Far from being an occasional pastime, a ゲームセンター is just as likely a hangout or meeting spot for the young and young at heart as a coffee shop or コンビニ (konbini - convenience store). Most are open late into the night, and some have even had to put up big signs telling people under 16 to leave before the witching hour - their parents would probably never see them otherwise. Aside from the huge amounts of foot traffic, at first glance the setup seems very similar to arcades at home - there are the usual driving and fighting games and simulations, linked together to make sure you can crush your friends in front of everyone. Upon closer inspection though, there are some peculiarities - interesting inventions and innovations that Japan has created or turned up to eleven.
UFOキャッチャー (UFO Catchers)
UFOキャッチャー are named for their shape - round discs that descend from the heavens and snatch up unsuspecting victims. They're perhaps more commonly known outside Japan as "claw games" or "crane games" but whatever you call them, the basic idea is to successfully pick up or knock your goodies of choice down the chute. There are several variations apart from the usual claws - blunt single-armed versions, just designed to push; fishing hooks, to snag plastic loops; and flat-ended sticks, used to push a release button. Some get even more creative than that - you may have to pick up and roll dice, pop balloons, drop ping-pong balls into holes or cut a string to claim your prize.
Having said that, people win constantly and it's not uncommon to see them staggering out with bags stuffed full of loot. The range of prizes goes way beyond what you might find at home - stuffed toys big and small, cushions, keychains, mobile straps, posters, clothes, bags, food, drinks, ice cream and sometimes even suitably housed 金魚 (きんぎょ - kingyo - goldfish) or 虫 (むし - mushi - insects). You can also try for games consoles, DVD players and other expensive electronics. These look just as simple to win as the others but with clever use of physics and uncooperative claws, you may change your mind a few hundred yen later. As one expert said to me, getting good at UFOキャッチャー is a pretty serious investment.
リズムゲーム (Rhythm Games)
Japan is no stranger to the "play along with the music" genre of リズムゲーム, whether it's with a mock instrument, sound deck or dance floor. Interestingly, traditional instruments seem to have a place amongst all the electric guitars and keyboards; one of the most popular is 太鼓の達人 (たいこのたつじん - taiko no tatsujin - Taiko Drum Master). The concept is simple - thump the big 太鼓 (たいこ - taiko drum) to keep the beat of the music and receive a score at the end of the song based on how good your rhythm was. Just to keep you on your toes, you occasionally need to clack the side of the 太鼓 or do a big drumroll while the festival-themed mascots cheer you on in the background. New versions come out regularly with fresh music from that year's games, アニメ and pop songs which adds to the cacophony of noise coming from all directions. If you've ever wanted to bang a 太鼓 in time to the Super Mario theme, you're in luck.
Another interesting trend in リズムゲーム is what are known as ボーカロイド (bookaroido - "Vocaloids") - 3D anime characters that act like digital pop idols. Their voices are actually human; real singers record basic sounds which are used to create a computer-controlled voice that works much like a text-to-speech program. Once the lyrics and melody are plugged in they can sing any song surprisingly well and their vocal range goes well beyond what a human would be capable of. There are several ボーカロイド now but the original and most popular is called 初音ミク (Hatsune Miku), a plucky aqua-haired girl with a very strange outfit and a staggeringly large fanbase. Her name comes from the 漢字 (かんじ - kanji) for "first", "sound" and "future" and I don't think that's an over-the-top description; at times it's easy to forget she's just pixels and a computerised voice. Queues to play ボーカロイド リズムゲーム often stretch out the door, UFOキャッチャー are well stocked with 初音ミク merchandise and she even performs "live" all-singing, all-dancing projector shows at packed-out stadiums. This is definitely worth having a look for on Youtube, even for curiosity's sake.
プリクラ (purikura)
Short for "print club", プリクラ is a particularly famous Japanese export that would be conspicuous in its absence from any ゲームセンター. The basic concept is a glammed-up instant photo booth, where gaggles of squealing girls can immortalise themselves on tiny photo stickers. Believe it or not, the popularity of プリクラ is now at the stage where there are dedicated centres for it; in some cases outfits and accessories are provided, as well as endless mirrors to make sure your makeup is just so. The プリクラ machines themselves are invariably equipped with studio lighting and give you plenty of tries to perfect your pose. In most cases you can edit your photos before they're printed to add special effects, change your colouring and superimpose special frames, text and clipart. The experience doesn't come cheap - it can cost upwards of $5 but for that you get a sheet of stickers sized and arranged as you please; fortunately the scissors to cut them up and share them out are free. The "post-production" is the longest part of the process, so between that and the shoot it can take five to ten minutes per turn. This means that there are often big lines, even at places with dozens of machines. Beauty is obviously worth waiting for.
メダルゲーム (Medal Games)
Usually one side or floor of the ゲームセンター will be dedicated to メダルゲーム, where people get themselves a big bucket of "medals" (coin-like metal tokens) and pump them into a variety of games hoping to win big. Perhaps the most common kind is what's known as スロット (surotto - "slot") - video slot machines based on big-name アニメ and TV shows. While they're slick and very nicely appointed, the experience tends to be sensory overload; between the flashing lights, booming music and cascading medals I can't imagine wanting to spend too long there.
The other kinds of メダルゲーム are no less extravagant. There are betting games for horse racing - where everyone has their own fancy lounge and screen - as well as video blackjack and other casino games. Another popular option is "pusher games" where the challenge is to push piles of medals off moving ledges into the chute. These machines are often circular, allowing several people to play at once while video game or pop culture characters leap around and yell out encouragement from elaborate screens in the middle. The medals can't be exchanged for anything except more medals so it's not technically gambling, but it's probably not a coincidence that メダルゲーム areas bear more than a passing resemblance to a casino or パチンコ (pachinko) parlour.
And the rest...
As you'd expect, there are plenty of weird games tucked into corners of the ゲームセンター that defy explanation entirely. There are dog walking games where you stroll along on a treadmill holding a leash, 寿司 (すし - sushi) cutting games where you chop up fish with a big fake knife, punching games where you belt a focus mitt to knock out giant robots and 虫 fighting games where you train and level up your virtual beetle. 超ちゃぶ台返し (ちょうちゃぶだいかえし - chou chabudai kaeshi - roughly "Super Table Flip") definitely eclipses them all though. Badged as the ultimate stress reliever, it provides you a choice of infuriating scenarios; you can be a dad at the dinner table with his naughty kids, a young worker at his desk with gossiping coworkers or a bride at her reception, watching the in-laws fight. Throughout the 60 second stress-fest you can bang your prop table to momentarily startle everyone but the only thing that will really shock them is upending it completely and sending everything on top sailing across the room in slow motion. The game tallies up how many yen in damage you do; if your timing and angle are right, you might manage to hit a gas main or smash some chandeliers, netting bonus points. It all ends with a very strange song and a closeup of your character's serene, satisfied face - you'll probably have the same expression when everything is done exploding.
All up, if you want a snapshot of what's happening in Japan right now, you could do worse than visiting a ゲームセンター - everything that's worth seeing or doing ends up there in one form or another. It may not be the most culturally enlightened thing you ever do, but I think you'll find plenty to keep yourself amused. Win some swag, find your most flattering angle and settle once and for all who's the 太鼓の達人. All the cool kids are doing it.
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