Arcades in Japan ROCK!

Arcades in Japan are unlike arcades in any other country- not just because the games are awesome, but thanks to...

• The skilled players (watch some of the people in these videos!)
• The particular wave of sound that hits you as you walk through them
• The design and appearance of the games

So if you find yourself in Japan, you'll have to wander through a couple! You won't have trouble finding some- Masumi Akagi of Japan's Game Publisher magazine once reported that there are 9,500 arcades in the country containing over 445,000 machines.

Visiting arcades in Japan is practically a pilgrimage for me, since so many of the world's most popular arcade games were first developed in this country, and many games that we've yet to widely adopt in the States can be found in Japanese arcades.

The arcade in this particular video is in the Don Quijote complex in Akihabara, Tokyo. This is the same building that houses the @home maid cafe and in which AKB48 performs. It also has several floors of discount stores. If you're into otaku culture or electronics, Akihabara should be a mandatory stop on any future visit to Japan, though you will find several great arcades in nearly every city in the country.