Japan's Biggest Gaming Obsession Explained | Pachinko

Pachinko is Japan's biggest game. And yet many people overseas have never even heard of it.
► WHERE we played: Ebisu Cafe in Takayama! bit.ly/ebistaka...
Many thanks to Ebisu Cafe for sponsoring this video; we’d long wanted to get into a Pachinko parlor to film, and we had a great time uncovering the games history and letting Natsuki loose on the machines.
► Learn more about Pachinko:
bit.ly/ebistaka...
NOTE: Winning is not guaranteed. (Natsuki is genuinely experienced. And a lucky boy).
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► PATREON: goo.gl/NWEoQm
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[@irv8669]

It all makes sense now. In pokemon, the slot machines were in a separate building than the building to exchange the slot winnings for pokemon or TM's because of Japanese laws 😯

[@rmommandi]

mind=blown

[@ACT1O1]

Now of days kids play Pokémon and they just throw a poke ball and that’s it

[@patinpatin12]

You sir have blown my mind. Now it makes sense.

[@MrMaximumprime]

!!!!!!! HOLY SHIIIIIIIIIIIT

[@Dondadayoh]

Looool I love you !!!!

[@jacktenenbaum2477]

Natsuki is the man I strive to be everyday.

[@Tore_Lund]

If he was a movie character, he would be the slightly annoying friend with a heart of gold, that dies saving the main character.

[@JoyceAiman]

You gotta have balls of metal

[@oliviahey9016]

That’s saying something....hmm

[@kollimenakal]

Im cureva! Endo..laki boi

[@drugsilove2364]

The host seems like an asshole. You can see it in his body language, trying to push Nastuki like he's a fool, when he is trying to be light hearted. I wonder why they hired this british guy.

[@dao_jones]

When Natsuki starts speaking Japanese he transforms from a comic relief anime character into a PhD sociologist.

[@casabaixo]

Best comment

[@catsareyes6446]

@Pixie Pumpkin ?

[@mrvegetables2934]

@Pixie Pumpkin ?

[@hiheyxd]

¿ @Pixie Pumpkin

[@dao_jones]

@Pixie Pumpkin (っ^‿^)っ UwU touch me senpai

[@Steph1]

He does emphasize how loud it is a few times, but you really gotta experience it yourself to truly understand how insanely loud it is. IT’S CAPSLOCK LEVEL LOUD

[@iceswallow7717]

what if silence is the real loudness and pachinko is trying to liberate ur mind?!?!?

[@rocklee5x]

@@iceswallow7717 a Disturbed song comes to mind

[@mikehunt3420]

@@iceswallow7717i wanna buy you a beer lol

[@rickmortyson4861]

Ever been on a Karneval street party? With millions of people drinking liquor and screaming out loud?

[@sirphantoon6731]

​@@rickmortyson4861ever been inside one of those pachinko parlors? It's out of this world stupdily loud lol

[@Awesomepedia]

Making a feature really has put your production values through the roof! This video feels like a classy documentary. Looking forward to the big bike project which will undoubtedly lead to another increase in your movie making skills.

[@dean_6953]

Also was thinking the exact same thing

[@Gharon]

Yeah, not that earlier videos were low quality by any means, but this feels like another step up. I was genuinely impressed by the cuts and editing in this one, can't wait for the bike tour project to begin.

[@SoyElDiabloRojo]

No joke, Chris, you've kicked it up a notch-or-three. Maybe a Natsuki.

[@Feuryy]

He’ll have his own series on British TV before we know it :)

[@lolalemonite1774]

ikr!

[@robertfletcher11]

I knew a guy in Tokyo who was a Pachinko professional. He spent most of his time hanging around in the conversation lounge of the English school (Adult) I worked at, then would spend a couple of hours at a Pachinko place and win enough money for dinner and the next day. He did say he had to be careful to visit different Pachinko parlors in wide spread areas, in case the Yakuza who ran the parlors got angry at him for winning too much.

[@kettelbe]

Ahah we have that too in Belgium, we have a gambling pinball called Bingo, where you can win money from the cafe, i knew someone that did that too, up to 400€/good day. :)

[@At0m1c_At0m]

@@kettelbe Wish i was that lucky

[@Mysticmoon62]

@@kettelbe we have bingo in America but mostly older people play it thought

[@phaeste]

@@Mysticmoon62 im pretty sure you mean a different bingo, the one old people play is pure luck, the one talked about by the other guy has skill in it and is a different game

[@timesupgr.8471]

North Korea also runs a lot of them. I wouldn’t want to play with them either.

[@YakuiMeido]

"Retired veteran of pachinko" That's a nice way to say recovering gambling addict.. From now on I'll call myself a "Retired Opiate Connoisseur"

[@saints360row]

Yakui, Naw, a self-proclaimed apothecary. :D

[@tjay45]

now he is an addict again

[@chieffanLJ27]

I thought the same. I didnt "retire" from getting fucked uip lol

[@goose4342]

opioids....... My first and longest standing love unfortunately.

[@user-dj9iu2et3r]

I prefer retired street pharmacist.

[@ice7194]

I came here to understand the new jujutsu kaisen chapter, but wow that was so interesting and informative! It's always so cool to learn about other cultures. Thanks a lot!

[@biancad.4440]

lmao same

[@addersonbolivar4437]

Same

[@MyJustinNameIsHi]

same

[@SASPAT31]

Same!

[@spikespiegel1754]

Lmao

[@hobbesters7251]

Chris: I'll fuel your gambling addiction and you will fuel my alcohol addiction.

[@dant5349]

Mutually Assured Destruction

[@emhapz]

Codependency be like

[@curangcank]

Win win condition :)

[@patrykkozubik6051]

Two-way parasitism

[@666kenrino]

I see this as an absolute winn

[@kennethanderson3555]

When natski appears, you know its going to be amazing

[@AbroadinJapan]

"COME ON BOOOOOY" Closely followed by; "I'm drunkard". Another t-shirt worthy quote.

[@jatocato]

"WILD NATSUKI. appeared!"

[@MajorAddiction]

Teamwork ja nai

[@CluntsBiggCawk]

@@AbroadinJapanWhy do you keep making slight jabs at him? You showed him no respect. Making him say “I like balls,” making embarrassed faces when he says something funny, and so on. This is why people think foreigners are rude.

[@funkymonkey787]

This is now my life while in quarantine. Binge watching videos of a sarcastic British dude and his peculiar Japanese friend... These are truly dark times

[@kingsi4869]

Bro I was supposed to be flying to Japan in exactly 3 weeks time for the trip of my dreams, but some dickhead decided to eat a goddamn bat so here I am.

[@marllonluizsilva2556]

@@kingsi4869 dude isn't bat, someone got bited by a pangolin

[@ifalm4274]

@@kingsi4869 damn bro same

[@momon8738]

bro, I do not know if there is any better option than that. congrats

[@Dhardy316]

@@marllonluizsilva2556 A pengolin got bite by a bat!!!

[@EhCloserLook]

When I visited Japan right after I graduated high school, one of the things that made the biggest impression on me was seeing how crowded the Pachinko parlors were in Kyoto and Osaka. Truly peculiar!

[@BebxOfficial]

Can I just say that the editing on this video was phenomenal? Lots of beautiful camera angles, and very cohesive. Den-awda-den!

[@bovrar2nd861]

I was just about to say the same! LOL

[@henryi9738]

Not just editing, but great story line with a humorous drunk to boot !

[@BernyHi_CosmicHoney]

I agree! I really like that shot of the airplane and then the tilt down shot. I had to watch it a few times. Nicely done!

[@ValCronin]

It was so good that I didn't even notice anything that seemed out of place. Super fluid, great timing...you are completely right.

[@blackpinkkpop2048]

Take a recovering gambling addict and get him to gamble for you 😂 how thoughtful

[@mikeyarcades]

To satisfy alcoholism😂

[@supergamerfr]

That's the kind of moment japan is made for

[@YachtyBurner]

nobody said recovering, right?

[@local_hotpotato]

3:56 ..... Yup

[@JaydevRaol]

😂

[@BADCompanySarge]

This video was really good. It felt like you managed to capture the best parts of a documentary and a KZbin video. Very informative but without it feeling like a lecture or essay. Great work Chris!

[@leonardodavinci4259]

BADCompanySarge - Exactly. The balance isn't toppled.

[@kevinmalone3210]

I played pachinko a few times. It's addictive and hard to stop once you get into it. At least for me it was.

[@qwerty49424]

It's no different then pokies. I really can't understand how people find it addictive. If shiny lights and noises is all it takes to get you to give me your money then shit boy have I got some things for you

[@24inchDubs]

@@qwerty49424 it's the fact you can get good and how You can manipulate the statistical alignments of the balls. Give a much higher output of the outcome you desire the louder the bing on a certain point. The angle of attack of a certain ping sound is what you look for. It's learning the different pitches of the sound Bing, Bing m*********** it is the absolute artistry, a sound of the angles in which it hits resonating to your ears, the people having their little celebration when you have a win, the atmosphere, the sound, the alcohol. It's just fantastic. It's the array of joy of the people around you. If the atmosphere the smell of the automatic dispenser that goes off giving you that incense smell it's so much more than a game. It's so much more than just betting it's a journey of a history, a journey of how the game grown adapted with time so that sounds boring to you that I'm sorry

[@24inchDubs]

@@qwerty49424 Panchinko panchinko is so much more than entertainment. It is a beautiful construct of sounds and bings things bash boom tiktik ousshhhh sounds it is a multiple layers. Pins laid out like a journey of a positive disconstruct of movement going backwards or learning. It's maneuvers it's encounters with other players and how they have benefited certain moves layered upon their history of the player that played before you. The hands that have played this game some of the hardest workers you've ever heard of a lot of these people playing this work long long grueling hours pachinko is no order game. Is a beautiful symphony of sounds going to to one of these parlors with thousands of pachinko machines, you can't even hear your own thoughts. All you hear excitement of others in the disappointment of other. And you dare! Saying it's boring shame on you shame on you

[@donkeydarko77]

That JAWS game looked great!

[@poimon5607]

@@24inchDubs how high are you dude

[@OnlySamCan]

Why does adding a British person explaining anything over stock footage and B-roll automatically become a documentary

[@EMSmith480]

Thank you, best comment of 2019

[@OnlySamCan]

@Marc Carran he is originally from Britain, he was born in Britain that makes him British. Just as I am from America, and was born in America that makes me American. What an odd thing to upset about.

[@EMSmith480]

@Marc Carran Thank you for the info, I'll pass on the knowledge

[@OnlySamCan]

@Marc Carran Yes technically Great Britain is PART OF the United Kingdom. But Great Britain is still a geographical territory. Seeing as how he doesn't sound Scottish, or Irish, I would say he would be British. and while its true there are different dialects of the British accent such as Cockney and Geordie, ect. they all could easily be labeled under the blanket term of British accents. Just like here in American we have different dialects as well such as southern, northern, and ect and even those have various differences as well, but when people from other countries refer to an American Accent are they ever specific about what exact state or region? No they just say American Accent. Like would you honestly argue that there is no such thing as a Scottish person, or an Irish person? The argument you are making is ridiculous. I watch several British KZbinrs who all identify as a "Brit" or British. One of them is literally called "The Spiffing Brit". In World War II the country of the United Kingdom was already founded, but their army was not referenced as the United Kingdomish Forces was it? No it was the British army, and British forces, and British Soldiers. I seriously have no Idea what you are on about. Also technically America is not a Country, The United States of America is. To further add this while we would be consider Americans we could also be considered "Insert State title here"-ans as well. Both would be correct. Just how both saying that person is British (if they are from the land mass of Great Britain), or that Person is from the United Kingdom is correct

[@bobbyonasis]

@@OnlySamCan shiet 😳🤝🏼🚶🏽‍♂️.. I love the internet I've gained more knowledge from arguements in comments than I've ever did in skool in my life. #🌈⭐the more you know . Thats how I looked at it.. its more of a culture thing.

[@samtokyo8877]

Walked in one and realised it was louder than a nightclub and walked out. People going in there come out deaf.

[@93hothead]

Sam Tokyo than

[@azdgariarada]

What?

[@HollowBonezz]

93hothead *smartass

[@heiichbinleon1]

Sam Tokyo same sounded like a waterfall was right in the hall

[@TheBassHeavy]

Crazy! Does Japan not have noise exposure laws?

[@NEINFUTURER]

This shop is closed. even I am Japanese I hadn't been there yet. It’s sad. I've never seen any other pachinko parlors rated as highly as this one. Because it was run to target foreigners, this shop didn't last and went out of business, probably because foreign customers stopped coming to shop because of Corona and Japanese customers were only interested in oddballs like me.

[@fawesum]

That is super sad to hear :(

[@kinotsu3017]

Yet another reason COVID sucks, ughh :/ Seemed like such a neat little place too, sad it's gone.

[@Neonagi]

Nooooo, I wanted to go there. It seemed like such a fun place to hangout for the day while you walk around Takayama sightseeing

[@oggabooga1171]

The first one or the second one

[@christopherfarrel264]

Akihabara branch still open

[@bernardofajardo4823]

I got here because I'm reading JJK and didn't have any idea what pachinko was. It looks funny, and thanks to you I understood it and now Hakari's technique makes sense.

[@ninjaknight6715]

My eyes hurt looking for the infamous Metal Gear Solid Pachinko Machine

[@WeIsDaTyrantz]

HIT THE LEVER

[@daisydaswani689]

Also most americans id assume would know what pachinko is.

[@Aglockinasock]

Me tkk

[@TheEsdaniel]

Same

[@W111P0w3r]

Same but for the Guilty Gear pachinko machine

[@AbroadinJapan]

First you hear it. Then you smell it (the cigarette smoke). And finally, you stumble through a crowded room, disorientated and confused, before leaving subsequently deaf. It's an experience many foreigners in Japan have had, and I was no different. I'll never forget being bewildered by Pachinko when I discovered it 6 years ago. Now for the first time, it's time to actually work out what it is, and why it's so popular. IF YOU'VE PLAYED PACHINKO, share your thoughts on it. Maybe it'll help the rest of us make better sense of it.

[@nickles2185]

Abroad in Japan Just got finished watching the Tokyo Play Creative vid and then you uploaded right after. Hahaha. I have to go back to work.... noo...

[@blakenz712]

Chris two uploads this week, what is this sorcery?

[@lunalunia1717]

I must say your skills for shoot and editing video are are improved! I love your videos, cheers!

[@LePetitNuageGris]

I don’t gamble out of principle, but I will go into an arcade (if I can bloody find one; they’re archaic over here) and try to win prizes while mainly just having fun, so thanks for introducing this particular café to us. I really want to visit and win that premium sake and some food. Haha Your videos always give us this unique perspective of Japanese culture that we never really thought about, and the quality is top notch. It’s such a pleasure watching and learning. Keep it up! :)

[@Ziirf]

First time i found one of these places was when i was looking for a toilet in Tokyo, god it is loud. You should be wearing hearing protection if you didn't want to become deaf after 5 minutes in there.

[@Zgag]

I will never, ever be able to forget the nightmarish sound of that one time when I accidentally got lost into a building in akihabara where two stories were absolutely packed with pachinko machines, where I spent the longest 5ish minutes of my life trying to figure out how to exit this labyrinth of god forsaken loudness. How these players bear that deafening noise from hell, I don't understand. The vast majority of them don't even bother putting earplugs in or anything, it seems like they're too absorbed by the game to even hear the fuck out of satan' scream that surrounds them. I don't usually use so much biblical wording, but in this case it is the most accurate I can think of

[@Zgag]

@Simz Zxy No sorry I can't be bothered to give you a quick explanation of pachinko

[@khuzeniblue9109]

@@Zgag The way you described it is pure gold 😂😂😂

[@Fakie420]

@@Zgag Wit like this is one of the reasons I enjoy interneting.

[@user-wp9mb5yq5e]

@Simz Zxy it's a very loud and obnoxious way to lose money, fast. In another sense, it's a fabulous way to partake in 1 of the many quirky Japanese cultural aspects of live. Lastly, if you find yourself walking into a pachinko parlour, take the 10 seconds for the headache to start then turn around.

[@cucumberferris5854]

The one time you use a biblical term in your story but satan takes the lead role, dafuq? Lol

[@TacticalReconSquad]

My family has a really old Pachinko machine (all mechanical, no lights). I would spend hours as a kid playing. Insanely fun. Loved the video!

[@w.vv.w]

Chris likes walking out of the shot so much that even while they were sitting near the end of the video I imagined him getting up and walking out and it made me giggle

[@HeyCarlaRawr]

I imagined the manager of the place just thinking "is he going to come in or what?"

[@RevPerdueJosh]

We give them pachinko, they give us anime. _We’re practically related_

[@TiroDvD]

More of we gave them Disney Movies and Comics esp Bambi and Donald Duck; then they gave us magna and anime. Also screwing ourselves over with Atari gave us Nintendo and saved video games.

[@AdmiralFroggy]

Except anime is terrible

[@sandk7969]

@@AdmiralFroggy ha!hahaha yeh

[@christopherdomingo5810]

Those 176 likes are anime lovers. The 176th one is me

[@beepboop2021]

AdmiralFroggy no u

[@DavidRosenthal]

Your production value has gone way up (not that it was bad before). As much of a pain as the Natsuki movie was to produce -- it's definitely made an impact!

[@SelLillianna]

"Not that it was bad before" Ah... I remember those days of Chris complaining about noisy birds in his small apartment on a less than stellar camera. Good times. But yes, much improvement has been made. ^_^

[@pirincri]

Second video I watch of his but I appreciate the visual creativity.

[@underachieveruno]

David Rosenthal i was thinking the same thing

[@loweryjk]

+1 on that. I'm impressed.

[@SteefPip]

I was friends with a Japanese college student nearly 20 years ago and he had a whole group of Japanese friends that would often show up to our poker night. I remember having a conversation with one who said he got into so much trouble playing Pachinko that he felt leaving the country was the only way to break his habit. They were all very competitive, but not in the in your face kind of way we are used to seeing here in the west. They were always respectful in defeat, guess that's part of the culture Natsuki was talking about, wanting to test themselves in their luck and skills.

[@hazzaknox1069]

To this day this video from Chris has the best production quality i have ever seen on this channel 😀

[@AbroadinJapan]

Heck, even I like the scene in the 1960’s house with the empty sake bottle.

[@hazzaknox1069]

@@AbroadinJapan Hahaha bucket list ticked off... my absolute favourite content creator has just hearted and replied to my comment 😇

[@wordsofcheresie936]

I think what we are actually seeing is an advertisement for the pachinko parlor that he features. I'll bet that they sent out one of their camera crews.

[@JEppsLars]

@@AbroadinJapan I actually liked the old school TV.

[@nghtwtchmn129]

One minor point at 4:29-you "circumvent" the rules and "circumnavigate" the world. My apologies if this has been pointed out before.

[@GaijinGoombah]

DUUUUUUUUDE! Super cool they let you film there!

[@benial870]

Gaijin Goombah Media is it unnatural to film in Japan?

[@alphaprimus7794]

As Chris said in the video, you are not allowed to film in Pachinko parlors.

[@benial870]

Alpha Primus oh yeah

[@SophiaSanders61]

Better than some certain Goombah's Pachink video.

[@nvwest]

Smart too. Free advertisement

[@samanthauy518]

Your editing and directing skills have really leveled up! Looking forward to seeing more great content.

[@Ahibasabala]

You know, every time i see a video about Japan the thought comes to my mind, 'there's really nowhere else like this place is there?' it's just so utterly different and unique. I love the way you find great and eye-catching art pretty much everywhere. Awesome video thanks

[@luismendes1024]

- Great topic - Natsuki is in the video - Smooth video transitions Overall: 10/10 GOLD CONTENT Good job Chris!

[@paper-mario-wiki]

Damn, Chrissy, your direction skill has gone way up since your last major Japan-exploration-centric video. Keep it up, man, I'm into it.

[@WhatATypicalTime]

I love the rare and serious Natsuki part, explaining the obsession of Pachinko.

[@XSemperIdem5]

WhatATypicalTime the way he explained how they like taking a chance and trying their luck, the whole lucky bags thing suddenly made perfect sense.

[@Aidenbro-s2k]

I thoroughly enjoyed this. This was awesome from start to finish. The cinematography, the editing, your hilarious and fun friend. This is one great doc. I can’t say enough good things about it.

[@clickbait3753]

So this is what konami is doing instead of making a new castlevania.

[@Adam-Adam.]

I saw a konami slot machine at the casino near my house. Looked like early 2000s machine

[@manspider1833]

@@Adam-Adam. there are a lot of tekken ones too.

[@andreidragostin]

@@manspider1833 they should really make Liam Neeson a playable character in Tekken

[@masterkenobi3666]

200 billion industry no wonder konami wants some of the pot

[@KitsGravity]

Don't forget Silent Hill 2 pachinko version!

[@mrroganjosh6877]

The quality of the video production is bloody awesome. Chris has found the right balance. It's so good to see how far this channel has come.

[@SoulhunterSpielt]

Step 1: Buy 1 Yen Balls at one store Step 2: Sell them for 4 Yen each at other stores

[@evanharjanto2450]

STONKS ^

[@Javier-ov3hj]

STONKS BRO

[@JorgetePanete]

📈

[@fuwarin1192]

Well it's against policy to take the balls away from the store although some sneak them out as a collector's item since the balls usually has the store's trademark somewhere on them making them each unique and allowing the stores to know which balls are their's.

[@spiciestt6136]

@@fuwarin1192 ye. 200 billion dollar game with blank balls lol.

[@HyexaMemes]

The second time i've visited a pachinko parlor and somehow managed to get a jackpot, i've genuinely felt bad for how loud my machine was in my isle until i found out how to manage the volume and turned that thing down, instead of focusing on my win lol, happy experience

[@Proxence]

I can just imagine the pain someone would go through if they accidentally spilled their ball container.

[@daniela.b.4498]

In japan there would be no lawsuit, they would brush it off and most likely they would give the person who fell their info, so the could send them a bill for any doctor fees.

[@pawala7]

Considering doctors fees here cost barely $20 a visit and inpatient hospitalization is close to that for shared rooms, it wouldn't be a big deal. Also pretty sure both parties would apologize to each other profusely for the accident and not even think about lawsuits.

[@Zanfire11]

Yeah.... Pretty sure he meant the pain of getting them back in the container...

[@stonedpirate300]

>.< sooo if you dropped 1500 balls on the ground. according to the comments above that is $13 and some minor inconveniences. not as painful as it sounds

[@alexbel8944]

I'VE BEEN WAITING YEARS FOR THIS VIDEO AND ITS FINALLY HERE!!!!!

[@berkomatik8082]

Paid subscribers lol

[@jahjoeka]

alex bell did it make u happy?

[@alexbel8944]

Dalmain J *very!*

[@jahjoeka]

Hermit Wizard eww

[@xC4N4D14NB4C0Nx]

Natsuki seems like the type of guy you want to party with.

[@mikeserrano734]

He should be a party tour guide in Japan.

[@smile--]

Natsuki? doki doki literature club confirmed

[@smile--]

He is a lucky boi

[@idkidk3968]

You have never be to any party ever have you

[@SerumSenyx]

@@idkidk3968 begone maximilianmus troll

[@Dracodin197]

The editing on this video is just so good.

[@CorboWill]

Is it

[@dancersendrecords1469]

yeh it’s not that good

[@AurioDK]

This is actually clever since you can give players a 120% win chance, that means they will mostly always win. But since it can only be used on goods in the store you are guaranteed to get your money back with the right prices.

[@ryandick7264]

Well remember, the payouts are in balls, so if you start with 100 then get 120- you can just play again with those 120 for even more. Very different compared to the token and ticket system of most western arcades.

[@johnysalamy]

The Spark Bro but you could just keep winning if you say its 120% chance. And you could start with 10 balls and end up with 10000 so you profit even if you take something from their shop. Your comment is bit stupid :-(

[@PaulWalker-tx8qq]

@@johnysalamy Or better still, take the 1 yen balls and go and trade them in for cash at another establishment at the back of the arcade as if they were 4 yen balls and not only get cash but also get more back.

[@AurioDK]

@@ryandick7264 I was assuming you could program the machine to have a maximum payout at the end of the day which means win chances would fluctuate. If 5000 are put in then at the end of the day it would pay 6000 max which is 120%. Never gambled though, so I dont exactly know how the rules work. Exponential profit by constantly having a 120% win rate would endid be a stupid thing.

[@nmitchxll305]

Paul Walker you don’t trade the balls for cash. You trade the balls for a specific coupon, made at a machine in the arcade those balls are used in, which is traded for cash

[@finnrobyn]

I was like "he might get in trouble for stealing content of a Japanese history show" but then I realized he made it all himself. Props to you, very interesting documentation.

[@Helpful_Corn]

Wow. This is some skillful documentary filmmaking.

[@Helpful_Corn]

It reminded me of how good the tsunami video was, but even better.

[@MajorAddiction]

Sharknado-level quality even

[@DavoY2K]

When I was a kid in the 70's my friend had a pachinko machine in their living room. On hinges. It was a very different looking machine. Hand painted wood. This video brought back some old memories. I've scarcely thought of those times. Thank you.

[@sirrliv]

I have to say Chris, I actually really liked this more history lesson style of video. I'd heard bits and bobs about pachinko and its roundabout form of gambling, but never anything about the history behind it. In fact, learning about Japan's cultural history beyond the broad strokes is rather difficult from the wrong side of the Pacific. If the opportunity arises, I'd love to see more videos like this on your channel, learning more about Japan's modern past from an insider's perspective. One place I've heard of that I might suggest looking into would be the Meiji Mura Architectural Museum in Inuyama, near Nagoya. This outdoor museum features the largest collection of surviving buildings from the Meiji and Taisho Eras (1867-1926) anywhere in Japan, including the lobby from Tokyo's famous Imperial Hotel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and yes, an original Meiji Era sake brewery (don't recall if it's still operational or not). Also on display are one of the first electric trams to operate in Kyoto, dating from 1912, and a pair of 19th Century steam locomotives, one of which, No. 12, was built in 1874 as No. 23 for the first Kobe-Osaka-Kyoto Railway and is a copy of two of the first steam engines to operate in Japan full stop, on the Shinbashi-Yokohama Line in 1872; these engines, built by Sharp-Stewart of England, were part of an order of 10 such locomotives ordered from 5 different British builders. The Sharp-Stewart engines in particular were considered the most successful of the bunch, so when the time came to order locomotives for the new Kyoto Line, the Railway Ministry went back to Sharp-Stewart and essentially said "Two more of those, please." These survived in government service until 1911, when they were sold to the privately owned Bisai Railway along with a lot of other similar engines from the Shinbashi-Yokohama Line that were also considered too small and old for regular service. Renumbered 12, the engine continued working as a yard shunter, moving wagons and arranging trains, until 1957 when she was finally retired. Thanks to her historical significance she was preserved and first put on display at Meitetsu Line Park until 1963, after which she was moved to Meiji Mura, first being displayed as a static exhibit, but then restored to operation in 1973. She's undergone two major restorations since then, one in 1985 to replace her old boiler, then again in 2010. Can you tell I'm a history student yet? :P

[@P-lo_ol-9]

Holy pachinko Batman, why have I never heard about the Meiji Mura Architectural Museum before!? As an architect and lover of history and historic technology this would be my kind of disney land. Thank you so much for the story.

[@sirrliv]

Glad you enjoyed it, and that I found a kindred spirit in my love for technological and architectural history. Somewhere else you might enjoy is the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum in Koganei Park, Tokyo. This museum features a vast collection of preserved buildings from the Tokugawa/Edo Era, and a few Meiji Era buildings as well, and was one of the sites visited by Hayao Miyazaki when seeking inspiration for his magnum opus Spirited Away. Also on your list should be Ome Railway Park in Ome, Tokyo. Opened in 1962, this is Japan's oldest railway museum, and though small the open air site includes several unique survivors of Japan's age of steam, including another of the original 2-4-0 locomotives from the Shinbashi-Yokohama Line of 1871, this one built by the Yorkshire Engine Co. Finally, for the big ones at least, there's the Historical Village of Hokkaido. Far less well known than Edo-Tokyo or Meiji Mura, this museum in Sapporo nonetheless boasts a comprehensive collection of buildings from the Meiji to Showa Eras that chart Hokkaido's modern history, from traditional houses from farms and fishing villages to larger structures like the old Sapporo Railway Station and Colonization Commission Office, with much of the site being linked by a horse-drawn tram line. If this still hasn't whetted your appetite, I'm currently researching other sites of interest regarding Japan's Meiji Era and industrial history. I would be happy to share them, if Chris doesn't mind this comment thread getting a bit longer.

[@KuraIthys]

Either a history student, or a rail fan. ;p XD

[@sirrliv]

Why not both?

[@michaelmartin9022]

You sound like you'd appreciate the farming museum in Ryukuchi-koen, Osaka, too ;)

[@Theawesomedudes7]

The more I watch your content the more I can see you improve as a videographer, cinematographer, and an editor. Your production value is up there and maybe even surpassing (because of your humor) some documentaries on TV stations. This is the Good Eats/Bill Nye show of Japan. I've been watching for about 5 maybe 6 years now, keep it up!

[@FerreTrip]

7:39 "Japanese people love the sensation of trying one's luck" AHA! I _knew_ it! Japan _does_ love RNG!! _That's_ why there's so much of it in their games!

[@IshioRamo]

that's the whole asian culture that is like that, chinese, korean or japanese, they all use gacha mechanics

[@llovebeats3749]

They also love money.

[@FerreTrip]

@@llovebeats3749 Yeah? So does pretty much everyone else, what's your point? XD

[@llovebeats3749]

@@FerreTrip You beat me to it :p

[@dr.floridamanphd]

A friend of mine (is white American obsessed with East Asian cultures) made watch Ringu and then The Ring. There was another movie out at that time that was also very popular but I can’t recall it’s name. The American versions were tame by comparison.

[@IKEMENOsakaman]

I'm a professional Pachinko (Japanese gambling pinball machine) player, and it's normal for me to win or lose over 1,000,000 yen per day (about US$10,000). I'm married and have two kids, both of them going to international schools. It's a sustainable "job" if you know what you are doing, but of course, the risk is always there.

[@vodkaboy]

easier to "absorb" a lot of loosing when you're paid/sponsored by casinos to do just that.

[@donkeysaurusrex7881]

I have heard that with professional blackjack players the hard part is playing smart is boring, and it can be difficult to resist just gambling. Is pachinko the same in that the daily grind of playing smart can be boring to endure?

[@nignamedmutt7270]

@@donkeysaurusrex7881 every video/interview/person I've talked to, that plays blackjack professionally says the same thing "Just go be an accountant, it's the exact same work, but stable, and blackjack doesn't really make much money".

[@arandomstormtrooper5865]

Stop fucking lying ffs Fucking losers

[@zboobafett5984]

@@nignamedmutt7270 the same is for trading. All those thing that most people call gambling but where there is consistent winner. Well there is a "system" or an "edge", it is a probabilistic game, so you still lose but if you stick to your edge you win in the long run. I'm a professional trader, most of the time i'm just watching my screen and waiting for my edge to appear and act on it. Otherwise yes, it is really like accounting, sometimes really boring and need superhuman discipline or you never make it. But in trading you can make A LOT of money, almost unlimited depending on your skill

[@James-gj8rn]

Natsuki’s personality is so endearing, such a genuine, nice and funny guy, love him 😊

[@ANTREU96]

I never "got" pachinko but in a more laid back environment where you can then drink your winnings with friends, sounds quite appealing

[@patrickstar561]

I wouldnt be surprised if it came out that Natsuki was part of the Yakuza at one point

[@AnakinSkyobiliviator]

What? Natsuki? He would never! Ryotaro on the other hand....

[@RyuN100]

And natsuki needs to sing bakamitai😂😂

[@omarmiralles1043]

RyuN Right you are, kyoudai :3

[@omarmiralles1043]

Anakin Skyobiliviator He's awesome, do he could definitely be a Yakuza :3

[@painfullyhuman]

Ah, alongside Kiryu and Majima

[@oceansmotion]

(0:52) [Correct Description] Part arcade game, part gambling, and part sensory overload, causing anyone nearby to lose all their brain cells and rational thought.

[@jocomfiresin6982]

I'm pretty sure our slot machines are quite similar just without the balls. Those things can get super loud especially when hundreds of them are being used at once in a large hall. Sure it's guanteed to always be less noisy but it's still noisy.

[@timmy3822]

Natsuki seems like such a genuinely awesome guy, I imaigne he's a lot of fun to be around. Especially in a pachinko hall lol.

[@Dinkolish]

Chris always seems very interested in what he is talking about and treats his friends with cheeky respect. Love this guy, love the channel.

[@felixthefox100]

4:09 "Is gambling and prostitution illegal in japan?" Well yes, but actually no.

[@LastBastion]

"yeah, prostitution is illegal here, but only titfuck and blowjob is okay tho"

[@Zvezda1366]

@@LastBastion XD

[@saosaqii5807]

Cosmina Arcos yakuza time

[@RevoZtuns]

Cosmina Arcos it’s technically illegal - but once it’s just u and the girl anything can happen

[@johnnyfreetanga5506]

@@wrongshirts7375 About 3000 yen. Depending on the area.

[@m4ssee]

In Finland we used to have a game called "Pajatso" where you launched coins in a similar fashion.

[@jamescanjuggle]

Holy crap, when he was talking about the two separate parts of the casino to avoid gambling, that was in Pokemon games😂

[@Ruukas9]

Lol. You are right xD

[@hueylong8046]

Yes!

[@Apadjekk]

Pokemon is japanese game...

[@hueylong8046]

@@Apadjekk was it really?

[@SovereignAi]

@@hueylong8046 is*

[@Boyzby]

I've heard about pachinko machines for years, so when I found out you could play some machines in Yakuza 4 (I missed them in Y3) I was pretty excited. I went in there, spent a couple minutes trying to learn how to play, spent like 5 minutes staring at the balls moving around, no idea what the hell was going on, and I left the place never to return again.

[@flygtur7784]

You need balls of steel to play this game

[@AvoidTheCadaver]

Literally

[@flygtur7784]

I’m going to Japan later in April. Gotta try this game. Starting with just a pair of balls.

[@jacksonueland]

perfect comment

[@abbyboing]

So did you try your luck on your balls?

[@Q_asimo]

I don't know if you're intentionally making a jojo reference but. Is this a effing jojo reference!!?

[@B-Zero_01]

I barely wanted to know what this was, but I watched the whole video once it started; very well produced. Good camera, good editing, informative and your Japanese co-star eats of the camera and steals the show in a superlative fashion! Good work, ya'll.

[@robertobarasa4095]

The quality on these videos are insane, thought i was on the BBC, keep it up Chris

[@davidalvaradoda]

So that's why the game corner in Pokemon red and blue has a separate building for prizes. That's pretty interesting.

[@ameyawagh4074]

I am a simple man, I see natsuki ,I drop a like

[@Styleth]

Ameya Wagh same

[@niemand3637]

Ameya Wagh same

[@laqueenblue]

Ameya Wagh I missed him

[@clotz1820]

Nuke*

[@danieldo8859]

Where? I want my cupcake

[@HannahNguyen1995]

Glad to know I'm not the only one here cause of Ch 183 from JJK.

[@antoniofirenze]

Me I come from Sogeking's Kabuto in One Piece! Cheers!

[@Wintergatan]

Yay, gotta love this!!

[@REBMX]

Wintergatan haha, does this give you any ideas for a new marble machine?

[@fergal9808]

RobertElBMX He was wondering what to do with his spare marbles

[@TheStarkest]

You should be back on the workshop! Jk good to see you here lol

[@liezfebryan7401]

make some instrument with pachinko machine pls

[@AlexisAlexander646]

Whatttt!!!! Can’t believe you’re here but I guess it makes sense xD

[@xyzen9673]

"japanese like to try ones luck" So THATS why gacha games are so popular there

[@anggafestiyan5598]

shit no wonder playing rpg in japan server got slaughter in pvp

[@luminocuratoria1335]

Wooohooo! Waifus FTW!!!!

[@User-1939t9]

i mean that's true for all peoples. unfortunately it seems like in other countries it's a lot more damaging to gamble. like at least there if you spend a large sum of your money there's a good chance of getting at least some of it back, but with things like lottery tickets or slot machines you get nothing back.

[@WhatIsMyPorpoise]

angga festiyan same thought

[@foarfield]

@@User-1939t9 You're still losing a bunch of money on average wherever you go. The house always wins.

[@ironleeFPS]

I remember competing in Tekken 2 tournaments in Fukuoka Japan in 99, on PS1. They were sometimes held in those Pachinko places. People gambling all around while we gamed on a row of CRT tv’s. It was wild.

[@nachobusiness2050]

Thats crazy what was it like?

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

Sounds like a really fun atmosphere 😊.

[@mikecameron6667]

My grandmother had one of these growing up and no one knew how valuable it probably was. Used to love playing that thing as a kid.

[@va1034]

This video was ballsy

[@theramendutchman]

Yes did you see his face? He was having a ball!

[@rbdel]

That was alot of cash rolling in his pockets

[@HaroldoPinheiro-OK]

That guy has balls of steel! :P

[@artzerial]

Him: Natsuki do u have balls Natsuki: reacts like any other person who doesnt understand the joke

[@MasterYoshidino]

I was expecting him to respond while laughing "Yes! Over 1500 balls!"

[@hobowithashotgun48]

Amazing opportunity for perhaps the most fitting Duke Nukem phrase: "I've got balls of steel!"

[@NK-jh6vp]

if u go to japan and see people lined up in front of a building in the morning, it's pachinko

[@TheAkashicTraveller]

Nah, that's if you see them lined up in front of a vending machine in the morning.

[@Kairia626]

I went to Akihabara very early in the morning and I saw a huge line of people outside a loud building for the opening of what I assumed was an arcade, but it was most likely pachinko. It's starting to all make sense!

[@arx3516]

Or the post office.

[@shloopy5]

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, it's pachinko.

[@zam023]

I had never come across a pachinko parlour in Akihabara. If it was Akihabara, 99% likely it is a game's release. Or in my case, lining up for a concert. Since you said it was noisy, probably a concert.

[@BrodinYT]

The Video That Introduced Me To Your Channel And Natsuki! I Loved Natsuki In This Video So Much. I Thought He Was Just A Standalone Guest, But As I Watched More Of Your Videos, I Realized You Guise Were Friends! It Made Me So Happy. I Loved Watching Your Guises’ Adventures Together. Best Bromance. Happy Birthday Natsuki!

[@cathm5532]

2 videos in a week? Is it Christmas already?

[@inflamed3998]

Cath M I know right

[@seregruin]

Cath M It's Chrismas

[@BrianKelly_LettheGamesBegin]

No...but it is Abroadtmas....

[@clintkeepin]

It's "Chris" mas Broad already.

[@MakeKrylonGreatAgain]

Oh I get it. It's funny because Christmas you get presents, and OP is relating these videos to presents. (Hope this helps.)

[@starmangalaxy2001]

As a gamer I always wondered why you had to go to seperate building in Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow for your prizes in the Game Corner, but once you do a little research, you can find out that it makes sense due to Kanto being based on Japan and thus makes sense that there is a seperate building because it's paralleling Panchinko in real life Japan. Bonus Fun Fact: The scrolling health in Earthbound/Mother 2 was originally going to be styled after a Panchinko machine.

[@Turmanation5]

As a gamer, I absolutely hate minorities and the lgbt communists

[@clickbait3753]

@@Turmanation5 O.K, This is epic. 😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎

[@BeerdyBruceLeeCentral]

Knew about it because a friend of mine living in Tokyo was addicted to it a while back. It got really bad in the end and she had to move away from Japan. I never understood gambling addictions, but that's maybe just me.

[@DrakeWilt]

Edit this and tell him to upload sempapi

[@PeeperSnail]

I'm guessing people are addicted to gambling because of that one fallacy where people think that, after losing so many times, the universe is sort of "due" to give them a victory or something along those lines.

[@ValCronin]

It is definitely a lifestyle when you play often.

[@LemonRush7777]

Its very easy to get addicted to gambling. A good example are stupid mobile games with lootboxes or gacha systems. People spend hundreds of thousands in small amounts without even realizing.

[@PeeperSnail]

Man fuck lootboxes, governments should really get going with that idea of labelling them as gambling because that's essentially what they are. They're even worse because they're directed at kids and tweens, who don't have very good impulse control. Basically exploiting them. I heard of a kid who spent 80 dollars on Overwatch lootboxes just to try and get a skin he wanted. All his birthday money gone down the fucking drain.

[@MotiveCap]

I feel like I'm just watching a TV show or something on Netflix, and not a KZbin channel. That's how high quality this video is.

[@winslow8779]

I start to take for granted the high quality of Chris's videos until I leave for a bit then come back. Just above and beyond what a lot of other channels are doing on KZbin.

[@sparkeyjones6261]

First time I played pachinko, about 20 years ago, I had no idea what I was doing. It must have been beginner's luck, because I ended-up winning about 50,000 yen. It was on a rainy day in Osaka, I ducked into the joint just to get out of the rain. Paid for a couple extremely nice dinners ;)

[@musicfriendly12]

Wait... What? That's a massive amount!!! How many buckets of balls were even there? How much time were you playing? Congratulations man, that's an epic story :)

[@AgustinRamirez-wl4mg]

@@musicfriendly12 Well taking that every ball has the worth of 4 then he would had 12.500 if every bucket can hold 2000 6 and quarter of a bucket, sorry if my english is bad

[@helRAEzzzer]

It's so amusing to see Natsuki's different "personalities" - so to speak - between him speaking English and him speaking Japanese. My Japanese language skills are probably about as decent as Natsuki's English language skills, and I've noticed that I end up doing the same when speaking Japanese vs English. It's so funny how you almost become a different person when learning a new language (within the use of that new language). It shines a light on how intrinsically tied to language is to the culture it belongs to. I find it so odd that I didn't pick up on this growing up; my grandparents were bilingual (French - different Canadian dialects - was their first language and then American English). Lol!

[@JohnDoe-dj3lw]

When you speak a different language from your own, your mouth moves in a different way, your tongue as well and it goes into different positions. I'm quite sure you use different muscles too, depending on the peculiar sounds you might need to make and that might not exist in your language. When I learned this it blew my mind. So yeah each language is deeply tied to the culture it represents, after all you'd have no culture without a language.

[@lesath7883]

It is caused by how different languages have different gramatic structures, and that requires your thoughts to go through slightly different neural pathways. But certainly, it is interesting noticing those differences.

[@Vapourwear]

I as a native English speaker and being conversant in German, have found Japanese a very edifying language to try to learn. I can almost feel my brain remapping itself and it’s glorious. Kampai!

[@PrincessShokora2002]

It’s at 621 likes on June 21st

[@j.thomas7128]

I am a different person when speaking a newly learned language. I don't have the same confidence. I don't have the same experience. I don't have the same level of knowledge. When speaking English, I know enough of the language to differentiate between slang and proper grammar. I can also hear region differences or dialects in English that I don't hear or understand with a newly learnt language. This all effects my confidence and impacts my ability to give and receive information. I am in essence a different person.

[@MartinJ86]

Pachinko must be addictive & good fun if Natsuki managed to sit and play for 30 minutes without having a smoke! That's impressive going!

[@4d827]

Extremely addictive.

[@Yuhara_rev]

I'm new to this channel, and I have to say, this video is really well made. It feels like watching a professional documentary on television. Thanks for the quality content, subbed!

[@AngeliqueFelice]

Holy shit, the production value is good

[@cuthbut1]

When i went Japan me and the guys played some pachinko. At some point one of us hit the jackpot it appeared on a screen above our heads we had no idea. After a little while a lovely old lady informed one of the staff working there and he brought over like 1000 more balls for us to use in a basket. Brilliant we used like 400 of them maybe before losing interest. When we were ready to leave we gave the remaining balls to the same old lady that had helped us before. She was thrilled, a wholesome experience wonderful people the Japanese.

[@TheTortinator]

Coming here to get a better grip of Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 183 lmao

[@I_snap_wild]

Naww Natsukis face when you took the bottle and said "bye bye" what a genuinely awesome guy.

[@jamesmalpus7371]

This already feels like one my favourite videos of yours. Informative and entertaining! Brilliant.

[@qerews1375]

Complimemt thief bro thanks for the compliment

[@qerews1375]

Complimemt thief did you forgot who I am. I am your senpai. How dare you disrespect my illegal activity of stealing complimemts

[@qerews1375]

Complimemt thief I just stole your report bro

[@qerews1375]

Complimemt thief Bro I just stole your english skills as well

[@qerews1375]

Complimemt thief you can never speak english properly anymore

[@Farvadude]

3:45 that's the second episode of puella magi madoka magica playing in the middle of that pachinko machine. and the entire machine is madoka magica themed.

[@Hetsu..]

kek

[@maryofelixthokasseputra1914]

There are dozen type of pachinko machines there are even the AKB48 version

[@promqueenkiller]

Cool find. I didn't notice that on my first watch.

[@cesarknightly]

When i first saw it i was like GOD I NEED TO RUIN MY LIFE IN THAT TYPE OF PACHINKO

[@lusq600]

i only know the anime as "meduka" lol

[@thefoxredproject]

I keep comong back to this video and I love it every time. It's the reason I bought an old refurbished pachinko machine and have spent hours sitting at it just enjoying the lights, sounds, and nonsense that it provides.

[@darklatte2509]

frame 2:02 to 3:34 was taken inside Takayama Showa Museum.. visitor can go here to enjoy 90's enviroment in Japan.

[@MakeKrylonGreatAgain]

Riyaz Ahmad no it wasn't.

[@eldrath]

This reminds me of going to my Aunts house when i was 7 years old and playing on her Pachinko machine. It brought a smile to my face.

[@oneandonlyJonnySad]

are the ball bearings coded in someway? You could buy thousands of them for 1¥ each then take them to another parlour and exchange them for more money

[@davidlakatos9904]

Sure, they will let you bring balls into the parlour. Usually they won’t even touch your “winnings”. The staff collects them behind you, then when you are finished they carry them and count them with the machine.

[@tackywacky99]

theyre probably stamped or weighted

[@nonethelessfirst8519]

You can and im sure the yakuza will explain why you dont.

[@chessoc7799]

Yeah If they catch you trying to rip them off I am sure they will be quite annoyed.

[@ESPmrBrough]

@@chessoc7799 most japanese people i've seen look about 5 foot tall. what can they actually do if the person ripping them off isn't soft?

[@Render20]

Def one of my favourite Abroad in Japan vids

[@Battlebox0]

Just realised that weird boardgame I used to play as a kid was pachinko

[@ohwaititsbait]

The whole bit about going next door for prizes; I wonder if that's why on the old pokemon games for game boy; you have to leave the games corner and go next door to the prize room to get your pokemon prize?

[@thebravegallade731]

David Woodward exactly.

[@CB-rv2lj]

wow good remembering.

[@dma93-ch]

whaaaat I never realized that O:

[@brambl3014]

wow

[@OrbitalAxis]

God Natsuki is such a pleasure to watch, his inclusion of occassional english is hilarious and this dude is just such a good vibe

[@ansar4454]

Came here to try and understand Hakari’s ability ☠️ I think Gege just took the medal for the most confusing ability in manga history

[@Starphaso]

That's exactly y I'm here 💀

[@guilha1506]

It’s easy to understand, but Gege explain it very poorly