![What Happened to this Japanese Retro Game Shop? [AKIHABARA FULL STORE TOUR]](https://www.alojapan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1725094815_maxresdefault.jpg "What Happened to this Japanese Retro Game Shop? [AKIHABARA FULL STORE TOUR]")
What Happened to this Japanese Retro Game Shop? [AKIHABARA FULL STORE TOUR]
Today we visit a special shop, “Friends” in Akihabara! Unfortunately it’s the last time we’re able to do so as it’s closed this month on the 26th of August.
For 22 years this place has been a great place to look for some rare retro games in Japan, let’s go on one final Retro Game Hunt!
0:00 – Start
0:30 – Friends, Mom & Pop Retro Game Store
2:15 – Neo Geo Game Boy, PCFX
4:19 – NEC PCFX
4:49 – Sega Genesis/Megadrive & 32X
6:16 – Rare LCD Handhelds
7:14 – MSX Games
8:55 – SEALED Game Cube Games!
9:26 – ULTRA RARE N64 & DD
10:42 – N64 DD Randnet
10:47 – Super Famicom Games
11:47 – Nintendo Game & Watch
13:28 – SEALED Playstation, Saturn & Dreamcast
16:57 – Switch Games
17:31 – Owner Interview
17:58 – Outro
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Enjoy the video? Watch the full game hunting playlist here:
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#japan
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50 Comments
Do you have any memories visiting Friends in Akihabara?
So nice memories here…good pc engine selection in 2015… and nice old lady owner, always smiling and cleaning cartridges 🙂
you didn't ask what they are going to do with whatever left of their stock ??
Beautiful episode
Love seeing these smaller shops. Great video as always
Very cool store but some of those prices are insane
Shout out my homie the goomba in the intro
Great video Pim! hope this one gets 1 gazillion views
Super-sad I'll never get to experience this quaint holdover from a more civilized era of gaming culture… Much respect to the owners for keeping it going through the years. 🫡
5:59 Denshi Block!!! 😲
6:05 Oh, oh, oh! I know this! It plays Casio Invaders! They put a version of it on the Hudson Super Shooting Watch, since Casio made the electronics… I'll see if I can't record a short video of me playing it and post it on the Discord. 😉👍
11:08 lol, for a second there… Man, if this were the ORIGINAL release of Cotton 100% going for 5,000 yen, I'd have shat. But no, it's the 2023 Columbus Circle reprint like I already have… (Right next to their physical run of Shockman Zero)
Glad I made it before it closed. It was POURING with rain when I went and my waterproof was drenched. The owner patted me down front and back to eliminate moisture in the shop, a bad faux pas by me but he was super kind about it.
Bro this is fantastic content 🎉
🎶Why can't we be Friends, why can't we be Friends… 🎶
What an awesome shop, some really interesting finds as well. I wonder what they will do with their remaining stock if they dont sell before the deadline!
I've been to Friends a everytime in my multiple trips to Japan since 2015. Went there during my last trip in December 2023. I wish I took pictures of the store whenever I visited for the memories, but the store owners weren't always receptive of people recording or taking photos. I've picked up several very uncommon items from there for reasonable prices many times. Definitely remembered the first thing I bought from them. Golden Axe 3 for the Mega Drive, and for a great price for Tokyo. Though in my most recent trip, I didn't pick anything up… sad to see them closing down. Will miss going to them as a part of my usual stops next time I visit Tokyo.
Yes! A new 4 am! Great to start the weekend with!🎉. Nice one to !
Insanly good video as always!
I hope you will see this, but please make a video of how you moved to Japan. I'm very curious and I want to make that journey as well!
7:30 The MSX was not a console! It was a computer that was supposed to compete with the C64. The awesome fact about it was that it was offering A BASIC interpreter. I wrote my own games back in the days writing in BASIC. M in MSX stands for Microsoft. Do your research on that one!
That Star Tropics theme got me vibing!
22 years is incredibly impressive! They had to know what they were doing!!
Back in 2023 when I visited Japan I went to Friends and snagged a Rockman X2 boxed. The owner was so kind and the shop was nice and cozy. I will never forget this store…
I love Friends! My favorite shop in Akihabara. I bought my Game Boy Micro a few months ago over there. They were my favorite and I recommended them in my videos a few months ago. Very sad this is closing down😢
My son and I stumbled across Friends on one of our trips to Japan in 2019. I believe my son had me buy him a Japanese baseball game for the N64 while were there.
These kinds of small shops that have been open for decades closing is truly saddening, feels like these shop are homey or family unlike when you buy from online or malls
the 2003 footage is crazy. RIP! glad I got to visit at least once
o7 for the OGs. They will be missed.
I was lucky enough to get one last hunt in last July. I purchased Ninja Gaiden and one other title which escapes me. The family is really nice and always very helpful. Just showed that lady my phone with pictures and she went off hunting the titles for me. Pity its shutting down. Thanks for covering the closure it means a lot to me as I have a great deal of stuff bought from this store. Thank you.
Bought some famicoms games at Friends in 2016. And of course the cheapest Virtual Boy Console I could find in akihabara. Great store
Really expensive but it's Akihabara so not surprising.
great content
Pim, did you know the MSX Home computers (not console) were big in the Netherlands? In Japan companies like Sanyo, Casio, Sony and Panasonic used to make them. However Philips used to make them as well. I regret not knowing about this store when we travelled to Japan in 2022-2023.
Shame that such an establishment is shutting down like that. They should really look into selling their remaining stock online. Just have their shelves moved into their home.
This is a sad moment 🙁 . I really liked that store, I visited it every time I was in Tokyo. It really had a special vibe, retro among retro shops! Well deserved retirement for sure, the owner was super nice every time I was there.
So sad I always like that store. The lady in the first floor was always been sweet to me 😢
Has it gone already or is it dole to close soon?
I’ve been coming here for the last 13 years. It was a good place and found some nice stuff there for me and my brothers.
Sad to see them Go. 😢
Vvv
Your 269 😅 like ❤ I wish they waited till I visited Japan 😢 I hope u sell everything they seem so nice and lovely ❤ I was assuming games would be cheap wow some are very high priced I wonder if they will have a blow out sale on last day or if they will just sell it to hard off those games that are $100+ usd.. back to ur video I go 🙂
Great video, they seem like very kind wholesome hardworking people, Its harder and harder to find places like this in Australia, we have to travel interstate to find retro game stores.
I went to say goodbye to her 😢
amazing lil docu style vid, enjoy retirement Friends o7
so sad to see the fun draining out of the world. 😞
Man, we hit this place in 2018/2019 when we first went to Japan. This is really sad.
When i lived in nippori I never even found this shop when I would visit aki
Man, I was lucky to visit it last year!!!
I was kind of sad when I went there in July to find out that they're closing. Was there any sale later? Did you ask what will happen with the unsold stuff by chance?
So sad that Friends has closed. She is a dear, sweet and friendly lady. She served me last year and was so polite and helpful.
There were definately signs that they were scaling back but, i still found some cool stuff (Saturn 3D pad and a sealed copy of the Night Into Dreams CD soundtrack collection).
So glad i got to visit before the doors sadly closed.
I hope the owners have a very happy retirement (at least they will no longer have to climb all those stairs each day).
Sad to hear. Ive been lucky to hit Friends twice and the lady is super nice. I got some great deals there and will cherish my games. Thanks
as we slowly move more and more into a digital game space. places like this will disappear. just like the local arcade… sad man.
Great video, thanks for sharing!