Pachinko Video

February 17th, 2007 · 8 Comments

To accompany the 40 minute long podcast of just sound. So you know what you're listening to.

Formats available: MPEG-4 Video (protected) (.m4v)

Categories: MouthCam(tm) · Videocast

8 responses so far ↓

1 Eric // Feb 17, 2007 at 7:52 am

I wanted to play pachinko when I was in Tokyo last year, but everywhere I went had signs stating (in English) that the games were just for fun and that I was to turn in the balls when I'm done playing. Now, we both now this isn't true, but my limited Japanese wasn't enough to negotiate with the people running the shops.

Is there anything I can say to them to convince them to let me keep my winnings?
2 Rich Pav // Feb 17, 2007 at 8:15 am

Let me get this straight. You wanted to take home a 20lb. bag of ball bearings?
3 Charlie // Feb 19, 2007 at 8:03 pm

So wait, people play these games just for fun? You don't win anything? At all? You just win more little metal balls… okay now.
Sheesh and here i thought the Arcade Slot machines down the Jersey Shore were lame. At least you can kind of win something playing Skee Ball after a while…albeit, cheap $1.00 kiddie toys. But hey, I have hundreds of tickets. I'm still saving up for that PSP from three years ago. I'm gonna get it eventually heh.
4 Eric // Feb 19, 2007 at 11:11 pm

It's a form of gambling, is it not? You can't tell me with a straight face that so many pachinko parlors exist because pachinko is just so damn fun.
5 Darren // Feb 20, 2007 at 5:15 pm

Damn its loud in there, it sounds like a ice cream van speeded up (We have these mobile ice cream sellers in vans with loud speakers back home)
6 angus // Apr 4, 2007 at 2:07 pm

I dont know what you could say to them, but as for "just for fun", gambling is illegal in Japan, even though pachinko earnings are threee times that of military funding. When one does win, he takes his balls, and goes outside to a nearby vendor, and trades them for cigarettes, textiles or whatever the winnings are woth. As long as they dont give you money, its not considered gambling.
7 Ted Allen // Jul 26, 2007 at 11:44 pm

Love the video!

To me, pachinko with that noise and the pictures epitomises the totally kitsch aspects of Japan. Wouldn't you just love to be there…

And yes, of course it's a gambling game, and those folks are not just playing to watch for ball bearings! Check out these articles if you're interested http://www.the-pachinko-guide.com/pachinko/articles/
8 leroy // Feb 18, 2010 at 12:00 pm

I like the new Matrix Pachinko TV ads
http://www.japansugoi.com/wordpress/pachinko-matrix-tv-commercials-from-daiichi/