Hello, I was wondering the best place to buy an authentic soroban. I know Amazon and eBay both seem to have but how to know if it's the 'real thing'? I am also a bit interested in one-touch. I don't plan to compete, just think it's cool. This website is very cool!
Hello, I just bought my own soroban, and depending on where you live, if you want an authentic soroban, you might as well order it directly from Japan. Tariffs can add up to the price I guess, or maybe if you live nearby a big city, find a Japanese store / antique shop.
I ordered mine from a classified advertisements website for my country, from a person who brought some from Japan. The brand is "Tenkaichi", came brand new with its original box at a fair price. I chose one with wooden beads, as I don't like to use plastic when it's not necessary. The brand "Tomoe" is also quite well known.
There are plenty of people selling various types of soroban on "Etsy" also.
Hi,
You can buy an authentic soroban here: www.unshudo.co.jp/global/
I bought mine there and I am really happy with it. So much better than the plastic ones, which you can buy for example on Amazon or other websites