This game has been called Japan's national pastime, a popular leisure activity played by as many as 50 million people in Japan. Pachinko parlors are characterized by bright neon signs, harsh lights, and military-style marching music, in which players have the opportunity to win prizes.

Origin and Play

Pachinko is based on an early 20th century American pinball game called Corinthian, known in Japanese as "korinto gemu," which first came to Japan in the 1920s. In Pachinko, however, the machine has been tilted vertically so that player can sit down in order to play the game.

The balls are propelled up and then fall back toward the bottom through a grouping of pins toward open slots. When a ball goes into a scoring slot, the machine provides more balls. Any balls that are left at the end of a session are taken back to the counter where they are counted by machine. The player is given a slip that shows the amount of the winnings. This slip can then be exchanged for prizes.

Prizes

The prizes given for winning are usually small items such as pickled plums, cigarettes, or candy. A few parlors provide a wider range of household products or electronic devices. Most pachinko parlors also give out "special" prizes that can be turned in for cash. These cash payments are not legal however, and often involve underworld sources.

The authorities generally tend to turn a blind eye to such practices. Because the cash payoffs are illegal, they cannot take place openly within the parlor itself; a pachinko player who elects to receive such a "special" prize must take that prize somewhere else to get the cash payment. Sometimes, the exchange is made through what is literally a hole in a wall next to an alley.

Pachinko Machines

There are three main kinds of pachinko machines:

"Hanemono" is considered the easiest to play. This kind of machine has a central scoring slot with wing-like devices which open for a short period under certain conditions so that the balls can enter more easily.

"Deji-Pachi" machines have payoffs that are controlled by a computer. Such machines feature an electronic display in the center, which is activated when a ball enters a particular slot. On deji-pachi machines, placement of pins is of less important than on a hanemono machine.

"Kenrimono" machines are for serious players. The name refers to certain "rights" which are earned in the course of play. Success on such a machine requires a detailed knowledge of these "rights" and how use them advantageously. Players can win large amounts, but also lose a lot at these machines.

A modest-sized pachinko parlor will have at least 100 machines to choose from. Larger parlors may have 500 or more pachinko machines.