Any pcb shops in Japan worth visiting?

[radirgyman]

HI all.
Im going to Japan soon and was wondering if anyone knows of any shops in tokyo or osaka that sell pcb's?
Thanks.

[hanasu]

G-Front, Try, and MAK in Akiba are the ones I always see recommended.

[rancor]

If you're going to "browse", expect serious disappointment. TRY is closed 90% of the time, and is impossible to find unless you know exactly where you're going. It's on the second floor of an unmarked building, up a tiny set of stairs, then behind an anonymous steel door. Inside you'll find two rows of glass cabinets with PCBs wrapped up with moon runes written on the side.
G-Front isn't much better, and is a mess at the moment with no PCBs on Display. They've got everything in moving boxes, and if the skinny guy with glasses is behind the counter he'll stare you down and make you feel uncomfortable until you leave. MAK has the largest product area (which is about the size of your average airplane lavatory), but again everything is wrapped up in bubble-wrap. These aren't the best places for "looky-loos" to go window shopping as there's nothing to see and the staff is unfriendly. It's pretty much go in knowing what you want, ask the man behind the cabinet, pay, and GTFO. Average time spent inside is ~1.37 minutes. I guarantee you'll see more interesting things browsing the arcade section of YAJ:

http://list4.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/%E ... egory.html

[radirgyman]

G-Front, Try, and MAK in Akiba are the ones I always see recommended.

Cool thanks. Will def go to these!!

[radirgyman]

This seems to be the way to get to them.
http://www.orochinagi.com/gamer-guide-j ... bara-japan

[SuperDeadite]

That site is very out of date, Mak is on the other side of the street now. And Trader 2 now sucks, Traders on the main drag is the good one, though that's not saying much. Don't bother with Gfront, just don't.

[Mad Grab]

If you're going to "browse", expect serious disappointment.

I feel disappointed reading this, kinda wish you would have exaggerated and said it was like being a kid in a chocolate factory:)

How about these candies I see on YAJ are these coming straight from the amusement centers?

[Skykid]

If you're going to "browse", expect serious disappointment. TRY is closed 90% of the time, and is impossible to find unless you know exactly where you're going. It's on the second floor of an unmarked building, up a tiny set of stairs, then behind an anonymous steel door. Inside you'll find two rows of glass cabinets with PCBs wrapped up with moon runes written on the side.
G-Front isn't much better, and is a mess at the moment with no PCBs on Display. They've got everything in moving boxes, and if the skinny guy with glasses is behind the counter he'll stare you down and make you feel uncomfortable until you leave. MAK has the largest product area (which is about the size of your average airplane lavatory), but again everything is wrapped up in bubble-wrap. These aren't the best places for "looky-loos" to go window shopping as there's nothing to see and the staff is unfriendly. It's pretty much go in knowing what you want, ask the man behind the cabinet, pay, and GTFO. Average time spent inside is ~1.37 minutes. I guarantee you'll see more interesting things browsing the arcade section of YAJ:

http://list4.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/%E ... egory.html

My experience to the letter. Never again!

Our trading station is friendlier, cheaper, and easier to use.

[geekmiki]

It still can be worth paying a visit to G-Front and MAK to get the price list and see if any good deals are available (usually it's a bit cheaper than forum prices).
I hope that you can read at least katakana in order to find out what you want.
MAK's price list is available online: http://www.mak-jp.com/kiban.html
G-Front hasn't updated their list for ages...

So as rancor said: go there, check the price list, buy the items you want, gtfo

This seems to be the way to get to them.
http://www.orochinagi.com/gamer-guide-j ... bara-japan

Your map is not up to date... MAK moved a while ago. They're on Chuo dori (the main street) now.
Here's a link to Google street view/maps (check on the top right corner): http://bit.ly/1khn31x

[radirgyman]

It still can be worth paying a visit to G-Front and MAK to get the price list and see if any good deals are available (usually it's a bit cheaper than forum prices).
I hope that you can read at least katakana in order to find out what you want.
MAK's price list is available online: http://www.mak-jp.com/kiban.html
G-Front hasn't updated their list for ages...

So as rancor said: go there, check the price list, buy the items you want, gtfo

This seems to be the way to get to them.
http://www.orochinagi.com/gamer-guide-j ... bara-japan

Your map is not up to date... MAK moved a while ago. They're on Chuo dori (the main street) now.
Here's a link to Google street view/maps (check on the top right corner): http://bit.ly/1khn31x

Thanks!

[alamone]

I didn't buy any PCBs, but I picked up an X-SYNC1 and some JAMMA edge connectors from Try while I was there.
As noted by rancor, don't expect to see much, just rows of bubble wrapped PCBs that are hard to browse.
Unless you see something on their online stock list that you want, you're not gonna find anything terribly interesting.

I do wish that I had time to drop by PCB-Beep, which is up in Saitama.
But it looks like they're closed down for renovations right now anyway.

[radirgyman]

Where's g-front?

[rancor]

G-front Co., Ltd.
Nakazawa BLDG 2F,
6-14-12 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo, Japan 101-0021

There is literally nothing to see there at the moment. They're in the middle of some big move or something.

[radirgyman]

G-front Co., Ltd.
Nakazawa BLDG 2F,
6-14-12 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo, Japan 101-0021

There is literally nothing to see there at the moment. They're in the middle of some big move or something.

Cool thanks.
Went to Mak the guys there were great.

Nothing I really wanted besides an akai katana pcb loose with some art for around the $1,000 mark.
Bit much for me ATM. But I'm guessing that's how much they're worth.

I'm surprised how expensive some of the console stuff is around here. And some of the game and watches are so highly priced. It's nuts.

[rancor]

They just had two big sales in a row.. April 26th, and May 2nd. I'm sure they're cleaned out at the moment. There were some really good deals to be had, but you had to get there early!

[radirgyman]

They just had two big sales in a row.. April 26th, and May 2nd. I'm sure they're cleaned out at the moment. There were some really good deals to be had, but you had to get there early!

Yeah I saw a sale shelf with a few Pcbs left over but nothing I really wanted.
I'm only really after fantazy zone and maybe one other if it tickles my fancy.