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Leaving my stateside job to go teach English in Japan or China, because I want to live in another culture.

I'm pumped -- but who will take care of my plastic men!?

Does anyone know if Warhammer/Warmachine/Infinity/other games are a thing at all (presumably in major, internationalized cities) in Asia? Or do I need to go on e-bay to find a new, loving home for my toy soldiers?

Really depends on where you will be teaching, In japan there are gaming communities in the big cities by foreigners and Japanese, American bases have often also gaming communities, there are shops in most major cities.If you are teaching in the countryside then you are out of luck.
I am in the kobe/Osaka area 40k/warmahordes/malefic is played here and infinity is coming up.

Congrats. I feel the need to summon Kid Kyoto or Kilkrazy to this thread.

China seems to have a Warhammer cosplay scene, that's all I know about it.

Tokyo has a fair bit of gaming, thanks to the ex-pat and US forces bases there. It's five years since I was in Japan so I am out of touch with the scene. I remember I was able to find some games groups online, so I suggest Google searching.

As for China, there are two GW stores in Shanghai (one in Puxi and one in Pudong), in addition to several independents. A lot of the bigger cities also have independent retailers.

There's at least one shop that sells GW stuff and hosts events in Bangkok. It's been a while so that's unfortunately all the details I remember.

Yeah, it really depends a lot on which country you go to, and then where within that country. Once you narrow down your choices, you'll be able to get a lot more specific information, no doubt.

Um big difference between the two, and within each can you narrow it down at all?

I've been out of Asia for 5 years, there was a small WH community in Beijing and Shanghai when I left, I put the stores I knew of into the store finder but can't speak for their status now.

There was/is (?) a GW store just outside Tokyo and another in Shanghai.

Can't speak to Warmahoardes.

Magic was HUGE in both countries.

Once you have a city look for any expat BBS or magazines and put up notes, you never know what you'll find.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
I've been out of Asia for 5 years, there was a small WH community in Beijing and Shanghai when I left, I put the stores I knew of into the store finder but can't speak for their status now.

In SH there's GW Puxi, next to Madang Lu subway station, which has 2 gaming tables and 40k day on Saturdays, and GW Pudong close to Century Park with 2-3 gaming tables. And then there's Good Knight Games next to Fudan (Handan Lu Campus) with 5ish gaming tables and miniature games on weekends (mostly 40k and Fantasy when I was there two years ago, but WM/H seemed to be gaining some traction; I don't know how it is now). Also, there's the brick and mortar of a certain guy who's name won't be mentioned on Dakka (Hint: it's Chinese for Warhammer) . In BJ there's one in a basement somewhere in Sanlitarrrr, but I can't remember its name or specific location. Four tables and the world's most apathetic staff, though.

 Thud wrote:
In BJ there's one in a basement somewhere in Sanlitarrrr, but I can't remember its name or specific location. Four tables and the world's most apathetic staff, though.

that might be the one I used to game at, run by a crazy brit and his Chinese wife?

Building is some sort of community center with dance studios and stuff?

If so it should be in the store finder.

But again "China or Japan" ain't too helpful in narrowing things down.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
PS if anyone knows anything about gaming in India, esp Delhi let me know.

Haha, kid Kyoto gone international

Thanks for the answers, all! I figured there would be some variability, as Asia is a big place. I'm sure you all understand, of course, that the fate of my legions of plastic and resin filled me with such concern that I had to get an urgent answer. It's nice to know that I won't necessarily have to e-bay all my armies. (Except maybe fantasy, but that's another issue.)

I'm still reviewing positions and making a decision, I'll do more research once I have it narrowed down.

 malfred wrote:
Congrats. I feel the need to summon Kid Kyoto or Kilkrazy to this thread.

What am i, chopped liver?

I don't know anything about China, but there are enough foreigners living outside of the big metropolises (metropoli?) in Japan that you can probably find someone nearby who either games or would be willing to try. Just be sure to make contacts with whoever lives or works near you.

I'm in Hong Kong, a small fishing village, but people say we're a major international centre of 7 million.

There were 2 GWs here. GW has since withdrew, but the General Manager was dedicated to the 40k community, and actually set up his own shop.

Thus, he basically runs a GW, but there he also sells Vallejo Paints, Bolt Action (because it's based by ex-Warhammer Overlords Rick Priestly and Andy Chambers)...then there's this Batman: the Miniatures Game that no one really seems to play, but it's promoted there. Warmachine used to be popular, but kinda got phased out, not sure why.

Shop is 8 tables, Tuesday and Friday nights they're open to 10 pm and it's usually international school teachers, mostly from the UK and Australia, one is a Canadian from the American International School. The native Hong Kong players seem to play most on Saturdays.

But if you want to live in another culture, Hong Kong is not it. Everybody here speaks English. You want to talk to us about our culture and stuff in Chinese, we'll reply in English like, "I dunno, man, I grew up watching American TV." Mainland China (especially Beijing) and Japan never strayed from their roots.

I'm from Hong Kong, I lived in Tokyo and Beijing, and even I think those places are more interesting than my hometown.

I live in Taipei (which is in Taiwan, but I'd assume its an option if you're looking at China, all things considered), and there are some Independent shops/ pseudo GWs run inside 'eslite' department stores. (no room for gaming, but they sell paints, limited models and hobby supplies, but they can contact each other and generally ship product between themselves in a day or two.

I cant attest to where games are played, as I prefer conversion work and modeling but Im sure its supported some where

 Kommissar Waaaghrick wrote:
I'm in Hong Kong, a small fishing village, but people say we're a major international centre of 7 million..

Been to Hong Kong a number of times and Kommissar Waaaghrick is spot on; very strong shop that is always a stop for me when I am in town.
But I never knew that everyone living in Hong Kong was fishermen..

Not related to the gaming side, per se, but if you are going in through a program like JET, lower your expectations a few notches as to your final location.

My wife was a JET, and she had requested an urban posting, she ended up in Knikkapu on the island of Hokkaido. Which is a really small village. Which didn't take kindly to redheads, for some reason.

If I were you, I would pare down my collection to what you can easily carry, love the most, and pack the rest in your parents/siblings/best friends attic.

 Mathieu Raymond wrote:


My wife was a JET, and she had requested an urban posting, she ended up in Knikkapu on the island of Hokkaido. Which is a really small village. Which didn't take kindly to redheads, for some reason.

The redhead thing is probably a hold over from Ainu racial tensions, the Japanese treated them akin to how the US treated native Americans and have largely wiped them but some of the ancestral Ainu tribes are known to have brown hair and in rare cases red hair. Red or brown hair can also come from Korean bloodlines that have a mixed Mongel heritage, neither of which are terribly popular with the Japanese due to long histories of conflict with both of those groups in Hokkaido. Red heads are traditionally thought of as being bad omens, witches, marked by kitsune, etc.

Well she is a foxy lady.

I'll be here all night, folks.

 Mathieu Raymond wrote:
Well she is a foxy lady.

I'll be here all night, folks.

She is kitsune? That is another reason why the Japanese may not have liked her

Yeah, obviously I'm more likely to find a thriving wargaming scene in a major city then in a small town. (Though it would give me time to get caught up on my hobbying...)

It is a dilemma as I'm deciding what stuff I want to keep, what I want to sell, as 40k is probably the most popular game, but also the one that takes up the most space. Most people will tell you up front that this hobby can get expensive, but few people will warn you that it will take over one closet after another until Trollkin Scattergunners have made a basecamp in your kitchen.

Well if you go to china, you don't have to take anything, you can find most releases for a fraction of the price