Yamanashi Game Shop
In the spring, for lack of better ideas, the family ended up at Yamanashi Fruit Park. We were there miraculously between seasons. The hotel was a Counter-Strike level. Long B, don’t peak.
I keep talking about the end of Japanese Video Games. It doesn’t stop being true. At this point BookOff is your only option and they can charge whatever they want. I’d have to travel an hour at this point to go to a real arcade or a real game store. Eventually I’ll let the past die.
Not then, not in Yamanashi. Upon arriving the family took a taxi to a tofu factory. I kept in the taxi and went to Famicom Shop Onward. It was a weekday around 12:30pm. I went in. The lights were out. The old man behind the counter went “Oh a customer.” He turned on the lights.
I fawned over the Sega Saturn demo cabinet. I wished to buy a game I loved. I considered the logistics of the beautiful plastic pink PS2 and carrying it around an orchard for two days. I didn’t. I think about that PS2 I do not need now.
For it being Famicom Shop, it had zero boxed Famicom games left. I guess a lot of people had my idea. I finally went to check out and get back to my family. It hurt, because I know we are at twilight for game stores. How many actual Japanese Game Stores will I go to left? Not many.
I started talking with the older owner. I asked if he could call a taxi for me. He said, “Oh I’ll just drive you.” He took my picture in the store. I don’t have that picture. He was amused an American that spoke Japanese and lives in Yokohama came all the way to his shop.
I knew I only had a few minutes in the car to ask him questions. So I’ll give you the all too brief answers.
He ran a few convenience stores in the bubble economy. He thought these video games seemed popular and opened Onward in 1994. He’d been running it ever since. So he opened just in time for the Sega Saturn and PS1 launch. He chose the name Famicom because it was popular.
I asked him “Do you actually play video games?” He replied, “Oh just old RPGs sometimes.” “Oh what?” (I was currently playing Estopolis 2.) “Oh I can’t remember the name.”
“How exactly do you say the numbers in Japanese video game names?”
“Always the English. フィアナルファンタジーファイブ.”
“Even Musou?”
“Musou? Oh then maybe the Japanese. 三国志無双ご“
“Oh here is the factory.”
At this point a security guard started yelling he couldn’t park here, and I had to jump out of the car and thank him. He did a seven point turn.
I keep thinking about taking the time and a video camera or a proper microphone and going back to interview him, or any remaining game store owners. Maybe I’ll finally do something with my minor skills in 2026.
NEXT: Iron Sword (23)
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