Somewhere in Japan — in a small workspace in Toyohashi — I cleaned the console you are holding, tested every button and port, and wrapped it carefully before handing it to the courier.
That it has arrived, and that you found this card — that makes me happy in a way that is hard to explain. So: thank you for choosing this. Genuinely.
Who am I?
My father opened a small used-game shop in Toyohashi in 1986. As a child I grew up inside that shop — surrounded by cartridges, cables, and the steady sound of kids debating which game was worth trading for which. The shop closed. But the consoles kept accumulating. And something in me kept wanting to find them good homes.
That is what I do now. I find, repair, and ship Japanese retro consoles to people in 30-plus countries. Every item I list is one I have held in my own hands. Nothing leaves without passing my test.
If you want to know more about how this all started — and why it still matters to me — the story is here:
Museum Our Story — from Toyohashi, 1986 →The machine you are holding
Every platform in this museum has its own corner — history, games, the people who made them, and what players around the world remember about playing them. If you are curious about the machine you just received, its story is waiting for you here:
Keeping it in good shape
Japanese retro hardware is remarkably durable, but a few habits help it last another thirty years:
- Store it away from direct sunlight and moisture.
- When inserting cartridges or discs, let the mechanism seat fully — never force it.
- If it has been sitting unused for a while, let it warm up for a minute before pushing it hard.
- Clean edge connectors with isopropyl alcohol (90%+) on a cotton swab if it ever hesitates to read a cartridge.
For deeper restoration notes, the shop blog has a Console Care 101 guide:
Shop Blog Console Care 101 →Stay connected — quietly
This museum is still growing. New games, new stories, new histories are added as time allows. If you want to know when something new appears — without noise, without push notifications — there are two low-key ways to follow along:
No newsletter. No pop-ups. Just the museum, here when you want it.
I hope what is now in your hands brings back something that mattered. Or starts something new.
— Taisei Shimizu
Toyohashi, Japan