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Shinji Shinmi - Store Manager at Echigoya Tokyo
Echigoya is the name of a famous chain of stores in Japan. They have five
stores, and the sixth, “the Tokyo shop opened about 6 years ago while the other
stores in Kyushu have been open since 1993” said Shinji Shinmi the Tokyo store
manager. The store carries a complete selection of airsoft equipment and
specializes in it’s own line of custom guns. The Echigoya chain employs close to
60 full time employees and 30 part timers states Shimi. No one really knows how
the store got it’s name but legend has it that “one of the owners yelled it out
and the name kind of stuck.”
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AEG parts and accessories |

Barrels from KM, Prometheus and Tanio Koba |
Echigoya's Tokyo shop carries an impressive selection of parts, accessories
and gear. Guns, accessories, upgrades and gear, it's all in stock and ready to
pick up. Equally impressive are the staff who are always willing to answer
questions or help you find what you are looking for. Echigoya also has
technicians on hand to install upgrades or troubleshoot problems with your
equipment.
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All the gear you need to get into the game |

Echigoya carries the full line of Angel AEG parts |
The shop's best selling items tend to be their custom guns. “The ideas for
making custom guns come from the staff getting together to try and think of new
ways to build and design guns” says Shimi. After a design is picked, “there are
about 5 techs that work solely on building the guns.” Then “testing is done and
we put it out on display as a demo to shoot. Depending what the customer wants
or thinks should be changed we will go back and do. Really though, it’s what the
customers want.”
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Custom guns on display |

Custom guns for demonstration |
The best selling custom guns are “called REKKA, HAYATE, SEIRRIN and FUDOU.”
“The REKKA is a 1 joule gun that has a really fast response in semi auto. The HAYATE is a high speed type gun which we also donated as a prize for the 2005
ASH BASH. Next the SEIRRIN also a gun we donated for the 2005 ASH BASH is a
silent type gun that when the shooter is firing doesn’t hear the mech box. This
custom also comes with a silencer to quiet each shot. And last is the FUDOU
which is basically just a sniper type upgrade for AEG’s.”

Star/Guarder M-14 SOPMOD on display
Visit Echigoya on the web at
http://www.echigoya.co.jp
Stay tuned: next month we showcase the Hayate and Seirrin guns!
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