Masamura Pachinko Museum

The Masamura Pachinko Museum is a small pachinko museum in Nagoya, central Japan.

History

Masamura Gauge All 15

Pachinko is a popular gambling game in Japan, that traces its roots back to the early 20th century. The Masamura trading company from Nagoya constructed a museum in tribute to the company's founder Masamura Takeuchi on the third floor of the Masamura Building in Nishi-ku. He is often acknowledged to be the creator of modern pachinko, by turning this children's game into an adult hobby. In the years after World War II, when supplies were short, he was able to build together some of the first pachinko machines made out of old tea chests and greenhouse glass. The legendary Masamura Gauge All 15 is remembered as the precursor to modern day Pachinko machines.

The museum documents the history in detail. It shows a different theory of the history of Pachinko though. Although the usual theory of the origins of pachinko states that the game is an adaptation of the American "Corinthian Game", which was a kind of very old pinball game. The museum however argues that the early machines might come from the vertical "wall machines" that were found in the late 19th century European penny arcades.^[1]

Access by public transport is by Jōshin Station on the Tsurumai Line.

References

1. ^ Risky biz: Pachinko is pervasive and profitable. And with Japan's politicians now pushing for casinos, it just might be a prototype. Japan, Inc., August, 2003 by Tony McNicol