Do They Sell Magic The Gathering Boxes At Bic Camera Tokyo

Tokyo MTG stores: Ikebukuro

A few months ago, I was in Tokyo for the beginning World Magic Cup Qualifier and a Khans of Tarkir Pro Tour Qualifer. The conditions was rainy that weekend, but that didn't stop me from exploring the Magic shops in that surface area after the tournaments were finished. If you lot live in or near Tokyo, and then yous know that it has the highest concentration of Magic the Gathering shops in all of Japan. Hareruya is located in Takadanobaba on the western side of the metropolis, Shinjuku is located in the south-w, and Akihabara is located on the eastern side. All of these areas are corking places to find Magic cards, simply today I'll exist talking about the Ikebukuro surface area, located simply a few stations from Hareruya on the north-w side.

Most Japanese people I've talked to said that Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Harajuku are better places to go shopping when in Tokyo, but I was actually pleasantly surprised past the area. Aside from the concentration of MTG stores (there's a Big Magic, Hobby Station, Amenity Dream, and Yellow Submarine in the same area), it actually is a skilful area for shopping. Y'all tin can notice a Bic Camera, Uniqlo, and various department stores similar Sunshine City in the area. If you're tired of going to the main areas of Tokyo every time yous visit there, then by all means bank check it out. Yous can find a lot of thes same stores with a lot less congestion.

However, I'm non here to talk near shopping in Tokyo today. In today'southward article I'll be sharing with you lot my experiences at the MTG Shops I visited there. Follow me on the tour and consider checking them out side by side fourth dimension you lot're in the Ikebukuro area! To start off, we need to get FROM JR Ikebukuro station (you can take the Yamanote loop line from Tokyo or Shinagawa to get in that location) to the central shopping area of Ikebukuro. Become out the eastward side of the station and cross the street. Your goal here is to find the Sunshine City. Places in Tokyo are incredibly hard to find, and so information technology'due south better just to post a map I think.

Employ Wizard'southward locator to get a bearing on the area. Zoom in to notice Ikebukuro station, so look to the right of it.

As yous can encounter, there is a Bic Camera Ikebukuro Higashiguchi Kamerakan on the map. You'll want to be on that side and walk past the Bic Camera and plow left slightly. This will put you on a shopping road, and after a few blocks you lot should run into a tall Uniqlo building on your left, an ABC Mart with shoes, and further down the road is Sunshine City and Tokyu Hands (if you lot go to Sunshine City, you've gone also far). For the sake of this article, allow'due south starting time you off in front of the ABC Mart.

Large Magic Ikebukuro

Big Magic from the outside

Big Magic from the exterior

If yous look to your correct from ABC Mart, you should see Big Magic waiting for you. This is probably the easiest one to get to I recollect. Go inside the building and take the elevator to the sixth floor.

Lots of buy lists

Every bit you lot come up out of the lift, yous will meet a large buy list which includes Magic cards, as well every bit other popular card games in Nippon such as Z/X and Yugi-oh. One matter I noticed while checking out their Purchase prices is that they seem to be the aforementioned for some staples, but overall they purchase MTG cards for less than what yous could sell them for in Nagoya. I'yard guessing this is because when you live in a city as large at Tokyo, yous have a lot of people opening up packs of cards and selling those cards. There is a lot less supply in Nagoya (fifty-fifty though I would yet consider information technology a big urban center), which means you could sell your cards for more the adjacent time you lot visit. If you're just selling one thing it might not exist worth it, but if yous're hither for the next GP or big event and have a couple of big money cards you lot'd similar to sell, this might exist a difference for a few m yen (if I could get $50 for my cards, I'd do it). Continue this in mind for future reference.

Lots of Old cards at BM

As I walked around, I saw A LOT of older cards. The selection here was much bigger than that of Nagoya'due south Large Magic (BM still has the best selection of cards in Nagoya, but has only 1/5th of Ikebukuro's stock.

Expensive Foils at BM

Large Magic in Ikebukuro also had A LOT of foil cards, mostly older ones. If you lot're a legacy player or looking to foil out your EDH deck, y'all might desire to stop in there. The prices seemed trivial high to me, so you might want to compare them to other places like Amenity Dream nearby before making a purchase.

MTG schedule at BM

I was really impressed by the number of events Big Magic holds every calendar week. BM Nagoya only has FNM and standard, but as you lot tin see above, the Ikebukuro shop has Wednesday Legacy, Th Mod, Friday Standard, as well every bit Saturday Standard. I also run into special monthly events such every bit EDH and Vintage tournaments besides. There'south a little bit of everything at this store, just information technology's kind of sad that there are only well-nigh 24 seats or and then at the store. I'm non sure if there was another expanse or not, but the playing infinite seemed rather express, especially when you consider that the store shares space with other bill of fare games being sold there.

Concluding Verdict

Big Magic Ikebukuro is worth the visit. The foils and premium cards might be overpriced, simply you can detect some deals if you look at that place. I picked up some Zendikar lands for about $1 each (which is one-half the cost of everywhere else), then I'yard certain there are some deals to be had. If you're staying in Tokyo for a week or two and want to experience some tournaments, yous tin cheque Large Magic. The simply draw back of the store is that information technology is rather close to Hareruya on the Yamanote line, and that store'south stock is probably much much larger since they are completely devoted to Magic the Gathering.

Shop INFO:

http://locator.wizards.com/#make=magic&a=location&p=Ikebukuro+Station,+Tokyo,+Japan&c=35.728926,139.71038&massmarket=no&loc=333092&orgid=13317&addrid=333092

Hobby Station Ikebukuro

Hobby Station Ikebukuro is located in the same block as the Large Magic store. If we go back to our starting point of most past ABC Mart, it shouldn't be a problem. From ABC Mart, go back one cake towards the station and turn left. Non soon after turning, y'all should see their sign on the left side, smack dab betwixt all these other ones.

Hobby Station from the Outside

Just to make sure, expect for their smaller sign down beneath.

Hobby Station Sign

As you tin see from the minor sign, they are located on the 7th flooring of this edifice and are open on Weekdays until 9pm, and weekends until 8pm. Once on the seventh floor, enter the store and prepare to be blinded. Information technology's a very well lit store, and also very spacious. They have a lot of floor infinite devoted to card games at Hobby Station, and accept a decent sized playing expanse for thirty+ people. However, their MTG choice pales in comparison to Large Magic on a few minutes away.

MTG Selection at HS

MTG Option at HS

A lot of Hobby Station's cards tend to be newer, and their selection of eternal format cards is scattered at best. Y'all won't observe many foils or legacy format cards here, but that's not to say the store is without its merits. I think the biggest reason to check this store out is to compare prices between the other stores for standard cards, likewise as to see if they can give you a better price on cards you're looking to sell than the others. As I looked and asked around, there didn't seem to be that many MTG players there. Outside of FNM every week, Hobby Station Ikebukuro didn't hold whatever other weekly MTG events.

Concluding Verdict

As I said, this is a store you go to when yous desire to compare prices, particularly for standard. It's worth the 5-10 minutes you lot'll spend there, and too might be worth checking out on release day for deals on singles. Where every bit a store like Big Magic updates their prices hourly when a new set is released, Hobby Station might only do it once or twice, leaving a lot of their prices lower. Wouldn't injure to check it out!

Store INFO: http://locator.wizards.com/#brand=magic&a=location&p=Ikebukuro+Station,+Tokyo,+Japan&c=35.728926,139.71038&massmarket=no&loc=333043&orgid=17728&addrid=333043

Yellow Submarine Ikebukuro

Yellow Submarine store front

Yellowish Submarine store front

Yellow Submarine is a directly shot from Hobby Station Ikebukuro. If you turn left as you get out Hobby Station, y'all can walk straight for about 2 blocks and run into it just after the intersection on your left side. If you're starting at the ABC Mart again, exercise what you did to go to Hobby Station, walking i cake dorsum towards the station merely turning Right at the corner instead. Afterward ane cake, y'all'll see information technology just by the corner on the left side.

Yellow Submarine Entrance

Xanthous Submarine Entrance

To say Yellow Submarine is cramped would be an understatement. They have lots of products in that location, mostly other Trading card games, just have a big selection of accessories to choose from such as boxes, sleeves, etc. That has always been their strong point, and their prices remain pretty competitive on that front. When it comes to MTG though . . .

MTG Singles at Yellow Sub

They had a somewhat limited selection of MTG cards that didn't impress me too much. They had more than Hobby Station I believe, especially of the older cards, but their prices weren't really annihilation special. In my experience, Yellow Submarine stores tend to have some of the highest prices of any store when information technology comes to MTG singles. You might find a good price on ane or two things, but for the most part you'll be disappointed.

Bulk at Yellow Sub

There are more majority cards to search through at Yellow Submarine than at Hobby Station, and in that location tends to exist a lot older cards at that place, simply it pales in comparison to a shop like Big Magic. Non certain it would exist worth your fourth dimension looking through unless y'all accept some fourth dimension to kill.

Yellow Sub Playing Area

Yellowish Sub has FNM every calendar week, only non much else. Their play area isn't that impressive but they still have space for most xx people or so.

Terminal Verdict

Zero special. If you play other trading card games you should definitely check out their choice, but their MTG choice is rather limited. Similar to Hobby Station Ikebukuro, this is a store yous would check out for 10-15 minutes when you were comparing sell/buy prices around town. They might sometimes have a deal, simply it definitely wouldn't exist the kickoff identify I'd go when shopping.

Store INFO: http://locator.wizards.com/#make=magic&a=location&p=Ikebukuro+Station,+Tokyo,+Japan&c=35.728926,139.71038&massmarket=no&loc=202520&orgid=11039&addrid=202520

Amenity Dream Ikebukuro

Amenity Dream from the street

Amenity Dream is a scrap of a walk from the other card shops in Ikebukuro. If you start from the ABC Mart expanse, you should first walk by information technology and turn left when you accomplish the big street with the overpass. You'll and so follow the expressway for a long ii blocks, passing Hotel 1000 Urban center on your left. One time you go to the corner you should see the blue sign for Amenity Dream (equally it is in this picture). Hopefully it's not likewise hard to get in from there.

Entrance at Amenity Dream

I am always impressed with Amenity Dream stores. The are well lit, well organized, and their prices always seem to be pretty competitive. The Ikebukuro store didn't fail to print me.

AD Singles

Assiduities Dream Singles

The amount of MTG singles the store had impressive. I would say that they take the aforementioned corporeality, if not more than the Big Magic store a few blocks away. The big difference between the two is that I think Assiduities Dream has more competitive prices. They seem to keep the prices and cards updated (which is more than than what I can say about the Nagoya store), and they have cards from near every format available as well await through.

AD Foils

Amenity Dream's foil case was as well very impressive. They were well organized and had a lot of cards in stock. In that location were also a lot of bulk foils you could await through nearby. If you're looking to foil out your EDH or legacy deck, this is definitely the place to end. Of course y'all'd want to stop by Big Magic first to see what they are selling their cards at, but I think in all likeliness y'all'll notice a better deal here.

Play Area

Play Expanse

The play surface area was also a decent size at Assiduities Dream. I'd say there was enough space for about 30 people or so. The store besides has diverse tournaments weekly if you check their calendar, then betwixt Big Magic and here y'all should have no problem finding a place to play.

Final Verdict

Great store, well worth a visit if you're in Ikebukuro. If you lot can simply become to i store in this area, make information technology Assiduities Dream. Big Magic is a close second for MTG players, but your time would better spent looking through the cards here than at Hobby Station or Yellow Submarine.

(UPDATE) – It'south come to my attention by foreign residents of Tokyo that the electric current staff of Assiduities Dream, namely the managing director of the shop dislikes dealing with foreigners, especially if they don't speak Japanese well. I personally didn't accept this experience when I was there because I was just looking, merely take this into consideration if you desire to sell some cards there or buy big money cards. The shop would probably be much better off with a change of staff, and those sort of things do happen. Things could change in the hereafter, just I wanted to allow you know of the comments I received most the store but in case.

STORE INFO: http://locator.wizards.com/#brand=magic&a=location&p=Ikebukuro+Station,+Tokyo,+Japan&c=35.728926,139.71038&massmarket=no&loc=202509&orgid=11042&addrid=202509

The Chance Continues

The weekend I was in Tokyo, I managed to go to quite a few MTG stores, just it barely even scratched the surface of what was bachelor there. Adjacent fourth dimension I'd like to talk about 2 iconic stores in Tokyo that yous might accept heard about: Hareruya in Takadanobaba, and MINT in Shibuya. Both have unique atmospheres and are worth visiting the side by side time you lot're in Tokyo. Expect for my article most them over the next few days. If you're interested in visiting other stores around Nihon, be certain to cheque out my tab at the top of this website with links to other stores I have been to (https://thejapanhobbyist.com/magic-the-gathering-mtg/)! Too, if you have visited these stores and would like to add more than information (or correct mine) please feel gratuitous to go out a comment downwardly below. Thanks for reading, and I hope you find this post helpful!

Tags : Assiduities Dream, Big Magic, card shops in Tokyo, cards, FNM, good places to buy Japanese foils, Hobby Station, Ikebukuro, japan, Japanese MTG Foil cards, Magic, Magic the Gathering, Magic the Gathering in Tokyo, MTG, MTG Stores, The Nihon Hobbyist, Tokyo, Yellow Submarine