Want to go to the games world's capital and load up on loads of cheap goodies? Our man in Japan, Ben Vost, shares his experiences with you...

Japan, the Mecca for serious gameplayers the world over, and I was going there on hols. Two weeks spent in glorious Nihon, with only the other half to tell me off for spending too much time with the games. Having said that, if you're planning a trip to Japan for some serious techno-gadgetry buying, or even looking to get the latest games for your PlayStation or Dreamcast, I have some sage advice for you. When you venture into a city's electronics district (they all have one, so don't think that Akihabara is the only place in Japan you can buy the latest games and gizmos), make sure you shop around. Go around the different stores comparing prices before you make your purchasing decision. Even shops next door to one another can have radically different prices.

Also, don't be too surprised if they look at your proffered credit card in disbelief. Japan is still to all intents and purposes a cash-based society, and they really don't like Visa cards from another country, no matter how prominently the Visa logo that's supposed to indicate universal acceptance is displayed on your card.

The gaming front is somewhat better. If you've got an import PlayStation or Dreamcast, or a naughty chipped one, then you can happily purchase games in Japan. Prices aren't hugely different to those here, especially now that most new releases seem to get put out at £30 or less, but the range is enormous. Think of going into your nearest Blockbuster, but instead of videos on the walls it has PlayStation games. That should give you some idea of the variety of good, bad and weird titles you can get.