Photos from Shenmue 3's Japanese retail launch.

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FlyBoyNights

Joined
Dec 15, 2020
I happened to be in Tokyo on November 19th last year for Shenmue 3's launch. And while I know this community is relatively small, I know that I don't have to explain to you all the gravity of the event. Shenmue has quite a bit of personal importance to me, so I've been hesitant to post photos of my trip because Shenmue 3 was a big reason I was in Tokyo in the first place. Given the reviews of Shenmue 3, a friend asked if I ever regretted going out there, and I don't have a shred of regret concerning the trip. And given the opportunity to do it all over again, I'd hop on that plane with no hesitation. So much about Shenmue (at least, for me) is about things coming full circle. And being there in the moments when one of my most favorite IP's released another iteration felt right in a lot of ways. Definitely a trip of a lifetime. Not just for Shenmue, but for a lot of reasons. And I also got to be there with a couple of my closest friends. It was damn near perfect. 75450155_1482360161922046_6988876504671191040_n.jpg74406657_499033087490611_8639952428214517760_n.jpg73495250_565285227568842_4809077995182489600_n.jpg75250937_739031013230338_527547470008287232_n.jpg75210311_3237164536359038_3214875788054626304_n.jpg
 
That's pretty awesome.

Regardless of the quality of Shenmue 3, why the heck would anyone regret going to Japan to take a tour and experience new things? Sounds like a great time whether you liked S3 or not.

I'm sure all of us would love to see any and all the photos you're willing to share, including if you made a visit to Dobuita.
 
I'm glad to see at least some Japanese retailers gave it some importance! Most of the shops I visited at the time had nothing on display, or a poster at best.
 
Switch said:
I'm glad to see at least some Japanese retailers gave it some importance! Most of the shops I visited at the time had nothing on display, or a poster at best.
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After I purchased my copy, I went to a few more stores in the Akiba area and saw nothing. I truly think I just got lucky. Some would call it a 'Lucky Hit'. Sorry.

All jokes aside, I was astounded at how seldom I saw Sega related IP's outside of Miku and anime titles. A friend told me years ago that Sonic was by far more popular in the west than he is in Japan, and I simply refused to believe it, but it's absolutely true. I also barely saw Sonic. I saw quite a bit of merch related to Sonic in a Super Potato, but that store is specifically for vintage gaming. So, there's that.
 
I'd believe Sonic isn't as poular. They split the team into US for Sonic 2, 3 and Adventure 2, then Japan for Sonic 1, CD and Adventure for a reason. Sonic Heroes onward pretty sure are all develop by the Sega US Studios or whatever they are/were called.
 
Aside from some of the side projects like Sonic Shuffle being developed by the same Hudson group that made all the Mario Party games, I was pretty sure all the Sonic games from Sonic Adventure on were done by Sonic Team in Japan.

Outside of where they were developed, almost no one in Japan had a Mega Drive. Its sales were pitiful in its home region. The only relatively successful console in Japan for Sega was the Saturn, which had minimal Sonic offerings. Historically, for the Japanese market, I think Sonic is more of a mascot than a video game character for most.
 
Awesome pictures! Saw some of those little placards and things up for auction on Yahoo Japan, but they were too expensive at the time. Hope to see more in the future, but I bet they'll be even more expensive.
 
I preordered 4 retail copies and not one had the day one cover :( Although I suspect the Day One are japan only...?
 
Da
xatruio said:
I preordered 4 retail copies and not one had the day one cover :( Although I suspect the Day One are japan only...?
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Y 1 Editions are for every region outside of North America, as long as it isn't a Kickstarter copy, I believe.
 
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