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[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Recent advertisements indicate that the Sega Ikebukuro arcade is reopening just across the street from the recently-shuttered Sega Ikebukuro GiGO Arcade. The location will open on October 22, 2021. It will feature crane games, arcade cabinets, and an Ichiban Kuji storefront and cafe. [Thanks, ryokutya!]

New posters have appeared on a building right across from the arcade’s previous location. Notably, the building was previously the home of the Project Adores collaboration cafe and game center. That center shut down in August 2020. The advertised floor plans reveal that the new location will feature arcade game cabinets in the basement. Crane games will fill the first three floors, and an Ichiban Kuji and Cafe center will reside on the fourth.

Additionally, the official Sega Ikebukuro GiGO account has been teasing an “Ikebukuro Project” since early October. As shown by official posts, the new Ikebukuro location is the first part of a three-volume project. While details are scarce, the GiGO account states that more information is coming soon.

The original Ikebukuro Sega arcade location closed its doors on September 20, 2021, after 28 years of operation. GENDA Sega announced that it would hold special events to celebrate the arcade’s 28th anniversary. GENDA acquired a majority share of Sega Entertainment in November 2020. It currently manages all of Sega’s arcades and amusement facilities.

The new Sega Ikebukuro arcade is reopening on October 22, 2021, as part of GENDA Sega’s three-part Ikebukuro Project.

Sega Ikebukuro Arcade is Reopening Just Across the Street

New advertisements indicate that a Sega arcade is opening just across the street from the recently-shuttered Sega Ikebukuro GiGO Arcade.

www.siliconera.com

For tourism, it will be necessary to go quickly, before the event that was presented last month happens again.

 

[Shadowplay1979]

Oh this makes me happy!... Since 2004 i had been going to that arcade. I last went in 2019 after a job interview. I have been stuck waiting to live and work in Tokyo for over two years now thanks to this nonsense. ( its still not open to workers)..while waiting i found this closed down while i was waiting stateside....really sucked.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

That's good to see. Arcades are still dying, but I'll cling on for as long as I can.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[OrochiJR]

Good news, I will give it a visit when I get to Japan again...whenever that will be.

 

[West Texas CEO]

Good news, I will give it a visit when I get to Japan again...whenever that will be.

Are you not going now because of covid?

 

[009EspadaSageJay]

thats awesome

 

[Kokoloko85]

Are you not going now because of covid?

I dont think Japan is allowing entry, or are they?

 

[OrochiJR]

Are you not going now because of covid?

Not really because of Covid but because of time/ money and having been to Japan three times since 2014. I am torn between my love for Japan and wanting to visit another completely new country for my next long distance vacation (I am based in Europe Btw). Me and my GF are also eyeing New Zealand as the next destination, but a vacation of this scale is only possible every few years.

 

[TastyPastry]

make a new time crisis and a new house of the dead game and i'll go there

 

[yewles1]

make a new time crisis and a new house of the dead game and i'll go there

...I don't think SEGA can help you with the Time Crisis part.

 

[FingerBang]

I dont think Japan is allowing entry, or are they?

Nope, they don't let you as a tourist, but I think you can visit for family/business reasons. You still need to self-isolate even if you're vaccinated.
I've been waiting for them to open up and spend a couple of months there, but it's been absolutely impossible since early 2020.

 

[Shadowplay1979]

You got the job and went there to celebrate?

What a chad

no, i went there to get the job, its in tokyo. I went to the arcade again sometime during that trip because i always go to ikebukuro

 

[envyzeal]

Had a chance to visit the old one, felt like going to a damn gaming church. Hope I get a chance to visit the new one as well!

 

[Shadowplay1979]

Nope, they don't let you as a tourist, but I think you can visit for family/business reasons. You still need to self-isolate even if you're vaccinated.
I've been waiting for them to open up and spend a couple of months there, but it's been absolutely impossible since early 2020.

They dont let you in as a worker or student either. The fact that no one seems to know this outside the few thousand of us makes this even more difficult. Ive had my work coe since December..i was packed in December...im still packed. Its been hard closed since december and pretty much following the news everyday is Japanese politicians "mulling over maybe rethinking about opening possibbly eventually someday" ...once a week.


Didnt stop them letting in 80k olympian related people though....hmm..i wonder why

 

[Unknown?]

DISAPPOINTED! I thought you meant it was opening across from my street.

 

[FingerBang]

They dont let you in as a worker or student either. The fact that no one seems to know this outside the few thousand of us makes this even more difficult. Ive had my work coe since December..i was packed in December...im still packed. Its been hard closed since december and pretty much following the news everyday is Japanese politicians "mulling over maybe rethinking about opening possibbly eventually someday" ...once a week.


Didnt stop them letting in 80k olympian related people though....hmm..i wonder why

I have a few friends in the same situation as you. As a matter of fact, I could move back there with my current job but no one knows when it's going to be possible and honestly wouldn't risk moving there before the end of the pandemic. That's because Japan's policies are simply racist. They didn't let in people with a work visa, just because they are not Japanese nationals.

It's ridiculous how in the west every other day there's someone outraged because a hat is racist, but no one gives a shit when a country acts like that. Also, vaccinated Japanese people are now accepted in the EU and the US, but you don't get to go there.

 

[Keihart]

Very cool, the manager of that location said in an interview that the Ikeburo closing was not because of COVID, they were hanging on there pretty good it seems, but instead something out of their control because the building owners are looking to build a new building there.

 

[Virt McPolygon]

Cool for the novelty, but most arcade games are sort of same-y at this point, right? Isn't it just mostly redemption or UFO catcher shit?

 

[Keihart]

Cool for the novelty, but most arcade games are sort of same-y at this point, right? Isn't it just mostly redemption or UFO catcher shit?

I don't know man, new rhythm arcades still get me hyped.
And gun arcades, gun arcades are the tits.

Fighting games online are shit compared to the real deal too, way more convenient than convincing some people to gather and bring consoles and TVs too.

 

[Porcile]

These places are pretty awful. There is a Capcom one too nearby and it's just crane garbage and a really shitty merch shop and cafe.

 

[TransTrender]

I mean, that location was both huge and packed last time I was there. Sure, Covid is a bitch, but across the street it's not like the building was any smaller.
2019

 

[Porcile]

They dont let you in as a worker or student either. The fact that no one seems to know this outside the few thousand of us makes this even more difficult. Ive had my work coe since December..i was packed in December...im still packed. Its been hard closed since december and pretty much following the news everyday is Japanese politicians "mulling over maybe rethinking about opening possibbly eventually someday" ...once a week.


Didnt stop them letting in 80k olympian related people though....hmm..i wonder why

I've been following this since I found out students couldn't enter, but loads of them are still paying for a university education, so getting up at 2 or 3 am to "attend" classes. Such a fucking scam. But the lesson here is that Japan absolutely wants your money but it doesn't want you.

 

[Hawks Eclipse]

Cool for the novelty, but most arcade games are sort of same-y at this point, right? Isn't it just mostly redemption or UFO catcher shit?

Where are you getting this impression from??

 

[Twin Drive System]

That's great to hear. The Ikebukuro location had some cool vibes.

Has been saddening to see some long-time popular hangouts or shops permanently close due to things like COVID, expiring leases, or restructuring. Many arcades have gone, Oedo Onsen closed, Palette Town complex in Odaiba closing.

Hope more places can make a comeback in the future.

 

[Virt McPolygon]

Where are you getting this impression from??

Japanese arcade sites and Twitter accounts. Sega, Namco, Joypolis etc. Majority of their tweets are about prizes and merch.

The places may have multiple floors, but it seems like only one floor has video games. A lot of the remaining games also have gacha elements due to mobile game popularity.

 

[TransTrender]

Not to necro too much but I was feeling nostalgic from the first time when I met Sonic THE Hedgehog

 

[funkygunther]

 

[TransTrender]

Yes OK looking in the background everything is creepy WEEB shit I don't subscribe to.
The creepy Idol card fan clubs outside of Aki and Odaiba(?) were too much.

 

[TransTrender]

The best part of that first experience was exchanging my hard earned currency in to metal balls which I exchanged for this (see attached). Did I win? I can't see straight anymore buy does this say 'Your Princess is in another castle!"?

 

[Scotty W]

Cool for the novelty, but most arcade games are sort of same-y at this point, right? Isn't it just mostly redemption or UFO catcher shit?

You are correct. There is one Sega arcade with a good floor in Akihabara. Almost everything is crane games and horse racing.

The only decent arcade I have been to is Hirose.

 

[ShinobiWan1]

I've been through Ikebukuro a few times, but never had the chance to stop by the Sega Arcade! I was sad that it closed down, but now I can still think about going there if I'm ever going through Ikebukuro (or Japan) again!