Code of the Cardboard Samurai

#17 -God of Pioneer 7 and the State of Organized Play in Japan

With the God of Pioneer 7 tournament in the books and still fresh on everybody's mind, The Japan Hobbyist and his "cohost" Taichi invite new friend and local MTG player Mickey (Swampmouse on Discord) to talk about his experience at the event. We go over what the metagame was like, the top 16 decklists, and also discuss the overall state of the Pioneer format in Japan at the moment.

In the second half of the podcast we move onto a discussion about organized play in Japan to help foreign players living or visiting the country. Taichi gives us some insight on what OP was like in the past in Japan and his opinions on how this year will be different, then offers us the unique perspective of a level 1 Magic the Gathering Judge. If you're thinking about playing Magic the Gathering in Japan and want to hop into competitive play this year, you don't want to miss this episode!

If you have questions about MTG in Japan don't be afraid to drop into our discord or hitting me up on Twitter!

 

Discord: https://discord.gg/JGKxHhy

Twitter: @YoJapanHobbyist

#16 -Kamigawa Neon Dynasty from a Japanese player’s point of view

In this episode past guest and local Magic Player in the Tokyo area, Taichi Nishizawa, joins me to talk about Kamigawa Neon Dynasty from a Japanese person's point of view. I was really interested in hearing his opinion about not only the plane of Kamigawa itself, but also how it was portrayed by Wizards of the Coast in this set. 

After listening to this episode, feel free to hop into my discord to discuss the show or give me a follow on Twitter as well! 

 

Discord: https://discord.gg/JGKxHhy

Twitter: @YoJapanHobbyist

Code of the Cardboard Samurai 15: The Kaiju of Ikoria

I don't know about you, but the moment Wizards of the Coast announced that Godzilla and many other Toho studio monsters would be in the next Magic the Gathering Set, Ikoria, my heart skipped a beat. Seeing all of these monsters appear on paper in my favorite hobby brought out all sorts of memories. Many people probably haven't seen many of these original Godzilla movies, if at all. Being the Japan Hobbyist, I felt that the gospel of Godzilla must be spread so I recruited a fellow foreigner living in Japan who is also a 'Kaiju' enthusiast and we proceeded to "nerd out" about the new monster cards in the plane of Ikoria. If you're interested in learning the history of the Toho monsters, or if you are wondering how close the MTG Ikoria counterparts are to the originals, be sure to listen!

Code of the Cardboard Samurai 14: Japanese Pioneer Vocab 101

The Pioneer format has exploded in popularity in Japan recently due to the upcoming Magic Fest in Nagoya. GP Nagoya will be the first ever Pioneer GP along with GP Brussels in Belgium. As some of you might know, I started my blog around Avacyn Restored and soon afterwards I began keeping an up to date Japanese to English vocabulary page on my blog, www.thejapanhobbyist.com. If you've been listening to my past podcasts then you know that I posted another episode about basic Magic the Gathering vocabulary you need to know to play MTG in Japan. You can find that episode here. In today's episode I'm joined by a special guest and level one judge in Japan, Taichi Nishizawa. We go over all of the vocabulary from Return to Ravnica block to Theros Beyond Death, and explain how to use the vocabulary while playing a game in Japanese. If you're a Magic player living in Japan, visiting for a Grand Prix or other event, or just want to practice speaking Japanese, give it a listen! 

Code of the Cardboard Samurai 12: Pioneer Delight

Pioneer started off with a bang here in Japan and it's been the talk of the entire Magic the Gathering Community for the past few weeks. It was only natural that we'd do a podcast about it. In this episode Ben and I talk with our good friend Bobby Birmingham about what it's been like to play the new format in Japan since the initial announcement. We talk about the initial reception of Pioneer from players, how the stores in the Tokyo/Yokohama area are changing their tournament schedules, as well as how the new format has affected the prices of cards. We also get a little personal and discuss what we are most excited to play in this new format and what we are brewing. To those of you that stick around until the 30 minute mark, we have a special treat for you. 

We hope you enjoy today's show and if you have any suggestions or comments feel free to leave them down below! 

(special thanks to Lain Kaplan for use of the beginning and end themes)

Code of the Cardboard Samurai #11 - Magic Fest Nagoya

Planning on coming to Nagoya for a Magic Fest in the future? Or how about visiting it on the way to a Magic Fest in Shizuoka or Kyoto? If so, this episode is right up your alley. In episode 11 we continue our series on Magic Fest locations and talk about all things Nagoya. We discuss the upcoming event in November 2019, the new event hall, transportation, things you can do around the event both before and after, and all the delicious food you can eat in Nagoya! Check it out to get some ideas for your next MTG trip!

Code of the Cardboard Samurai 10: "Trader"ous

If you've lived or played Magic the Gathering in Japan before, then you've probably noticed that events here have always been hit or miss when it comes to trading. The Grand Prix/Magic Fest circuit is no stranger to drama related to trading, and even trading in stores is frowned upon most of the time. So what's a person going to an event to do with their trade binders and boxes? In Episode 10, I once again have Ed Nguyen of the Cartel Aristocrats podcast on to discuss what it's like trading cards in Japan compared to other parts of the world he's traveled to, and how trading has evolved since the laws surrounding how vendors do business was changed. We hope the advice and tips we give you in this episode help you out the next time you go to a big event in Japan!

Code of the Cardboard Samurai Ep. 9 - Magiku Imnida! Magic in Korea

If you plan on visiting, living, or are currently in South Korea and want to know more about Magic the Gathering scene in the country then look no further. In this episode Ben and I interview Brian Meijer out of Nagoya about his time living in South Korea and playing MTG there. We talk about the best stores to go to, where the best places to play MTG are, and also what the Magic scene in general is like. We look forward to doing more episodes like this in the future to help people who travel in Asia and play Magic know where to go and where they can play. I hope some of you find this episode useful and that most of you find it interesting!

A Guide to Being Trendy at Magic Fest Chiba

Welcome to episode 7 of the Code of the Cardboard Samurai podcast! In this episode, I'm joined once again by Ed Nguyen of the Cartel Aristocrats podcast as we talk about trends in Japan Magic finance scene, Magic things you can only really find in Japan and Asia, and also everything you need to know about Magic Fest Chiba. If you're looking for things to do around the city before or after main event (or just want to know about the Chiba area for future reference) give this episode a listen!

(Special thanks again to Lain Kaplan for creating the opening and ending theme of the show.)

Season's Greetings: Summer MTG Review

In episode 6 of Code of the Cardboard Samurai, we welcome Ben Payne to the team and talk about everything that's going on in Japan this summer such as recent news, events, and announcements. A lot has happened on the MTG scene in Japan over the last few months so there is quite a lot to unwrap. We'll be continuing this series every season to let people know what's going on during that time. If you're going to be in Japan this summer, or are currently living here and looking for some information about summer MTG events in Japan, give it a listen!