Recommended Vanguard Card Shops in Tokyo

Whether you're here for Worlds, Bushiroad Card Game Fest or just having a holiday in Japan, I figured a lot of you have just arrived and are eager to check out a bunch of card shops for Vanguard cards and merch.
In this article I've compiled my list of recommended card shops that have a strong Vanguard representation!
Some may be stronger on singles, others sealed product, while others might have a lot of sleeves and playmats you might be after too.
While I would've loved to make this into a video instead, time didn't allow for it so I hope this is of use to everyone reading!

Akihabara Area

Shaka Shaka Toreka (シャカシャカトレカ)

The shop I am most indebted to and always rely on.
The owner, Sasaki, is an incredibly kind person and will always do his best to help customers even with the language barrier present.
They have a vast Vanguard lineup for all formats, and also stock Shadowverse Evolve, One Piece, Digimon, Union Arena and soon the new Dragonball game!
If you’re still in Japan on February 9th for the release of DivineZ Set 1, this is where you’ll most likely find the best prices as well. Keep in mind everyone lines up very early in the morning for release days, though!
Location: Elevator to the 5th floor here! https://maps.app.goo.gl/WyD9QVmogfCErG5k6

シャカシャカトレカ · 〒101-0021 東京都千代田区外神田４丁目７−２ 小林ビル 5F

Dragon Star (ドラゴンスター)

ドラゴンスター秋葉原駅前店 · 〒101-0021 東京都千代田区外神田１丁目１８−１８, Bito Akiba Plaza, 6F

ドラゴンスター 秋葉原店 · 〒101-0021 東京都千代田区外神田１丁目８−１１ アキバスタービル ２階～３階

One of the big card shop franchises in Japan, you can find 2 Dragon Stars in Akihabara alone! One of them is right outside the station in a building called Bito Plaza, while the other one is a bit further across the street, which has been around the longest between the two.
You’ll find some of the best prices for cards after a release, and generally speaking they re-stock everything very efficiently when it comes to singles.
The selection in the away from the station is better for Vanguard in my opinion but it doesn’t have a fight space, while the one next to the station sports a huge fight space.
You can find a good amount of sealed product here, as well as a really good stock of oversleeves. Other than that, virtually every card game is stocked here.
Location:
By the station, 6th floor of the the Bito Plaza building
Across the road: 〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 1 Chome−8−11 アキバスタービル ２階～３階

Card Rush (カードラッシュ)

カードラッシュ秋葉原0号店TC · 〒101-0021 東京都千代田区外神田１丁目１８−１８, Bito Akiba Plaza, 7F

カードラッシュ 秋葉原 ２号店 · 〒101-0021 東京都千代田区外神田１丁目３−１３ 秋葉原大森ビル 1,2階

Another huge card shop franchise that you’ll find also has a very well stocked online store too. There’s actually three Card Rushes in Akihabara, one that is just above Dragon Star in the same Bito Plaza building next to the station, and another that is also across the main crossing as you walk towards Ochanomizu Station. There’s a third one, but I think if you’re looking for Vanguard these two are the best ones.
They have not only singles but also some sleeves and playmats that might be hard to find elsewhere, and a huge array of collectible items! I’d say the singles selection is quite strong in both shops for Vanguard.
Just like Dragon Star, you’ll find the majority of popular card games stocked here, except for Weiss for some reason.
Location:
By the station, 7th floor of the the Bito Plaza building
Across the street: 〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 1 Chome−3−13, Omori Bldg, 1,2階

Amenity Dream (アメニティードリーム)

アメニティードリーム 秋葉原店 · 〒101-0021 東京都千代田区外神田１丁目１１−６ 小暮ビル5～7階

Another big franchise chain of card shops, this one you will genuinely find in every corner of Japan. You’ll notice it’ll pop up multiple times today too.
The shop itself has a good selection for Vanguard and a huge storage space that you often find good gems in.
One very important note is that unlike other shops where you just ask to see the showcase and point at cards you want, here you have to write the cards you want on a small piece of paper that you find by the card storage area in Japanese. While it’s a great shop, I think it might be a little difficult for those visiting that aren’t familiar with handwriting card names in Japanese.
Location: Floors 5 to 7 of the building!
〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 1 Chome−11−6 小暮ビル5～7階

TCG Shop 193

TCGshop193 秋葉原店 · 〒101-0021 東京都千代田区外神田３丁目２−１４ 今井ビル ２F

This one is a shop that’s been around forever but somehow it took me years to learn about it. 193 is located not far from Mandarake across the street from the station, and they recently got a Bushiroad-only floor, which has huge selections for all Bushiroad games!
It’s a must go, and they have a lot of old cards and products you might struggle to find elsewhere. Just keep in mind that the Bushiroad floor can only be accessed by elevator, but you can check the other floors for a huge selection of sleeves and playmats, as well as discounted sealed product. Their duel space is all on one floor, so it’s also huge but I can’t recall if they ask you to buy something prior to using it or not.
Location:〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 3 Chome−2−14 今井ビル ２F

C-Labo/Card Labo (カードラボ)

カードラボ AKIHABARAゲーマーズB1店 · 〒101-0021 東京都千代田区外神田１丁目１４−７ AKIHABARAゲーマーズ本店 B1F

We keep on going with the huge chain franchise card shops, this time the one that’s right next to the station under the GAMERS store - C-Labo!
They’re one of Bushiroad’s official game stores as well, and you’ll find a good selection of product here too. Just keep in mind that the shops in the Main Street after you exit the station are often the most expensive because they’re in the “tourist trap” part of the area. There's another C-Labo inside Radio Kaikan, but they actually split the games they offer between this and that store so you will only find Vanguard in this underground one.
Location:〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 1 Chome−14−7 AKIHABARAゲーマーズ本店 B1F

Card Kingdom (カードキングダム)

カードキングダム 秋葉原駅前店 · 〒101-0021 東京都千代田区外神田１丁目１４−７

Even if you’re not in Japan, you’ve probably heard of this store. I’d even argue it might be the most famous card shop franchise in all of Japan.
They have a beautiful design and are located right outside of the station, but unfortunate their prices are a little higher for the same reason as C-Labo - the shop is located in the most obvious place and everyone goes here. That being said, you'll often see cards here that are often harder to find in other shops, so it's a good place to keep in mind as a last resort when card hunting.
Their duel space is also on the smaller end, and I’ll be honest I’ve never sat down here so I wouldn’t be able to tell you if you need to buy something prior to using it or not.
Location: 1 Chome-14-7 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021

Radio Kaikan (ラジオ会館)

秋葉原ラジオ会館 · 〒101-0021 東京都千代田区外神田１丁目１５−１６

You’ve probably been reading this and thinking “where’s Radio Kaikan? It’s the first place I went to!” And yes, the big yellow neon sign right as you step outside of the station is very alluring, but as the years have gone by I’ve gone there less and less.
There’s a lot of shops to be found here and I won’t list all of them, but it’s basically a multi-story building full of familiar anime shops like AmiAmi, as well as a whole lot of well known card shops chains like Big Magic, Yellow Submarine, etc. Especially at the top you’ll find a lot of rare Vanguard sleeves, but do keep in mind a lot of it is quite priced up from average.
Location: 1 Chome-15-16 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021

Cardon (カードン)

カードン秋葉原本店(cardon) · 〒101-0021 東京都千代田区外神田２丁目４−４ 第一電波ビル B2F

This is my personal hidden (?) gem, which is a little bit further off from the station, but pretty close to where the 2nd Card Rush and Dragon Star are.
Their motto is “we will buy everything TCG related”, and one step into the store lets you feel that immediately.
They stock a lot of dead card games (Buddyfight is especially well stocked!) and have a vast array of very old cards for existing TCGs, including Vanguard! You'll find a lot of old SPs from the original to G era, and even V too.
Even if you don’t plan to go card shopping, I recommend popping by here just for the spectacle of how unique this store is. Their fight space is quite big too, and since it’s further from the station it’s rarely crowded outside of weekends!
Location: 〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 2 Chome−4−4 第一電波ビル B2F

CardWings (ex-Card World Tower)

トレカの洞窟 Card World TOWER AKIBA · 〒101-0021 東京都千代田区外神田１丁目１５−１５

This is the one where Tohya walks out with his brand new Bastion Accord in the anime. Overall a great store with arguably the hugest fight space you’ll find, and it’s all free to use!
Their card selection is great, and also often a bit cheaper than the surrounding card shops. I especially recommend coming here on weekends of a new set's release, because they often price things very nicely and they almost always have a lot of sealed stock, to the point you might be able to buy a whole carton on release day if you're lucky. The staff are also very kind, so it's honestly a great shop. Their Vanguard floor is up on the 3rd floor if I'm not mistaken at the time of writing this, but they do re-adjust where they place their card games every year or so.
Location: 1 Chome-15-15 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021

Hobby Station (ホビーステーション)

ホビーステーション 秋葉原本店 · 〒101-0021 東京都千代田区外神田１丁目１０−１１ 森ビル 2F

Another one of the big franchise card shops, Hobby Station in particular has some amazing deals at times for otherwise hard to find cards, and you can often find a lot of Premium and V Premium stock here too. They also have a fair bit of sleeves and playmats, so definitely worth checking out.
Just keep in mind that you have to go up the stairs to the 2nd floor for the Vanguard stuff!
Location:〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 1 Chome−10−11 森ビル 2F

Bushiroad Base

Not a card shop, but just a cool little space that recently opened up that WAS decked out in Vanguard merch, but they change which TCG is featured every few months. At the time of writing, the Vanguard Room has changed into a Dream Order space to promote Bushiroad's new baseball TCG, and I assume it'll keep changing every few months.
It's right next to Card Kingdom in the little passage way that leads to the Electric Town Exit of Akihabara Station.
One of the staff here, Natsuko-san, is a friend of mine and they’re cool with you taking pictures anywhere inside as well. Definitely check it out!
Location: 東京都千代田区外神田1丁目14-7 秋葉原野村ビル1F

Ikebukuro Area

Ikebukuro is basically my personal hangout spot, as while Akihabara is definitely the haven for card gamers, it's often times super crowded, hard to get through and especially insufferable on weekends.
Ikebukuro is located just north of Shinjuku on the West side of Tokyo, and it was unfortunately one of the areas of Tokyo that was hardest hit by the pandemic.
As a result, a lot of card shops had to close due to bankruptcy or completely downscale their inventory to survive. Because of this, many of the shops that still exist since pre-COVID sadly got rid of Vanguard because this was during the V Era.
However, a LOT of new shops have opened up since COVID due to the huge TCG boom and ALL of them have a huge Vanguard line-up! Here I'll recommend some, as they're some of my personal big favourites. Also, Ikebukuro is full of amazing food and cozy cafes, some nice parks and the biggest Pokemon Center in Tokyo, so definitely spend a couple days here.
Dragon Star (You have to enter this apartment-looking building and take the elevator to the 4th floor)
This is, in my opinion, one of the best shops for Vanguard period. Their prices are often the lowest in all of Tokyo, and the Vanguard section is located right at the front when you enter, sandwiched between the One Piece and Pokemon sections - genuinely feels like an honour to stand among the greats.
A lot of the staff are well versed in Vanguard as well so they can often help you with cards you need or if you want to build a deck, and this is one of the stores that also allows tourists to sell their cards with just a passport! It's honestly a fantastic spot.
 https://maps.app.goo.gl/eizuJpEB7oL8ygcS6

ドラゴンスター池袋店 · 〒170-0013 東京都豊島区東池袋１丁目３０−６ セイコーサンシャインビルXII 4F

Amenity Dream (another apartment-type entrance, right to the left of the Sukiya, go up to the 3rd floor) 
This Amenity Dream is one of the few stores that was around since pre-COVID but didn't get rid of their non-top 3 games. Their Vanguard section is decent, but one of the biggest selling factors is that at the time of writing they actually have a staff that speaks fluent English, which I think is particularly helpful for a lot of the tourist folks coming by. They often stock a lot of the new official sleeves here, so make sure to pop by during release weeks if you're looking for anything specific.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/stuoRdiokrgDjHKY7

アメニティードリーム · 〒170-0013 東京都豊島区東池袋１丁目３１−１

C-Labo: (to the right of the huge Animate, pretty hard to miss since it's shared space with Gamers on the 4th floor)
This shop is brand new! It opened in I believe November 2023, and they stock basically every relevant card game including Vanguard. Their prices can be a bit higher especially compared to Dragon Star next door, but their duel space is one of, if not the biggest in all of Ikebukuro so it's a great place to chill and get some games in. Being a C-Labo also means that they often have a great lineup of sleeves and accessories, and other random collectibles.

カードラボ池袋店＆ゲーマーズ池袋Bookstore · 〒170-0013 東京都豊島区東池袋１丁目２０−６ プラザイン池袋 4階

Shinjuku/Shibuya Area

Amenity Dream Shinjuku https://maps.app.goo.gl/SVfjeCfaAj62AMLt8
Overall a decently sized store with an okay Vanguard line-up. You'll find some of the early D era cards here and their storage is worth looking through as well. Good line-up of sleeves too.

アメニティードリーム 新宿店 · 〒160-0023 東京都新宿区西新宿７丁目１−８ 4階

Batoloco Takadanobaba 

One of the stores you'll find me in on Wednesday evenings for their Vanguard locals as long as I don't have any work or meetings scheduled.
Personally love this store for how big and clean their fight space is, and they have relatively good singles lined up for most of the TCGs they handle. You can usually find sealed product here even if it's sold out in other places too!

トーナメントセンターバトロコ高田馬場 · 〒169-0075 東京都新宿区高田馬場４丁目１１−１０ kaleido 5F VORT

Batoloco Shibuya Center 

In my opinion this is the best store in Shibuya by far - their play space is decently sized, but their singles line-up is generally good and you can often find sealed product for a good price for various games too.

トーナメントセンターバトロコ渋谷センター街 · 〒150-0042 東京都渋谷区宇田川町３１−３ 第三田中ビル ６階

Card Kingdom Shibuya 
A good store, I haven't come here that much but their duel space is decent and their singles were good the last time I came as well. Worth to pop by.

カードキングダム渋谷店 · 〒150-0002 東京都渋谷区渋谷２丁目２２−７ 共栄ビル 4F

I hope this helps you all find the card game merch you're looking for during your stay in Tokyo!
If you feel I've missed any important card shops that handle Vanguard in Tokyo that you think are worth to come by, drop me a DM on X/Twitter and I'm happy to add them in as well.