arcades in tokyo area, a few questions

[deepbluevibes]

#1: Arcades are in most malls around the tokyo area, or no? Around california arcades are 99% of the time in malls, so i'm just wondering.

#2: are there change machines for the arcade games in Tokyo? If not, where would you get change?

#3: is there any odd rules about an arcade that would be different from an average American arcade?

[Henjin]

In Kobe there were several arcades in the streets and in the nearby Motomachi mall. I can only assume there'd be even more in Tokyo. And all the ones I saw had change machines.
They were also kinda creepy, but that may just be the place and the fact that I don't personally like arcades.

[hapacheese]

1) There aren't really any "malls" in Japan. You'll understand why when you get there. Tokyo is basically one giant outdoor mall. There's usually an arcade near just about every train station, and there's a few big ones in Shibuya/Shinjuku. In Shinjuku, you can try going to Joyopolis, which is Sega's big-ass arcade. Pretty fun.

Oh, and just so you know, arcades in Japan are called ゲームセンター or ゲーセン for short.

2) Yes, there are change machines, but you have to realize that a single arcade is 100 yen. That's about $1 a game.

3) Not really. I don't know how the "I got next" rules are in Japan, though...

[Henjin]

If you put your bottle of Pocari Sweat on the machine, you got 'nexts.'

And I went to a few places I'd definately call 'malls.' Though Motomachi is more of a... covered shopping district. And I guess the other places were just depa-to w/ other shops attached. But that's basically what an American mall is, I suppose.

[hapacheese]

Yeah, they have shopping districts, but it's not like in America where there is a giant standalone building with a parking lot, etc.


Okay, well... there are, but those are way out in the boonies. Most of the time, it's the "shopping area" of town.

[Henjin]

I think the ones I went to were like 45mins to an hour outside Kobe. Is that considered the boonies?

[hapacheese]

Yes.

田舎モ~ン！！！:D

[Henjin]

本真かいな!?!

*shrug*

[Pierrot le Fou]

Go find a JJ's 100 club somewhere, sign up for it, and you get to play as much as you want on a variety of stuff for 400 yen/hour. That's a bargain most likely. And you can try out tons of different games.

[Henjin]

That does sound pretty good... A little too good...

[Varia]

All the arcades I went to were mostly purikura, prize games, and gambling games.

There just weren't many real, good games.

It was kidn of weird, too, because like almost every place would have a pop'n music, but there were hardly any beatmania's. sigh
________
MFLB (http://mflbvaporizer.com)

[Henjin]

I saw mostly golf games and mahjong. (sp?)

[PopCulturePooka]

actually yeah. I was quite disappointed about Japanese arcades.

Either large places with mostly gambling amchines, purikura and prize machines or the dark dirty dingy smoke filled places with 10 odd machines of the current in game and a few other oldies.

[kitsunepixie]

Go find a JJ's 100 club somewhere, sign up for it, and you get to play as much as you want on a variety of stuff for 400 yen/hour. That's a bargain most likely. And you can try out tons of different games.

I was about to suggest that myself. They usually have manga libraries, comfy chairs, batting cages, karaoke, ect. in case you have someone in your party who isn't into video games. They may ask you for a lot of information when you sign up, but I'm sure you'll be fine.

[PopCulturePooka]

Blue. I'm going to be mean.

Stop asking so many questions.

Its good that you're excited and curious about your trip, but its starting to seem like we are question monkeys.

And even more so, you're going to spoil half the fun of your trip. You're going to Japan boy!!! A country of surprises. A different culture. A new experience. Why ask us about things like change machines and arcades? Learn for yourself when you get there!!! Thats half the fun of being new in Japan!!!!!!

[deepbluevibes]

well, the reason why I want to know all this is because I will most likely not get another trip back there for years and years, and i'll only be there for 10 days.

Sorry to sound like a dick or something, but going and walking around aimlessly and getting lost isn't exactly my idea of fun. My life has kind of engrained it in my head that suprises aren't worth it when you can know what's going on, so I like to know as much as possible.

Honestly though if you don't want to answer the question, don't. I'm just asking because i'm curious, and I appreciate the replies.

[Henjin]

Don't sweat it. It's good to be prepared.

[stsparky]

Trackdown a copy of "Footloose in Tokyo" - it's a slim paperback but if you can't --

Betty Reynolds' "Clueless In Tokyo : Explorer's Sketchbook Of Weird And Wonderful Things In Japan"
or
Rick Kennedy's "Little Adventures in Tokyo: 39 Thrills for the Urban Explorer"
and
Susan Pompian's "Tokyo for Free"

Oh - most of the fun stuff is at the TIC - you may even make a hookup there - Sparky

[deepbluevibes]

Don't sweat it. It's good to be prepared.

i mean I usually do things unprepared, just going to san francisco for a day, or whatever, but this is a new country, new language, new culture, new everything, and being there only 10 days, i don't want to just waste it all going aimlessly around.

also, if i haven't mentioned it in a while, my dad's going also, and let's put it this way; henjin, you know how i am with japanese and the culture and language and knowledge of maps, all of that put together right? like i barely know anything? my dad knows maybe 1/50th of what I do of all of that. ~_~ so a lot of this is for him, also, more than me probably. (besides the arcade question haha)

Sparky; what's the TIC?

[Henjin]

You'll be fine. It seemed to me like you could get around just fine w/ only English. I was glad to know what little Japanese I do, though. (would've been nice to have been ignorant of what the people around us were saying about foreigners, though. :p )

[deepbluevibes]

You'll be fine. It seemed to me like you could get around just fine w/ only English. I was glad to know what little Japanese I do, though. (would've been nice to have been ignorant of what the people around us were saying about foreigners, though. :p )

oh, I know. i just want to make friends there also, is all. like if i'm playing drummania and i'm pwning it and someone comes up to me, or if i'm at a club or if i'm in an internet cafe editing video, and someone talks to me or asks something i don't want to be like...

"boku ga nihongo o hanashi ja arimasen" or something...
haha

[Faumdano]

I'm pretty sure what you wrote isn't quite right....
「僕が日本語を話しじゃありません」 is nonsense, I think.

What would be a more natural way of saying that?
「日本語は話せません」？
「すみません、日本語は下手なんですけど。。。」？

[Henjin]

"boku ga nihongo o hanashi ja arimasen" or something...
haha

Yeah, that's not really correct.

How about 「日本語ができない。ほっといてくれよ！」

[BluZytrix]

My experience of arcades had also not met my expectations. Many places will have like four acutal video games like Drummania near the doorway so that you can see them and then the rest of the place is filled with Pachinko or slot machines. Gambling is much more popular than I thought. One of the arcades I went to in Shibuya was three storeies tall and the constant smell of smoke was enough to make me feel like I had just quite after walking out of that building. I'm a heavy DDR player and heavy breathing with second hand smoke is just not cool. On the upside, I did happen to impress many people who were in the arcade with some of my skills. It was a nice way to meet some people and say hi.

[deepbluevibes]

My experience of arcades had also not met my expectations. Many places will have like four acutal video games like Drummania near the doorway so that you can see them and then the rest of the place is filled with Pachinko or slot machines. Gambling is much more popular than I thought. One of the arcades I went to in Shibuya was three storeies tall and the constant smell of smoke was enough to make me feel like I had just quite after walking out of that building. I'm a heavy DDR player and heavy breathing with second hand smoke is just not cool. On the upside, I did happen to impress many people who were in the arcade with some of my skills. It was a nice way to meet some people and say hi.

what arcade was this? :D

also, henjin, the comp im on right now can't read japanese font and i'm having problems installing that.. would you mind typing it in romaji? ^^;;

[Excel-2008]

All the arcades I went to were mostly purikura, prize games, and gambling games.

There just weren't many real, good games.

It was kidn of weird, too, because like almost every place would have a pop'n music, but there were hardly any beatmania's. sigh
At least you got the chance to play any bemani games outside DDR (even if you actually didn't). I have the PS2 versions of various pop'n music and beatmania IIDX games. I don't, however, have any matching controllers. Quite frankly, one of the things I want to do before I die is to play either game on an official controller at least once.

[PopCulturePooka]

The most popular beatmanie game in Japan, while I was there, was far and away, easy peasily, that weird drumming one with the old tribal drums and the blue and red smiley faces.

Many arcades I went to only had that one for the BM type games.

[PopCulturePooka]

http://japan.weill.org/photos/games/taiko_no_tatsujin_3.jpg

[deepbluevibes]

i'm kind of a bemani resource, living in california, having been to a ton of tournaments, hosted them etc. so if there's any questions about any music games at all... <----

that game you're talking about is taiko no tatsujin. it's supposed to be like taiko drums. =P

i just want to play drummania.. drummania V.. working drummania.. doesn't exist in california @_@

[Xenotrauma]

Feel free to try taiko, but if you're even a half-decent rhythm game player you'll probably be a little.. um.. bored.

If you can play drummania, you could probably destroy any taiko release in one sitting. At least maybe you'll look cool doing it? ^_^;

[stsparky]

Sparky; what's the TIC?

Tourist Information Center - there'll be one at Narita. I got a date with the girl manning one in Shinjuku back in 1988. They're called the TIC.


One other thing - from the Akasaka Prince Hotel - head to the Akasaka-Mitsuke Station Subway. There'll be a Kinko's on your right and weird alley dogleg - ahh here 's a map.http://static.flickr.com/25/45991304_f1d3325f7d_o.jpg
enjoy! - Sparky

[Henjin]

Would that be the 「案内所」?

[BluZytrix]

I've played that taiko game before. It's a lot of fun beating the hell out of the drum and since I'm pretty good at DDR, the game was easy be pick up. I'm sorry, I don't remember the name of the place I played DDR at. I went to Shinjuku today and found another arcade with ddr, the drumming game, guitar freaks and this DJ game. I have found that this DJ game has been the most popular. It has like 10 buttons you smash and a large turn table that you spin to the music. I haven't tried it yet but it looks fun.

[stsparky]

Would that be the 「案内所」?

Heh - They're the red 'X's - These are SEGA branded 'gaming arcades' I believe - I was asked to not come back to one for 'totally dominating' a UFO catcher for kids wanting a fist sized "Disney Pooh in a sweater" doll thing.
http://ob3.ojiji.net/ufo/u-200212botan-pooh.jpg
akin to the above

This was a bit after kids considered me a "Black Santa!" - not a Black man but as the 'mean Santa' who kidnaps kids ...

Still have about 14 of the things for my nieces and nephew. Heh.

[deepbluevibes]

Feel free to try taiko, but if you're even a half-decent rhythm game player you'll probably be a little.. um.. bored.

If you can play drummania, you could probably destroy any taiko release in one sitting. At least maybe you'll look cool doing it? ^_^;

yeah, i tried it before at an anime convention. destroyed the game on it's hardest setting first try haha =P

[Henjin]

I met someone who really liked Pooh when I was in Japan. Imagine 'I like poooooh!' in an excited female Japanese accent. Heheh.

[PopCulturePooka]

I met someone who really liked Pooh when I was in Japan. Imagine 'I like poooooh!' in an excited female Japanese accent. Heheh.
Meeting a girl that loves Pooh in Japan is like finding Gun Owners in an NRA meeting.

[Faumdano]

I love the double entendre there Pooka :D (for those of you familliar with a certain picture involving a bathtub)

[hapacheese]

PCP - Particularly Pooh dressed in various animal costumes or classic Pooh.

The mantle above my fireplace is adorned with various Totoro and Pooh-related goods =\ I'm slowly trying to reclaim it with various Panda Z figures :D

[Henjin]

Meeting a girl that loves Pooh in Japan is like finding Gun Owners in an NRA meeting.

Not suprised, but it was the 'I like pooooohh!!' part that amused me.