The World of Pachinko

In Japan office workers, after coming out of the office, relax in so called "Pachinko" halls. The Pachinko is the machine above (foto above found on the internet, as it is impossible to take pictures inside). This manchine has hundreds of "fine-tuned" needles. The game (or the gambling as we might want to call it) consists in dropping a steel ball on the top and let it fall down. The goal is to make sure it falls in a certain hole to get points.

Now, as the needles are carefully positioned, it might be difficult. I have no statistics on this, but i guess we can classify it as a slot machine kind of game.

The feeling inside is like being in a game salon. Very high music, big noise made by the machines and a thick cloud of smoke. They are smoking a lot inside, really a lot!

Sneaking a look inside, i've seen people with baskets full of steel balls. If i recall correctly, the steel balls they gained, are not changed in money but in some kind of prizes.

I took the picture above on a wednesday night, but normally those places are much more full in busy places...but this one, was one of the few, with an open window thru which i could take the picture ;)...