I really respect the way you act. You act like a japanese person, not like many other youtubers who are very informal, not sth you should do in japan. Thank you for including the store names on google maps as well. Some solid pick ups!
@@Sir_Konsti haha appreciate it. One advantage i have over some other content creators is i AM a japanese person.. well, half, born in Japan and raised in the US. I definitely have heavily western personality and values overall but I know how to context switch to more Japanese behavior and style when needed!
This is probably one of the best Pokémon videos I've watched. I love Japanese cards and hope to have an experience like this as well. Your demeaner throughout is great, don't loose that! Thanks for sharing!
Your videos are always such a fun watch, Oyama! It's like discovering a Quaxalotl in the wild! unexpected, and totally worth sticking around for. Keep the awesome content coming!
Video came up in my recommended! This was a great change of pace from Pokémon content. Watching through the entire video here this morning relaxing with a tea before opening up my Pokémon shop here in Ontario, Canada. Really appreciate the time you've taken to effectively communicate with everyone at the shops. My wife, son & I are hoping to make our first trip in late 2025 and learning a reasonable amount of Japanese between us has been a priority and also fun! Thank you for the insight and keep crushing these videos! Safe travels on future trips! Arigatō gozaimasu!
What's up @TrainerTre! I've come across - and enjoyed watching - your vids more than a few times. Appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment. That's great you're taking the time to learn some Japanese language and customs! I know the locals appreicate when there's been an effort from visitors. Definitely spend similar effort on culture/customs/behaviors. I think visitors annoy locals with behaviors WAY more than lack of or misuse of Japanese language! If you err on the side of being polite, quiet, and taking up as little space as you can, that alone will go a long way. Dōitashimashite!
love seeing you interact with the employees in the shop. You're super respectful and I'm sure its a breath of fresh air to have a foreigner come in and be able to converse on a basic level. Japan needs more tourists like you to undo the negative stereotypes from all the other idiots that show up and treat their home like a playground
This video is so great, I love POV shopping! I also learned "ijou" from this haha. Actually, watching and listening to your interactions is really good practice for the next time I visit Japan, especially since I plan on shopping a lot - there are so many useful phrases in this video! Thanks so much! You may have found out by now, but just in case - "free size" usually means "one size fits all" (or most, lol). So there's only one size rather than S, M, L, etc. :)
Was just there last month as well! The card shops were a little intimidating to me with my elementary level Japanese but the fact that you can go on hunting trips with their public transportation system was so fun. I miss the conbinis and quaxalotls so much….
@@PucaPokeLeague there’s so many quaxalotls to catch… And yeah i feel that! The conbini game is next level. I heard 7/11 in the west is undergoing more oversight by asia based management so maybe more of the world will get to enjoy their glory someday
Seeing you going to the places I’ve visited while I was in Osaka and now only getting into collecting feels a little sad seeing the cards I could’ve gotten but also really cool as well. Nice vid!
Thanks again for your help ahead of the trip. Really valuable. And glad you enjoyed the price comparison, took some effort but new it’d really add something.
Great video, really enjoyed watching what it's like over there. Going in a couple of years so it'll be cool to use this as a reference video to go back too
My favorite part is when you guys go to the store with all kinds of pokémon plushies, hm didn’t see any Quaxalotl plushies. Also was very fun to watch you guys win some goodies in the claw machines! Cant wait for the rest of the vlogs :D
I really don't know how to include Quaxalotl into my comment but I would just like to say this kind of video was very nostalgic for me as I was doing the exact same thing this year back in March-April and watching you go through Japan brought back some lovely memories and makes me want to brush up on my Japanese and go there again already! Earned my sub for sure!
Appreciate that - i really did make an effort to make it unique and fun to watch and come along on the adventure so I’m super happy to hear it translated and came across for you
Doesnt matter if we quaxalotl or quaxalittle, we gotta be patient with the release of this series! Super excited to see all the content drop! Thank you
I was in Japan March 2023 when there was a drought of Pokemon TCG products at Pokemon Centers. Great seeing that PC is now fully stocked. Did you end up getting the wearable Quoxalotl towel?
Hey man really enjoying your channel! This is the first video I’ve watched of yours & I’m really looking forward to seeing the rest of this series! You better buy a ‘Quaxalotl’ of cards😂
My friend quaxalotl during our trip to Osaka, which was pretty entertaining since she knew a lot about Japan. 😅 Kidding aside, I went to Japan multiple times and I regret not being into Pokemon card collecting during those times! Your channel makes me want to check out the card shops when I return. Thanks for the content!
For anyone curious 'ijou' is used like 'that's all', the staff member basically asked him 'is that all'. Technically 'ijou' directly translates to 'greater than or equal to', although the 'greater than' part, or rather the implication that 'there could be more' is not really stressed. Another example of when to use it is when you finish ordering food.
Thanks for the context! I heard it at a restaurant later in the trip and knew what it meant after that first interaction. But it wasnt something I’d heard at home!
hey! the free size shirts u saw mean that it’s only one size that is suppose to fit all. you tend to find lots of clothes that are tagged as free in japan
That's so interesting. How could that possibly be the case!? People come in such varying sizes. What approximate size does it equate to in, say, Uniqlo which uses a more standardized global XS/S/M/L etc system?
@@oyamastrading yeah sizing in asia is kinda limited I’ve heard which is sad :( I have a few free size shirts and all of them fit me a bit differently. the ones I have fit like a US M but others that I’ve seen looked like a US S to me. free size can vary on most clothes/brands so I’m not really sure what the approximate size would be. from what I’ve heard other people say though it’s between a Asian M-L which is like a S-M in the US. I hope this somewhat helps!
3:43 the store you were talking about that you couldn't find (on google maps it was a hell to find it) was most presumably the store you walked by on that exact timestamp. It was located on the 6th floor to your left in the video. I also searched for a couple of minutes before actually finding it haha
Man, yeah all i know is it was a dragonstar recommended by the aussie poketubers who went in the last year but i circled that block like three times failing to find where it was hiding lol!
@@oyamastrading hahaha I had the exact same thing happen to me. They also had opening hours till 21:00 (9pm) on google and when I arrived at 8:15pm they told me they closed at 8pm. Took 3 undergrounds in the evening to get there. Was quite the bummer. But if I remember correctly, the youtubers recommended this store for price and vinyl cards :D
20:28 Hareruya is a well-known chain of stores in Japan specializing in Magic: The Gathering (MTG) and other trading card games. They have multiple locations across the country, including major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya
New sub from Sweden! I actually find a "Quaxly McDonald's Match Battle 2023 - Holo" on the ground this summer and not been buying Pokemon since 1998-2000 and ran and watchet the movie in Cinema several times, then I had to be grown fast, born 1990 and had to be a big brother and kind a father, all my pokemon are gone and I have not have a life with Pokemon in it. Life has been hard and not fine. And my Doctor after I sayed I find a pokemon and it woke something in me! So she told me to buy a pack to be back in the memory that was good, PTSD problems.. So she thinks a Quaxalotl could be good for me ;) Fun to watch and new sub! Greetings from Sweden
I've recently converted to focusing on collecting Japanese modern, mainly for the quality on SARs and affordability of ARs. I feel like I Quaxalotl'd the system to save some money! haha really enjoying the vids and keep up the great work! Coming from a fellow NorCal-er
Loved this vid! Went to Japan in May 2023 for the first time with some friends. We weren't back into collecting yet but now have much regret for missing out on browsing these shops and hunting for some Wooper cards, PCI's resident quaxalotl :)
We were actually there around the same time last year, coincidentally, and same thing, not back into collecting yet. But it’ll be something for you to look forward to next time you make it out there! I’m sure you’ll find tons of quaxalotl then.
Wow awesome video! I’m travelling around Japan in April! Where would you recommend to get modern SAR/AR cards for a good deal I’m after Lucario and Deoxys Vstar as they’re my favourite Pokemon.
Depends what cities you're visiting but I think in Osaka my recommendations just for sheer inventory would be the largest C-Labo, Hareruya 2, and Girafull. Just do your price research prior.. I made a list of typical prices available online/in the US. For Tokyo .. well that video's coming in a week or two :)
Tried to show a few - most of these stores do sell sealed booster boxes, but the pricing on more desirable modern or rare vintage wildly varies. I saw some places selling 151 boxes for 9000 yen (I think right around MSRP - reasonable for sure) and others selling it for 280000 yen (obviously 3x as much). But most modern sets were priced similarly and pretty widely available.
Did my best with pricecharting which aggregates ebay sales, you can filter for the japanese versions of cards though. For more obsure stuff like the slabs I got I think i used ebay listings and sales
What I’m including in the videos is honestly the extent of the stores and locations that I remember. I stopped into a lot of card shops randomly where the names were in kanji so those are a little harder for me to retroactively include in a list. Doing my best in these videos, though!
@@dariothbrok they are - most stores are pretty concentrated with the exception of stores around Shinjuku in Tokyo. But Namba/den den town Osaka is like 20+ stores in a 0.5 mi area and in Tokyo there’s a bunch in Akihabara and Ikebukuro
Awesome content! What store would you recommend for someone just looking to grab some illustration rare cards? Not necessarily vintage ones or competitive stuff
When you asked if credit card was ok to pay it made me remember of my first time in Japan and how surprised I was with how much cash is used over there … awesome video as always ..
Thanks George! Oh yeah, it's still a cash heavy society though credit cards were a lot more accepted in the major cities than I've been used to in the past. A few of the shops I went to were cash-only which is pretty tricky if you intend to spend a lot!
@@rickys.tcg96 that was a GOOD one! To answer the question i think haggling with shop employees would generally be totally against the grain. Which is to say, it would be quaxalotl to ask
Love your video!!! The way it was filmed made me feel like I was there in the shops myself 😂 do you mind sharing what camera you are using to record ? Thank you!!
So, I honestly have almost no advice that would apply to most people unfortunately. I was born in Japan and grew up in a half Japanese household. Before my Japan trip last year, I brushed up on some vocabulary and phrases, and I happened to remember and retained a lot of it for this trip. sorry I can’t be of more help! My Japanese is a little unusual in that I have pretty close to native pronunciation because it was technically my first language, but I stopped learning vocabulary as a child and stopped using Japanese almost entirely for about 20 years. If I had to attempt advice, it would be to focus on practical things. I actually think you could probably learn a little bit of conversational Japanese by having mock conversations with your phone’s Translate app, and by listening to TH-cam videos focused on Japanese conversation.
It's a mix! I grade about 15-25 raw cards a month right now, so in the grand scheme I am doing very little grading compared to some folks. My collection (in value and # of cards terms) is like 90% raw cards so it is my preference. From this video -- I'll go over it in a Japan Haul video in a couple weeks -- it's pretty evenly split between things I'll add to my binder, things I'll grade, and things I'll sell/give to friends. The vintage duplicates I bought like Misty's Tears, are mainly for friends/to sell when I'm vending in 2 weeks.
@oyamastrading Nice! I asked because you have a great eye for condition so you must have a great outcomes in submissions (unless the grader is in a bad mood or something 🤣)
@@mikuz210 i just received my latest sub an hour ago funny enough. 19/25 got 10s (76%) and I took a few more chances on this one. Weirdly some of the ones i thought might be 9s got 10s, and some i thought were probably 10s got 9s 🤷♂️
I was stationed in Japan, both mainland and Okinawa for total of 6 years and not once did I look for Pokémon cards. WHY? Because I didn't start collecting till a couple years afterwards. I left Japan in 2018 and headed back state side. Wish I would have gotten into it back then.
for suure, pokemon is everywhere, i remember reading that most of pokemon's revenue is licensing and merch. you'll see skin care products that have literally nothing to do with pokemon, fully pokemon branded on the box just to draw attention/legitimize the product
How do you find the shops you are looking for? I see you using google map, but what sort of things are you searching, especially for the ones only in japanese?
This is gonna be a great series! Cool to see Ricky doing his buyer POV in Japan. Feels like i’m there searching for Paldea starters with him. I’m personally a Sprigalotl fan over Quaxalotl. Don’t even get me started about Fuecolotl.
What camera do u use as body cam and how did u mount it 😅? Great video btw I visit osaka next year would be nice if u could share some of the locations 😂
I really enjoyed your video. What type of camera did you use to record the pov? Because from my experience in Japan, Japanese card stores doesn’t want that you record there. I would also like to record my next trip and the card stores. Would be thankful for any advice.
Dji osmo action 4. If stores didnt let me record, they didnt get into this video. Action 4 and all acccessories are black though. If you wear black its pretty discrete. Generally though i had very few issues with this
Great video!! I have a question. My friend is going to japan and i want to ask him to buy me some pokemon cards. Price wise, Is it better to ask him to check the card store or just buy from mercari/buyee? Im not planning to grade cards and i am okay with psa 9
@@goodies6744 thanks for watching! Depends on the card honestly. There’s no catchall answer. You can see in this video some cards I looked at were cheaper in Japan, while others (like the corocoro mew i looked at) were more in Japan than I can get them online
@@oyamastrading awesome! Thank you for the insight. I just dont want to hassle my friend to go to card stores if i can just ask him to buy straight from mercarijp or buyeejp
I was pretty shocked when I saw amircollects did negotiate prices at one shop, but he was making a huge purchase, and it did require calling the owner of the shop. I’m familiar enough with Japanese culture to suggest that 99% of the time, it would be inappropriate or at a minimum ineffective to try to haggle.
In a world of Pokémon, Professor Oak was looking to find a new Pokémon to research and possibly become the brand new water starter so he went looking in Japan and found the perfect Pokémon he had named it Quaxalotl (part water part fairy type this Pokémon loves to live in the beautiful oceans and rivers of Japan, and also likes to hide under cherry blossom trees. It is a very kind and loving Pokémon).
I got me the Umbreon plushy when i was at Tokyo and After taking the bullet train to Osaka i got me some Godzilla posters that were limited Edition there which was Super cool.
Tried to pick up some Japanese while at work... All I learned was "cancel" lol. Need to watch this back and pay attention 😅. But anyways, great video! Loved seeing the joking with the employee at the end. Very nice, friendly interaction
I actually think you could rote memorize card shop level Japanese The only things I learned AFTER the fact: - "ijou desu" meaning "all good" or "that's all" - instead of "kore was ii desu" to indicate good, you might more clearly say "kore kaimasu" to indicate "I will buy this" -- "ii desu" can be used in japanese to indicate "no thanks" so it's legitimately confusing - it didn't hold me back any, but counting in Japanese is very different than English.. if you have no Japanese baseline I would probably try to avoid it before a Japan trip and just point and use body language at card stores lol. Good example is "ichi, ni, san, shi" 1-2-3-4... but when ordering at a restaurant you might say "hitotsu" for one, "futatsu" for two, "mittsu" for three, "yottsu" for four... but CARDS are flat... and Japanese has like 10 counters, including one for flat things like cards and plates... so you'll hear the clerks in the video saying, "Kore ni-mai?" which is "ni" for two and "mai" for "flat things." NOT intuitive lol!
@@atziwy yeah theyre surprisingly reasonably priced IMO. They range obviously but those smaller ones are like $10-20 usd each. So we bought like idk 20 plushies and toys plus a few booster boxes for about 350 usd.
Glad you appreciated that effort! It was a little tedious lol but I knew it'd make the video so much more enjoyable to watch and help make it unique from Pokemon-in-Japan content other creators have done a great job with.
Ill be in Japan in about a week so I am excited to see videos like these on my feed! Btw, why did the Quaxalotl refuse to swim? It was too busy ducking the competition! 💀
Babe wake up, Ricky uploaded a video! 😄 Why did the Quaxalotl bring a map to the Pokémon battle? Because it didn’t want to “axolotl” questions about where it was going!
That is the Notes app. I spent hours before the trip preparing a list myself. That aside, here’s info on apps "What App Do You Use To Price Cards?" th-cam.com/video/vzHmfPTQDMk/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed. Can't believe you haven't been!? You're one of the most name dropped "if you know you know" handles in Japanese pokemon TCG imo :) you'd do some DAMAGE out there!
Haha really!? Im flattered. and no i haven't! i have a pretty good system with finding things online but i want to go to Japan whether its Pokemon related or not honestly. Good on you for showing up all the tourists with your Japanese btw
Now that im into pokemon tcg since my childhood, i really need to re visit japan, went in 2019 and really want to go again, but the flights Quaxalotl and as a uni student i cant afford it. Nonetheless will definetly go. It is amazing to see your language change all troughout, so enjoyable
I really respect the way you act. You act like a japanese person, not like many other youtubers who are very informal, not sth you should do in japan. Thank you for including the store names on google maps as well. Some solid pick ups!
@@Sir_Konsti haha appreciate it. One advantage i have over some other content creators is i AM a japanese person.. well, half, born in Japan and raised in the US. I definitely have heavily western personality and values overall but I know how to context switch to more Japanese behavior and style when needed!
@@oyamastrading goat behaviour, I wish every tourist also have a behaviour like you
I like how you take the time to show your interactions with the POV, it makes me feel like I'm in Japan doing my Pokemon card shopping!
4:10 That white Skyline with the blue neon though…
was about to see in the comments if yomeone noticed haha
This is probably one of the best Pokémon videos I've watched. I love Japanese cards and hope to have an experience like this as well. Your demeaner throughout is great, don't loose that! Thanks for sharing!
Your videos are always such a fun watch, Oyama! It's like discovering a Quaxalotl in the wild! unexpected, and totally worth sticking around for. Keep the awesome content coming!
That's truly the highest compliment I can receive. Glad you enjoyed it that much.
Good luck in the giveaway :)
Video came up in my recommended! This was a great change of pace from Pokémon content. Watching through the entire video here this morning relaxing with a tea before opening up my Pokémon shop here in Ontario, Canada. Really appreciate the time you've taken to effectively communicate with everyone at the shops. My wife, son & I are hoping to make our first trip in late 2025 and learning a reasonable amount of Japanese between us has been a priority and also fun! Thank you for the insight and keep crushing these videos! Safe travels on future trips! Arigatō gozaimasu!
What's up @TrainerTre! I've come across - and enjoyed watching - your vids more than a few times. Appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment. That's great you're taking the time to learn some Japanese language and customs! I know the locals appreicate when there's been an effort from visitors. Definitely spend similar effort on culture/customs/behaviors. I think visitors annoy locals with behaviors WAY more than lack of or misuse of Japanese language! If you err on the side of being polite, quiet, and taking up as little space as you can, that alone will go a long way.
Dōitashimashite!
Thank you for the POV! Planning to go on my own trip next year and I'll refer back to this video for a list of stores to visit!
love seeing you interact with the employees in the shop. You're super respectful and I'm sure its a breath of fresh air to have a foreigner come in and be able to converse on a basic level. Japan needs more tourists like you to undo the negative stereotypes from all the other idiots that show up and treat their home like a playground
His level is far from basic
@@JegErN0rskagree
This video is so great, I love POV shopping! I also learned "ijou" from this haha. Actually, watching and listening to your interactions is really good practice for the next time I visit Japan, especially since I plan on shopping a lot - there are so many useful phrases in this video! Thanks so much!
You may have found out by now, but just in case - "free size" usually means "one size fits all" (or most, lol). So there's only one size rather than S, M, L, etc. :)
Forget the ocean, this Quaxalotl is swimming through Japan’s card aisles and pulling hits like it’s a special water-type move
👏 now THIS INDIVIDUAL right here is one cultured quaxalotl. Thanks for watching and good luck in the dragona box givvy!
Was just there last month as well! The card shops were a little intimidating to me with my elementary level Japanese but the fact that you can go on hunting trips with their public transportation system was so fun. I miss the conbinis and quaxalotls so much….
@@PucaPokeLeague there’s so many quaxalotls to catch…
And yeah i feel that! The conbini game is next level. I heard 7/11 in the west is undergoing more oversight by asia based management so maybe more of the world will get to enjoy their glory someday
Seeing you going to the places I’ve visited while I was in Osaka and now only getting into collecting feels a little sad seeing the cards I could’ve gotten but also really cool as well. Nice vid!
Great video and loved your explanation for what you are looking for in Japan. Always fun to see other people journey to shopping cards in Japan.
Thanks for watching and commenting, appreciate it and glad you enjoyed
Definitely subscribed, first pov seeing usd conversion from Japan yen and Country price difference range..appreciate and keep the videos coming
Your videos are entertaining, informative and i find the level of Quaxalotl amazing!
Fantastic video! Appreciate the price comps, it really adds a lot of value for the viewer. Gotta head to Osaka myself soon too.
Thanks again for your help ahead of the trip. Really valuable. And glad you enjoyed the price comparison, took some effort but new it’d really add something.
oh man this is gonna be a great series
Agreeeeeeed
These videos are so great! I just found out about your channel and Im enjoying your content Quaxalotl! ❤
Great video, really enjoyed watching what it's like over there. Going in a couple of years so it'll be cool to use this as a reference video to go back too
Was just rewatching the vlog and omg congrats on 2k subs!!!
@@silvies. 💙
My favorite part is when you guys go to the store with all kinds of pokémon plushies, hm didn’t see any Quaxalotl plushies. Also was very fun to watch you guys win some goodies in the claw machines! Cant wait for the rest of the vlogs :D
They really need to make more quaxalotl plushies.. thanks for watching and supporting Sylv!
I’m so glad I got recommended this video haven’t seen Pokemon video this good in a while can’t wait for the rest
Aw man that’s such high praise thanks so much glad you enjoyed it.
I really don't know how to include Quaxalotl into my comment but I would just like to say this kind of video was very nostalgic for me as I was doing the exact same thing this year back in March-April and watching you go through Japan brought back some lovely memories and makes me want to brush up on my Japanese and go there again already!
Earned my sub for sure!
@@Sloovy 💙
Hey Oyama thanks for realising the video out sooner then you thought. That was quaxalotl of pickups you got in this first part :)
This video is so awesome. What a unique and fun Buyer POV, wow
Appreciate that - i really did make an effort to make it unique and fun to watch and come along on the adventure so I’m super happy to hear it translated and came across for you
Doesnt matter if we quaxalotl or quaxalittle, we gotta be patient with the release of this series! Super excited to see all the content drop! Thank you
😂💙💯💯
I love all the quaxxing done by this quaxalotl, love the vids!!
I was in Japan March 2023 when there was a drought of Pokemon TCG products at Pokemon Centers. Great seeing that PC is now fully stocked. Did you end up getting the wearable Quoxalotl towel?
I skipped the towel but it was probably a mistake
Hey man really enjoying your channel! This is the first video I’ve watched of yours & I’m really looking forward to seeing the rest of this series! You better buy a ‘Quaxalotl’ of cards😂
My friend quaxalotl during our trip to Osaka, which was pretty entertaining since she knew a lot about Japan. 😅 Kidding aside, I went to Japan multiple times and I regret not being into Pokemon card collecting during those times! Your channel makes me want to check out the card shops when I return. Thanks for the content!
We went last year and weren't back into collecting yet! still enjoyed a lot of pokemon stuff but added the cards to the mix this time around!
For anyone curious 'ijou' is used like 'that's all', the staff member basically asked him 'is that all'.
Technically 'ijou' directly translates to 'greater than or equal to', although the 'greater than' part, or rather the implication that 'there could be more' is not really stressed. Another example of when to use it is when you finish ordering food.
Thanks for the context! I heard it at a restaurant later in the trip and knew what it meant after that first interaction. But it wasnt something I’d heard at home!
Which card shows will you be vending at? I am looking to buy some cards at bay area card shows and maybe get that Quaxalotl.
@@kevinli1831 680 card show on oct 26 in san ramon, and newark card show in newark/fremont area nov 3!
hey! the free size shirts u saw mean that it’s only one size that is suppose to fit all. you tend to find lots of clothes that are tagged as free in japan
That's so interesting. How could that possibly be the case!? People come in such varying sizes. What approximate size does it equate to in, say, Uniqlo which uses a more standardized global XS/S/M/L etc system?
@@oyamastrading yeah sizing in asia is kinda limited I’ve heard which is sad :( I have a few free size shirts and all of them fit me a bit differently. the ones I have fit like a US M but others that I’ve seen looked like a US S to me. free size can vary on most clothes/brands so I’m not really sure what the approximate size would be. from what I’ve heard other people say though it’s between a Asian M-L which is like a S-M in the US. I hope this somewhat helps!
3:43 the store you were talking about that you couldn't find (on google maps it was a hell to find it) was most presumably the store you walked by on that exact timestamp. It was located on the 6th floor to your left in the video. I also searched for a couple of minutes before actually finding it haha
Man, yeah all i know is it was a dragonstar recommended by the aussie poketubers who went in the last year but i circled that block like three times failing to find where it was hiding lol!
@@oyamastrading hahaha I had the exact same thing happen to me. They also had opening hours till 21:00 (9pm) on google and when I arrived at 8:15pm they told me they closed at 8pm. Took 3 undergrounds in the evening to get there. Was quite the bummer. But if I remember correctly, the youtubers recommended this store for price and vinyl cards :D
20:28 Hareruya is a well-known chain of stores in Japan specializing in Magic: The Gathering (MTG) and other trading card games. They have multiple locations across the country, including major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya
New sub from Sweden! I actually find a "Quaxly McDonald's Match Battle 2023 - Holo" on the ground this summer and not been buying Pokemon since 1998-2000 and ran and watchet the movie in Cinema several times, then I had to be grown fast, born 1990 and had to be a big brother and kind a father, all my pokemon are gone and I have not have a life with Pokemon in it. Life has been hard and not fine. And my Doctor after I sayed I find a pokemon and it woke something in me! So she told me to buy a pack to be back in the memory that was good, PTSD problems.. So she thinks a Quaxalotl could be good for me ;) Fun to watch and new sub! Greetings from Sweden
going crazy with the plushies
I've recently converted to focusing on collecting Japanese modern, mainly for the quality on SARs and affordability of ARs. I feel like I Quaxalotl'd the system to save some money! haha really enjoying the vids and keep up the great work! Coming from a fellow NorCal-er
💯💯💯
Loved this vid! Went to Japan in May 2023 for the first time with some friends. We weren't back into collecting yet but now have much regret for missing out on browsing these shops and hunting for some Wooper cards, PCI's resident quaxalotl :)
We were actually there around the same time last year, coincidentally, and same thing, not back into collecting yet. But it’ll be something for you to look forward to next time you make it out there! I’m sure you’ll find tons of quaxalotl then.
Wow awesome video! I’m travelling around Japan in April! Where would you recommend to get modern SAR/AR cards for a good deal I’m after Lucario and Deoxys Vstar as they’re my favourite Pokemon.
Depends what cities you're visiting but I think in Osaka my recommendations just for sheer inventory would be the largest C-Labo, Hareruya 2, and Girafull. Just do your price research prior.. I made a list of typical prices available online/in the US.
For Tokyo .. well that video's coming in a week or two :)
@@oyamastrading Cheers bro Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto I’m doing can’t wait! Looking forward to next video
I love these type of series! Can I ask when this was filmed?
Early October
Casual GTR driving like a regular car in America is next level, that’s so cool. Would love to visit.
Great video! Do you know if they do booster boxes at these stores as well or mostly singles?
Tried to show a few - most of these stores do sell sealed booster boxes, but the pricing on more desirable modern or rare vintage wildly varies. I saw some places selling 151 boxes for 9000 yen (I think right around MSRP - reasonable for sure) and others selling it for 280000 yen (obviously 3x as much). But most modern sets were priced similarly and pretty widely available.
Do you happen to remember the location of the place that you showed that does have booster boxes?
@@KaranBhansali01 honestly most of them man!
Incredible video! Excited for episode 2
What is the app your using to check prices? :)
th-cam.com/video/vzHmfPTQDMk/w-d-xo.html
What a fun video, reminded me of the times I spent with my Quaxalotl...ah, what fun times indeed. Best wishes to you!
@@lizinacan151 we looove good memories with our Quaxalotls!! Glad you enjoyed and good luck in the dragona box giveaway :)
bro went all out on the plushies wth 🤣enjoy your time in japan you already picking up fire cards hope to see more of it!
I loved Quaxalotl in Black Panther 2 lol. Hope you enjoyed your trip!🤙
Great video just curious what website do you use for Japanese market
Did my best with pricecharting which aggregates ebay sales, you can filter for the japanese versions of cards though. For more obsure stuff like the slabs I got I think i used ebay listings and sales
Would you make a list of every store you went to? I'm planning on going to Japan next year just to purchase Pokémon cards
What I’m including in the videos is honestly the extent of the stores and locations that I remember. I stopped into a lot of card shops randomly where the names were in kanji so those are a little harder for me to retroactively include in a list. Doing my best in these videos, though!
@@oyamastrading really appreciate your help here. I'll try to take notes of every store. Are they close to each other in the cities you visited?
@@dariothbrok they are - most stores are pretty concentrated with the exception of stores around Shinjuku in Tokyo. But Namba/den den town Osaka is like 20+ stores in a 0.5 mi area and in Tokyo there’s a bunch in Akihabara and Ikebukuro
Did you stay at Cross Hotel? I really like it there and the location is so convient!
Haha we actually did, how/why did you guess that?
@@oyamastrading haha could tell by the setup lol
@@angeleskevin123 ahh funny , good eye!
Awesome content! What store would you recommend for someone just looking to grab some illustration rare cards? Not necessarily vintage ones or competitive stuff
When you asked if credit card was ok to pay it made me remember of my first time in Japan and how surprised I was with how much cash is used over there … awesome video as always ..
Thanks George! Oh yeah, it's still a cash heavy society though credit cards were a lot more accepted in the major cities than I've been used to in the past. A few of the shops I went to were cash-only which is pretty tricky if you intend to spend a lot!
The 1st shop is very professional & polite. Good customer service.
Hey man! Cool video!
What kind of action cam are you using for your vlogs?
Im curious, are you able to negotiate with the japanese shops or is that quaxalotl to ask? 😅
@@rickys.tcg96 that was a GOOD one!
To answer the question i think haggling with shop employees would generally be totally against the grain. Which is to say, it would be quaxalotl to ask
@ 🙌🙌 good to know now if i ever make a trip there! Im glad you liked the word play as well lol
Love your video!!! The way it was filmed made me feel like I was there in the shops myself 😂 do you mind sharing what camera you are using to record ? Thank you!!
how did you learn the basic japanese and how long did you practice if you don't mind me asking? would love to have that for when I go back
So, I honestly have almost no advice that would apply to most people unfortunately. I was born in Japan and grew up in a half Japanese household. Before my Japan trip last year, I brushed up on some vocabulary and phrases, and I happened to remember and retained a lot of it for this trip. sorry I can’t be of more help!
My Japanese is a little unusual in that I have pretty close to native pronunciation because it was technically my first language, but I stopped learning vocabulary as a child and stopped using Japanese almost entirely for about 20 years.
If I had to attempt advice, it would be to focus on practical things. I actually think you could probably learn a little bit of conversational Japanese by having mock conversations with your phone’s Translate app, and by listening to TH-cam videos focused on Japanese conversation.
@@oyamastrading thank you very much for the detailed reply! Great video too, really looking forward to the next part
great vid, especially with the edits on price etc
there's quaxalotl shops that you visited, great coverage!
Loved your video. Do you normally buy raw and grade? Or keep as is?
It's a mix! I grade about 15-25 raw cards a month right now, so in the grand scheme I am doing very little grading compared to some folks. My collection (in value and # of cards terms) is like 90% raw cards so it is my preference.
From this video -- I'll go over it in a Japan Haul video in a couple weeks -- it's pretty evenly split between things I'll add to my binder, things I'll grade, and things I'll sell/give to friends. The vintage duplicates I bought like Misty's Tears, are mainly for friends/to sell when I'm vending in 2 weeks.
@oyamastrading Nice! I asked because you have a great eye for condition so you must have a great outcomes in submissions (unless the grader is in a bad mood or something 🤣)
@@mikuz210 i just received my latest sub an hour ago funny enough. 19/25 got 10s (76%) and I took a few more chances on this one. Weirdly some of the ones i thought might be 9s got 10s, and some i thought were probably 10s got 9s 🤷♂️
@oyamastrading close your eyes and flip a coin sometimes lol. That is still an amazing percentage
I was stationed in Japan, both mainland and Okinawa for total of 6 years and not once did I look for Pokémon cards. WHY? Because I didn't start collecting till a couple years afterwards. I left Japan in 2018 and headed back state side. Wish I would have gotten into it back then.
Crazy to see what Japan is like compared to the US - quazalotl merch outside of just cards!
for suure, pokemon is everywhere, i remember reading that most of pokemon's revenue is licensing and merch. you'll see skin care products that have literally nothing to do with pokemon, fully pokemon branded on the box just to draw attention/legitimize the product
Im excited for when I go overseas card shopping now! What are the apps you are using to check prices?
I talk about apps and other knowledge resources in this video: th-cam.com/video/N19C-TYrODE/w-d-xo.html
How do you find the shops you are looking for? I see you using google map, but what sort of things are you searching, especially for the ones only in japanese?
need a design sheet of that quaxalotl
This is gonna be a great series! Cool to see Ricky doing his buyer POV in Japan. Feels like i’m there searching for Paldea starters with him. I’m personally a Sprigalotl fan over Quaxalotl. Don’t even get me started about Fuecolotl.
What camera do u use as body cam and how did u mount it 😅? Great video btw I visit osaka next year would be nice if u could share some of the locations 😂
awesome vid friend. May I ask what app you are using to look up the pricing of raws?
@@spike119 subscribe with notifications on! I put out an entire video on that in 3 days.
i feel like a quaxalotl would be platapus esque and we havent had one of those yet so, sounds like a good idea to me
I really enjoyed your video. What type of camera did you use to record the pov? Because from my experience in Japan, Japanese card stores doesn’t want that you record there. I would also like to record my next trip and the card stores.
Would be thankful for any advice.
Dji osmo action 4. If stores didnt let me record, they didnt get into this video. Action 4 and all acccessories are black though. If you wear black its pretty discrete. Generally though i had very few issues with this
hey mate, I will be in Tokyo & Osaka next week. Any idea where i can find a Yu Nagaba box ?
loved the video ! What is the app you used to price check around 20:35 ?
@@KidYori video on this coming next wk. subscribe w notifications on, i explain every pricing app!
@ can’t wait ! Thank you. 🙏🏼
Great video!! I have a question. My friend is going to japan and i want to ask him to buy me some pokemon cards. Price wise, Is it better to ask him to check the card store or just buy from mercari/buyee? Im not planning to grade cards and i am okay with psa 9
@@goodies6744 thanks for watching! Depends on the card honestly. There’s no catchall answer. You can see in this video some cards I looked at were cheaper in Japan, while others (like the corocoro mew i looked at) were more in Japan than I can get them online
@@oyamastrading awesome! Thank you for the insight. I just dont want to hassle my friend to go to card stores if i can just ask him to buy straight from mercarijp or buyeejp
Been waiting for this series to drop! Can you confirm that there is no haggling at these card shops correct?
I was pretty shocked when I saw amircollects did negotiate prices at one shop, but he was making a huge purchase, and it did require calling the owner of the shop. I’m familiar enough with Japanese culture to suggest that 99% of the time, it would be inappropriate or at a minimum ineffective to try to haggle.
15:00 do you rmb which book off is this in Osaka is this?
In a world of Pokémon, Professor Oak was looking to find a new Pokémon to research and possibly become the brand new water starter so he went looking in Japan and found the perfect Pokémon he had named it Quaxalotl (part water part fairy type this Pokémon loves to live in the beautiful oceans and rivers of Japan, and also likes to hide under cherry blossom trees. It is a very kind and loving Pokémon).
💯💯💯 yessss
I got me the Umbreon plushy when i was at Tokyo and After taking the bullet train to Osaka i got me some Godzilla posters that were limited Edition there which was Super cool.
What do you call a duck that wines a lot...Quaxalotl....super bad dad joke. Awesome video!!
'this is 30% cheaper, is that okay?' 'ABSOLUTELY not' 😂😂
Also no joke.. If ever I get an axolotl, I'll be calling it Quaxalotl 🤣
That’s Quaxalotl Pokemon card you picked up there in Japan !🔥 ❤
Awesome Video! Love the content you do
Loved the video! You should visit a zoo while you're in Japan, I heard the ducks quaxalotl!
Tried to pick up some Japanese while at work... All I learned was "cancel" lol. Need to watch this back and pay attention 😅. But anyways, great video! Loved seeing the joking with the employee at the end. Very nice, friendly interaction
I actually think you could rote memorize card shop level Japanese
The only things I learned AFTER the fact:
- "ijou desu" meaning "all good" or "that's all"
- instead of "kore was ii desu" to indicate good, you might more clearly say "kore kaimasu" to indicate "I will buy this" -- "ii desu" can be used in japanese to indicate "no thanks" so it's legitimately confusing
- it didn't hold me back any, but counting in Japanese is very different than English.. if you have no Japanese baseline I would probably try to avoid it before a Japan trip and just point and use body language at card stores lol. Good example is "ichi, ni, san, shi" 1-2-3-4... but when ordering at a restaurant you might say "hitotsu" for one, "futatsu" for two, "mittsu" for three, "yottsu" for four... but CARDS are flat... and Japanese has like 10 counters, including one for flat things like cards and plates... so you'll hear the clerks in the video saying, "Kore ni-mai?" which is "ni" for two and "mai" for "flat things." NOT intuitive lol!
please do a video on the opening of the 151 packs!
I posted a short a while back opening an entire 151 box! The next Japan vid will have some 151 pack opening :)
Oyama, how much was it for da plushies at the poke center? You said lower tahn 420 (Im guessing USD)? Just super curious hahaha
@@atziwy yeah theyre surprisingly reasonably priced IMO. They range obviously but those smaller ones are like $10-20 usd each. So we bought like idk 20 plushies and toys plus a few booster boxes for about 350 usd.
Insane video with the sub of your Japanese interaction. Thank you for that! Quaxalotl!
Glad you appreciated that effort! It was a little tedious lol but I knew it'd make the video so much more enjoyable to watch and help make it unique from Pokemon-in-Japan content other creators have done a great job with.
@@oyamastrading and I’m learning Japanese so those real life conversation are gold to me
What a amazing, fabulous, awesome, spectacular, Quaxalotl episode. Keep up the awesome content :D
💙 so glad you found it quaxalotl
Damn look at those viewssss!! And Quaxalotl on the 2k subs!🎉
@@TychoJiroo thank you sir!!!!!
Ill be in Japan in about a week so I am excited to see videos like these on my feed!
Btw, why did the Quaxalotl refuse to swim? It was too busy ducking the competition!
💀
Ooooo niiiice quaxalotl content, primo
Any tips for someone who is going to Japan but doesn't speak the language? I will be going next year and have interest in buying from card shops.
Babe wake up, Ricky uploaded a video! 😄
Why did the Quaxalotl bring a map to the Pokémon battle?
Because it didn’t want to “axolotl” questions about where it was going!
What card is that at 23:18?
Red’s challenge
whats the website/ app that he is using to browse the cards with a single scroll? 1:10
That is the Notes app. I spent hours before the trip preparing a list myself.
That aside, here’s info on apps
"What App Do You Use To Price Cards?"
th-cam.com/video/vzHmfPTQDMk/w-d-xo.html
great video just subbed, you seem to be putting quax-alota work into the vids XD
Really enjoyed this man! Need to get myself to Japan.
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed. Can't believe you haven't been!? You're one of the most name dropped "if you know you know" handles in Japanese pokemon TCG imo :) you'd do some DAMAGE out there!
Haha really!? Im flattered.
and no i haven't! i have a pretty good system with finding things online but i want to go to Japan whether its Pokemon related or not honestly. Good on you for showing up all the tourists with your Japanese btw
Hello, great video! It’s very interesting. Which app do you use to check the card prices?
@@Paul-HenriLagache check my latest video
th-cam.com/video/vzHmfPTQDMk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=UZHEX8Zw5LHSVNh5
@@oyamastrading Sorry, I just saw it now 😅
Did you have the cards you were looking for and their price ranges in your notes? Pretty good idea if you did!
@@jacobvenos7569 i did!
Now that im into pokemon tcg since my childhood, i really need to re visit japan, went in 2019 and really want to go again, but the flights Quaxalotl and as a uni student i cant afford it. Nonetheless will definetly go. It is amazing to see your language change all troughout, so enjoyable
What app are u using to price cards quickly. I didn't know high street shops were over priced
th-cam.com/video/vzHmfPTQDMk/w-d-xo.html
That pikachu lunar new year raw you’re looking for isn’t 70-110! it’s consistently selling for 20-30 dollar range raw on eBay! Just trying to help!