A History of the Pachinko Industry: From a Peripheral Economy to a Huge Market

Pachinko parlors offer a form of gambling unique to Japan located near train stations, in the suburbs, and in other everyday living spaces. Before World War II, pachinko was born as a game for both children and adults to enjoy at outdoor festivals. From its humble origins, it has grown dramatically to become a huge industry with a market size of 30 trillion yen per year. How did pachinko develop from a peripheral economy to become a major industry? Ethnic minority Koreans in Japan, who arrived during the Korean colonial era, are deeply involved in the economic activities of the pachinko industry--how should we understand their involvement in the growth of this huge market? Drawing on a vast amount of primary and secondary resources from the 1950s to the 1990s, this book sheds new light on the circumstances behind the emergence of the pachinko industry as a huge market force in Japan.