and is located either nationwide or regionally. I will still be using similar metrics for each chain that you can see down below.

• Quantity = How much hardware, software, and accessories are available as a whole at these types of shops
• Quality = What level of quality buyers can expect to find at these stores
• Price = How much buyers can expect to pay for goods at these stores

I will also be going into more depth on each of these topics by covering the quantity, quality, and price (QQP) of hardware (consoles), software (games), and accessories. After that I’ll comment on the health for each category with high, moderate, or low. For example, Something could be in High Quantity (large number) but Low Quality (many loose games, not many with boxes) and moderate price (affordable but not a deal). For a full description of each meaning please check below.

• High Quantity = Large number of products, very easy to find
• Moderate Quantity = Medium number of products, popular products harder to find
• Low Quantity = small number of products, popular products very hard to find

• High Quality = Most products will have boxes and be complete, not damaged
• Moderate Quality = Half of the products might be without box/manuals, some scratches or damage on things
• Low Quality = very few products have manuals/boxes, bad batteries, many products with damage

• High Price = You can expect to pay close to the western price for these products
• Moderate Price = Some good deals if you look around, very affordable compared to outside of Japan
• Low Price = Very cheap, easy to buy, amazing deals

I will be using my recent experiences visiting stores in the Kansai area (near Osaka) and the Tokai area (near Nagoya) to comment on these chains, and while you might think that this is an incomplete assessment of the state of retro gaming in Japan, if the prices are changing in these places then I guarantee they are changing in the Tokyo area as well (and not in a good way).

The Best Chains to Visit in 2026

Ojamakan/Otakara Soko

• Hardware: Moderate quantity, Moderate quality, High Price
• Software: High Quantity, High Quality, Low Price
• Accessories: High quantity, moderate quality, Low Price

The Ojamakan and Otakara Soko chain of stores in the Kansai and Tokai areas of Japan (near Osaka and Nagoya) are by far my favorite places to shop in Japan in 2026. They are mostly a regional (and sometimes local) type of shop, but they have an amazing selection of goods at their shops as well as a huge inventory. You can find many games cheaper at this chain than pretty much every other one in Japan. They also tend to have a lot of accessories, and you can find many still with boxes as well. This chain’s one demerit is its high price of hardware, namely its handhelds. The consoles are about on par with the market average, but things like GBA SPs and 3DS LLs are in the upper tiers of pricing. They aren’t the most expensive, but they aren’t really a good deal for handhelds either. Great place to look for software and accessories in Japan.

Surugaya

• Hardware: Moderate quantity, High quality, Moderate price
• Software: High quantity, High quality, Moderate price
• Accessories: Low quantity, Moderate quality, Moderate price

Surugaya keeps it real. They know that game prices and hardware prices have been going up, but they never raise their prices more than they have to keep things in stock. Their hardware prices are fair for the most part, and sometimes really pricey (especially on the limited edition handhelds they sell). Every store I’ve been to in Japan, be it near Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, or even in the countryside, has always been well stocked with games and affordably priced. You won’t be finding amazing deals on things at this chain, but the breadth and width of their inventory will make sure that you can find what you are looking for and that you won’t be paying too much.

Their inventory system is probably one of the best in Japan. They have massive warehouses in Shizuoka that they use to ship things all over Japan, to their stores, as well as to other shops they have partnerships with. If you are looking for rarer things, stop by a Surugaya first to see what they are selling it at. The pricing on their newer games aren’t as good as other chains, but their retro prices are decent. If you are a tourist coming to Japan, this is the chain I would recommend the most.

Hard Off/Hobby Off

• Hardware: Moderate quantity, Moderate quality, Moderate price
• Software: Low/Moderate quantity, Moderate quality, Low/Moderate price
• Accessories: Low quantity, Low quality, Low/Moderate Price

Somehow the Hard off/Hobby off stores in 2026 have been able to continue to keep a large inventory of consoles and handhelds at most of their stores, and I find that impressive. This could be because they shut down older locations and opened up new ones. Whenever a new store opens, that location is shipped a variety of goods to fill their shop and this means you get a full compliment of hardware on their shelves. For the most part, retro handhelds have remained relatively affordable at Hard Offs, but prices have been going up and it also depends on the location. Some busier or more well traveled shops will have higher prices compared to the ones out in the countrysides (Ueno, Kichijoji, and Akihabara have been known to be notoriously expensive in the Tokyo area).

It’s a great shop for retro game hunters too, but it can be hit or miss depending on where you go. I’ve found amazing deals on games at Hard Offs over the last few years, including in 2026, but sometimes you go into a shop and find that they have almost nothing on their shelves.

Kanteidan

• Hardware: High quantity, Low/Moderate quality, Moderate price
• Software: High quantity, Moderate quality, Low/Moderate price
• Accessories: High quantity, Low/Moderate quality, Low price

Kanteidan is one of my favorite regional chains in Shizuoka prefecture. They have around 10 stores and while their inventory doesn’t seem to be as good as it was a few years back, they still have great prices on games and a good variety of them. I also always tend to find great accessories when I go to their shops, things that most of the other thrift store chains don’t even bother to stock and the prices on these things are good too. Prices on their handhelds and consoles have gone up, but they are more similar to Hard Off than they are to Super Potato or Book Offs. The big difference between this chain and others is that they tend to take in lower quality hardware and software that might be missing a box or some other thing and they sell it without it. This is how they manage to have great prices on a lot of things, leaving it up to the customer to decide if they want to buy the product as is or not. I’ve personally never had an issue with anything they’ve sold, instead preferring to save money on a less than mint condition item.

Guruguru Daiteikoku

• Hardware: Low quantity, Low/Moderate quality, Moderate price
• Software: Moderate quantity, Moderate quality, Low/Moderate price
• Accessories: Low quantity, low/moderate quality, moderate price

I managed to go to a few of the Gurugu stores in Kanto before I moved away in 2025, and I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that their business model hasn’t changed too much in 2026. You can find them in Kanagawa, Chiba, Tokyo, and Saitama but most locations need a car to get to. They are similar in style and inventory to the Kanteidan stores that I love in Shizuoka. You can find a lot of cheap to average priced games at their stores, but their inventory of hardware and accessories is pretty small compared to other chains. If you are hunting for 16 bit to PS2 gen games there are a lot of good deals to be had at this chain. Their prices were starting to go up the last time I visited one of their locations, but they were still just under companies like Surugaya. If you come across one in 2026 though, you should go in and check it out.

“Okay” Chains to visit in 2026

Book Off

• Hardware: Moderate quantity, moderate quality, High price
• Software: Moderate/High quantity, Moderate/high quality, moderate/high price
• Accessories: Low quantity, low/moderate quality, low/moderate price

The Book Off chain is one of the reasons I wanted to change up this series of articles this year. It’s been kind of depressing to see prices of their games and hardware go up in 2026. It used to be that the locations with higher prices on hardware and software were the outliers and that the majority of the stores still had that “local” feel where people would trade in their goods for a little extra cash and you could get great deals on retro gaming things. Now it feels like that has been flipped on its head. The more Book Off/Book Off Plus/Book Off Super Bazaar stores I go to in the Kansai area the harder it’s been to find deals on anything, let alone a good price. Their hardware inventory especially has seen a huge spike in prices. The cost of a Nintendo 3DS or Playstation Vita at a Book Off now are some of the highest you’ll find at similar shops. Even their game prices are about 20-30% higher now than before. While I’m using data I’ve gathered from Osaka to make this statement, you can be sure that the same thing is happening up near Tokyo and in other highly traveled parts of Japan as well.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t check out Book Off stores you see, but that you shouldn’t go in expecting to find a good deal. They are worth checking out but expect disappointment and you won’t be bothered if you leave empty-handed.

Mandarake

• Hardware: Low quantity, Moderate/High quality, Moderate/High price
• Software: Moderate/High quantity, Moderate/High quality, moderate price
• Accessories: Low quantity, Moderate/High quality, Moderate/High price

The Mandarake chain was another reason I wanted to write this new type of article. I used to steer clear of this chain because more often than not it was over-priced or under-stocked whenever I visited one of their locations in Tokyo or in Aichi. It wasn’t until I moved to Kansai that I decided to give the company another chance and I’m glad I did. While they are not a good location to find consoles or handhelds at, they have become another place to look for games at again. Mandarake’s game prices used to be some of the priciest, on par with places like Super Potato, but now they are closer to places like Surugaya. Affordable, but not great deals. The chain is great for collectors too because they tend to be very particular with what they buy so a lot of things you’ll find at the store are in good condition and complete. The stores in Kobe, Osaka (Umeda), and Kyoto are worth checking out if you are in the area.

Furuhon Ichiba (Furuichi)

• Hardware: Low/Moderate quantity, Moderate/High quality, Moderate/High price
• Software: Moderate/High quantity, Moderate/High quality, Low/Moderate price
• Accessories: Low/Moderate quantity, Low/Moderate quality, Low/Moderate price

I didn’t really learn of Furuichi until I moved to Kansai. I didn’t really see any stores when I was in Kanto, and the one in Nagoya was the only one I had visited prior to moving to Osaka. I honestly thought it was just a local shop. Since moving, I have visited dozens of locations and have learned of more than a hundred. They have quite a few in shopping malls around Japan too! While they aren’t really the best at selling any one thing, they aren’t bad at any of them either. Some stores are more “local” than others, but most have healthy inventories that span decades of gaming from Famicom to PS5. Their accessory section is usually pretty poor though, both in quantity and quality, and their hardware selection is spotty at best. Their stores usually have a decent amount of handhelds, but they have been getting pricier. In terms of games, their pricing comes in just under Surugaya on most items. You might save a couple hundred to a thousand yen on the games they have on sale here, but you won’t find amazing deals at Furuichi. I would never pass up checking out a Furuchi store, but I would overall rate them as “mid”.

ZEST

• Hardware: Low quantity, Low/Moderate quality, Moderate price
• Software: Moderate quantity, Moderate quality, Low/Moderate price
• Accessories: Low quantity, Low/Moderate quality, Low/Moderate price

ZEST is another one of those stores that partner with Surugaya to sell and buy games and other related things. I have only been to a handful of stores in Kanagawa, but I believe they have almost a dozen locations in Kanto (there were a few in Saitama too I believe). I’m guessing they give Surugaya a little bit more reach to sell their merchandise and can also turn around and buy things cheaper in the countryside to sell for a higher price in the big cities. Because of their more remote locations, you can find rare things at them and for affordable prices, but that does come at a cost. I didn’t really see a lot of consoles or handhelds at their stores when I visited them in 2025. They do have some, but you won’t really be able to pick from a large variety of them if you go there. The same can be said about their accessory selection. The main reason to checking out the ZEST chain would be for their games. I have bought a few things at this chain, and regretted not buying things from them as well. They are priced similar to Surugaya, but a little cheaper for the most part.

GEO

• Hardware: N/A
• Software: Low/Moderate quantity, Low/Moderate quality, Moderate price
• Accessories: Low quantity, Low/Moderate quality, Low/Moderate price

GEO used to be a video rental chain spread across Japan. Today it has changed into more of a used electronics and multimedia shop. You can still rent movies and manga from their stores, but some of their stores focus on used cell phone sales now, and many others have adopted used media. For the last decade or so people have been able to get used games at the chain, and because of this you can still find a decent amount of retro games from the Wii generation onward at their stores. More recently, however, you can also find older retro games. On my last visit to one near Osaka, I saw games reaching back as far as the original Gameboy. They don’t seem to sell any kind of retro game hardware at their stores (from the ones I visited at least), but the stores do have limited inventories of accessories.

Game wise, their prices are pretty good. They tend to have sales from time to time on used games for modern systems, and their retro game prices are very affordable. The size of the their software inventory will vary from store to store, with some having almost nothing at all, and others have more games than some local Book Offs. Don’t expect much from these stores, but sometimes you might find some good deals. They seem more focused on moving product than making the absolute most on an item.

Wattman

• Hardware: Low/Moderate quantity, Low/Moderate quality, Moderate price
• Software: Moderate/High quantity, Moderate quality, Moderate price
• Accessories: Low/Moderate quantity, Moderate quality, Low/Moderate price

I found the Wattman chain a little too late. I only had the chance to visit around 3 stores in Kanagawa before moving to Osaka, but what I did see was promising. There seemed to be two types of Wattmans. The one I visited in Atsugi was more of a local store with limited software and hardware, but the one I visited in Ebina was partnered up with Surugaya. I don’t know if this was a recent change that had started across all of their locations in Kanto, or if only a few select locations were doing the partnership. Depending which shop you go to there could be a very limited inventory or a very deep one. Prices seemed to be around Surugaya’s overall, which means affordable but not cheap for the most part. In my limited experience with the store, they seemed to be just slightly more expensive than a normal Surugaya shop, but still not bad by any count. They also seemed to have sales from time to time which is something that a lot of other chains don’t usually too, so if you time it right you could find some good deals at this chain.

Otachu

• Hardware: Low/Moderate quantity, Low/Moderate quality, Moderate price
• Software: Moderate/High quantity, Moderate quality, Low/Moderate price
• Accessories: Low/Moderate quantity, Low/Moderate quality, Low/Moderate price

I thought that Otachu was another Shizuoka only chain, but I did manage to visit one in western Kanagawa/Tokyo so it seems like another limited regional chain of stores. They have a variety of goods for sale, much like Kanteidan in Shizuoka or the Guruguru stores in Kanto, but their stock of retro game merchandise is respectable. I found a few good deals on games, and while limited they had some unique accessories for sale too that I hadn’t seen too often. I didn’t notice too many consoles and handhelds for sale though which is a drawback, but their stock of games makes it worth checking out. They might not be as cheap as the countryside Hard Offs, but you’ll probably find better deals here than at Book Offs and Surugayas.

The Worst Chains to Visit in 2026

Super Potato

• Hardware: High quantity, Moderate/High quality, High price
• Software: High quantity, Moderate/High quality, High price
• Accessories: Moderate/High quantity, Moderate/High quality, Moderate/High price

In terms of inventory of hardware, software, and accessories, Super Potato is peerless. You will never find a larger selection at any other store (unless it is Surugaya’s main store in Shizuoka city). But the completeness comes at a price, a very high price. If you don’t want to spend a lot or don’t have a lot of money to spend, avoid this store like the plague. Even though many Book Offs have raised their prices and even stores like Surugaya are higher now, at Super Potato you will still end up paying more. And not just a little more, I’m talking two to three times more than what you’d pay at other shops. It’s a great place to go if you are looking for something that you haven’t been able to find anywhere else, but otherwise I can’t recommend going to Super Potato in Japan (which you will only find in large cities around the country).

Other Stores

Treasure Factory

• Hardware: Low Quantity, Moderate quality, Moderate/High price
• Software: Low quantity, Moderate quality, Moderate price
• Accessories: Low quantity, Low/Moderate quality, low/moderate price

I’ve been to a couple Treasure Factory stores, and not every place has retro game stuff. When they do though, it tends to be a small amount in just about every category which makes it a little hard to evaluate. I’m basing this evaluation off of the few stores I did go to in 2025, so there is a possibility that prices have changed since then. I don’t know if they’ve gotten more into games lately or not, but they didn’t really seem to be super on top of prices and things like that.

Until next time . . .

I must apologize again for taking so long to write this article. I was on the fence so long about whether or not I needed to do another “price update” for every game system out there, but I think this type of topic does a good job of supplementing the information you can get from my other articles. I will most likely be doing a wrap up of all the gaming platforms at the end of the year so you can look forward to getting some insight on how things changed from the end of 2025 to the end of 2026. You can expect it in late December/early January.

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