Landmark Akihabara arcade, opened by Sega over 30 years ago, announces sudden closure
It's been a tumultuous couple of years for the arcade industry in Japan. Not even the otaku mecca of the Akihabara neighborhood is completely buffered, as it's been announced that one of the Tokyo neighborhood's oldest 'game centers,' as arcades are called in Japanese, will be closing and very soon.
Back in the early '90s, Sega was riding high, as a developer of not just video game software, but hardware too, producing home consoles, handheld systems, and arcade machines. In 1992, it opened High-tech Land Sega Shintoku on a corner of Chuo-dori, the main street of Akihabara. The entire multi-story building was one huge arcade, eventually changing its name to Club Sega Akihabara and then Sega Akihabara Building 1.
Sega's fortunes later faded and the company made the decision to pare back its operations and focus on software production and publishing, stepping out of the home hardware arena in 2001 and finally selling off its arcade management business at the end of 2021. That didn't result in the shuttering of all of its arcades, however, as new owner Genda has continued operating many of them under its GiGO brand, including the former Sega Akihabara Building 1, now called GiGO Akihabara Building 1, which had the distinction of being Sega's longest-operating whole-building sized arcade at the time of its sale.
▼ GiGO Akihabara Building 1
But now the end is coming for GiGO Akihabara Building 1, and it's coming very quickly. On Tuesday, Genda announced that the landmark arcade will be closing down permanently at the end of the summer.
In its press release, Genda says the reason for the arcade's closure is that its lease is expiring. No details have been given over whether negotiating for a new lease was an option or not, but the company says that after GiGO vacates the building the company Matahari Entertainment will be coming in to set up an 'amusement facility.' Matahari is also involved in arcade management, but its chain, called Silk Hat, closed one of its most well-known arcades not too long ago. Taking that into consideration, Matahari might be moving in with its Baa@se brand of karaoke/darts bar/Internet cafe facilities instead, or perhaps is developing a new concept specifically for the Akihabara location.
Regardless of what comes next, though, GiGO Akihabara Building 1's last day will be August 31.
Source: PR Times, Matahari Entertainment
Top image: PR Times
● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
37 minutes ago
- Japan Today
Landmark Akihabara arcade, opened by Sega over 30 years ago, announces sudden closure
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24 It's been a tumultuous couple of years for the arcade industry in Japan. Not even the otaku mecca of the Akihabara neighborhood is completely buffered, as it's been announced that one of the Tokyo neighborhood's oldest 'game centers,' as arcades are called in Japanese, will be closing and very soon. Back in the early '90s, Sega was riding high, as a developer of not just video game software, but hardware too, producing home consoles, handheld systems, and arcade machines. In 1992, it opened High-tech Land Sega Shintoku on a corner of Chuo-dori, the main street of Akihabara. The entire multi-story building was one huge arcade, eventually changing its name to Club Sega Akihabara and then Sega Akihabara Building 1. Sega's fortunes later faded and the company made the decision to pare back its operations and focus on software production and publishing, stepping out of the home hardware arena in 2001 and finally selling off its arcade management business at the end of 2021. That didn't result in the shuttering of all of its arcades, however, as new owner Genda has continued operating many of them under its GiGO brand, including the former Sega Akihabara Building 1, now called GiGO Akihabara Building 1, which had the distinction of being Sega's longest-operating whole-building sized arcade at the time of its sale. But now the end is coming for GiGO Akihabara Building 1, and it's coming very quickly. On Tuesday, Genda announced that the landmark arcade will be closing down permanently at the end of August. In its press release, Genda says the reason for the arcade's closure is that its lease is expiring. No details have been given over whether negotiating for a new lease was an option or not, but the company says that after GiGO vacates the building the company Matahari Entertainment will be coming in to set up an 'amusement facility.' Matahari is also involved in arcade management, but its chain, called Silk Hat, closed one of its most well-known arcades not too long ago. Taking that into consideration, Matahari might be moving in with its Baa@se brand of karaoke/darts bar/Internet cafe facilities instead, or perhaps is developing a new concept specifically for the Akihabara location. Regardless of what comes next, though, GiGO Akihabara Building 1's last day will be August 31. Source: PR Times, Matahari Entertainment Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- Sega's old arcades are making money again as new owners announce 3.175-billion yen profit -- Sega's old arcade right outside Akihabara Station is closing, taking takeout cafe stand with it -- Sega successor opens new arcade with a regional craft beer bar inside it External Link © SoraNews24
SoraNews24
4 hours ago
- SoraNews24
New multi-floor arcade opens in Tokyo on same day Akihabara landmark announces closure
We may have to say goodbye to Akihabara Building 1, but it's also time to say hello to a brand-new GiGO arcade elsewhere in Tokyo. On Tuesday, we got the sad news that one of Japan's most iconic video game arcades is shutting down. GiGO, the company that took over Sega's arcade operations when the latter company bowed out of the industry, announced that it will be shutting down its GiGO Akihabara Building 1 arcade in Tokyo's otaku neighborhood of Akihabara, which originally opened as the High-tech Land Sega Shintoku back in 1992. However, while the curtain will be closing on 33 years of gaming history, GiGO is starting a new chapter of it as well, as on the very same day that the company said it'll be closing down Akihabara Building 1, it also opened a brand-new multi-story arcade elsewhere in Tokyo. GiGO Fuchu held its grand opening on July 15, and the three-floor arcade, with approximately 1,653 square meters (17,792 square feet), isn't tucked away in some back alley. It's right next to the bus rotary just a one-minute walk from Fuchu Station's Central Exit, making the arcade (which is open to 11:30 at night) conveniently located for commuters looking to pop in for some arcade fun on their way home from the office or school. As is the norm these days, the first floor is primarily the domain of crane games, with 174 prize machines installed as of opening day, a number of which are stocked with GiGO-exclusive prizes. There's also space in this part of the arcade for 'experience games,' a loose term in Japanese gamer jargon for driving games and other arcade genres that use something other than a conventional joystick and buttons to control the action. The third floor, meanwhile, is for 'large-scale video games,' music games, and medal games, and sandwiched in the middle, on the second floor, are the purikura/sticker photo booths. While it's undeniably sad that GiGO Akihabara Building 1 is closing down, there's a lot to be happy about with the opening of GiGO Fuchu. For starters, this part of the Fuchu neighborhood has been going through a redevelopment project, which suggests that this isn't a case of GiGO sliding in on a short-term deal just to fill a vacancy, but rather that it's planning to be part of the community for a long time. Speaking of the community, in contrast to the tourist-oriented Akihabara, Fuchu is a more modest rail hub that connects suburbs west of downtown Tokyo with Shinjuku Station, which is about a 15-minute ride away. So while visiting GiGO Fuchu is a doable detour for those in the city center, it also has the opportunity to become a gathering spot for local arcade fans, the sort of place that's become harder to find as many independent neighborhood arcades have gone out of business. Arcade information GiGO Fuchu / GiGO調布 Address: Tokyo-to, Fuchu-shi, Fuda 4-2-4 東京都調布市布田4丁目2-4 Open 10 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Website Source, images: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
7 hours ago
Kendama: Japan's Traditional Cup-and-Ball Toy
Cultural Snapshots Guideto Japan The kendama is a Japanese variant on cup-and-ball games. It is enjoyed by both children performing simple tricks and adults completing much more complex ones. Endless Tricks The kendama, Japan's variation on the traditional cup-and-ball game, adds complexity through the different ways players can grip the toy and catch the ball, with three different-sized cups and a spike at the end offering practitioners of any skill level an array of tricks to attempt ranging from the simple to the advanced. The name of the toy is derived from ken, the 'sword' or handle, and tama, meaning 'ball.' The kendama has a long history, but the modern form of the toy originated in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima, in 1921 and has paved the way for its enduring popularity in Japan. There are a number of competitions in Japan and overseas where enthusiasts can pit their skills against other practitioners, including the Kendama World Cup held each year since 2014 in Hatsukaichi. (© Pixta) (Originally written in English. Banner photo © Pixta.)
