僕は熊

Any trip to Japan would not be complete without a stop to a game center. Though not held in as high esteem as say 生け花 (flower arrangement) or 歌舞伎 (kabuki), game centers are nonetheless a part of Japan's (pop) culture and worth a mention. My so-called passion for the arcades goes back to my days in Kanazawa when fellow PII students and I would play taiko to unwind after class.

Today I want to focus on one of the more noble diversions to be found in the game centers--> freeing helpless stuffed animals that have become trapped in flashy, neon prisons.

The first trick, of course, is to find your target. A good idea is to find a prize that someone else has nudged to the edge a bit or moved around so that it's easier to get~ like this little guy below.

Then all you have to do is use the crane to push him down. The hooks on the crane are pretty weak, so it's not worth it to try and hook the ring unless it's really close to the edge.

Oh! Just a little more!

Ehhhh....

Gotcha!! And you can now live happily ever after with your newly-liberated, stuffed companion.

PS. If there's a prize that you see but don't think you can get, ask someone who works at the game center to a) make it easier to win b) tell you how to win. Each machine has its own little quirks.