TRPG Rakugo

The last few months have kept me pretty busy and away from the blog, but I did manage to sneak out to a TRPG Rakugo performance by Sanyutei Rakuten. There’s a lot to unpack in that statement, so let’s start with Sanyutei Rakuten, a Rakugoka (rakugo performer) who performs both traditional and TRPG rakugo. You’re probably already familiar with TRPGs if you’re reading this, which leaves rakugo. Rakugo is a traditional spoken entertainment where a single performer sits and tells humorous stories, performing all characters and only using a fan and cloth as props. Putting that together, TRPG rakugo is rakugo about TRPGs that Sanyutei Rakuten created by adapting traditional stories to reference TRPGs.

Event flyer for TRPG Rakugo Comparison event

I previously saw him perform at the Fall Tokyo Game Market, and had wanted to see another performance. I finally got that chance and attended a comparison of traditional and TRPG rakugo stories where Sanyutei Rakuten performed both versions back to back. In his words, the versions are “mostly the same”, yet it was interesting to see how small changes affected the dynamic of the story. Continue reading TRPG Rakugo

Tokyo Game Market 2023 Fall

Blue Early Access wristband being held.A bit later than usual, the 2023 Fall Tokyo Game Market was on December 9th and 10th. I normally attend Sunday because there are more TRPG booths, but this year Sanyutei Rakuten had a performance on Saturday that I really wanted to see. I wasn’t sure how crowded the special stage would be, so to make sure I could watch up front I splurged on an early access band, which got me in an hour early. It was nice having a quieter event space during the early hour. Continue reading Tokyo Game Market 2023 Fall

Game Market 2022 Fall

Writing about the Fall Tokyo Game Market in Spring feels a bit odd, but the last few months have kept me busy. The Fall 2022 Tokyo Game Market was a nice respite from everything, though. Last time I went was Spring 2019, and the energy this time was frenzied after several years of cancellations. This year was a return to the main Tokyo Big Site building.

Lots of flyers show casing games, including a number that had Kickstarter campaigns.
Lots of flyers show casing games, including a number that had Kickstarter campaigns.

Continue reading Game Market 2022 Fall

Game Market Fall 2019

I was originally going to skip the Fall Tokyo Game Market because I haven’t played all the games I picked up last time, but in the end I found myself at Tokyo Big Sight again surrounded by analog games.

This time I went on Sunday, which is the more TRPG heavy day of the two day event. In terms of indie TRPGs, Cthulhu scenarios and supplements were again the most prevalent, but it seemed there were more indie supplements for other systems than before. Classics like Shinobigami and Kamigakari were still represented, but there were several scenarios for Stellar Knights of the Silver Sword and more recent games. One scenario book I looked at actually contained scenarios for multiple systems. There were also a number of original systems present.

Booth listings in the Tokyo Game Market catalog
Booth listings in the Tokyo Game Market catalog

The catalog was a hefty 317 Continue reading Game Market Fall 2019

Tokyo Game Market – Spring 2019

Used books in creates and games on shelves
Used books and games

I haven’t even played all the games I got at the last Tokyo Game Market, and I already have some new additions from the Spring 2019 market. I usually go on Sundays, which is the TRPG day, but this time I went on Saturday. The main booths don’t change between days, but some of the events and a number of the indie exhibitors do. There were some TRPG related booths, but the focus was definitely board and card games. Even the large Arclight booth was only selling their TRPG products on Sunday. While I was hoping for more TRPGs, I did enjoy myself and spent most of the day there. Continue reading Tokyo Game Market – Spring 2019

Game Market – Fall 2018

Tokyo Game Market ticket and map in handI finally made it back to the Tokyo Game Market on November 25th. I had fun last time I went, and this time was no different. Taking place over the course of two days, Tokyo Game Market is dedicated to all types of analog games. I had previously heard that the second day tends to have more TRPG booths, so I only attended the second day.

Taking place in the West Halls 3 & 4 at Tokyo Big Sight, it felt like there were more vendors than last time. Surrounding the entrance were the larger booths, such as Domina Games, Magic: The Gathering, Arclight, and Delight Works.

Domina Games has been consistently popular, with very beautiful games.
Domina Games has been consistently popular, with very beautiful games.

Continue reading Game Market – Fall 2018

Warhammer Yokohama

A new Warhammer store just opened up in Yokohama Chinatown! A short walk from the station, it’s a small shop with lots of warmth and a wide selection of GW products in both English and Japanese.

 

The limited edition Space Marine Terminator Captain is only available on the opening days September 15th and 16th! You still have a chance to pick one up Sunday the 16th!

Collectors Edition Space Marine Terminator Captain
Limited to September 15th and 16th!

Continue reading Warhammer Yokohama

Games at Hama-con

A question I often hear is, “what TRPGs are popular in Japan?” I recently saw a flyer for a large TRPG convention, and thought it’d be interesting to look at the games being played.

Before we jump into the specifics, “convention” can mean anything from a small monthly event with a table or two to large events with dozens of tables. They also range from general TRPG conventions to single-system-only conventions, where only one game system is played (e.g. Sword World only).

Continue reading Games at Hama-con

Back from the Tokyo Game Market – Spring 2017

Tokyo Big Sight

Back from the Spring 2017 Tokyo Game Market at Tokyo Big Sight and my wallet is a bit lighter. I had a blast at my second Tokyo Game Market even without participating in any organized play. It was really fun to just walk around and check out the various booths. I couldn’t resist all the temptations, though, and ended up picking up four games; a spiffy game bag; and an Imperial Assault villain pack that I found in a remainder bin at the Shosen booth.

Continue reading Back from the Tokyo Game Market – Spring 2017

Game Market – Spring 2017

2017 Spring Catalog
2017 Spring Catalog

The thrice yearly analog Game Market is coming up on May 14th! It’s a great chance to check out the Japanese analog gaming scene if you happen to be in the Tokyo area.

There will be game creators, publishers, shops, and hobby groups exhibiting. In addition to that, there will be event and vendor organized games that you can participate in. There is also ample free play space where you can grab a seat and play games. Continue reading Game Market – Spring 2017