Curfew orders are forcing arcades to close early

Retro gaming arcades are usually quite busy places across Tokyo. These days, however, the shops are closing early due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Arcades are still a neighbourhood fixture across Japan but many of them have been disappearing as business is hit by curfews. Since early January, Tokyo and other big Japanese cities have been under a state of emergency to bring down surging Covid-19 cases. However, unlike bars and restaurants, arcades do not receive government subsidies for lost income.

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, smaller, independent gaming centres were already closing down at a rapid rate. Since 1989, the number of Japan’s arcades has plunged to almost 4,000.

With players likely to own a console and the rise of mobile gaming, arcades will have to adapt in order to survive.

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