Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
As school and work finish for the day, crowds begin to fill the many bustling arcade halls in Tokyo, Japan. But most people are not here to battle it out in fighting games. They are here to snag plush toys from claw machines.
In Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district, arcades are filled with these machines, which are also called crane games.
“Crane games are keeping the sector afloat,” Morihiro Shigihara said. He is an industry expert and former arcade manager. Some 80 per cent of Japan’s arcades have closed since 1989. But money remains steady thanks to claw machines.
Last year, the industry officially celebrated the 60th anniversary of the construction crane-inspired claw machines.
Suzuna Nogi is a 20-year-old student. She visits these arcades at least twice a week. Nogi is in search of “big plushies” and sometimes spends up to 3,000 yen (around US$19) on trying.
“What I like best is the sense of accomplishment,” she said.
