It’s hard to get excited about superhero stuff anymore due to the saturation of it all in our media, but if the story is good I’ll be all for it. Part of me hopes that the MCU uses the Avengers less and less and instead that they give X-men their due as leaders of heroes against threats.

Got another #retrogame store in Kyoto to share today! Not easy to get to, but definitely a treat for the eyes. Lots of good games and hardware to look through with a great store set up as well. thejapanhobbyist.com/2026/06/03/r...

NGL, the further Magic the Gathering gets into Universes Beyond, the more they lose me. They seem great for EDH and cubes, but I have absolutely no desire to learn any of the cards for competitive MTG. Ninja Turtles, Marvel, and Avatar TLA just don’t belong in the main game.

Short stream before my evening shift today! Playing some more Metaphor ReFantazio now until I have to head off to work. Continuing to head down deep into the Dragon spear dungeon. Just how big IS this place? twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Been trying to discover more retro game stuff on here but the curated list is heavily focused on NES and SNES/Genesis Gen of games. There are good games in that gen, but I really wish there was more PS1/N64 and PS2/Gamecube content out there. Maybe only really old school gamers post here though?

Streaming schedule for next week! Working through my backlog of games. - Monday: Metaphor REFantazio? (AM) - Tuesday: No stream - Wednesday: No stream - Thursday: No stream - Friday: No stream - Saturday: Secret Agent Clank (PM) - Sunday: Ergheiz/Colony Wars (PM) twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Now live with the finale to Tales of Vesperia! All thats left is a massive dungeon, a few bosses, and some really tough enemies. What could go wrong? twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Now live with possibly the final Tales of Vesperia stream! All thats left are a few more optional bosses and dungeons, and then we head into the final area! Let’s hope I’m prepared enough for it! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

While it sucks that Dragon Quest XII is being delayed again I do appreciate their honesty. I also kind of dig the direction they are taking with new game. I'm fine with the character design and the initial look makes it seem like they are leaning into more steampunk type things.

Baskin Robbins X Dragon Quest begins on June 1! Made with real slimes? Possible! More: www.br31.jp/contents/top...

I didn't really understand Denis Villeneuve's style and vision when I first started watching his movies but the more of them I watch the more captivated I am. The scope, the world he creates, the characters; everything just draws you in. Can't wait for the next Dune.

Short stream of Metaphor: ReFantazio before work tonight! Heading into the dragon spear dungeon today to get a powerful weapon and also to rescue some people. Seems like we’re going to be busy! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

I gotta ask, just how bad is the clout chasing/tik tokking/influencing thing overseas? Are there random people out and about streaming and recording videos all the time doing random dances and shit where you live? I never see it in Japan. Looks stupid AF tbh.

Got another great Osaka #retrogame store recommendation for all of you! It's not too far from downtown #Osaka, is easy to get to, and has a good selection with great prices too. Check it out on your next trip to Kansai! thejapanhobbyist.com/2026/05/24/r...

Streaming schedule for next week! Pretty busy with work but I will squeeze some in. - Monday: No Stream - Tuesday: Metaphor REFantazio (PM) - Wednesday: No stream - Thursday: No stream - Friday: No Stream - Saturday: Tales of Vesperia (PM) - Sunday: ToV? (PM) twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

I picked up so many flyers from Bitsummit today and also came home with some cool posters and stickers. Now I just need to find a place to put them :D.

Went to BitSummit in Kyoto this weekend with a few friends and got to play a few indie games! The Denshattack and Dr. Oops games were a lot of fun, and I got to see my friends play a lot of things as well. There was a lot to do and I found myself hanging out until the end of the day playing games.

Finished another book I've been meaning to read since I got it for my birthday in March. Most books I've read recently have been on solar energy but this book made a great argument for upgrading our global energy infrastructure and how big of an impact one change can have.

Closing in on the end of Tales of Vesperia! The final “big bad” just showed itself and we have 3 of the 4 spirits collected. Just a little bit more to go. Now live! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

That Japan mugginess and humidity just started. Gonna be hell this summer. Started using an umbrella on the blazing hot days and it helps when you're out walking, but now I'm wondering why we don't have solar umbrellas to cut down on heat and charge our stuff?

Fall Guy ended up being a lot better than I thought it would be. Such a fun movie. Not only amazing stunts but a great cast too.

Reebok x Dragon Quest collab to celebrate the franchise’s 40th anniversary starts 5/27! The Reebok store in Harajuku will also have a special exterior!

When nobody visits the web anymore, what incentive is there for people to populate it with information? That means AI search will be retrieving information from deteriorating, out-of-date sources and feeding it endlessly back to us. And that means even fewer people will populate the web. (2/3)

Closing in on the end of Tales of Vesperia today! Pretty close to the end game, but still have a few more areas to check out. Just beat Yeager and heading off to beat Alexei next! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Short stream of Metaphor ReFantazio today before my evening shift starts! Taking out the islands around the dragon shrine and leveling up a bit before taking on the main story. I’m feeling underleveled so this will be some good training. twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

I am once again begging, praying, weeping for lists of written instructions rather than videos. I do not want to watch your two minute video in the hope of catching the two seconds where you whizz past what goddamn menu the thing is under. Write. It. Down.

I just made a huge update on my website and organized all my articles into one page so you can see where to go depending on which prefecture you're visiting. While it's not definitive, it will definitely help you out on your retro game hunts. More yet to come! thejapanhobbyist.com/retro-game-s...

Added a few more Japanese games I've played to the list on my blog and how much Japanese they have! A good page to bookmark if you're thinking of using video games as a tool to study the language. thejapanhobbyist.com/how-to-play-...

Short stream of Metaphor ReFantazio after work. We just got our 5th character yet something tells me our 6th is on the horizon as well as we set off across the sea to Montario! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Since I was out on the Osaka monorail today for a flea market, seemed like I could kill two birds with one stone and hit up the Furuichi by Sawaragi station. Not the biggest Furuichi I've seen but close to the station with a good selection and decent prices.

Went to a flea market this weekend at the old Osaka World Expo grounds. It was packed with 400+ shops, and it seems like it happens quite often. My wife loved all the clothing stalls, but they had some hobby stuff and crafts as well. Sadly not many retro games there.

Felt like I needed to get out and "touch some grass" today so I went to Shoji station to visit the last Ojamakan store in Osaka that I hadn't visited. It was the smallest one yet I've visited, but the prices were good and they had some very unique things. It was fun to check out. #retrogames

Streaming schedule for next week! Finishing up Tales of Vesperia! - Monday: Metaphor ReFantazio (PM) - Tuesday: Metaphor ReF (AM) - Wednesday: Tales of Vesperia (PM) - Thursday: No Stream - Friday: Tales of Vesperia? (PM) - Saturday: No Stream - Sunday: No Stream twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

In the end game now in Tales of Vesperia! Backtracking to get some treasures I couldn’t get before first, then heading into the final dungeon. Now live! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

The #FFXIV Free Login Campaign has returned! 💡 sqex.to/ig9gP From today through June 14, eligible players can play for free for a limited time. Use this opportunity to catch up on Patch 7.5 and tackle new challenges! 💪

Upgraded my Nintendo DS LL case to one that can hold more games since I have so many new Japanese ones I'm trying to work my way through. A perfect fit!

Now live with more Metaphor ReFantazio! Prepared as much as I could last stream for Louis’ ship but let’s hope it was enough. Took down my first boss but have 4 more to go! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

After all this time Godzilla -1.0 is finally on Japanese Netflix. I've been wanting to watch it forever and I can say I haven't been let down by it. Not only does it have a good story and actors, but I can see why it got an award for visual effects.

Streaming some more Metaphor ReFantazio now before my evening shift starts! Time to see if I’m strong enough to take out Louis (or not) in Brilehaven … twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Got another great Ojamakan store in Osaka for you guys to visit, and it's not that far away from the very well traveled (and popular) Namba area! It's worth a look the next time you visit the city for #retrogames! thejapanhobbyist.com/2026/05/12/r...

Two more DS games to help me study Japanese with. I expect FFXII to be a little harder, but I think I can manage with Animal Crossing. DS games in Japan are incredibly cheap and it's a great handheld to pick up and play for short periods of time when you want to gamify your learning.

Sneaking in a few more hours of Metaphor ReFantazio now after work! Hope to get strong enough to be able to infiltrate Louis’ ship. The enemies there seem hard. Sidequest time I guess! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

"Back to work" streaming schedule next week! - Monday: Metaphor ReFantazio (PM) - Tuesday: No Stream - Wednesday: No Stream - Thursday: MReF (PM) - Friday: MReF (PM) - Saturday: Tales of Vesperia (PM) - Sunday: No stream twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Vincent D'Onofrio deserves an Emmy for his work as Kingpin in the Daredevil series. He transformed himself into that role and is one of main reasons the show stands alone atop all other Marvel shows. Stellar ending to the show. Can't wait to see what awaits them in the MCU.

Happy Mother's Day! 💎✨

Seems like we’re getting closer to the end game today in Tales of Vesperia. Just got a power up last stream that allows me to access a bunch of places that were blocked off so it looks like we’re going treasure hunting today! Looking forward to seeing what we find. twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Apologies for the late start. Just got back from shopping but I’m now live with more Tales of Vesperia! Finally got an airship last time and now I’m off to visit Judith’s hometown. Not much left to explore! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Only 500 yen ($3.25) today due to a broken box (which I exchanged with a junk game I bought for $.80). Always wanted to have Valkyrie Profile as part of my game collection, but I'm probably a year away from being able to play it in Japanese. It's a good goal to have though!

Man I love Daiso. I have an old Solar Backpack that still works but it charges 4400 mAh batteries which were great 10 years ago for phones/video game handhelds/etc but just won't cut it now. Using this Micro USB to USB C adaptor I can now charge my phone directly from them in an emergency!

Know what I’d love to see in the next Animal Crossing game? Mini golf. Like let me design a course for my animals then watch them play it and get frustrated and leave XD. Would be fun to play myself as well with some simple physics. Use up all that furniture I don’t need on each hole.