As we stumble out of our third Japanese arcade and onto the glowing sidewalks of Tokyo’s Akihabara ward, I catch eyes with my partner and laugh. In this perfect moment together, we’re equally content but exhausted from a day of vigorous gaming. Holding hands as we squat outside on a slender metal railing and chug melon sodas from a nearby vending machine, I promise the next game center will be our last stop in today’s marathon.

Popular in Japan since the 1970s, video game arcades took a major hit during the coronavirus pandemic. Strict limitations on public gatherings led to businesses shutting down. And even though game centers may not be as popular as the entertainment destinations were at their previous peak in the early 1990s, make no mistake—the arcades in Tokyo are still vibrant, lively, and absolutely worth visiting during your next journey to Japan.

During a recent trip, I played arcade games at nine locationss across Tokyo. Based on my experience, here’s some advice to help travelers interested in visiting some game centers have an enjoyable experience. Overall these arcades were my favorite part of Japan, other than the delicious food, of course. I’m including my pick for the best arcade if you only have time to visit one, and which options are best if you’re traveling with kids.

Advice for Getting Started

When you’re scoping out arcades from the street, you should know that looks can be deceiving! Especially if you’re wandering around Akihabara, don’t be put off by a first floor brimming with claw machines. In most of the mega-arcades, each floor is organized by game type, so check the map on the wall to see what game types are available and which level matches your core interests.

Actually, I would argue that the claw machines, also called UFO catchers, are worth a bit of your time. Even the most hardcore gamer visiting Japan should try these more lighthearted experiences on their pilgrimage through the arcades. It’s a bit tricky, but possible, to win an oversized animal plushie, kaiju figurine, or even just an adorable sticker pack with a little luck and finesse. Plus, if you’re having trouble getting anything, press the attendant button on the machine and a staff member will come over. Depending on your level of politeness, they might put the object of your desire teetering right on the edge.

Most of the arcade games you’ll want to play require inserting a 100-yen coin (about 70 cents), or sometimes a couple. No need to worry about getting coins beforehand, though. It was super easy to find change machines to turn cash into coins at every game center we visited. Don’t forget to bring a small baggy or some other pocket-sized coin purse, so loose change isn’t sloshing around in your pocket.

The digital Suica card that I downloaded to my iphoness for using public transportation was a boon in the arcades as well. Many of the newer machines accepted the digital card as a tap-to-pay option, so whenever I was running low on physical cash, it was easy to top off the Suica card on my smartphones and keep playing without leaving the arcade.

If you want to play a game that involves a lot of body movement, like Dance Dance Revolution, be prepared for a few people to potentially pause and watch you make a fool of yourself. Also, it is totally OK to take off your backpack, but make sure you place it in one of the baskets near the machine rather than directly on the floor.

Often in arcades, you will come across gashapon vending machines, sometimes even an entire floor dedicated to these mystery capsule toys. Even though you're there for the games, these gashapon vending machines—where you insert coins to receive one of the pictured trinkets—shouldn't be overlooked. As well as an interesting aspect of Japanese culture, it’s also a fun opportunity for souvenirs. Crank the handle on a couple gashapon while you’re in town for everything from miniature bottles of Kewpie mayo to tiny bullet trains. We ended up going home with a pair of buff, bodybuilder bird figurines. How fabulous.

If you want to beat the crowds and have more time to yourself, going during the day on a weekday is likely best. Most of the arcades are open late into the evening as well, making for a quite fun after-dinner, slightly tipsy escapade. Plus, if you’re going to one of the game centers in Akihabara, seeing everything lit up at night for the first time is breathtaking.

If You Only Have Time for One

While I loved spending two days exploring an assortment of different game centers, if you only have time to visit a single Japanese arcade during your tour of Tokyo, I would recommend going to Gigo Building 3 in Akihabara. I had a pleasant time at all of the nearby game centers in this touristy part of town, but ended the trip feeling like Gigo 3, which used to be owned and operated by Sega, had the best spread of different games to play. There’s a whole floor dedicated to vintage experiences, featuring obvious classics like Street Fighter as well as more obscure picks like Armadillo Racing, a trackball-controlled game Namco first released in 1997.

Even though the arcade was fairly busy on the weekend, we were able to play basically any machine in Gigo 3 without waiting more than five minutes or getting distracted by nearby machines. On the claw machine floors, roving staff attendants were nearby at all times, in case you need help snatching an anime figurine or oversized plushie.

If you’re a racing game enthusiast, this stop will be delightful for you. The game center’s history as a Sega arcade leaves so many cool classics available to ride, from Manx TT Super Bike machines to a Rad mobiles game that you play while seated inside a mini car. I could have spent at least an hour just bouncing between the different steering wheels of these retro machines.

Compared to when we visited the Namco game center earlier in the day down the street, the selection of rhythm games—where tapping controllers to the beat earns you points—were fairly similar. Although in Gigo 3 we were able to play multiple rhythm games without feeling the need to move due to other patrons waiting in a line behind us. It was delightful trying out all of the rhythm experiences for the first time, and my personal favorite was Sega’s Maimai machine. I was astounded watching nearby players smash all of the eight buttons at precisely the right time along with the music, swiping fingers across the screen as they rack up combos—I was content to play on the approachable, easy difficulty levels, rather than risk breaking out in a wicked sweat.

Another enjoyable experience in Gigo 3 for travelers is the picture booth section. While it’s primarily filled with teenage girls perfecting their makeup, using hair irons for touchups, and trying on crunchy blonde wigs, we had a blast taking photos in the booths and couldn’t stop laughing as the software warped our facial features out of proportion until we looked like ghostly aliens. One booth we tried even had a horror theme with a light narrative as you hit the poses.

We went hard at the games and never went over 5,000 yen (around $33) at any of the arcades in Tokyo. Overall, our experience at Gigo 3 was budget-friendly and magnetic.

If You’re Traveling With Kids

After riding an outdoor escalator to reach the entrance of 1-chome Playland, located on Tokyo’s artificial island of Odaiba, I was surrounded by nostalgic neon hues and the most mechanical arcade games I’d seen all trip. Yes, it had a few other options for games, but the main attraction here was an assortment of vintage machines, often with some kind of interactive, mechanical element. Despite the age and public use, a majority of the games here were in great shape.

The space isn’t huge, but around each corner we bumped into unique experiences and happily spent fistfuls of yen coins. I used a tiny chef's skillet to mash rodents as target lights flashed across the screen. My partner and I got a bit too competitive spinning the cursors and trying to win our ping-pong soccer game. I almost landed three pinballs in a row playing the Sailor Moon-themed tic-tac-toe.

At 1-chome Playland, I saw many families with young children as well as couples out on aesthetic dates. The locations is easy to overlook, right next to other family-oriented options like the Legoland Discovery Center and Tokyo Joyopolis, but it’s honestly worth the train ride by itself. We spent an hour and a half trying out machines, and probably could have spent another 30 minutes on a less busy night.

Just be forewarned, any family outing at this arcade is almost guaranteed to end with a trip to some nearby ice cream shop on the way back to the hotel. It just feels right.

Looking for other Japanese game centers worth visiting in Tokyo? We also enjoyed our time at Namco, HEY Taito, and GiGO #1—all in Akihabara and only a few blocks apart. For a more intimate experience, head to Takadanobaba, where the Mikado Game Center has a solid selection of retro machines, and the nearby Natsuge Museum is a fantastic stop for pinball fanatics.