
Metal doors, steel tunnels, neon lights, rust everywhere—the end of the world never looked so cool.
Even if you’ve never heard of Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong, you’ve seen its influence. Ghost in the Shell, Bladerunner, Shenmue, and so many more movies and video games got their aesthetic inspiration from this now-demolished city.
Not many pictures exist of Kowloon Walled City before its demolition in 1993, but here you can see the outside of the walled city, and a rare glimpse of sunlight from within it.

And if you ever wanted to visit the city that inspired sci-fi for decades to come, you don’t need a time machine anymore: in Japan’s Kawasaki City, the Kawasaki Warehouse arcade is designed after Kowloon Walled City, bringing it back to life in all of its metallic dystopian glory.
We’ve seen pictures of the Kawasaki Warehouse arcade before, but YouTube channel beatdownboogie recently posted a video giving a tour of the arcade, so you can see all of the cyber-liciousness for yourself.
Watch the full video here, or scroll down for highlights.
▼ You know that when the outside of the building looks like this,
and no one under 18 is allowed in, you’re in for an awesome time.
▼ After going through the heavy front doors, you get a metal tunnel…
▼ …leading you to an ominous-looking octagon.
▼ Oh yes. My cyberpunk heart is swooning so hard right now.
▼ And of course you have to cross a pool of acid…
but wait, didn’t we say this was an arcade?
▼ Oh. My. God.
My cyberpunk heart has officially cyber-melted.
▼ The grunge. The posters plastered everywhere. The Chinese lights.
…do they offer monthly live-in plans?
▼ I feel like I should be searching for a martial arts master
while being chased by riot police with my hologram sidekick.
▼ Just steer clear of the bathrooms if possible.
Unless you’re looking for that super authentic experience.
If you’re in Japan and you’re a fan of the dystopian sci-fi aesthetic, then you owe it to yourself to visit Kawasaki Warehouse for the experience of a lifetime. Even if you’re not in Japan and you’re a fan, then you may want to start saving up those credits for a transport over there.
And if you want to see more videos of cool spots in Japan, check out beatdownboogie’s YouTube channel. Here’s a sample of their trip to Shinjuku’s Robot Restaurant, which is just as intensely sci-fi as the Kowloon City arcade, but in a much more colorful way.
Source/insert images: YouTube/beatdownboogie
Featured/top image: YouTube/beatdownboobie (Edited by RocketNews24)










Japan’s craziest, most terrifying video game arcade is going out of business【Photos】
One last visit to Japan’s craziest, scariest video game arcade: Warehouse Kawasaki【Photos】
Japanese video game arcade entrance takes visitors on an adventure from the front door【Video】
Japan’s new beer glass is designed to force you to drink…water [Video]
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
This beautiful rural Japan river is a great alternative to touristy summer retreats [Photos]
Japanese convenience store food gets turned into hyper-realistic stationery you can peel open
Kumamoto earthquake may have created Japan’s newest hot spring inside flooded restaurant [Video]
Beautiful Totoro bonsai figure needs no watering, makes soothing rain showers whenever you want
End of a manga era as Weekly Shonen Jump’s circulation drops under one million
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
This Japanese chopping board sanitising bag might be the handy kitchen gadget we never knew we needed
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese vending machine sells freshly squeezed lemon juice with a futuristic light show
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Anime fan in Japan arrested for ordering and cancelling over 4.3 billion yen in anime merch
7-Eleven Japan adds new chocolate fruit gummies to its sweets range, but are they worth the hype?
Starbucks Japan teams up with Traveler’s Company for new stationery and goods collection
Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
Cup Noodle unveils first-ever cold-water instant ramen in Japan
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】