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Tips 1 - 2 of 2 Tokyo Things to Do
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Now, when I used to work there, this was the biggest thing Japanese people were hooked on to. People used to spend hours and hours playing this game, I wonder if it's still the same now. I used to spend hours at the Pachinko Parlours on these machines that churned out little ball barings with the control of your hand.
More info in next tip.☺
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Address: All over Japan
Directions: Just look for a noisy place with uniformed machines all in rows.
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Cont'd from above
The term Pachinko is derived from the Japanese word pachi-pachi, meaning the clicking of small objects or the crackling of fire. While the origins of pachinko are unknown, it most likely descended from the "Coringth Game" which originated in Chicago, USA. The game appeared in Japan in the early 1920's, and the first Pachinko hall was opened in the Osaka Prefecture. Takeichi Masamura is known as the founder of today's pachinko for he developed the "Masamura Gauge", an arrangement of nails that became the basis for most of today's pachinko machines. In the 1980's pachinko machines became computerized and now have sounds and graphics that make the game more exciting.
Pachinko is similar to pinball in that small 11mm steel balls are shot onto the playing surface where they haphazardly bounce around and through a network of nails. The object of the game is to have the balls directed into winning pockets, whereby you receive more balls that equate to a prize or a monetary amount. The pachinko player is only responsible for controlling the speed by which the pachinko balls are shot onto the playing surface, from then on it basically becomes a game of chance.
To initiate play you insert money to purchase a number of balls that are dropped into a loading area. By pulling the handle-like knob, one ball is released and projected by a spring. Most of the balls will fall unsuccessfully through the pins to the bottom, but some will fall into special pockets that activate a slot machine. At this point you are instantly rewarded with a set number of balls, and if the same three symbols match up on the reels, you win an even greater amount. After a session of that, you'd end up with trays full of balls where you'll have to 'exchange' them back for money.
Here's the catch. You can't exchange them at the outlet you played. You'll need to ask the workers there where is the changing booth. It's something to do with the gambling laws in Japan. Weird, but the system works great!
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Address: All over Japan
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 Comments for city_guy about Tokyo | | | | |
volopolo Sat Oct 14, 2006 18:27 UTC
lovely page! Nikos | Wild_Orchid Wed Nov 3, 2004 15:32 UTC
woo hoo! what a great guide! yes, visit again and write the updates!! | jpshanik Fri Aug 13, 2004 03:22 UTC
Hey, great club list. Included some of my favorites. Should really try to find BLUE. Kinda like YELLOW but harder to find about 10 min walk from Harajuku station. Sorry, so drunk I was very lucky to find my way to the station at 5am. | Hewer Thu Aug 5, 2004 12:02 UTC
Nice pages about Tokyo! I`ll have have to check out Narita to see for myself! |
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