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is a type of mechanical game originating in Japan and is used as both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a Japanese gambling niche comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gaming. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but has no flippers and uses a large number of small balls. The player fires balls into the machine, which then cascade down through a dense forest of pins. If the balls go into certain locations, they may be captured and sequences of events may be triggered that result in more balls being released. The object of the game is to capture as many balls as possible. These balls can then be exchanged for prizes. Pachinko machines were originally strictly mechanical, but modern ones have incorporated extensive electronics, becoming similar to video slot machines. Pachinko parlors are widespread in Japan, and they usually also feature a number of slot machines (called ' or pachislots); hence, these venues operate and look similar to casinos. Modern pachinko machines are highly customizable, keeping enthusiasts continuously entertained. Gambling for cash is illegal in Japan. Pachinko balls won from games cannot be exchanged directly for money in the parlor. The balls are exchanged for prizes or tokens, which can be exchanged for cash at a place nominally separate from the parlor. ==History== Pachinko machines were first built during the 1920s as a children's toy called the , based on and named after the American "Corinthian bagatelle". Another likely inspiration was the ''Billard japonais'', 'Japanese billiards', invented in Western Europe during the 18th century. It emerged as an adult pastime in Nagoya around 1930 and spread from there. All of Japan's pachinko parlors were closed down during World War II but re-emerged in the late 1940s. Pachinko has remained popular since; the first commercial parlor was opened in Nagoya in 1948. As a country influenced by Japan during its occupation, Taiwan has many pachinko establishments.〔Scott, Simon, "(Ball and chain: gambling’s darker side )", ''Japan Times'', 24 May 2014〕 Until the 1980s, pachinko machines were mechanical devices,〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Modern vs Vintage Pachinko Machines )〕 using bells to indicate different states of the machine. Electricity was used only to flash lights and to indicate problems, such as a machine emptied of its balls. Balls were launched using a flipper; their speed was controlled by pulling the flipper down to different levels. Manufacturers in this period included Nishijin and Sankyo; most of these machines available on online auction sites today date to the 1970s.〔 After that time, pachinko machines incorporated more electronic features, thus requiring electricity for operation. File:Early Pinball.jpg|''フランス語:Billard japonais'', Southern Germany/Alsace ca. 1750–70. File:Masamura Gauge All 15.jpg|Pre-war pachinko machine. File:Mechanical sankyo pachinko machine.jpg|Mechanical pachinko machine from the 1970s. File:Pachinko machine, Tokyo (screen blurred).jpg|A modern, electronic pachinko machine in a Tokyo parlor. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Pachinko」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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