Be wary of Pokémon card shops inside malls in Japan. Prices are often 10-30% higher due to the "mall premium."
I saw this at every Treca Capital inside EDION malls and at Snkrdunk Nagoya Parco. The rent gets passed to you.
Standalone shops in Akihabara, Den Den Town, and Osu consistently had better prices.
Japan's mall premium: why Pokémon cards cost 10-30% more inside shopping centers.
Shops inside malls pay higher rent. That cost gets passed to you. Snkrdunk Nagoya Parco had higher prices than Akihabara for identical inventory. Same at Surugaya, Magi, and Toreka Wish mall branches.
Street-level standalone shops almost always win on price.
Same Pokémon card chain, different prices. Mall locations charge more.
Snkrdunk Akihabara (4.5/5) vs Nagoya Parco (3.75/5): noticeably higher at the mall.
Surugaya Akihabara (4.25/5) vs Shinjuku Marui (2.5/5): limited selection, poor prices.
The fix: check if a chain has a standalone branch nearby before buying at the mall location.
Pokillionaire