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Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Meet Japan's ‘UFO Catcher Artisan', who thinks of ways to make claw machines easier, more attractive
– Crane games, claw machines, or UFO Catchers. Call them what you will, but these brightly lit consoles offering the promise of a prize, through a delicate dance of claw and chance, are undoubtedly the crown jewels of Japan's game arcades. Mr Mitsuharu Fukazawa, 56, knows these machines inside out. The self-professed crane game geek goes by 'UFO Catcher Artisan' on his business card, a nod to the crucial role that he has played in overseeing generations of machines launched by Japanese gaming giant Sega, best known for the iconic Sonic the Hedgehog . Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
UFO Catchers turn 40, and claw machines still have a hold on Japan
People outside Taito Station's outlet in Tokyo's Akihabara district, with five storeys above-ground and one basement floor. ST PHOTO: WALTER SIM UFO Catchers turn 40, and claw machines still have a hold on Japan Letter From Tokyo – Crane games, claw machines, or UFO Catchers. Call them what you will, but these brightly-lit consoles offering the promise of a prize, through a delicate dance of claw and chance, are undoubtedly the crown jewels of Japan's game arcades. Mr Mitsuharu Fukazawa, 56, knows these machines inside out. The self-professed crane game geek goes by 'UFO Catcher Artisan' on his business card, a nod to the crucial role that he has played in overseeing generations of machines launched by Japanese gaming giant Sega, best known for the iconic Sonic The Hedgehog . The distinctive 'UFO Catcher' name has come to be synonymous with claw machines in general, although not many may know that the name is trademarked and used within the industry to specifically refer to Sega-made consoles which were first launched 40 years ago this month , in May 1985. Such is the cultural imprint that these machines have left on the Japanese gaming landscape. The most basic steps involve players using either a joystick or buttons to navigate a mechanised claw to clasp or nudge their coveted item into the pickup box. Gameplay, however, may vary by machine. Mr Fukazawa, who joined Sega in 1991, leads a team of about 20 people overseeing UFO Catchers. Mr Mitsuharu Fukazawa, 56, joined Sega in 1991 and now leads a team of about 20 people in the development of UFO Catcher machines. ST PHOTO: WALTER SIM While he was not with the company for the first-generation UFO Catcher, he has been closely involved in the modern evolution of the game. The latest UFO Catcher 10 was launched in 2023, nine years after UFO Catcher 9, although there were many interim updates much like a smartphone operating system. Before the UFO Catcher, many claw machines were equipped with three dangling arms and unattractive prizes, he says, relegating them to the darker corners of arcades. Instead, more popular video games like Daytona USA, Dance Dance Revolution and Street Fighter took more prominence. Sega saw a business opportunity in redesigning these consoles to be more attractive and offering cute plush toys that could be a draw for families. But they were meant to be called the Eagle Catcher, inspired by how an eagle uses its talons to snatch its prey. The first generation UFO Catcher, which Japanese gaming giant Sega launched in 1985. PHOTO: SEGA Mr Fukazawa says that while the designers wrestled with making the claws look like talons, a brainwave struck his seniors, who realised that the claws look like unidentified flying objects. The rest is history: 'If we stuck with Eagle Catcher, I really don't think the name would be on everyone's lips today.' This would eventually trigger a cultural phenomenon, with limited-edition goods, large plush toys, and other merchandise. The third boom Today, it is not uncommon to find mega-arcades with hundreds of crane games – most costing 100 yen (90 Singapore cents) or 200 yen per play, depending on the type of machine and prizes – in anime hubs like Tokyo's Akihabara and Ikebukuro, or Osaka's Den-Den Town. In Yokohama, the Sarpura Asobi Town arcade has even been recognised by the Guinness World Record for hosting the most claw machines in one venue, at 555. These machines can even be found outside arcades, as prizes evolve beyond the traditional snacks, plush toys and figurines to include fresh fruit and household electronics. Mimasaka Farm, in western Japan's Okayama Prefecture, made headlines when it installed a claw machine in January 2023 offering players the chance to snag fresh seasonal fruits. Convenience store chain Lawson plans to install crane games at 1,000 stores nationwide by March 2026 to woo customers, and as a form of service to residents in rural areas. Japan, however, did not birth this gaming phenomenon, which is traced to a candy dispenser known as Digger, made in America in 1896. But through the UFO Catcher, it has undeniably perfected and popularised these game machines that are now common worldwide, including Singapore. I must confess to being a sceptic who has never bought into the hype of such games. For someone with two left hands, like myself, they seem like a hopeless endeavour and a waste of time, money and effort. Are bragging rights and a stuffed toy really worth the hassle of trying to find the correct angle, only to be foiled by the law of physics? Why not simply purchase the item outright? My curiosity, however, is piqued as UFO Catchers – the grand dames of claw machines – mark their 40th birthday. What is fuelling this enduring fascination with a game that requires skill, strategy and seemingly a healthy dose of chance? Insiders point to a third boom that began in the mid-2010s and shows no signs of fizzling. The growing popularity of anime – which I don't religiously follow – thanks to streaming platforms, is one reason, as is the trend of oshikatsu (fandom) of idols and characters. This echoes the first wave of the early 1990s, when anime character items were introduced as prizes. 'What really lit the fire was (superhero character) Anpanman,' Mr Fukazawa recalls. 'People were displaying their UFO Catcher wins on the front and back of their cars.' This triggered a virtuous circle of better prizes, with the second wave occurring at the turn of the millennium due to a wider diversity of prizes. Then came the ongoing decade-long third wave. Today, game centre operators, too, are actively collaborating with anime studios and talent agencies to create exclusive limited-edition prizes from figurines to plushies and posters to woo customers. Launch days of new prizes are marketed in advance, drawing long queues. And the idea of prizes being not typically for sale has proven appealing. The Covid-19 pandemic, meanwhile, accelerated the popularity of online crane games by companies like Sega and Taito. Players can remotely control a crane game machine in a warehouse somewhere in real time through their phones, with the consoles equipped with cameras that allow players to look at the claw from different angles. One big plus is that unlike brick-and-mortar stores that are limited by space and opening hours, players can play round-the-clock online. They will not, however, get the satisfaction of instant gratification: it takes about a week for prizes to be delivered to doorsteps within Japan, while overseas shipping remains unavailable. Strategy videos on social medi a have also fuelled hype around this game. These trends have made crane games a lifebuoy for the entire arcade industry as a whole. The golden age of the 1980s and 1990s has faded with the launch of home gaming consoles like Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, as well as smartphones today. The number of entertainment arcades in Japan peaked in 1993, when there were about 87,000 stores. But they fell below 10,000 during the pandemic in 2020, according to data by credit research firm Teikoku Databank. But overall revenues are recovering amid business consolidation, and the Japan Amusement Industry Association notes how revenues from crane games now exceed 300 billion yen annually, accounting for about 70 per cent of arcade earnings. Their popularity has attracted criminals. In a high-profile fraud case in 2017, the president of a defunct arcade company was jailed three years for defrauding customers to the tune of 1.23 million yen over three months by rigging claw machines such that they were impossible to win. But most arcades are run by veritable companies and overseen by the Japan Crane Game Association, which issues three levels of kuretatsu ('crane game expert') certifications to enthusiasts for their skills and knowledge. Getting certified can even open the door for job opportunities at game centres. Conquering a claw machine 'The fun of crane games,' says Ms Itsuko Sasaki, a corporate communications manager at Taito, 'is not only about winning prizes, but about the process of getting them, the roller-coaster emotions of a sense of accomplishment of finally snagging a prize, the thrill of navigating the arm, the tensions of near-misses.' Taito produced Japan's first homegrown claw machine in 1965, the Crown 602, which had offered candy as prizes. No known records of its development exist, but Ms Sasaki posits that it came about because foreign crane machines were expensive and often broke down. The Crown 603, which Japanese gaming company Taito launched in 1966. With sweets as prizes, the console was launched one year after Taito produced Japan's first homegrown claw game machine. PHOTO: TAITO The company, best known for developing the Space Invaders arcade game, operates Taito Station arcades that are ubiquitous in Japan today. Sega's UFO Catcher 10 machines occupy prime real estate in Taito Station centres, including at the entrance of its store at Akihabara. The UFO Catcher remains distinctively true to its name, but there are now 'prize machines' by other makers that feature different gameplay, such as by steering a cutter into position to slice a hanging string to drop a prize. Taito's latest console is the Getter Spin G, which was released in 2024 and requires players to press a button at just the right time to activate a push rod that tilts a rotating table, dislodging a prize. Taito's Getter Spin G prize machine at Taito Station's outlet in Tokyo's Akihabara district. ST PHOTO: WALTER SIM Over at Sega, Mr Fukazawa says he is constantly thinking of ways to make the UFO Catcher more attractive for players and easier for operators to use. 'In a sense, we are now just making the 'boxes ',' he says. 'We leave it up to stores to decide how to customise our machines. I visit arcades often, and it is interesting to observe how the gameplay can vary in different stores, even for the same prize.' He laughs sheepishly when he inadvertently launches a discussion on technicalities, including the available array of 11 types of arms and 19 shovels in different angles that are used for machines since UFO Catcher 9. Many machines are set up to be difficult to win on the first try. Mr Fukazawa says players should let go of their pride and ask for help if they find themselves stuck, or if an item needs repositioning. And given that UFO Catchers within the same arcade are connected, some stores can even offer up rousing congratulations when someone does win. In March, Sega launched a multi-language online guide to Japanese arcades, offering tips and tricks to conquer the UFO Catcher. ( Advice differs for different prizes. But the general rule of thumb for large plush toys, Mr Fukazawa says, is to focus on the centre of gravity rather than the centre of the toy – a common rookie mistake. As for what's central to the UFO Catcher's appeal? 'It's fun to go to places like Disneyland, but an arcade is closer to home. People can have fun for as little as 100 yen, and I think that makes it a very attractive place.' Walter Sim is Japan correspondent at The Straits Times. Based in Tokyo, he writes about political, economic and socio-cultural issues. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
