On a recent trip to Japan Tyler and I went to check out the BB Sports Field CQB by Tokyo Marui. Going to an airsoft arena built and operated by Tokyo Marui is like a trip to the motherland, this is our pilgrimage, this is our Plymouth Rock. If you are in Tokyo and you love airsoft this should be on you list of places to see.

There were a lot of assumptions about how Japanese play airsoft, what equipment they use, what the Marui CQB looks like, even what it’s built of. This would be the best way to see what airsoft is supposed to be, after all nobody knows airsoft better than Tokyo Marui. Finally seeing the BB Sports Field not only answered a lot of questions, but also gave us a lot of great ideas that can be used in the US. The field was well organized, very clean, everyone was kept on schedule, there were over 40 players who all looked very happy, and the most amazing thing was they do it with only two workers on staff all day.

The CQB is located in Ayase, part of Tokyo. Going there was a little questionable. We needed to take the JR train, the Metro subway, then a bus to get there. There is nothing around the BB Sports Field, no shops, no restaurants, and it’s quite a far walk from the bus station, so keep that in mind if when you plan on visiting.

First impressions? C’mon, it’s a CQB built by Tokyo Marui! Do you need to say any more? Well even if it wasn’t, the staging area has a lot of tables, places to sit, lockers, two large flat screen TV’s showing all the action in the arena, and a large showcase showing all of the Tokyo Marui airsoft guns. Much like everyone else in Japan the Tokyo Marui staff was very friendly.

Average attendance is roughly 40 but they can accommodate up to 80. Players are usually split into 4 teams that alternate game time. Two groups reload and rest while the other two play.

Lots of tables and seats, lockers, clean men’s and women’s restrooms, a room for smoking, AC/Heating, bbs and 134a gas for sale (Japanese players only use 134a gas), vending machines with cold drinks and hot coffee, this place is awesome.

One innovative thing is payment is all done with a vending machine. Put in your money and pick from the buttons that are labeled for player admission, 0.20g bbs, 134a gas, Tokyo Marui Hop-Up T-Shirt, etc. Then you take the ticket the machine gives you and hand it to the staff to show that you paid. This keeps things moving fast. Also Tokyo Marui doesn’t need to pay someone to be the cashier and it’s very easy to tally up the sales at the end of the day. It’s very efficient.

They don’t offer rental guns, but they do something very interesting I have never seen at any other field. Tokyo Marui is so confident in their products that if your gun breaks while you are playing they will give you a gun to use for free. Just about all the popular models are available. These loaner guns all look like they’re in brand new condition. And I think they’ll offer to repair your gun too (not immediately however). Truthfully they don’t need to do this often, stock Tokyo Marui guns last almost forever. But it’s good to know there’s always a back-up at the BB Sports Field.

Registration is 3000 yen to play at the BB Sports field, 2000 yen for the ladies. Yes there are a lot of women who play there. At the time we visited there were some shenanigans with the stock market and yen was at 110 to the dollar (it was 121 yen to the dollar just the week before). So about $24-28 USD depending on when you go. They have a free membership card, but it doesn’t lower the price, it just means you don’t need to fill out the whole waiver and application.

The field is very clean and has an ultra modern look. The bunkers have the appearance of diamond plate steel, but are actually made of padded vinyl to absorb ricochets (and people who run fast but can’t stop). The stairway handrails and mezzanine railings are all chrome. No wooden pallets or empty barrels in this place. This by far is the nicest looking airsoft field I have ever seen.

It is very well lit for regular games but they also have red and orange lights, which they use for “low light” games.

They have a very thorough safety and game briefing before any games start. The rules are very simple to understand. Very basic elimination games take up most of the day however they do play capture the flag and other simple games. There were a lot of first timers there who had no problem understanding what to do. There is also a board showing the schedule of games and which team is playing.

The whole place is hooked up to a PA system where the staff makes announcements. The staff announces the order of games and any rule changes for different games.

One big rule at the Tokyo Marui BB Sports Field, Only Tokyo Marui guns are allowed. No Western Arms, KSC or Tanaka guns allowed. And don’t even think about taking a Classic Army, G&G or God forbid any Well/SRC/Matrix/A&K gun that’s supposed to be “just like Tokyo Marui.” This goes to traditional Japanese businessman thinking of “my products are perfect as is.” One good thing about their pride is the free loaner guns if your Marui goes down. You can have some small accessories on your gun, but no conversion kits or body modifications. But I guess showing up to the Tokyo Marui field with a KSC gun would be like going to the PepsiCo shareholder’s meeting with a Coke in your hand.

All guns are chronographed and marked with a sticker by one of the Tokyo Marui staff using magazines pre-loaded with 0.20g Tokyo Marui bbs. I enjoyed seeing this as we do the same at Airsoft Hawaii and often get criticized for being too anal about chrono, but hey that’s how Tokyo Marui does it now.

All guns are chronographed with a limit of 0.8J (90m/s) and only 0.20g bbs are allowed. With this low velocity nobody gets hurt and nobody gets mad for getting shot up too much. In fact if a Japanese player thinks they shot you too much they actually come up to you and apologize.

The chrono area is also used as a target range with a motorized target where the distance can be adjusted.

All players are required to wear eye and face protection. I know many people believe airsoft is supposed to be played with just goggles so I will say this very clearly. TOKYO MARUI WILL NOT LET YOU PLAY AIRSOFT WITHOUT A FACEMASK!

When players enter and exit the playing area they use a magnetic board with colored markers so they can easily tell how many players are in the CQB. This is something more arenas in the US should do to avoid the uncertainty of if the game is over.

As I said earlier games here are very simple. Elimination and flag games mostly. They do turn off the regular lights and turn on red and orange lights for “low light conditions,” which actually does give the field a different feel. But don’t expect any full scale ops at the BB Sports Field. You won’t find any games or scenarios about Delta this-n-that or Firebase so-n-so here. Just simple you see ‘em you shoot ‘em fun. If scenarios and mil-sim are what you’re looking for you won’t find them here at the Tokyo Marui arena. I wonder if that says anything about how airsoft should be played.

Everyone there was friendly. As I said, players in Japan will come up to you and apologize if they think they did something wrong like shoot you too much or shoot you too close. There were no know-it-all’s or anyone suffering from shell shock. There were some aggressive players but nobody brags, absolutely no trash talk, and no bad attitudes. To top it all off, NO CHEATERS. We were total foreigners and people would come up and talk to us, joke with us, and just have fun. This was the friendliest airsoft game I have ever seen.

Because the rules are simple and the playing area is limited in size (it is a CQB) players often take the run and gun approach. Players were somewhat aggressive that they kept moving, never camped, and would take off right at the start. Tactics are basically “You go left I’ll go right.” Tyler and I could easily jump into a game here. They play like we do in Hawaii.

One playing style we witnessed that is popular in Japan and almost nonexistent in the US is the CQB sniper. A few players with stock VSR-10’s, iron sights only, would run up behind a bunker, watch the opponents rhythm and time the shot to hit when they peek out, then they would run to another bunker and find another target. They were very effective and considering they would only shoot 5-10 0.20g bbs per game they could play for years with just one bag of ammo.

Games run fast here. I think there is supposed to be a 15 minute time limit but games were usually over in 5-7 minutes. This fast turnover means that players can fit in 10-15 games a day.

The layout and rules are simple enough that a 1st time player can actually do pretty good, but because of the variety of bunkers and levels experienced players can still have fun. The experienced Japanese players were very polite and tend to help out the new players. Everyone there has fun.

The Tokyo Marui BB Sports Field is the cleanest, best looking, friendliest place you could ever play. It’s definitely someplace to experience. Some players may find games too simplified and too newbie oriented, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have a good time. The happy, energetic and non-confrontational attitude is what makes this place special. That and c’mon, it’s Tokyo Marui!