“Pachinko”; born-in-Japan entertainment
“Pachinko”; born-in-Japan entertainment is seen everywhere throughout the country. Among those who have traveled to Japan, there may be some people who have seen pachinko parlors but felt hesitant about going in since you were not sure how to play it. For those with such experiences, in this article, we will tell you about how to play pachinko.
1. What is pachinko
Pachinko is a recreational game to release a steel ball into a playfield populated by a lot of pins. If your ball falls into one of catchers, you will either get a prize or get more balls. With “￥1 pachinko”, you can get a ball for ￥1, and with “￥4 pachinko”, you can get a ball for ￥4.
2. How to play
Once in a pachinko parlor, you will be surprised to see a variety of machines available to choose from. To win, you need specific strategies for each machine, but in this article, we will tell you about basic procedures to play a game in 6 steps.
2-1. Choose your machine
First of all, let’s find your favorite machine. If you are not sure which one to choose, it may be a good idea to look for a machine featured with anime or a song you are familiar with.
2-2. Get balls
Insert money into a ball renting machine on the left side of a pachinko machine and then press a button to receive balls.
2-3.Grip a handle and project a ball into a playfield.
Grip a handle at the lower right of the machine and turn it right thus launching a ball into a playfield.
You can adjust a momentum of a ball with the handle, so find the right position that will push a ball into a central-located “start chucker”. When the ball launches in the start chucker, numbers and pictures on a LCD screen will start to rotate. Then, if you get matching numbers or pictures, you win! You are going to receive of lots of additional balls!
2-4. Call for a store clerk when your tray gets full!
If you win a big time and your balls are almost falling out of a tray, press a button on top of a machine and call for a store clerk to get an extra case to store your balls. Or if you want help for any other reasons, press the same button for assistance.
2-5. Have a store clerk count the number of your balls!
When finished with the game, call for a store clerk and have him/her count the number of your balls. When finished, you will receive a receipt with a number on it.
2-6. Exchange the receipt with a prize
After receiving your receipt, go over to a service counter and exchange it with a prize. There are varieties of prizes to choose from depending on the number of balls.
3. Warning in a pachinko parlor
- ・No admission allowed for those under 18 years old
- ・No balls are allowed to be taken out of a shop. Exchange balls with a prize. No balls from other parlors are allowed to be brought in.
- ・Please do not play while intoxicated.
- ・Please do not occupy more than 1 machine.
- ・Please do not bang on a machine.
- ・please take your valuables with you when leaving a machine.
※Pictures shown are images. Prizes vary in each parlor. Please find out specifics in each store.
Also, find out how to play “pachisuro”; a game very similar to pachinko in the HP listed below.