My Weekly Grind
  • Blog
  • Magic: The Gathering
  • MTG Finance
  • Homemade Sushi
  • Charlotte, NC
  • Travel
  • Japan 10 Day Guide
  • Japan Travels FAQS
  • Navigating Japan
  • Get In Touch
  • About Me

My Weekly Grind

PACHINKO PARLORS

4/6/2018

 
Walking through the streets of larger cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, you may have noticed large establishments with  vibrantly colored window displays and rows of slot machines. The machines are actually pachinko machines and the place is called a pachinko parlor. Gambling for real money is illegal in Japan. Pachinko parlors are the closest thing to legalized gambling you will find. The way parlors work is similar to earning tickets for prizes at Chuck E. Cheese or a Putt-Putt Fun Center. 

Customers at pachinko parlors purchase metal balls that are used to play the machines. The machines vary in style, gameplay, animation, and theme. In general, balls are shot to the top of a machine's play area and fall down hitting metal pins. Balls will change trajectories when they hit the pins and each other. The goal is to get the metal balls into different slots or gates to earn additional attempts and prize payouts. The prize payouts a player earns are in the form of additional metal balls to either use in the machines or exchange for actual prizes.  
​
Picture
Pachinko Parlor in Osaka, Japan

Customers can exchange the metal balls received as prize payouts for items offered in the pachinko parlor. For example, a customer can exchange a certain amount of balls for a microwave or other item. The parlors cannot give actual money. However, there is usually a place near the parlor that takes prizes won by players and exchanges them for real money. You can think about it as winning a microwave and then selling it to a pawn shop for half of its estimated retail value. 

Travelers are welcome to visit and play pachinko in the parlors. However, they are not family friendly as children are typically barred from entering. If you would like to learn more about pachinko, read through Japan Visitor's guide.


Comments are closed.

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Follow Me
    ​on Instagram
    ​@card_knock_life

    Categories

    All
    Charlotte
    Culture
    Entertainment
    Food
    Italy
    Japan
    Magic: The Gathering
    MTG Commander
    MTG Finance
    MTG Speculation
    Sushi
    Travel

    Archives

    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017

    This website contains affiliate links to TCGPlayer
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Blog
  • Magic: The Gathering
  • MTG Finance
  • Homemade Sushi
  • Charlotte, NC
  • Travel
  • Japan 10 Day Guide
  • Japan Travels FAQS
  • Navigating Japan
  • Get In Touch
  • About Me