Fire breaks out at Osaka arcade popular with foreign tourists, motorcycle in building may have made situation worse.

For anyone who loves video games, especially the pioneering classics that laid the foundation of the current industry, it’s always sad when an arcade shuts down. The latest arcade loss, though, isn’t due to a lack of interest from modern gamers who’d rather play games online or on their phones, but because of a destructive fire that broke out suddenly in Osaka.

Located just about 100 meters (328 feet) from Tsutenkaku tower in downtown Osaka, Zarigani is, or was, an arcade stuffed with all sorts of retro games.

In addition to standard cabinets with basic joysticks and buttons, Zarigani also had several deluxe models, including light gun games and multiple units of Sega’s After Burner with motorized tilting to replicate the movements of the on-screen fighter jet the player controls.

In recent years, Zarigani had even managed to get itself included on the itinerary for tours for inbound foreign travelers interested in getting a peek at Japanese arcade culture (or who just wanted to play some fun games).

Sadly, in the late afternoon of January 21, shortly before 5 p.m., firefighters received a call that a fire had broken out on the street where Zarigani is located, and the arcade’s stairwell was where the flames originated.

A total of 42 fire engines were dispatched to battle the blaze, which was largely contained within two hours but not completely out until later that night. Thankfully, there were no customers in the arcade at the time, and aside from one Zarigani employee, a man in his 30s who was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, no one seems to have been harmed. The arcade’s building itself, though, as well as a pair of nearby structures, were severely damaged.

A fire starting in a building filled with old arcade machines might have one assuming that a wiring issue or other electrical malfunction is to blame. Fire officials are still investigating the incident and are yet to make a final report as to the initial cause, but the situation seems to have been worsened by the fact that a motorcycle (as in an actual motor vehicle with a gas tank, not a replica used for racing games) was being stored inside the arcade. A worker in a nearby restaurant said that they heard “a sound like an explosion” before seeing flames coming from the building, which could have been the sound of the motorcycle’s fuel igniting.

Zarigani’s management has yet to make any statement regarding the extent of the damage to its machines, or whether or not it will be able to reopen in the same location, will need to relocate, or will be forced to shut down permanently. Judging from the photos of the fire’s aftermath, though, it looks like the current location is going to be shut down for the foreseeable future.

Source: NHK News Web, YTV, Hachima Kiko
Top image: Pakutaso
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