About CARDOTAKU
About the CARDOTAKU.com store
Created in May 2017 by Jean-Baptiste, Cardotaku.com is the online store for your Japanese cards. It is intended for collectors and held by a collector.
Registered and managed directly from Japan, in Osaka, it is officially recognized by the Japanese government and is dedicated to the sale of Japanese cards. You will also find there some figurines and other collectibles, as well as folders and protections to store and protect your cards.
The proposed content is far from being exhaustive since new or old items are added several times a week. Moreover, many licenses are proposed like the mythical Pokémon, Dragon Ball, Digimon or Yu-Gi-Oh but also recent ones like ShadowVerse, BuildDivide, Z-X...
Who are we?
"Nice to meet you, my name is Jean-Baptiste and I have been living in Japan since 2005. After several years in Tōkyō, Ōsaka-fu is where I chose to make my home.
I obtained permanent residency status in September 2017, which allowed me to acquire my house, quit my job as a web art director with the aim of devoting myself fully to my passion and the management of my online store: cardotaku.com.
In life, I have several passions and two of them are directly related to what led me to create this online store: collecting cards and playing on arcade terminals.
Imagine my delight when I discovered arcade terminals that are played with trading cards; it was the ultimate fusion of my two passions!"
A piece of Japan in your collection
Imagine yourself in Japan, in an arcade... Gashapon, coin changers, UFO catcher, arcade terminals, everything is there for your greatest pleasure.
You sit down in front of a machine, then you slide in a 100 yen coin. The jingle sounds, a card falls. You pass your hand through the little trapdoor at the bottom of the machine to take out your card and discover it. Good draw, bad draw? Only luck can tell.
The game begins. You place your newly acquired card on the board, the character comes to life on the screen, you play and have a blast. And it's so good! The game is over, the used character gains experience. It will be even stronger next time.
Later, when you get home, the card will be placed in a binder and added to your collection. It can be taken out again when you want or need skills to continue the adventure.
"I particularly like arcade games that are played with cards, tickets or other physical collectibles. Being a collector, I like to leave with something in my hands and it is this part of Japan that we wanted to offer and share with you. A fragment of travel, thrill and adventure." Jean-Baptiste, CEO of Cardotaku.
The different arcane terminals
There are many arcade terminals where it is possible to play and collect the cards of these licenses. Of course, Jean-Baptiste, the creator of Cardotaku.com has a big preference for SUPER DRAGON BALL HEROES. It's normal, since Dragon Ball was broadcasted on TV during his childhood. For information, it's also the most played game on arcade terminals in the whole Japanese archipelago, and sincerely, it is largely up to its reputation. Thanks to the updates with new maps, new missions, objects, or events... It's impossible to get bored !
Jean-Baptiste and his favorite terminal.
The creation of cardotaku.com, the store for Japanese cards
Even if we all have our own ideas, it's the passion that allowed Cardotaku to be born... "Being a very big fan and a good arcade player of SUPER DRAGON BALL HEROES (formerly DRAGON BALL HEROES on which I started), I quickly accumulated a lot of cards in more than ten copies each. Later, I started to share my passion on the internet and I noticed that some people outside Japan were interested in the cards of this collection. I was frankly happy and surprised to know that people know about it."
Months passed and Jean-Baptiste discovered stores specializing in buying and reselling playing cards. He already knew about them, but he had stopped at the image of stores selling cards in very poor condition arranged in racks. Eventually, the idea of creating his own online store was born when he found out where to get brand new cards.
The goal : to help other people get cards!
A word from Jean-Baptiste: "I really enjoyed doing this : sharing, looking for single cards and much more ! Right now, the store allows me to do much more than complete my collections : it allows me to live my passion full time, to share what I love with you and to be free to manage my time and have an employee and a place to work... And that is just the beginning of this adventure !"
SDBH (Super Dragon Ball Heroes), but not only
Even if the Dragon Ball Heroes cards and terminals were the trigger and allowed Cardotaku.com to be born, the store offers many licenses. Jean-Baptiste plays many arcade games like Pokémon Mézastar, Gundam Try Age, DRAGON QUEST Scan Butlers, and many others...
Once again, Cardotaku's goal is to share with you the pleasure of the arcade and the collection at home!
Since June 2017
Cardotaku, at the very beginning, it was the kind of idea that we would like to do, but that we will never realize because we know in advance that it will not work...
Jean-Baptiste's doubts: "Another question made me strongly doubt the validity of this enterprise; it was the fact that nobody had yet proposed a similar concept. That is to say, to make an online store dedicated to the sale of single cards from Japan open to the international market.
I thought, if no one has done it or if I can't find any sites, there must be a good reason for it."
Then, by dint of believing in her dreams and giving herself the means to wait for her goals, Cardotaku was born in June 2017.
"Cardotaku.com, the first historical Japanese card sales store from Japan for collectors around the world."
Cardotaku in 2022
As always, the stock management is and will remain 100% physically controlled in our premises. That is to say that everything that is available on the store is already in our hands and checked by our team.
Since september 2021, and this in the middle of a worldwide sanitary crisis, Jean-Baptiste who managed Cardotaku alone since 2017, took the risk to rent a place which will be used as a springboard for the future.
The status of Cardotaku.com changed from auto entrepreneur to goudou gaisha (company) at the beginning of March 2021.
In May 2022, a first employee, coming from France, arrived for a full time position of marketing manager with a work visa (CDI). We are proud of the path we have taken and this is only the beginning...
The projects ? Moving to a bigger place, offering more products on the store and hiring new people. We are looking forward to offer you these new products and hope that you will accompany us in these future projects.
THANK YOU
By buying on the Cardotaku.com store, you are not only pleasing yourself, but you also participate to the evolution of a small company managed by a team of passionate people, you encourage us in our projects and support a family of 4 people, as well as our employee.
The simple fact of talking about our store, sharing your receptions on social networks and exchanging with us brings us a lot of pleasure, for all this, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Cards and other products on request...
Since there are thousands of cards, it is possible that you won't find your "dreams products" on Cardotaku.com, but don't panic: we offer a personalized order service.To do so, you just have to contact us via the contact form with the references of what you want.
Thank you for your loyalty, your daily encouragements, and good collection to you.
Passionately, the Cardotaku team.