8 hours ago
Rice, other daily goods up for grabs as new Japan crane game prizes
KAWAGOE, Saitama -- At a game center in this eastern Japan city near Tokyo, children try to win prizes in a crane game. But here, the winnings are not limited to stuffed animals and candy -- 900-gram packs of white rice are also up for grabs.
"I got it!" exclaimed a child as a large bag fell with a thump from the crane game's hook. The loot? A 900-gram pack of Koshihikari prewashed rice. The child's reaction was just like they had won a stuffed animal, all the same.
Responding to surging rice prices and increased consumer demand, the amusement center of Mandai Shoten's Kawagoe location in Saitama Prefecture began offering bagged rice as crane game prizes in late May.
About six months ago, the location intensified its use of daily essentials as prizes, aiming to attract more families. In addition to bread, melons and strawberries, practical goods have also been available as prizes, with toilet paper once in the lineup.
After consulting with a supplier about turning high-priced rice into a prize, the store introduced a crane game stocked with 900-gram bags of rice. The initial batch of 90 bags sold out within days, prompting a reorder due to the game's popularity.
Store manager Hiroshi Fukasawa, 43, stated, "Even with soaring prices, there is always a desire to have fun somewhere in our hearts. By making daily necessities into prizes, I hope people will think, 'Maybe I can get these for less than buying them,' and come play casually."
Yotaro Sakamoto, 40, who won a bag of rice with his family on the third attempt, commented, "I thought it would be hard to hook the prize, but I was lucky to get it. Lately, rice has been so expensive that there have been times I couldn't buy any. Now I can enjoy Koshihikari rice, if only a little."
(Japanese original by Daiki Takikawa, Photo and Video Department)
