What is a pachinko parlour?
What a Japanese pachinko parlour is, what you'll find inside, how it's regulated, and why visitors find it confusing (it's simpler than it looks).
New to pachinko?
Start here
Read these in order and you'll know more than most visitors who've actually been inside. Each guide is short, sourced and dated.
Beginner essentials
Pachinko vs pachislot
Balls or reels? Handle or buttons? A side-by-side guide to Japan's two parlour games, how to tell the cabinets apart, and which one suits a first visit.
What pachinko costs
What ¥1,000 actually buys at 4-yen and 1-yen pachinko and at 20-yen and 5-yen pachislot, realistic first-visit budgets, and why you control the maximum you can lose.
Is pachinko gambling?
How pachinko is regulated in Japan, why halls can't pay cash, and how the three-shop prize exchange works. Neutral, sourced, not legal advice.
Your first visit, step by step
Everything to do before, during and after your first pachinko or pachislot session: what to bring, choosing a seat, taking breaks, counting up, prizes and leaving.
Etiquette & rules
The house rules nobody tells visitors: 18+ and ID, where you can smoke since 2020, how to tell if a seat is taken, breaks, photos, member cards and saving balls.
Understand the culture
Pachinko prizes explained
The pachinko prize counter explained: general prizes (snacks, drinks, souvenirs) vs special prizes, the ¥9,600 cap, why halls stock 500+ items, and tips for visitors.
7 min read
Pachinko Japanese phrases
A pachinko phrase sheet for visitors: what to say to staff, the counter and the prize desk, plus the Japanese screen words (大当り, 確変, 右打ち, 設定) explained in English.
7 min read
History of pachinko
How pachinko grew from European wall games and festival stalls into a postwar boom, how pachislot arrived in 1964, and the rule changes behind today's halls.
10 min read
Pachinko in film, TV & anime
Why Apple TV+'s drama and Min Jin Lee's novel are called Pachinko, Kaiji's pachinko machine 'the Bog', Evangelion's long run in parlours, and Korea's Sea Story scandal.
8 min read
Before you go: printables and budget
First-visit cheat sheet
A one-page printable cheat sheet for your first pachinko visit: what to bring, the buttons in Japanese, step-by-step play, prize counter, manners and your budget box.
3 min read
Staff help card
A point-and-show help card for pachinko halls: common requests in Japanese with English, Traditional Chinese and Korean, for when no staff member speaks your language.
3 min read
Set a pachinko budget
A simple way to set a pachinko budget before you play: decide the yen and the time, pick a cheaper rate, take only that cash, and know how fast a machine can use it.
5 min read
Gambling help by country
Free, confidential gambling helplines: the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand and Singapore, plus links to support in Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Korea and Hong Kong.
4 min read
Then learn the machines
How to play pachinko · How to play pachislot · Glossary of screen words · FAQ