Checking out all of the new stuff from the latest Animal Crossing New Horizons update! Stop in, hang out, chill, and visit with my villagers after a very, very long time XD. twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Now live with the finale to Zelda: Oracle of Seasons! The map is clear, the items have all been collected, now it’s time to bring the essences of the seasons together to banish the shadows and those behind them. twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

The Animal Crossing New Horizons 3.0 update is now live! - Resort Hotel - Island Specialty Requests - Slumber Island - Resetti's Reset Service - Nintendo Items - LEGO and Zelda/Splatoon amiibo items - Permanent Pocket Camp Items - DIY Items can use materials in home storage now - Increased storage

Playing some more NEO The World Ends with You today during my slow week! We made it to the 2nd week last time and are about to end the 2nd day. Making good progress and the story is getting pretty interesting! Wonder if anybody else from the first game shows up… twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

From my trip to the 1970 Japan World Expo grounds last weekend. Cool to see such a famous landmark up close. It's basically a huge park and hiking area now with lots of nature around, but it does host large events too. I heard the Osaka Summer Sonic 3-day music event will be here this year!

Now live with more Zelda: Oracle of Seasons! We got this neat power glove (trademark pending) that has magnets in the 5th dungeon and now are heading to the 6th. But where the hell is it?!?! The adventure continues. twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Streaming schedule for next week! - Monday: Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (PM) - Tuesday: Neo The World Ends With You (PM) - Wednesday: No Stream - Thursday: Zelda: OoS (PM) - Friday: No Stream - Saturday: Neo TWEWY (PM) - Sunday: Megaman Legends 2 (PM) twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Now live with more NEO The World Ends With You as long as the internet holds up today! Starting day 6 and about to finish my first week in the UG of Shibuya. twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

My newest article covers the 2nd Surugaya store in Osaka, located in Umeda, and compares it to the other ones I've been to. It has a lot to offer if you're making a trip to Osaka in the future to buy #retrogames. Be sure to check it out before your visit! thejapanhobbyist.com/2026/01/11/r...

Was near the 1970 World Expo grounds today exploring with my wife and we decided to do a little thrifting after lunch. Hard Off Toyonaka was another small but new store that was jam-packed with a lot of hardware but lacking somewhat in software. Worth visiting it for the handhelds! #retrogames (1/2)

Jumped on this very clean copy of Megaman X Command Mission on Gamecube for 3300 yen ($21). I've really enjoyed the Megaman Legend games which leads me to believe I'll like this too. Only 2 more GC games left on my want list now! (Skies of Arcadia and Metroid Prime 2)

Went to the Osaka office today after a half day shift and honestly I wish I had gone there from the start of my job hunting. I was able to get a number of job recommendations right away with companies that are hiring and accepting foreign staff. It’s so much better than what is online.

Decided to switch it up since I’m doing a shorter stream so I’m playing more Zelda: Oracle of Ages again! Heading into the mountains today to try and find my way into the 4th dungeon. Game has been challenging but fun so far! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

I stopped by Hello Work today to sign up with them while my work is slow until I find full-time work. Thought this info was pretty useful if you're a foreigner already working in #Japan and looking for a new job.

Pics from Hatsumode in Sumiyoshitaisha in Osaka today! Beautiful place. The shrines remind me a lot of Ise Jingu in Mie prefecture. It was busy but not too busy today, which worked out well for us. Osaka Temmangu, on the other hand, was super busy on Friday.

Got a $10 Fighting stick from the junk section of a Hard Off today to play all the fighting games I have on the PS3/PS1. Checked the stick and buttons before I bought them and they seemed fine. Hoping to luck out and have a functional starting stick to learn with over the next year or so.

Went to Sumiyoshitaisha for Hatsumode (New Year's prayer) in Osaka today, and since we were so far down south, my wife and I decided to do some thrifting. The Furuichi near Nakamozu station had an impressive amount of boxed consoles/handhelds like the Vita and 3DS and some decent prices. (1/3)

Here's the streaming schedule for next week! - Monday: No Stream - Tuesday: No Stream - Wednesday: No Stream - Thursday: Neo The World Ends With You (PM) - Friday: No Stream - Saturday: No Stream? - Sunday: Neo TWEWY (PM) twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Taking a break from NEO TWEWY today and starting my first playthrough of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons! Tried both games out a long time ago but never actually beat them. Hope to beat both this year! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Had my brother send over my old GameCube carry case this year with the Xmas box from home and he threw in some awesome games I’ve been wanting as well! Can’t wait to play them.

Now live with more NEO The World Ends With You! Made it to Day 5 of the first week yesterday and I’m really digging the vibe, design, and aesthetic of the game. Feels like a successor to the first one with just enough tweaks to make it feel new all over again. twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Went to the Hard Off near JR Awaji station in Osaka on New Years day to check it out. It's a small shop but has a lot of consoles, handhelds, and a packed junk section if you want to get some #retrogame stuff. Prices were decent too for most of the games.

Happy New Year and Happy New The World Ends With You. I loved the gameplay of the previous game on the DS and hope this version has some of that magic. Let’s make some noise and beat some reapers! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Is it just me or is Sony's website insanely hard to use? I tried to add funds today to my account to make a purchase on PSN and it failed twice and I gave up so I didn't get triple charged by accident. Is it better to use a voucher than a credit card, or do both have problems?

Now live with Megaman Legends 2 (in Japanese!). Just finished my 2nd dungeon and got my first sub weapons. The enemies are a little tough in this game but it makes for some thrilling gameplay. Off to find my 2nd key to break the ancient seal of the forbidden land! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Went thrifting today and sold some old shoes and a backpack for 1100 yen, then bought a physical copy of Dino Crisis 2 for 550 yen and Saga Frontier from the junk section for 110 yen. Both work! Already have the digital but wanted physical copies too.

Making a #Metroid keychain and can't decide if I want to use black to keep it streamlined, or use light blue to give it a translucent look. Which would you guys go with?

I’ve had a great year of gaming in 2025, so here is my gaming plan for streaming in 2026: - No More Heroes 2 - Tales of Vesperia - Neo the World Ends With You - Wild Arms XF - Starfox Assault - Mario and Luigi: Brothership - Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom - Fantasian: Neo Dimension - Chocobo Racing 1/2

Now live with Megaman Legends 2, in Japanese! Have really been looking forward to this game and the first one was equal parts charming and exciting. A very fun way for me to practice my Japanese while getting through my backlog of games! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Games I beat this year (both on stream and off)! Total of 24. - Front Mission 1st Remake - Front Mission 2nd Remake - God of War: Ragnarok - Stray - Luigi’s Mansion 2 - Sea of Stars - Breath of Fire 2 - Sonic Adventure 2 - Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (1/3)

Today I learned that Legend of Dragoon in Japan is compatible with the Pocket Station and that you can use it to farm gold and get items. This function was taken out of the US version, but now I really want to try it out :D.

Any #retrogame fans on here in #Japan ever buy anything through Hard Off or Book Off's websites? Wondering how the quality/condition of things have been and if you've been satisfied with the products you've received.

Here's the schedule of Winter Vacation streaming! - Monday: No Stream - Tuesday: Megaman Legends 2 (PM) - Wednesday: Megaman Legends 2 (PM) - Thursday: Megaman Legends 2 (PM) - Friday: NEO The World Ends With You (PM) - Saturday: Neo TWEWY (PM) - Sunday: No Stream twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Now live with the finale to Tales of Symphonia! All of our enemies have fallen before us, now all that’s left is saving both worlds before they disappear. twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

My newest article about #retrogames in Japan is out! This article talks about the Super Potato in the Namba area, and I compare it to the other 3 I've been to in Japan. You either love it or you hate it, but afterwards you'll know where this store stands. thejapanhobbyist.com/2025/12/27/r...

Just thought of a good #retrogame question for you all: What is the best game to play on each system you own? Not your favorite, but what games do you think showcase the consoles/handhelds the best and take advantage of the technology of that time? What did peak gaming look like for you?

"Japan — which had a record 294,198 foreign nationals studying Japanese as of November 2024 — could similarly subsidize Japanese language education for immigrant adults and children." お願いいたします。

So I was checking out the big #retrogame stores in Osaka today after work and man is it BLEAK. Aside from many games continuing to be overpriced, almost all of the popular titles are missing from the majority of retro systems.

Was out doing research for a blog article today in Namba, Osaka and came across this Surugaya Outlet store that I must have missed during my last visit for #retrogames. It's mostly overstock and slightly damaged goods but a lot easier to look through and you might find some hidden gems for cheap!

I was thinking of how to categorize my game collection to decide what to keep and what to get rid of and I think this covers it pretty well: - Core games: Games I enjoy and will play over and over again - Casual Games: Games I'll play in certain situations (1/3)

The longer I live outside of the Tokyo area the more clearly I can see that the city is a vampire to the rest of Japan. It gets all of the investment, all the tourists, and all the promotion while the other areas of Japan are left with scraps.

Holiday streaming schedule for next week! See you on Christmas! - Monday: No Stream - Tuesday: No Stream - Wednesday: No Stream - Thursday: Tales of Symphonia (PM) - Friday: No Stream - Saturday: Megaman Legends 2 (PM) - Sunday: Megaman Legends 2 (PM) twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Now live with Tales of Symphonia! We are super close to the end of the game and I wouldn’t be surprised if we beat it by the end of stream. Everything is coming together as the world is coming apart. twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Incredible words from real boxer Anthony Joshua after he knocked Jake Paul the fuck out lol

This is Renaissance art.

Now live with more Tales of Symphonia! Did something very environmentally unfriendly last time and blew up a tree with a magic cannon but this Dwarf is supposed to help me feel better about it today. Let’s go find out what he has to say. twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

Seymour Guado Awarded Blitzball Peace Prize hard-drive.net/seymour-guad...

I really wish Japan had a place like Comiket where you could buy, sell, and trade retro video games with people instead of stores, but I don't think it's ever gonna happen. The reason why game markets are popular overseas is that the retro game market has caused prices to explode.

I wrote another article about #retrogaming in Japan today! Kaitori Max is a chain of stores with a questionable background but it actually has a really good selection of games (at least at one of the Namba branches). Check it out if you plan on visiting Osaka! thejapanhobbyist.com/2025/12/16/r...

Was talking to my wife about my top 10 Movies of all time today and came up with this list: - The Martian - Interstellar - Avengers: Endgame - Avengers: Infinity War - Mad Max: Fury Road - Xmen: Days of Future Past - The Thing - Speed Racer - The Fifth Element - There Will Be Blood