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Pachinko Machine

Posted by Chris - August 24th, 2009

My parents bought a pachinko machine a number of years ago at a garage sale. We played with it when we were kids, so when we went to visit, I got it out for Ethan. He liked it.

Pachinko is played in Japan as a form of gambling. You get a bunch of tiny metal balls, pour them into a machine, and shoot them into the field, hoping to land some in the catchers and getting more balls. After you collect a number of balls, you can turn them in for prizes.

Seeing as I'm a big fan of Japanese stuff, I asked my parents if I could have it. So now it's in my basement. Maybe someday I'll try to get the lights working again. It's really fascinating because it's completely mechanical--nothing electric about it except the lights.

I guess now I'm going to spend my child-rearing years picking up tiny metal balls from all over the basement.

Comments

Cammie said on Aug 25th:

Don't forget about the cracked tooth incident. I'm not sure it's fair you got the pachinko game. What the heck!!!

Shawn L. Brixey said on Aug 27th:

Now children! No fighting! I wish I would have know that you liked pachinko as I gave my Star Wars Pachinko machine away a few years ago. It was awesome with all the Star Wars video and sound effects and stuff. I run across them every now and again and if I find one I will let you know. And yes the balls in and under everything are very familiar too. The new ones have an auto chute that just recycles the balls back in to play.

Kathryn said on Aug 27th:

That's awesome. Man, those pachinko parlors are LOUD!!!! You can hear them before you see them. It's weird passing them, too. If the door is open, as they often are, smoke is pouring out and you can see players in various states of gambling hypnosis. Strange. I wonder if you can lose your hearing in a pachinko parlor?

-->jeff * said on Sep 1st:

i hope you offer ethan giant boxes of pocky sticks as prizes.