Game Centers seem to have weathered the pandemic well and are as big and bold and fun as ever. As usual we’ve spent a lot of time in them and this will only increase during the last days of our trip.
I’ve of course lost more often than I’ve won, but it’s always fun and I’m sure I’ll win a few more items before we leave.
The above shows my famous technique for a type of game where you use a claw to pull an item down to release (and win) it. My skill is unparalleled at such machines, however they rarely have prizes I want!
The prizes in the games remain varied and eclectic, from food to figures to toys to house goods to just weird. We’ve played a lot of Kit Kat machines!
Gacha machines are still everywhere, and still have an insane variety. It’s easy these days to take photos of weird gacha toys. I should have got that tiny playable Go set shouldn’t I?
The above are warning posters posted at train . I’ve always liked how Japan use such methods to dissuade the population, and the above four (from top left, clockwise) are warnings against underage smoking, ignoring road rules for scooters, being a stalker or being a woman of loose morals!
Advertising increasingly uses licensed characters, and I could easily fill ten blog entries with examples. My favourite is the above Fist Of The North Star washing machine advertisement which includes the (paraphrased) line: “The dirt is already cleaned!” (That’s a reference to a famous line in the original manga.)
Yesterday I felt poorly so we just shopped and rested. The above was kristins dessert cake. Would you eat it?