How Trading Card Games Are More Than Just Fun in Japan

A Brief Look at the History of Toys in Japan

The oldest toy in Japanese history is said to be the spinning top, which was supposedly introduced from China somewhere between the 7th and 10th centuries. Since then, many more toys have come into existence in Japan, from the humble ball to marbles and dolls. While largely in the hands of those with high status back in the day, over time, they spread out to regular folk.

One of the biggest shifts in the history of toys in Japan took place in the modern age. Soon after the release of the Family Computer (Famicom) in 1983, the world was rapidly introduced to mobile gaming devices, card games, anime, and other forms of contemporary entertainment. Some clever creators had the idea of turning popular franchises like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh into card games. This was a resounding success, leading to a boom in trading card games (TCGs) that continues today.

Behind the Popularity of Trading Card Games

But what exactly is a trading card game?

Simply put, it’s when a player collects cards from the same series, creates a deck, and then plays that deck against another person. While there's no limit to what cards you can collect, there are often rules in place when playing in an actual TCG match.

TCGs are not a Japanese invention. The first TCG was created by American mathematician Richard Garfield. Coined "Magic: The Gathering," he released it through the publisher Wizards of the Coast in the United States in August 1993.

Though entirely in English, the game made its way to Japan, where it gained some fame and inspired many. Not long after, Japan released several of their own TCGs, including Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Duel Masters, which all took off in popularity.

One of the key reasons behind the success of trading cards was their collectability.

Not all packs are created equal. Each holds different cards, and within some, you may even find a rare card that's unique in looks, gameplay effects, or both. In order to get desirable cards, fans began buying, selling, and trading with each other, creating an entire marketplace and pushing the popularity of TCGs to even greater heights.

Trading Cards as an Investment in Japan

By the early 2000s, pretty much every popular anime, manga, and video game had its own trading card game in Japan.

Pocket Monsters (Pokemon) was the pioneer of it all, whose TCG was released in 1996 by distributor Media Factory. It came out at around the same time that the Pokemon anime series was airing, guaranteeing its success. Some other early examples are Bandai Namco's Super Robot Wars Scramble Gather, based on a game series, and Yu-Gi-Oh from the beloved Shonen Jump manga series.

These days, it’s no exaggeration to say that TCGs are no longer just toys for children but instead a hobby that anyone, regardless of age, can take part in. Of course, this explosive growth wasn't without repercussions.

As the community expanded, so did the marketplace, and where there's money to be made, there's crime. Reports of card thefts at stores, card scams, and other incidents continue to be a problem, requiring caution from genuine hobbyists.

But just how valuable can trading cards be?

To the layperson, it may seem hard to believe, but trading cards can be investments. It's not uncommon for collectors to hunt down rare cards and keep them in mint condition until their value goes up, after which they sell them for a pretty profit.

There are even organizations centered around confirming the authenticity and grade for trading cards using the latest technologies, such as Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) or Beckett (BGS). The Japan equivalent would be ARS (Japanese website only).

Some trading cards have sold for ridiculous amounts. For example, a 1998 Pokemon card with a grade of PSA 10 once sold for roughly 5.27 million USD! More recently, in March 2024, a 1996 Black Lotus card from Magic: The Gathering sold for a whopping 3 million USD.

While that might make you want to jump straight into collecting TCGs, please remember that just like any other investment, for every card that sells at over 50% profit, there's plenty more that don't or that even decrease in value. It's important to do thorough research before diving in.

How to Get Started with TCGs in Japan

If, after reading all of the above, you'd still like to get into trading cards, and you happen to be in Japan or visiting soon, you're in luck. Pretty much every city in Japan has a store that sells trading cards.

For the largest selection, we recommend visiting Akihabara in Tokyo. The flashy streets of this otaku neighborhood are overflowing with card stores, promising a treasure trove for collectors. Ikebukuro, in northwestern Tokyo, is another well-known subculture hub likewise home to many trading card specialist shops.

If you don't know where to start, we recommend Yellow Submarine, a hobby store with branches all across Japan. Yellow Submarine is a paradise for all sorts of collectors, selling everything from trading cards to plastic models and figures.

To learn more about trading card culture in Japan, we visited Yellow Submarine’s Akihabara store. But before sharing our experience, here’s an overview of the Yellow Submarine business:

Yellow Submarine is a hobby chain store owned by Saitama conglomerate HOBBYBASE. Established in 1985, it specializes in selling collector goods like models, board games, trading cards, and much more.

Yellow Submarine splits its stores into three types:

(1) Game shops: These focus on games and related items, such as TCGs and board games. They usually have a section where you can actually sit down and play card games.

(2) Hobby shops: These focus more on items that collectors would be interested in, such as anime goods, plastic models, figures, toys, accessories, etc.

(3) All-inclusive shops: These contain all kinds of hobby items, from games to collectors' goods.

So, if you're looking for a particular item or need some specialist advice, make sure to choose the right Yellow Submarine store. That said, it's not uncommon to see two Yellow Submarine stores of different types nearby, so even if you end up at the wrong store, it likely won't be much of a detour to find a more suitable branch.

Here's the full list of Yellow Submarine stores separated by type:

Game Shop List

Tokyo: Ikebukuro GAME SHOP
Tokyo: Machida GAME SHOP
Tokyo: Akihabara RPG SHOP
Kanagawa: Yokohama SHOP
Saitama: Kawagoe CARD SHOP
Chiba: Chiba GAME SHOP
Hokkaido: Sapporo GAME SHOP
Osaka: Namba SHOP
Kyoto: Kyoto SHOP
Aichi: Nagoya GAME SHOP
Hyogo: Himeji SHOP
Fukuoka: Magiccers Fukuoka SHOP

All-Inclusive Shop List

Tokyo: Shinjuku SHOP
Tokyo: Tachikawa SHOP
Tokyo: Akihabara MAIN SHOP★MINT
Kanagawa: Mizonokuchi SHOP
Kanagawa: Yokohama MOVIL SHOP
Kanagawa: Kawasaki SHOP
Saitama: Omiya MAIN&PLAYSOFT SHOP
Chiba: Kashiwa MARUI SHOP
Tochigi: Utsunomiya SHOP
Osaka: Namba MAIN SHOP
Hyogo: Sannomiya SHOP
Hiroshima: Hiroshima SHOP

Yellow Submarine has only one hobby shop, and it's located in Chiba.

You can see the full details of all the stores mentioned above on the Yellow Submarine official website.

A Look at Yellow Submarine Akihabara MAIN SHOP★MINT!

Now that you're familiar with Yellow Submarine, let us introduce you to Yellow Submarine Akihabara MAIN SHOP★MINT, located on the 6th floor of Akihabara Radio Kaikan not far from Akihabara Station.

On our visit, we were able to sit down for a chat with the store manager. Our focus of the day was on trading cards, and this is what he had to say:

Do you like collectors goods? If so, what do you like to collect?

Manager: Yes, I do. When I was in elementary school, I loved playing with Gundam action figures, and even after growing up, I still built them. That's actually the reason why I decided to work at Yellow Submarine. Sometimes I still build Gundam after work, but there's little time to do that nowadays.

Have you been working at Yellow Submarine for long? What made you decide to work here?

Manager: Well, as I said, I liked toys and collector goods, so I wanted to work this kind of job. At first, I actually worked at Yellow Submarine part-time... that was around 10 years ago. Of course, that was at a different store. Eventually I got the opportunity to go full time, and then recently, I was finally given the chance to become the manager of this store.

Do you still collect anything?

Manager: Yes, I still collect Gundam action figures, but they're not rare or expensive. I just collect the figures that I like.

What about trading cards?

Manager: I haven't gotten into collecting trading cards. What can I say, my heart's completely into Gundam!

A couple of years ago, Japan saw a huge increase in the popularity of TCGs. What are your thoughts on that?

Manager: Yes, that really did happen. At the time, there were all kinds of people - those who just wanted to collect and display cards, others that used them as investments, and even some who would open pack after pack on the spot to see if they got lucky. Some rare cards or packs were even taken by scalpers as soon as they were put up for sale! But that's how new business is born - when supply doesn't meet demand, you get scalpers, lotteries, and so on. I believe all this commotion took not just TCGs, but collectors goods as a whole to new heights.

What are the most popular items sold at this store?

Manager: This store focuses on collectors goods, with an incredibly large product range and any tool needed for building at your fingertips. So, I'd have to say it's not TCGs, but Gundam action figures that sell the most here. If we're talking specifically about trading cards, ONE PIECE cards are quite popular, and we've recently been selling a lot of newer releases. We hope your readers will come take a look for themselves!

What would you recommend at this store?

Manager: We have a lot of goods from currently popular anime. I can't really say what I'd recommend since it depends on the individual and their reason for visiting us. For example, since I love Gundam figures, I'd probably recommend them.

Do you have any trading cards on display that are of high value?

Manager: Most of the cards at our store were sold to us by customers, so sometimes we don't have a lot of stock. But you've come at the right time - we happen to have a card that's worth over 2 million yen (13,000 USD)! Want to have a look?

Sure! But before we do, can you leave a message for future TCG collectors? For example, what would you say to someone looking to start collecting trading cards?

Manager: If you're looking to start a collection, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you should love what you collect, otherwise you'll eventually stop. Also, collectors goods are continuing to grow in popularity, which means that more people are looking to earn money off them. You might come across people selling fakes, for example. To avoid getting scammed, I recommend you purchase from reliable, trusted stores. Lastly, remember not to harm yourself or others when engaging in the hobby, such as getting into debt to add to your collection.

After our interview, the manager guided us over to the card corner, where we saw shelves full of cards for sale. This included the recently added rare and expensive card he previously mentioned.

Once we saw this card on display, we understood why it had such a high price tag. It was a Magic: The Gathering Black Lotus card, which is valued highly worldwide. Although expensive, its poor condition actually put it on the cheaper side!

There were many other cards on their shelves that were in great condition and others available at more reasonable prices. We could tell that this Yellow Submarine would be a good fit for both newcomers wanting to get into TCGs or fans looking to add to their existing collection.

There’s Plenty More to Collect at Yellow Submarine Akihabara!

While at Yellow Submarine, we took the opportunity to check out the other goods on sale, such as figurines from famous anime like Demon Slayer, NARUTO, Dragon Ball, ONE PIECE, SPYxFAMILY, Kaiju No.8, Studio Ghibli, and so on. This incredible assortment was indeed worthy of its place in the heart of Japan’s otaku paradise of Akihabara!

They also had board games for sale and even a souvenir corner, making it suitable for anyone to add to their Japan shopping list.

Sports fans will also have a ball looking through Yellow Submarine’s section dedicated to sports cards. Soccer, basketball, baseball - you name it, they have it.

Dive Into the World of Trading Card Games in Japan!

In this article, we covered the good and bad of trading card games in Japan. While it may seem a little daunting, if you truly love what you're collecting and can engage in the hobby without harming yourself or others, you'll open your eyes to a whole new world. Whether you’re deep into TCGs or just curious, we recommend paying a visit to the nearest Yellow Submarine while in Japan to see what it has to offer. And if you're traveling to Tokyo, there’s nowhere better than the Akihabara branch!