How many of you have bought the Japan version of the 3DS? Also for those that have, were you glad you did? I'm debating on buying one to play a few different games that will never come to the US.

I'm planning on buying one. But when I estimated all my costs it would be a lot. Since all the games that are imported in here are from the US and if i would order from Amazon Japan , I would have to pay triple or double price for a 3DS game and the shipping fee is still not included.

All right. Here's the skinny.

I live in Japan. I've worked here for over 4 years, and so of course I own a Japanese 3DS for both convenience and even extra Japanese study (I don't get a lot of personal study time anymore, so it's nice to continue reading and listening while on the train to and from work).

The price of the actual 3DS in Japan is about the same as America, at the moment. Japan does not have a 2DS, so that's not an option, at least at the moment.

Japanese games are not on a set-price system, like North American. In example; All new retail games are $39.99. In Japan, it depends on the publishers. A Nintendo game, since it's first-party, will be about ?4000 new (About $40), while a third-party game like Monster Hunter 4 (when it was new) will run you about ?5800 (Almost $60). This is just how the pricing system works, and games that are based on manga or anime are normally priced the highest. I know a lot of importers want to play Naruto, BLEACH, One Piece, and other JUMP games, but they are all amongst the most expensive.

The Japanese eShop only works in Japan. You can't change it to any other region. On top of that, a Japanese 3DS can only be in Japanese. There are no other language options. Keep that in mind as you think about purchasing. Unless you are really wanting to learn Japanese, it might not be a wise decision to buy a Japanese 3DS to play some games you can't even understand fully.

Applications like Nintendo Video do not work outside of Japan, so you won't be able to watch Japanese videos outside of the country.

I honestly do adore my Japanese 3DS, but I personally think the American eShop is better, with tons more indie games than the Japanese eShop. I've said this before, but the Japanese 3DS is better for exclusive retail and the American 3DS is better for exclusive eShop titles.

However, the American 3DS is still doing quite well. Outside of manga/anime games, North America gets most of the games that Japan gets. Monster Hunter 4, I think, will definitely make it to America eventually, especially after how well Tri G sold in America (CAPCOM would be stupid to not release it, honestly).

At the end of the day, it's your choice, but take this information into consideration. I hope it helps in your decision!

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"I've got better things to do tonight than die!" - Springer
PSN: UltimateDisco 3DS: 3093-7338-8294 NNID: Jeriphro (JP) LordDisco (US)

I bought the white version two years ago.

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Yu Mo Gwai Gui Fai Di Zao

I have two Japanese 3DS consoles, a Cosmo Black 3DS and a Black 3DS LL which I bought when I was in Japan.

Importing Japanese games is really pricey for me but it's really worth it for the Japan-only exclusives.

You actually can use the Japanese eShop outside Japan on a Japanese 3DS (at least in the US). I have used my bank-issued Visa debit with no issues.

I decided to go ahead and imported a Japanese LL a couple of weeks ago, though I only know the Kanji alphabets and not a lot of the meaning to the words. It's slow going, but I'm having a lot of fun with it. I got Youkai Watch as a free promotion download, and bought Fantasy Life separately.

It's a pity that I don't know enough of the language to really enjoy the story, but that doesn't stop me from really enjoying the games!

I Got one. i am not learning japanese nor i intend to.
BUT! with so much content, and the games being easy to play [no JRPG with heavy text for me!]
I Am enjoying it. it was a good choice.

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Which games have you bought for it, Joepassive? I've got Youkai Watch and Fantasy Life. They both have quite a lot of texts, but I'm getting there using Google Translate.
Have you found a good site that lists the Japanese only games? Because trying to find one in the eShop doesn't really work for me.