How Tourists Can Survive Their First Pachinko Game in Japan

So—you’re interested in pachinko, one of Japan’s legal forms of gambling, and you’ve finally worked up the courage to walk into an actual parlor.

Well then, let me say this: finding this page before you charge in? That’s incredibly lucky.

There’s no shortage of articles online that explain how to play pachinko, step by step.
I’ll link to an official video below and leave it at that.

But here’s the thing—if you just watch that video or skim a few “How to play pachinko” blog posts, will you be truly prepared?

Unfortunately, no. Not even close.

Sure, it’s possible that you put in your money, spin the balls, and walk out with a mountain of prize tokens—if you’re lucky.
But between the entrance and that jackpot lies a minefield of hidden traps. And the odds that a first-timer can navigate all of them without a misstep? Very low.

As far as I know, there are almost no websites that properly explain these pitfalls.
Why? Probably because when tourists run into trouble playing pachinko, people just shrug and say,
“Unlucky? Well, at least it makes for a spicier travel story.”

Even most YouTube videos titled “I tried pachinko in Japan” won’t be much help.
Their creators simply don’t have enough experience to know what to watch out for.

So this article is here to help you with something just as important as the basic how-to:
The unspoken rules, the common mistakes, and a few low-risk strategies to avoid wasting your cash.

If this guide saves your wallet—or at least your pride—even a little, I’ll consider it a win.

1. Can I Play Pachinko Even If I’m a Foreigner?

1-1. Will I Get Arrested for Playing?

Pachinko is a game where you spend real money, shoot little balls into a machine, win more balls if you’re lucky, and eventually exchange those for cash.
Naturally, a question arises—regardless of whether you’re a tourist or a local:

“Wait, isn’t that illegal gambling?”

Let’s start with the basics. Japan does have officially sanctioned forms of gambling, called “public gambling.”
These include horse racing, bicycle racing, motorcycle racing, boat racing, the lottery, and sports betting. Just six. That’s it.

So… does that mean pachinko is illegal?

No. It’s not illegal—because it’s not considered gambling.
Confused? So was I, at first.

Here’s how it works.

No matter how many balls you win inside the pachinko parlor, the only thing you can exchange them for is prizes.
You could get snacks or home appliances from the prize counter, but over 99% of players exchange their balls for something called a special prize—a mysterious object inside a small plastic case. It’s completely useless in daily life.

No cash is involved here. So officially, it’s not gambling.

But once you step outside the pachinko parlor, you’ll almost always find a little shop nearby that, very conveniently, is willing to buy that useless special prize for cash.

You might wonder, why would any shop want a pile of pointless plastic trinkets?
Well—it just so happens that the original pachinko parlor is eager to buy back those special prizes, through a separate route.
So the shop sells them back, everyone’s happy, and the cycle continues.

It sounds absurd, but it’s true.
If you’re thinking “Isn’t that just a legal loophole?”—congratulations, you’re a perfectly reasonable human being.

This system is known as the san-ten hōshiki (three-party method), and yes, it’s been unofficially accepted by law enforcement for years.
Why? That’s a story for another time—and one best left to your imagination. Just know that this system only works for pachinko. If you try this method with any other kind of gambling in Japan, you will get arrested.

1-2. Do I Need Any Special Permission as a Tourist?

Nope.
You don’t need a passport, a license, or a member ID. Just walk in and play.

That said, as with Japanese locals, you must be of legal age (usually 18 or 20 depending on the region), so it’s a good idea to have some form of ID in case you’re asked.

“Great! I’m going right now!”

Hold up.

As I mentioned earlier, pachinko is full of unspoken rules and traps—stuff that no basic how-to guide ever really tells you.
Walking into a pachinko parlor without knowing these is like saying grace before a meal… without a spoon or fork.
(Okay, that’s not quite the right metaphor, but you get the point.)

So before you get eaten alive by flashy machines and half-baked advice from people who’ve only tried pachinko once,
take a few minutes to learn how the game really works.

You’ll thank yourself later.

2. Things You Should Actually Know

Before we get into the juicy parts, let’s start with the basics.
Here’s an official video that shows you how to play pachinko step by step:

Playing Pachinko for Beginners

Watch that first. It’ll show you how to enter the parlor, insert money, get balls, shoot them, and maybe win something.
You’ll be technically ready to play.

But as we’ve already mentioned, there’s a lot more to pachinko than pressing a button and hoping for the best.
So let’s go over the things that really matter.

2-1. Pachinko vs. Pachislot: Which One Should You Play?

You might notice that most parlors have both pachinko and pachislot machines.
So which one should you go for?

Simple answer: Stick with pachinko.

Pachislot requires more knowledge, timing, and skill—especially when it comes to different machine types. It’s less forgiving for beginners and less intuitive to understand.
Unless you’ve done your homework (in Japanese), pachinko is the safer bet.

2-2. How Much Money Do You Actually Need?

You’ve probably seen some cheerful blogs claiming,

“You can enjoy pachinko for as little as 1,000 yen!”

That’s a lie. Don’t fall for it.

For 1,000 yen, you’ll get 250 balls.
If you’re unlucky (which, statistically, you will be), those balls will disappear in under 5 minutes.
Your chance of hitting a jackpot with just 1,000 yen? Likely under 10%.

That means you’ll leave the place thinking, “Did I just get gently scammed… by a machine?”

If you actually want to experience what makes pachinko fun—the flashing lights, the bonus rounds, the dopamine spike—you’ll need at least 15,000 yen (~$100 USD).
Personally, I don’t even start unless I have about $200 in my pocket.

2-3. If I Return My Balls, Do I Get My Money Back?

Let’s say you borrow 1,000 yen worth of balls, don’t use them, and go straight to the counter.
Will they give you your 1,000 yen back?

Nope.

Pachinko operates on what’s called an exchange rate, usually around 90%.
So those balls are only worth about 900 yen when you try to cash out.

This rate varies from shop to shop—some go slightly higher, some lower.
(Some areas use a 100% exchange rate, but this is just a regional difference. The shops usually adjust the ease of winning to balance things out.)

Now, here’s the mistake many people make:

Imagine you insert 10,000 yen into the machine, use 3,000 yen to play, and hit a jackpot.
The remaining 7,000 yen stays on your IC card. What do you do?

You might think:

“Well, I’ll just borrow the rest of the balls and cash them all out at the end.”

Big mistake.

Remember: every time you convert money into balls, you’re losing value due to the exchange rate.
So instead of borrowing more balls, go to the refund machine inside the parlor and get your unused money back in cash.

2-4. Can I Just Sit at Any Machine I Want?

When you walk into a pachinko parlor, you’ll see hundreds of machines lined up in intimidating rows.
But here’s the thing: not all machines are equally welcoming.

Each machine runs on a slightly different system depending on its model. So unless you came for a very specific title (like your favorite anime), you should stick with the “Umi Monogatari” series—literally “Sea Story.”
It’s been one of the most popular and beginner-friendly pachinko franchises for decades. The gameplay is relatively simple, and the odds aren’t too cruel.

(Of course, if you’re here just to play a machine based on your favorite anime—go ahead. Just do yourself a favor and look up how it works first.)

You might also notice that some machines say “4-yen pachinko” while others say “1-yen pachinko.”
This refers to how many balls you get per 1,000 yen—roughly 250 balls at 4 yen, and 1,000 balls at 1 yen.

If you’re not here to chase jackpots, start with 1-yen pachinko. It’s more forgiving and a better way to enjoy the game for fun.

That said, if you’re the kind of person who uses $10 bills like napkins, by all means, go straight to the 4-yen section.

But don’t all machines of the same model have the same odds?

Actually, no—they don’t.
Even if two machines are the exact same model, their chances of winning can vary depending on how easily balls can enter the trigger pocket.

Here’s what matters most:

The Key to Winning: How Many Spins You Get per 1,000 Yen

When you turn the handle, your pachinko balls bounce around the board, navigating a forest of little metal pins.
To trigger the digital slot (the one that shows animations and jackpots), a ball has to land in a specific entry—the “Start Pocket,” as shown in the official video.

Each machine has a set probability of hitting a jackpot when that digital reel spins—anywhere from 1 in 99 to 1 in 399.
So naturally, the more spins you get, the better your chances.

The tricky part? How often you get a spin depends on the pin layout.
That layout is slightly adjusted each day by staff so that some machines don’t get too “hot.”

Most pros recommend looking at the two pins just above the Start Pocket:

The wider they’re spread, the easier it is for balls to drop in. That’s the golden rule.

But—and here’s the catch—those pins often look almost identical on every machine.
Worse yet, how balls enter the Start Pocket isn’t only about those two pins; it’s influenced by the entire layout.
Even seasoned players can’t always read it correctly.

“So… it’s just luck, then?”

In a way, yes. But there’s one way to spot a bad machine before you waste too much money:

Check How Many Spins You Get — And Start Judging Early

As a rough guideline:

In 4-yen pachinko (standard machines):

• 22 spins per 1,000 yen = great
• 16 to 20 spins = average (most people settle here)
• 14 spins or less = walk away

In 1-yen pachinko, since you get more balls per yen, just divide by four:

• 40 spins per 500 yen = great
• 30 to 36 spins = average
• 25 spins or less = not worth it

At first, you’ll be picking machines mostly at random. But after playing for a bit—1,000 or 2,000 yen in 4-yen pachinko, or 500 yen in 1-yen pachinko—you should stop and ask yourself:

“Is this machine giving me enough spins to be worth it?”

If not, leave it.
That decision alone can save you a lot of frustration—and money.

2-5. Don’t Leave the Machine Until You’re Really Done

Many pachinko machines—including “Umi Monogatari,” the beginner-friendly one we recommended earlier—feature something called kakuhen (probability change mode) and jitan (shortened time mode).

• Kakuhen: After hitting a jackpot, your next jackpot becomes significantly more likely.
• Jitan: Even if kakuhen is not triggered, you often enter a mode where you get about 100 spins with fewer balls consumed.

These are good situations.
Which means: never leave the machine while these are still active.

How do you know if the machine is still in one of those modes?
It can be hard to tell, but here’s a rough rule of thumb:

If the screen is still being loud and flashy, don’t get up yet.

It’s not a perfect system, but it’s better than leaving just before another jackpot hits.

2-6. Do I Have to Do Anything While Playing?

In theory, no.
Just trust your luck and hope the balls fall where they should.

But there is one system you absolutely need to understand: “Hold” memory.

As we mentioned earlier, the digital reel spins only when a ball lands in the Start Pocket.
But it doesn’t spin every time—because most machines store only up to 4 pending spins.

You can usually see how many are stored by looking at a row of small lights near the center of the machine. If all 4 lights are on, that means the machine is full—and any extra balls are just wasted.

So what should you do?

There’s a small stop button located below the handle.
When the hold count hits 3 or 4, you should press that button to stop firing balls.
This is especially important during flashy animations or long “reach” sequences—when you’re tempted to just sit back and watch, but the machine would otherwise waste dozens of balls.

Use the stop button smartly. It can save you a surprising amount of money.

⚠️ Caution:

A few rare parlors have a “no stop button” policy.
If a staff member asks you not to use it, just nod and go along with it.
(But personally, I wouldn’t recommend a place that bans such a basic efficiency tool.)

2-7. Can I Leave the Machine for a Bathroom Break?

Absolutely.
There’s no need to suffer—feel free to get up when nature calls.
However, there are a few important things to keep in mind:

• Don’t leave during a jackpot round
  　If your machine is flashing, beeping, and in the middle of a big win, walking away can be disruptive to others.
  　Wait until the excitement dies down before stepping away.
• Take all valuables with you
  　This includes your wallet, phone, and especially your IC card (pachinko credit card).
  　The IC card is easy to forget, and if someone else uses it while you’re gone, you’ll likely have no recourse.

What if I want to take a longer break (like for food)?

If you’re stepping out for a meal—say, about 30 minutes—let a staff member know and ask for a “meal break” hold.
They’ll usually mark your machine to reserve it for you, so you don’t come back to find someone else sitting there.

2-8. When Should You Stop Playing?

Knowing when to stop is just as important as knowing how to start.
Here’s how to avoid walking away right before a bonus—or wasting money chasing one that may never come.

Rule #1: Stop Before It Gets Dangerous

If you’re playing a machine with Yuu-Time (a special bonus mode that activates after a certain number of spins), the most dangerous thing you can do is leave right before it triggers.

But how do you know?

Here’s a general rule of thumb:

💡 If you’re already past these numbers, don’t quit unless you’re ready to see someone else hit the jackpot after you leave.
If you’re unsure what kind of machine it is, it’s safer to decide early than to gamble blindly.

Rule #2: Loud = Stay / Quiet = Go

Still not sure what’s happening?

A crude but helpful guide:

• Is the screen flashing, making noise, or showing dramatic animations? → Stick around.
• Is it quiet and dull, even after a few minutes? → Time to go.

Some machines get louder when they’re in bonus modes like kakuhen or jitan, or approaching Yuu-Time. If the energy drops, take the hint.

Rule #3: Respect Your Budget

This one’s simple: Decide your limit before you start, and stick to it.

Whether it’s 5,000 yen, 10,000 yen, or more—don’t go over just because you “feel close.”
Pachinko is designed to make you feel that way all the time.

“Just one more try” is how people lose track of reality.

Final Tip: Know When to Walk Away

If you’re not sure about the machine—or even if you are—a safe rule of thumb is to stop after the flashy post-bonus effects settle down and you’ve played about 100 more spins.

By that point, most machines have fully returned to normal mode.
Hanging around any longer just drains your wallet for no good reason.

3. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even if you’ve followed all the tips so far, a few classic beginner mistakes can still trip you up. Let’s go through some of the most common ones—so you don’t learn them the hard way.

3-1. Borrowing Too Many Balls at Once

As mentioned earlier, due to the exchange rate, borrowing more balls than you need leads to a guaranteed loss.
Don’t mash the “Ball Loan” button—take it slow and only borrow what you’ll actually use.

3-2. Forgetting Your IC Card (or Not Returning It)

This happens all the time, especially to beginners.
If you leave your IC card in the machine—or forget to return it to the machine before you leave—you risk losing all remaining credits.
Winning big is nice. Forgetting your card afterward is not.

3-3. Not Emptying the Tray and Triggering a Warning

When you hit a jackpot, balls will overflow into the lower tray.
If you don’t scoop them out regularly, the machine might start beeping or even stop launching new balls.
Yes, really—it’s like the machine is yelling at you to do your job.

3-4. Using Up Your Last 1,000 Yen… and Then Winning

This one hurts.
You’re down to your last few balls…
Suddenly—jackpot! But you have no credits left to continue the round.

It’s one of the most tragic things that can happen in a pachinko parlor.
Always keep a buffer of 1,000 yen or so. Just in case.

3-5. Not Knowing Where the Prize Exchange Window Is

You’ve got your mysterious plastic prize. Now what?
Don’t take it home as a weird souvenir. Instead, look around.

Watch the people leaving the prize counter.
Most are holding a small plastic bag or just carrying something in their hand.
Most likely, they’re heading to the place you’re hoping to find.

4. Conclusion

Pachinko is a game full of uniquely Japanese systems and unwritten rules.
But with just a few key points in mind, even total beginners can enjoy it.

The most important things are:

• Know when to walk away
• Understand how the prize exchange system works
• Manage your money and keep your belongings safe

Stick to these, and you’ll avoid the classic “lost all my money and learned nothing” kind of experience.

All you need after that is a little courage, a bit of luck,
and the attitude of “well, at least it makes a good travel story.”

That said, pachinko is just one way to spend a night alone in Japan.
Want more ideas? Here’s a full list of surprisingly fun things you can do—just by yourself:

What to Do Alone in Japan at Night – 5 Surprisingly Fun Ideas

A Japanese Explains! Spending a night alone in Japan? Here are 5 surprisingly fun ways to enjoy it—karaoke, bars, pachinko, and more. Safe, easy, and better than calling it a night too early.

notallsushi.com

2025.08.03