Toys & Collectibles

Inside the Industry

You can play games at home, so why haven’t Japan’s game centers disappeared? The turnaround story of arcades revived by crane games

Over ten years, nearly half of Japan’s game centers closed, yet their revenue has climbed back above pre-pandemic levels. What drove the rebound was not more thrilling video games, but crane games that cost 100 yen a play.
Inside the Industry

Why Can a Single Koi Sell for ¥200 Million? The Bloodlines and Competitions Behind Japanese Koi Prices

In 2018, a red-and-white carp sold for ¥203 million. Most of what the buyer paid for wasn’t the fish itself.
Inside the Industry

How a Manga Magazine’s Prize Card Sold for 2.5 Billion Yen: The Collecting Economy Behind Pokémon Cards

In 1998, a Japanese children’s manga magazine gave a card to the winners of an illustration contest. Twenty-eight years later, one of those cards sold for 2.5 billion yen.

You can play games at home, so why haven’t Japan’s game centers disappeared? The turnaround story of arcades revived by crane games