AA LEGION: JAPAN

A JAPANESE AIRSOFT ODYSSEY!

EARLIER THIS MONTH WE SHARED THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT OUR FRIENDS AT LAYLAX IN JAPAN ARE BRANCHING OUT, BOTH GEOGRAPHICALLY AND WITH THEIR NEW CHANNEL! THANKFULLY ONE OF THE BENEFITS FOR US IS THAT OUR OLD MATE MARCK WEST HAS AGREED TO SHARE HIS EXPERIENCES OF AIRSOFT IN THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN VIA THE AA LEGION NOW THAT HE’S BEEN LIVING, WORKING AND PLAYING AIRSOFT THERE!

Airsoft in Japan has always been slightly shrouded in mystery for me. Even though for the past many years I lived in Hong Kong, the thought of coming to Japan and playing has always been one of those things you talk about. When 2019 came along and I had a chance to go to the Krytac Owner’s Meeting as a guest, my eyes were truly opened!

Airsoft in Japan; well, the hobby has been around for many years since it’s the birth place of airsoft as we know it. Due to this fact, the community as we see it today has developed into a relatively mature subculture with different branches. There are those that love cosplaying and use airsoft as an outlet to play in their costumes, there are those that love the Speedsoft and sporty aspect of the game, there are those that love more MilSim style of play, and there are those that are very much into their impression kits and load outs.

Much of this is very familiar to us who have played airsoft for any significant amount of time but there’s something about how the player base or community does it here that exemplifies how far airsoft has come. No matter what people do or what they enjoy, take cosplaying for example, they are very comfortable in doing or being themselves while they

play. For many of the people I have come to know, it’s truly escapism at its finest. They get to, for a few fleeting hours of their week, dress up and be something or someone else.

I think it’s this feeling of escapism that really allows the players here to dive deep into what they do. This also applies to the ladies as well, not just our fellow dudes. Many ladies I have seen play take what they do quite seriously and often times dole out the pain just as proficiently as the guys (take my word on this one, I have been on the receiving end!). There’s a real sense of empowerment for them and they are quite confident when adorning their gear.

GETTING YOUR GAME ON

With all that said, I am sure by now you all probably want to know the most important aspect of my experience, gameplay itself. Many of the sites I have played at so far are essentially “CQB” sites, inside warehouses or similar facilities; it’s quite fun, especially for a guy like me who actually quit CQB in HK (maybe this is a topic for another day). Corners were not always tight and there was a good variety of rooms and locations within each site that made the fighting interesting. There was never at any point a feeling of “well that lane is camped so we are not going anywhere” and the sites I’ve been too lent themselves well to having good flow.

The players themselves are usually quite friendly but typically shy at first. However, going back to the feeling of escapism, they quickly open up and

fist bump you on a good hit or laugh with you if they missed a shot. The honour system is adhered to strictly and rarely do you see people not call their hits. Most of the time people who do not call their hits are due to the low power limit; many times you just can’t feel it! This has not happened much though in my experience; if someone doesn’t call their hits right away, I will just shoot a few more times until they feel it and they do promptly leave the zone. All in all playing here feels very familiar but doesn’t at the same time.

Many of the rules and game types are the same but just how the people play makes its uniquely “Japanese”. What sets the Japanese community apart is probably the bar of entry is a bit higher than what we see in the West or other countries because you need to be 18+ before you are able to buy an airsoft gun.

Not to disparage younger players or kids in our sport, but airsoft here is simply a far more mature hobby; when you go and play airsoft in Japan you will not see children or people incredibly younger than you are. For me personally, it’s quite refreshing being able to play with adults, not because I don’t like spending time with the younger base, but sometimes it’s refreshing to be around people of similar ages and walks of life.

So, airsoft in Japan. It’s about what I expected it to be.

It’s great escapism and a great community to be a part of. There’s something for the casual player and something for the ultra-hardcore! Much of the toxicity we often see in the West or other countries doesn’t exist as prevalently here because if you don’t like one group or style of play, there’s so much more out there for you to try and be a part of. Airsoft here truly has something for everyone, and I think this is something we should be able to do better in the West! AA