On a late September evening in a Tokyo bar, a man and a woman are dueling -- using cards printed with anime and other characters. More than 20 years have passed since trading card games (see below) appeared in Japan, and they remain popular with adults.
The latest boom is partly because the generation of people who were enthusiastic about playing such games in their childhood have become adults and are playing again.
As a result of the boom, tournaments offering large monetary prizes have been held, and colleagues have established intracompany clubs to play the game to, for example, "brush up their ability to think."
In that bar in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, the man and woman sat facing each other, looking at the cards in their hands with serious expressions. They were playing the popular trading card game "Pokemon Card Game," also known as Pokeka. The game uses cards on which are printed characters from the popular "Pokemon" series.
A Pokeka competition is held at the bar once a month. That day, 23 people from their 20s to 50s participated.
"Though it has been a long time, everyone welcomed me, so I could enjoy it very much," said a smiling 30-year-old self-employed man from Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, who played the game for the first time in about 20 years.
The event was organized by a company employee, 36, who spoke of an attraction of the game.
"While playing the game, we inevitably have a conversation with the opponent," he said. "The game is a good tool for building relationships."
Created in the U.S.
Trading card games were created in the United States in 1993. "Pokemon Card Game" was released in 1996 as Japan's first domestically produced trading card game.
The world's first trading card game was "Magic: The Gathering," which has also been popular in Japan. According to a company that distributes the game in Japan, the average age of players in Japan is 29 and most of the players are people who played the game during their childhood.
In "Magic," a quick path to victory comes by gathering powerful cards, so the current core players "are buying a large number of cards because they can economically afford to," according to a representative of the distributor.
According to Yano Research Institute, the market size of trading card game-related goods and services was 42.8 billion yen (about 380 million dollars) in fiscal 2016. The institute said that, while children's interests are diversifying into, for example, smartphone games, the trading card game market is being propped up by adults who buy many cards.
Trading card game makers are also targeting adults. In May, some popular "Pokemon Card Game" cards from the first edition of the game were reproduced for sale. "Magic" world tournaments are held several times a year with prizes of 100,000 dollars (about 11.2 million yen) or 50,000 dollars for the champions.
Takara Tomy (Tomy Co.), which sells the trading card game "Duel Masters," also holds tournaments catering to adults. Though the entry fee is 5,000, yen an official of the company said that all of the about 4,000 places were booked in 10 minutes.
Company clubs
At major IT firm Yahoo Japan Corp. in Tokyo, an in-house club for playing "Magic: The Gathering" was established in 2011.
"Logical and strategic ways of thinking used in trading card games can be used for our jobs," a 32-year-old club member said. "Playing the game has also made it easier to consult with others beyond the borders of our departments."
Various types of trading card game clubs have been established mainly within IT companies. In 2016, a competition among clubs in various industries took place.
"Amid the declining number of children, adult generations whose economic conditions are stable are the best business target," said Tomomi Yonemura, 32, chief executive officer of internet media operator KAI-YOU Inc. who is knowledgeable about the trading card game market. "Goods for sale and related events targeting adults will likely contniue to be offered."
-- Trading card games
Players buy cards and form sets to bring to competitions. Two or more participants have a battle using the cards. Each card has different ratings indicating offensive and defensive powers of the characters on the card. Using the statistics on the cards, players accumulate game points or deprive the opponents' cards of their points. By repeating these actions, players compete for victory.
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