Question about NTSC, PAL, region lock, and electricity.

If you want to play Japanese games on MSX, why not by a japanese MSX2(+) computer? It has NTSC, it has 110Volts, so you should be able to connect it directly. However, to answer your questions: Yes, you will need a PAL->NTSC converter (or a TV that can display PAL), and you need a converter for the power, otherwise your MSX will not work (assuming you are buying an european MSX computer, which is 220V). No, there is no region lock, but some games display different texts/screens when played on a european or japanese computer, and japanese games are meant to work on 60Hz, not 50Hz like european MSX computers do.

You can use a PAL system in the US, but you need indeed a voltage converter and something like an old commodore color monitor. Those monitors have been sold in two versions, RGB and RGB TTL. You don't want the TTL, because that one has digital RGB and will not work with PAL msx computers.

TV needs to be modern. I think most flatpanels accept PAL RGB signals (well, at least here most ones accept NTSC signals too, so my guess is that it works the other way around too). But your TV needs to have some connector that accepts RGB input. Most tv's sold in the states only have like S-Video, composite/ CVBS (if your lucky) and HDMI input. The NTSC composite input probably can't handle the PAL signal. So you really needs something with Euro-SCART or similar.

If your tv has YUV input you could try something like this: http://www.highway.net.au/products/scart-y-u-v-converter/2005-1.html
But for the same price you buy a Japanese MSX2 oO

Thank you for the answers, if you dont mind me asking where might i get a japanesr msx or msx2 that isn't to terrebly expensive. I will also go look on this site and ebay.

Hz (Hertz) is just the interrupt frequency, which influences the cycles of video and sound. It can never damage any hardware, although making a 50Hz (PAL) TV 'flip' by forcing 60Hz upon it can't be a healthy thing for the TV.
You don't have to worry; I think any American TV can handle both 50 and 60 Hz.

For a bit more info, see the bottom of this page:
http://www.faq.msxnet.org/miscfaq.html

This is what you get for playing a game intended for 60Hz on the wrong frequency (50Hz):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsArtFFxVFY
Sound gets all lurpy and weirdly slow, and game speed is afflicted as well.

The other way around, ofcourse, makes things run about 20% faster than intended by the makers.
When running a game from disk, there are means around this.

Also, more modern MSX games and demos fix the gap, so that at least the sound will be executed correctly on either frequency.

Sanoy Wavy 23 in Memphis, Tenessee...