This is one of those “once in a lifetime” experiences in Tokyo and I highly recommend.
We actually visited the day before we visited Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea and I can’t believe how much my kids used their game boys for the whole day! It was amazing!
As a Mum, it’s also so nice to have them play on something that has nothing to do with the internet – or apps – or notifications. It’s just old school fun!
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The Game Boy “classroom” is in Akihabara – closest station is Kanda Station. We were invited to attend and each of my kids made their own – and customised the handset to fit their favourite colours and then chose their favourite retro games.
We were on our way to move from Central Tokyo out to the Tokyo Disney area on this day and had forwarded our luggage (so we just put our hand luggage in a locker at Kanda Station.) See all of the things we like to do and where we like to eat as a family in this immediate area.
You will need to book a Game Boy class in advance – see here for my full list of what to book in advance for a trip to Japan. This list is a good way to through the options of things to do in Japan and you can even go through this list and be like “yes yes yes nope yes nope…” to just see what is out there.
*when making a reservation, you can choose between making a game boy or a game boy advance workshop.
How old do kids have to be to attend this Game Boy workshop?
This workshop is for kids 6 and older.
Do you have to pay extra for the games?
Yes. The games are extra. Prices vary depending on the games but we were given 3 giant boxes of cartridges and my kids chose three game – 2 x Mario games and 1 other. The total for all three came to 3000 yen. You can make payment in cash or using a credit card.
Is the entire workshop in English?
Yes. It is.
What actually happens in the actual Game Boy Workshop?
Before the lesson begins, we were invited to play with the arcade games next to the lesson table – they have Space Invaders and PacMan.
*Please note that everyone needs to remove their shoes at the entrance.
First, participants are given a short history lesson on all of the Game Boy consoles over the years.
Then, (this part was super cool) they brought out all of the different Game Boy models from over the years and we all got to try and have a try at each of them!
Then we started customizing our own Game Boys!
We then started customising our own Game Boys ! We were handed old Gameboys and were taught how to remove the old shells and then were give the choice of the shells (including glow-in-the-dark options!) and also a whole range of buttons in different colours. Then we got down to building!
And finally, we were able to test out and play with our own customised consoles! It was so much fun!
Is there an age minimum for kids who want to participate in the MOD Game Boy Workshop in Akihabara?
Yes. Children need to be 6 or older
Do kids have to have a paying adult with them in order to participate in the workshop?
Yes.
Can one adult participate with two children?
Yes. The MOD are ok with that. Please contact them directly if you have more than 2 children attending with 1 adult.
Is it cheaper for kids to participate in the MOD Game Boy Workshop?
No. As everyone walks away with the same Game Boy of their own? The prices for adults is the same as it is for kids.
Were the game boys tricky to build for kids?
“Tricky” in the same building a lego set is tricky. There were some parts we needed to gently remove the outer case and some sections where we needed to use a screwdriver. The staff are great with helping kids if they get a bit stuck.
Will the Game Boys work outside of Japan?
They will. They run on good old A4 batteries. I guess you could hunt down an old school charger if you wanted to.
Did my kids love the Game Boy session?
They really really did. They loved how much they got to do on their own and how they got a full say in all of the colours of the cases and the buttons etc.
PLEASE NOTE: This article contains some affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
