Videos have emerged of a man smashing pachinko machines with a hammer before being arrested by police.
The videos show the man standing in the middle of an aisle in a pachinko parlor apparently carrying some sort of knife and hammer. Presumably the man lost money playing the Japanese pinball game and got the items to express his frustration.
Several patrons can be seen standing at both sides of the aisle watching and recording the incident as the man suddenly lifts the hammer and smashes one of the machines and the sound of glass breaking can be heard.
In another video the police have apprehended the man and are leading him out of the store. It seems as if his beef was squarely aimed at the pachinko machines, as he doesn’t appear to resist arrest.
Japan has a significant gambling problem, with pachinko parlours being ubiquitous in any major city. While playing pachinko for money is illegal, patrons can easily cash in their prize winnings at a nearby “unrelated” store.
According to Japan’s ministry of health, there are more than 5 million addicted gamblers in Japan. The overwhelming abundance of pachinko parlours is said to be one of the main reasons for this high number.
With the government looking to introduce legal casinos for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics, perhaps this incident may spark a more robust discussion about the benefits of legal gambling facilities in Japanese society.
Source: Hachima Kiko, Japan Times
Images: Flickr/Martin Abegglen, Flickr/Guilhem Vellut