Japanese Retro Game Centers | Tokyo Arcade Experience ★ ONLY in JAPAN
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- Japanese game centers are must visit places on any trip to Japan, but in Tokyo, there is a place where you can time warp back to the 1980s and 1990s and play those games of the past, too. Since Japan was the leader in arcade game programming and machine production, the culture stretches back decades and those old machines are still in use!
Why do these retro arcade games and game centers still exist in Japan?
In the USA, the arcade culture rapidly declined when the game consoles gained wide popularity, especially in the early 1990s, but in Japan, arcades or game center culture continued because it was more about the experience than the games itself. It was a place to go, hang out with friends, be a hero!
There were many kinds of games from classic arcades to driving simulation games to dancing and rhythm games.
Gamers from the 1980s are not in their 30s, 40s or 50s and they keep coming, playing those games from the past and thats great because it means we can all stop in and experience arcades games like we did as kids.
▶︎ Where is Mikado (Retro Game Center)
goo.gl/maps/Xr...
Station: Takadanobaba
▶︎ Super Potato | Retro Console Games in Akihabara:
www.superpotato...
Games featured in this episode:
OUT RUN (1986) Sega
Tokyo Wars (1996) Namco
Star Wars (1983) Atari
Metal Hawk (1988) Namco
Check out Miki's channel "Miki Lab":
/ @miki-lab
And Shingo's channel Let's Play Japan: / @letsplayjapan
MORE JAPANESE GAME CENTER VIDEOS:
★ Crane Game Secrets Revealed: Japan's UFO Catcher Academy
• Crane Game Secrets Rev...
★ Japanese Photo Sticker Booths: Purikura Adventure • Japanese Photo Sticker...
★ Gachapon Toy Capsules: • Gachapon: Capsule Toy ...
▷ SUBTITLES: If you'd like to help out and submit a subtitle in your language, I'd really appreciate it so we can reach more people!
THANK YOU! You'll be listed as a collaborator for this video too :) -john
This show has been created and produced by John Daub ジョン・ドーブ. He's been living and working in Japan for over 20 years and regularly reports on TV for Japan's International Channel.
#onlyinjapan #tokyo #gamecenter
I know you're reading these comments now and this one is not so much just about this video, but I just wanted you to know that you inspired me to pursue what I really want to do in life. I've spent so long working a job I hate everyday and watching you do the go streams and these videos was always the only taste I ever got to experience what I really wanted to do. Now i'm being laid off and I realize you can fail at doing what you don't want to do, so I might as well try doing what I am passionate about. Breaking out my college Japanese books now. Thanks for everything John.
I have personally found that failure is never the end but just leads to something else. It is sometimes the best learning experience and shows us just how strong our character is. All the best.
I’m in my senior year of college, and I’m much older than my classmates. They all have these dreams of making $90k a year after college (with a bachelors degree in geology???? Good luck kids) but as someone whose been through the ringer more than once, I tell them constantly to aim for something that will bring them joy. You could make $90,000 a year, but it could also be something you absolutely hate, occupies all of your time, or is beyond stressful. I would much rather have a life I enjoy and make less money. What will I do with my fresh off podium Geology degree? Move to Japan. Be immersed, get better with my language skill and eventually apply for JAPEX (Japan petroleum exploration).
It took me a couple rounds, some false starts, and some degrees that went nowhere, and while I'd like to move a little more forward in my career, I'm still finally doing what I love. I've got a good job I enjoy, I'm married now, get to travel a bit, and I'm working on a non-fiction book I've been wanting to do for years. Get out there and live! Good luck and God bless!
Tigerlilycoconut, or you could quit being this novice Zen Master bullshitter and tell people to wisely invest their money into stocks that will always make a lot of money, stocks that will be the next big thing that will make a lot of money, i.e., the next Apple, Boeing, Facebook, Google, or Microsoft, for examples, index bonds, and treasury bonds, and THEN learn to make a USEFUL hobby, as well as LEGITIMATELY useful skills, like, say, being an inventor or designer, in their lives instead.
dark zaku Jim Carrey's words...
This video brings back a lot of fond memories for me. As a child of the same generation I remember that feeling of getting a pocket full of quarters and free reign from my parents to explore the local arcade. Shingo really hit the nail on the head when it came to games like Sega's Out Run. Tween aged school boys with dreams of driving a car and having their first girlfriend were given a safe haven to explore those aspirations. I would read gaming magazines and learned of Sega's r360 Afterburner game in Japan. Kids at school claimed they saw it once in Las Vegas and I developed my first dreams of visiting Japan and playing it myself! If there's an afterlife, it will be in a dark neon lit arcade, sitting at a Ms. Pac Mac cocktail cabinet sipping a Cherry Coke. Thanks for this trip down memory lane! One of your best videos yet!
Should there be an afterlife, I'd be ok with a well stocked arcade, well stacked women and strawberry Quik, that stuff is addicting lol
"She blinded me with science"
Yea, cameraman really highlighted that science real good!
The last thing an Aperture Science worker said before she died of GLaDOS' deadly neurotoxin.
The science lady did not understand anything that was coming out if your mouth during the star wars rant
You noticed it too huh.
Lol....
hahahaha i thought the same thing. she doesn't give one F*ck about what is happening.
What's going on? Never mind, I'll get paid anyway...
Young Lady "Not a Star War fan!"
“Consoles never seen in the West!” Shows clip of sega saturn
DIP SOUP lol yeah sega Saturn and a master system lol
I think the white saturn was a Japanese only exclusive. I was unfortunate to own the black version.
Saturn was basically killed on arrival in the West, but it held on for quite a while in Japan.
It was certainly seen in the west. It's parent company supported it for 3+ years.
DeegoL9
Yeah, but the Master System was a bigger success here in Europe. Americans got less than 30 percent of it's game library
Jon just increased his subscriber count by 200,000 all because of Miki. Hot damn.
and here i thought i wasn't gonna unzip my pants today...
John Daub! You rock. My wife and I are moving to Japan next year and your videos have been so helpful! Can't get enough, glad there are plenty!
What’s your favorite retro game? Game in Japan? Game you most want to play? Leave me your answer and experience and I’ll pin it to the top :) Thank you for watching! -John Photos on instagram.com/onlyinjapantv
Twin Cobra was my earliest memory of video games...then started playing golden axe after......all started from there.....
oh and wonderboy as well...hmmm i remember a datsun 120y standup racer that was real old school....
I always graviated to play Star Wars nearly every time I went to the arcade. Then Lock-On, and Gradius with the version that had the triple wide monitor. I pretty much play nothing but shoot'em ups.
i used to play sega rally championship a lot back in the day
Wow. I miss Japan...I played Karate Champ, Kung Fu and Fighting Street in the arcades. I miss playing Darkstalkers though. I played more pinball games until 85...then I discovered Nintendo and started paying more attention to actual arcades.
I love how @9:44 there's just this prolonged close up of her hand wrapped around that joystick. You love it John.
4:45
Me: "Hmm, why did play this first? Is it because of nostalgia?"
"Well, it got some nice girls, nice looking girls..."
*Ah, I see you're a man of culture as well.*
these are the arcade games i grew up with
-pac man
-galaga
-ms pac man
-star wars
-daytona
-metal slug
-wubble bubble
-terminator
thanks for taking me down memory lane
I would destroy my entire life for Miki-Chan.
Um.. ok?
@Jason Tibbetts, You have a life?!?!
better build your carrier and get her in bed(alone). THINK POSITIVE
Found the ultra beta simps 😂
Simp
watching this and hearing Daub talking about how he played this in 1983 makes me feel young by comparison I love it, because as a person born in 1980 I miss seeing personalities who were older than me telling me about things in this relatively current time period. Turning on most videos or shows now, I see all these people younger than me telling me about stuff that I only passingly care about or don't care about at all.
9:24 miki's turn
Last Card thanks for the heads up lol
Love Japan and Japanese culture... specially humble attitude. Mickey is so beautiful . Thanks for uploading and to recall great memories !!
Mickey is a dude who lives in Staten Island NY.
That hat turn 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
Donna that was legitimately hilarious.
style of the year
Craig and Smokey: DAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMNNNNNN!!!!!!!"
Best part of the video! I was cracking up!! 🤣
400th like
Patreon!...Yay! Now this Is my type of video. Love the retro games.... the older, the better! Thank you john! 😀
Comments on childhood games of the 80s: 1%
Comments on Miki the lovely science girl: 99%
Undefined Times I thought most of the comments would be something like “Man Japan has all the cool arcades, if only America had something like that” or something like that.
Not sure if this is insightful or useless ... Leaning on useless commentary
Brings back memories. We owned an arcade and I showed this video to my dad and next thing you know we were all nostalgic talking about the good old days
I know this video was from 2 years ago but I seriously hope that retro arcade is still surviving during this pandemic. Because I grew up in the 80s on Sega & Nintendo and world love to play those arcade classics again. I actually have a home version of that Star Wars arcade... it came on my Rogue Squadron GameCube disc as an unlockable extra!
I'm sure it's still around. Japan did not go into massive lock down like other countries did. Japanese citizens simply wore a mask, used hand sanitizer, and continued doing their normal lives. They didn't panic.
@@TheBigExclusive Japan had a very massive lockdown that only in fact ended a few months ago far longer then almost all countries but china.
Japan still have great arcades would love to go there and relive my childhood again :)
2:35 Japanese Guy Reaction Killed me 🤣🤣🤣🤣
What i your name please 🤣
OMG 2 of my favourite things In 1 video. Only in Japan and Retro Gaming.
Fun video John , thx . I just shared the video on Reddit so hopefully a bunch more views will be coming your way 👍👍🕹
Thanks John for these great videos. After a hard days work, watching your 'Only In Japan' videos is simply wonderful and a great antidote to all the negative news out there, helps restore my faith in humanity. Thanks again for your great work!
Age is just a number, we will always go on😃👍
That's really awesome
3:53 you can actually play it in Yakuza 0
Awesome video brother! Star wars and bubble bobble were two of my favs oh oh DOUBLE DRAGON! SO MANY GREAT GAMES OF OLD!
Oh man, Tokyo is so awesome for retro gaming! I want to go back ASAP. Cool video!
2:05 I thought she was going to fall.
Door Breacher 😳😳😳
TASKETEE
Miki is beautiful. Yes, the arcades are still found in the usa but only as a novelty. Gone are the arcades at the malls.
Hahaha, that introduction was great. You are such a smooth player John. :D
Daniel Keenan thatbwas so much fun to make - totally not necessary, but it’s about just having fun :) it’s how the did a lot of “shes beautiful” scenes in the 1980s!
Blessings on the retro games and tech. I love looking up and watching videos of things going back to even the pre digital era before the 60s.
it's funny how you haven't seen these games for a couple of decades but as soon as you here the music you realize you never really forgot it.
Best UA-camr in all of Japan!
miki so cuteeee 😍
Those are Chinese and Koreans, not Japanese, you airhead.
Sexually Transmitted Disease. what are u talkin about?
I was replying to the other guy who commented, not you.
Sorry, UA-cam's reply system has been getting worse and worse with each new update... -_-
STD:
You are one of the most *simple* fucks I've come across.
Japanese greatly differ from other Orientals.
But trying to reason with you and expect you to understand is like expecting to have a fruitful conversation about quantum physics with a 6-months old kid.
GTFO here.
STD proves why white people are not listed in the top 5 of highest IQ average hahaha
Original Medieval Madness, Monster Bash, Getaway, AND an Indy 500? This place even has a pretty sick pin lineup. I'm happy to see that in Japan.
I'm so glad we have a retro arcade hall in Karlsruhe (which is close to where I live).
Playing those classics on an arcade cabinet is so much more fun that any home console/emulator port can ever hope to be.
I personally like Only in JAPAN as a vlog. Very informative.
hello from Budapest Hungary..
i playing the ATARI 2600 and commodor 64 games..
helosziamizu:D
Emulator? What games? TELL ME FRIEND
the experience in the arcade is much more special compare to a console
darksicus Funny enough I turned 18 years old and most modren games don't peak my interest. I got a good t300 set-up but it's not the same going to the arcades and play them in person.
Los centros de juegos japoneses son lugares de visita obligada en cualquier viaje a Japón, pero en Tokio, hay un lugar donde puedes retroceder el tiempo a los años 1980 y 1990 y jugar esos juegos del pasado, también. Dado que Japón fue el líder en programación de juegos de arcade y producción de máquinas, la cultura se remonta a décadas atrás y ¡esas máquinas antiguas todavía están en uso!
Eso seguridad. Aunque me sientiria raro jugar arcades sin que me asaltaran como en mi barrio.
Pretty neat...blessed here in Chicago to have 3 retro arcades here to go to to get my fix...Galloping Ghost Arcade is an amazing place with over 600 games
They're still there because people in there don't see it only as a place to play games, they see it like we see bars: as place to go out, to meet with friends, etc. In other words arcades for them is something more, much more, too bad people in western don't have the same view
A coolest pixelistic retro game review 👍🏻
Only play bois point like that 2:05
Afric Network ss
Japan
hahah, so true!
Or any male.
and here too :) 9:38
Miki-Chan!!!!!!!!!
I remember playing Tokyo Wars with my friends during the late 90s at a local arcade...I fucking loved it. How time has passed so quickly.
Kooky Kookabara indeed !
Awesome video !!! Japan's arcades are on my bucket list !!!
This video featured two of my favorite things from Japan:
classic arcade games and a cute Japanese female. It was almost tailor made for me
Whoa my favorite video so far first thing to hit you is a Pinball Machine!
I repair pinball machines and I am currently fully restoring a LaserCue made by Williams from 1984.
I will upload a update video of it.
Also I think I saw a High-Speed Classic in the video I have that one and the sequel High-Speed II.
And I want to go to that arcade if I ever do go to Japan it would be like walking into the 80s and 90s for me when I was a kid back then.
Japan. The best country in Asia 👍👍👍
I agree with you that Japan is great, but we can not judge all Asian countries as we didn't visit them all
Dan . Dan I love their women.😂👍👍👍
Abu Dawood, I already did and Japan No 1
Andy Healion China numba 1
Shivam Wagh .👍👍👍
Great video! The science girl is also stunning!
I worked as an Asst Manager at an arcade..loved all the 80's and 90's games..glad places still exist like this..but not in the USA..it's all console now
How many of u clicked on this VID becoz of the cute looking gal miki?
No
That is without a doubt, the only reason I clicked, she is adorable.
I have to go here..... that's it, you expect me to say more? I simply HAVE to check these arcades out!
Brandon Jinjiyoshi Tilley You’ll be in heaven, my friend. Wait until you encounter all the retro game shops there, too. You can buy games and consoles from any era.
Yeah
I want to bring those machines in to my home
I enjoyed miki`s style 2:13 & 2:42 . she`s so so cute................
Liked the star wars machine, I own one. Keep up the great content!
It warmed my heart to see all those nostalgic games. I was in elementary - junior high, playing those in arcade...
This is heaven....
8:57 "Wow... amazing..." 😊
She must have a grandpa she humors like that.
@2:10 and I like it and like how u never changed the sound!!!!! Remember donkey Kong!!!! Sonic!!!! Pacman!!!!! Nice blast from the past for me John!!!! And hey congrats on the soon 700,000k subbs too John!!!!!!!! 👏
I'm better and Donkey Kong and Pac-Man now than I ever was a kid! It's great! :D
CoryTheRaven 👌 we get better with age!!!! 😬
Cool video! I almost never see anyone mention that Tokyo Wars tank game! Thanks!
we have these arcade gaming centers in iran too. I am 17 years old and these arcade games are so nostalgic for our people and our parents and besides of that, our generation love them too. love to japan from iran
My local mall has an arcade called Round 1, and they import a ton of Japanese arcade games. Fighting games, rhythm games, racing games (they just recently put in an Initial D machine!), and even photo booths. It's really cool, and it's almost as if I was transported to a Japanese arcade.
As for retro games, I have a retro arcade in town too, although they don't import Japanese games. It's called Free Play, and they only have retro arcade games. It's different from a traditional arcade, since instead of paying per game, you pay to get in and then all the games are free (hence the name). It's nostalgia heaven for 80s kids, not just because of the games. The whole place feels like you've gone back in time, from the 80s music to the old-time glass soda bottles (I even kept my glass Coke bottle from last time I went as a souvenir) to the tabletop arcade games that you can play while chatting over drinks. Unfortunately, they only have games made before 1990 (no Time Crisis? NOOOO!), but it's still a blast to go.
Where do you live, ericbazinga?
Pax Humana I don't want to say the exact town, but I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas.
ericbazinga if theyre running games off an emulator then thats illegal bro
ericbazinga Hehe, I went there of Augest of 2017! I am thinking about going to Dallas for Round 1 again, Maximum Tune 5 and the Stage 8 (I believe) when I get my car... And graduate from school.
Too bad Austin is filled with normies and dont like arcades... Least we have Arcade UFO down here with Maxi 3!
Alexis Huerta No, the arcade machines are all legit. Either that or they're amazing reproductions, which I seriously doubt they'd attempt to do.
Im surprise she wasn't trying to touch the screen lol
Hahaha...
😂 👉🚁💥
She's 26, they had games with regular buttons when she was growing up.
rofl HAHAAHHA
she's 26 but acts like she's 16.
well I feel old now
That genuine kid laugh when he plays Death Star. Love it.
Thank you very much John for this. this is so nostalgic and you have inspired me to make my own channel just to document everyday life. I have been following you for a long time and all i can say is keep up the great work.
This is fucking awesome stuff , i really want to see japan just because of this.
Like we all aren't just watching because of Miki.
Guilty, your honor
People: I go to Japan because of the anime culture!
Me: I go there for;
-video games
-Super GT
-Bayshore Route
-robotic strip clubs
-a freaking vacation
I would go there for videogames too but specially Puroresu
GT non canon, deal with it.
me: Japanoise, Puroresu, overall weirdness
-hentai
Video games, puroresu and Super GT!
Cool retro games. Looks like it would be tons of fun.
I miss the arcades. It's where everybody knows everybody even if you really don't know them. Cool hangout too with friends.
9:59 best part
Oh god, I think I just found the treasure jackpot of gaming ( O_O)
*Prepares my stuff, saves all my money for game token, and travel to Tokyo, Japan*
Do an episode on Japanese baseball!!
In Canada, a new chain of Big Arcades has just started opening in most cities called, "The Rec Room",one in Toronto, Calgary, and soon Winnipeg.
Wait, what? I have to look into this! I'm in Winnipeg and I'd love that!
Jason White yup, i just visited the one that's already open in Calgary. Winnipeg's is not open yet. www.chrisd.ca/2018/03/20/cineplex-rec-room-winnipeg/
"Vintage arcade games like Daytona USA" - man that makes me feel really old. I remember my friends and I would race on that very often.
What makes you feel even older is when you remember Daytona USA as still "modern" in comparison to the real classics.
People whining about the girl being fake. I just talked to my cousin who just came from a vacation in Japan, he said that how the characters act and how girls talk in anime isn't an exaggeration or anything, that's really how Japanese people are. Glad we had a talk because I now understand another thing about their culture and didn't cringe while watching this. She's not faking it, that's really how they make themselves entertaining.
Mickey is hot... :V
Very hot, I agree. ;)
Its Miki 😂
Objectifying beautiful women is wrong.
Unagi
Yep
The toilets there, have the most interesting arcade experience. ehehehehe
There's a place like this near me in New Jersey called Morristown Game Vault. It's an awesome retro arcade with '80s and '90s games and pinball machines. It's absolutely amazing.
Hats off to the Japanese people for always keeping video arcades alive.
Video game theme music is actually considered real music and an art form in Japan. Interestingly, they play a selection of them from popular Japanese video games during the 2020 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.
My farvorite arcade in japan is
Taiko
666 dislikes? Only the devil could dislike these games. I want them back in Germany.
New subscriber from KSA 🇸🇦♥️
Awesome video! When I was in Osaka last March, I went to one in Jan Jan Yokocho. It was great!
I drank and ate so much in Japan. But, these were the only places that could draw me away. I miss them. I wish we had just places in over here.
Fun Fact: There are no pixels in a Vector Drawn game
Patreon sent me here. Always looking forward to new videos. Great job. Brought some great memories for my teenage years.
Can you do a video at the red light district in Japan?
OMFG!!! GALS PANIC S2!! IM LITERALLY CRYING, I grew playing this game T-T i miss the arcades so much.
Out Run is still one of my favorites. Man, I need to go to this place in Tokyo one of these days for real!!!
80's Babies Represent!!! GREAT vID! Make stand-up arcade machines Great Again! SEGA 2020!!!
Can I marry her
Nope
In your dreams
Are you joking she is so annoying
KAMAEHAMAEHA japanese dont care about that they have average requirement unlike the west
love her body.
OMG That moment of nostalgia for John playing that Star Wars game was awesome! hahahahaha
WOW! It's amazing seeing Ralph Macchio in a japanese arcade! Very cool.
huh ... still no Polybius ... 😁
Boy Aditya Remember that game was never real. *Wink
What is that game anyway its so weird.
Rey Banthree rumours told it was a government game used for studying human pyschology, people who have played this game suffered lots of headache and traumatized, no one knows what the game is about, it's still a myth
Look up TNT Amusements on here.
Polybius does not look like anything to me...