Pachinko

In Japan, people are very familiar with electronics and alcohol. When these two are mixed together they create what is known as Pachinko, a gambling machine similar in concept to the American pinball. Due to the fact that Pachinko is a form of gambling, and is tied together with smoking and alcohol, children under 18 are not permitted to enter a Pachinko parlor. Over the many years that this beloved game has been in Japanese history, it has become a very iconic activity that many participate in while traveling. The game is quite simple in theory, but is actually very tricky. You provide the colorful flashing machine with money, and you are given an amount of small metal balls that you control. You are permitted to choose the strength behind how the machine shoots them, but not its direction. As you score points, you receive more silver balls and may continue to play.The ultimate goal of the game is to receive the most Pachinko balls and exchange them for prizes in a room like a small convenience store. The Pachinko machines were first created as a child's toy in the 1920's slightly before World War II. They were originally crafted from wood and were based upon the American "Corinthian bagatelle" which was a billiard-like game where you get balls past a maze of wooden pegs. There are others that believe that it has roots that started when the American game "Log Tavern" was imported to Japan in the 1920's. The theme of the two games though is a simple pinball-like game that evolved over the next ninety years.The Pachinko name comes from the sound that the machine makes, which is the Japanese onomatopoeia "pachi-pachi" or, the sound of something popping. When the nineteen eighties came around, Pachinko games upgraded from mechanical to electric. Now-a-days, there are more lights than there is machine which adds to its popularity amongst the people of Japan.
 * Pachinko**
 * Playing The Game**
 * History**