Who doesn’t love the Japanese pastime of pachinko? Its parlors are obnoxiously garish blights on city landscapes which might be surrounded by auras of stale cigarette smoke and desperation, however clearly lots of people find it irresistible contemplating how a lot cash pachinko parlors make and simply what number of of them there are throughout the nation.
▼ This gigantic pink signal towering above the town is for a pachinko parlor
Photo: SoraNews24
According to a tally by the National Police Agency, the variety of parlors nationwide stands at about 8,500. However, at first of 2020 that quantity was over 9,600. Clearly the general influence of COVID-19 was an element regardless that early makes an attempt to vilify these institutions as potential super-spreaders had been proven to be false. Over the course of 2020, 604 parlors closed down throughout Japan.
The starting of 2021 appeared to be worse, with January alone reserving 84 closures. Projecting that throughout the following 11 months, it appeared as if about 1,000 pachinko parlors would shut their doorways for good. However, January and August turned out to be unusually excessive durations for ending pachinko companies, seemingly as a result of they mark the tip of busy seasons. As a end result, solely 579 parlors ended up closing all through 2021.
▼ One downside with closures is that the buildings are sometimes so enormous, few different companies are thinking about shopping for them. This one was rebuilt as a grocery store in 2020, however that additionally closed up in 2021.
Photo: SoraNews24
Although not as unhealthy because the earlier yr, it nonetheless quantities to a complete of 1,183 pachinko closures prior to now two years. It’s a big quantity that made many netizens take discover and depart feedback equivalent to the next.
“Great! Let’s aim for zero soon.”
“Isn’t it strange there are so many slightly illegal gambling businesses to begin with?”
“When I was younger parlors were a good place to get a part-time job, but I guess times are tougher now.”
“The times are changing, but I will miss the free public restrooms they provided.”
“It’s pretty bad that there’s a gambling parlor in front of most stations in Japan.”
“People should just invest their money instead. It’s pretty much the same as gambling.”
“The parlor in front of my parent’s place closed down last March and I involuntarily pumped my fist in excitement. It’s a supermarket now.”
“Who needs pachinko when you have app microtransactions now?”
“It’s good that they’re decreasing, but I wonder why it’s happening so fast?”
Pandemic restrictions had been undoubtedly a catalyst for the closures, however the writing has been on the wall for these companies for fairly a while now. The Japanese authorities has been step by step engaged on permitting authorized casinos in numerous areas across the nation which would supply stiff competitors regardless that they’re anticipated to be geared in direction of inbound vacationers fairly than residents of Japan.
▼ This is the previous Pachinko Slot Venice that closed down in 2020. Some say that late at evening you may nonetheless hear the sound of clacking metallic balls and incessantly ringing bells.
Photo: SoraNews24
Meanwhile, the National Police Agency enacted a sweeping reform of machine mechanics that will render upwards of 1.5 million pachinko and slot machines unlawful and in want of substitute. When confronted with fairly bleak future prospects and the prices of changing so many machines, a number of companies are clearly not seeing the worth in carrying on.
The query stays whether or not this pattern will proceed in future years, however it’s starting to really feel like pachinko is a fading a part of a bygone period.
Sources: Pachinko Pachislo Johojima, Web Green Belt, Hachima Kiko
Read extra tales from SoraNews24.
— Is pachinko headed for extinction in Japan? Studies reveal enormous drop in gamers, corridor operators
— Why don’t have any COVID-19 clusters occurred in pachinko parlors?
— Pachinko parlor employee lists the three worst varieties of prospects in Japan’s playing dens
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