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A pachinko parlor in Tokyo.
Pachinko (パチンコ)
is a Japanese gaming device used for amusement and gambling. A pachinko machine
resembles a vertical pinball machine, but with no flippers and a large number of
relatively small balls. The player fires a ball up into the machine, controlling
only its initial speed. The ball then cascades down through a dense forest of
pins. In most cases, the ball falls to the bottom and is lost, but if it instead
goes into certain pockets, more balls are released as a jackpot.[1]
Pachinko machines were originally strictly mechanical, but modern ones have
incorporated extensive electronics, becoming similar to video slot machines.
The machines are widespread in establishments called "pachinko parlors",
which also often feature a number of slot machines. Pachinko parlors share the
reputation of slot machine dens and casinos the world over — garish decoration;
over-the-top architecture; a low-hanging haze of cigarette smoke; the constant
din of the machines, music, and announcements; and flashing lights. Modern
pachinko machines are highly customizable, keeping enthusiasts continuously
entertained.
Because gambling for cash is illegal in Japan and Taiwan, balls won cannot be
exchanged directly for cash in the parlor. Instead, the balls are exchanged for
token prizes, which can then be taken outside and traded in for cash at a
business that is nominally separate from the parlor, and may be run by organized
crime (yakuza).[2]
Player etiquette
In Japan, there are many unwritten rules of conduct for players within
pachinko parlors and everyone is expected to conform to them or be asked to
leave that particular establishment, and, sometimes, even be put under arrest.
Firstly, parlor staff members are not supposed to ever tell a player where they
can exchange their tokens for cash because of legality issues, so players are
expected to find out this information on their own. Next, it is taboo to ever
touch another player's winnings. Additionally, players are allowed to "hold" a
pachinko machine for a short period of time if they leave such personal
possessions as a cell phone or a box of cigarettes in the ball tray or have
loaded it with 500 yen worth of balls.
Smoking
There are preliminary discussions in the Japanese Diet to extend public
smoking controls to pachinko parlors; however, no legislation has been proposed.
In Taiwan the pachinko parlors feature prominent and uninhibited smoking and
Children
Children are officially not allowed inside the pachinko parlors, mainly
because of alcohol and smoking (due to concerns about accidental burns rather
than the effects of secondhand smoke). Children often accompany grandparents or
relatives who gamble, as strict enforcement would anger customers.
There is a children's version of pachinko held at night markets and festivals
in Taiwan that are home-made with plywood and nails. It uses glass marbles
instead of steel balls, and one can play and redeem for toys, candy, and other
prizes. This children's version is considered more like a carnival game and
nowadays sophisticated electrical versions are used in arcades.
Legality and crime
In Japan, gambling within the private industry is illegal, but pachinko
parlors are tacitly tolerated by the Japanese authorities as "semi-gambling" and
are not categorically considered as centers of illegal activity. Any potential
illegal activity is evaluated on a case by case basis. Even then, only the most
obvious offenders will be shut down, such as parlors that manipulate the payout
odds of their machines when they are already in use. Attitudes towards pachinko
vary in Japan from being considered a way to make a living to being stigmatized.
Taiwan is another region currently undergoing a pachinko craze as it is a
form of gambling that bypasses the law. Crime organizations run many Taiwanese
pachinko parlors as it provides a front for loan sharking, money laundering,
escort services, and is also a source of investment income.
Pachinko without
gambling
Many video arcades in Japan feature new and old pachinko models. They
typically offer much more play time for the money spent, and may be played using
game tokens or 100 yen coins and pay out game tokens instead of balls. These
tokens can not be exchanged for money and can only be used to play other games
in the establishment. As many game centers are smoke-free and the gambling
aspect is removed, this kind of play is popular for casual players, children,
and those wanting to play in a more relaxed atmosphere. Thrifty gamblers may
spend a small amount on a newly released model in such establishments to get the
feel for the machine before making the investment in an actual parlor.
Pachinko machines can also be found in many Japanese variety stores,
department stores, video game stores, and grocery stores on occasion. These will
pay out capsules containing a prize coupon or store credit instead of being
redeemable for money.
Pachinko ball designs
Pachinko balls are forbidden to be removed from a parlor to be used
elsewhere. To help prevent this, many parlors will have a design or name
engraved in each ball vended so that someone can be spotted carrying a tray of
balls brought from the outside. This has led some to start collections of
pachinko balls with various designs.
Media
Wim Wenders' 2025 documentary Tokyo-Ga contains an extended sequence about a
Pachinko parlor.
The 2025 video game Shadow at the Water's Edge, part of the Nancy
Drew series of games, incorporates a simulated Pachinko parlour (complete
with an array of prizes to be won) as part of the game play.
The Pogues wrote a song called "Pachinko" on their album, "Waiting for Herb."
Hobbyist
There is an active group of people in Japan and abroad who collect, tinker,
tweak, and fix pachinko machines. The oldest designs had manual analog controls,
but the newest have microchips and digital controls. Designs often change to
suit fashion so a particular design of the past is considered valuable. Pachinko
machines have been exported to many nations around the world as collector's
items and for hobbyists. These machines can be played for fun, rather than for
profit, in the convenience of one's home.
References
Links
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