More than 200 players from 39 countries will converge on the Pacifico Yokohama Convention Plaza today for the opening of the 1999 Magic: The Gathering World Championships.
Participants of the sixth annual competition, which has never before been held outside the U.S., will battle it out for a share of the $250,000 in prize money.
Some 3,000 Magic fans attended the opening ceremony Wednesday, including Magic inventor Richard Garfield and Japanese K-1 kickboxer Masaki Satake, a self-described Magic addict.
A side festival will include introductions to the game for beginners, amateur tournaments and signing parties featuring well-known Magic artists.
Also present was Asia Pacific Magic champion Masaya Mori of Japan, who will take part in the tournament.
Magic, a complex fantasy game that combines card playing and card collecting, is estimated to have more than 7 million followers in 52 countries. There are some 60,000 official tournaments with total prize money worth $2 million, according to Jeff Nead of Glodow Coats & Nead, the World Championships' promoter. The championships continue through Sunday.