The pachinko parlor is a type of gaming hall that is unique to Japan. A pachinko machine uses small steel balls that players load into the machine in order to win more balls, because gambling for cash is illegal in Japan you then can exchange these balls for prizes or tokens which can generally be exchanged for cash at a booth next door getting around the anti gambling laws. If you are in Japan its worth taking a quick wander around a pachinko parlor to experience the noise of thousands of steel balls clunking around the machines with j pop and beeping and buzzing noises turned up extra loud to drown out the sound of the balls. If that doesn’t annoy you enough the cloud of cigarette smoke surly will, as the pachinko parlor is one of the last indoor places where you can smoke in Japan.More info about pachinko
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