ゲームセンターを飛び出した「クレーンゲーム」の世界　コンビニもJA全農も・・・市場規模は10年で2倍以上

Crane games are a staple of arcades. Now, large specialty stores are appearing, and the domestic market size has more than doubled in the last decade. They are also popular with foreign tourists visiting Japan, and installations are becoming more common in familiar locations. A specialty store with 329 crane games A specialty crane game store opened in Hisayama-machi, Fukuoka Prefecture in November 2025. The vast floor space is lined with a staggering 329 game machines. RKB reporter Sota Kaneko: "This crane game store stocks not only standard toys, but also daily necessities such as detergents." "Sometimes they come two or three times a week." Visitor: "I managed to get Wide Haiter (a type of bleach) after about three or four tries. I like that it's practical. I come about once a week. The feeling of satisfaction when you win is great. I spend about 10,000 yen (each time)." Couple in their 70s: "We come two or three times a week, sometimes. (Our target is) toilet paper; it's practical and fun." Q. Don't you buy it at the supermarket? A couple in their 70s: "Well, we hardly ever buy anything. Lately, we've accumulated a lot of prizes here. I think the fun lies in whether you can win or not." A family visiting: "We came all the way from Nogata City, over the mountains, a 40-50 minute drive, just for this. Even if we don't win anything, or even if we spend money, it's fun." Konno Takafumi, Manager of Bandai Trias Hisayama Store: "We really pay attention to, or rather, consciously place prizes that are suitable and match the needs of families. Toilet paper and detergent are actually selling well. We aim to be a supermarket where you can have fun, and our strategy is to include vegetables and fruits in the future." 10 Yen Play Area The 10 yen play area is popular with children. A 2-year-old child: "I got so many! So many! Yay!" Q. What is this? Parent of a 2-year-old child, "Inu-san" (Dog-san): "It's only 10 or 30 yen per play, so it's easy to let my child play, and they're happy about it. We come about once every two weeks." Market Size More Than Doubled in 10 Years According to the Japan Amusement Industry Association, sales of crane games and similar games where players win prizes were 179.4 billion yen in fiscal year 2014, but are projected to reach 417.8 billion yen in fiscal year 2024, more than doubling in just over a decade. Itsuko Sasaki of Taito's Public Relations Department: "The fact that they offer limited-edition designs only available in crane games, and larger plush toys than those sold commercially, is definitely a reason for their popularity. YouTubers also play crane games quite a bit, so I think that's contributing to the growing popularity of crane games." Why in Convenience Stores? Crane Games Popular with Tourists The boom is sweeping to places close to us. RKB reporter Sota Kaneko: "Go!... Oh no, actually the crane game is installed inside a convenience store." At the Lawson Hakata store in Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City, a small crane game has been installed in an empty space inside the store since November 2024. On this day, the person diligently operating the arm was a tourist from overseas. A tourist from Hong Kong: "It's difficult." "Monchhichi? It's famous." Q. Are there crane games in convenience stores? A tourist from Hong Kong said, "It's fun, I like it." A tourist from China said, "We have crane games in China too, but not in convenience stores. It's more common to play them at arcades. But in Japan, they're in convenience stores, and I feel they're more accessible and popular." Lawson Hakata Store Manager, Yu Ito, said, "There used to be a magazine corner here. When that was removed, we were able to fill the empty space and install the crane games. Many foreign tourists stop by before returning to their hotels, so in the evenings, you see a lot of foreigners playing the games." Installed in approximately 1300 stores nationwide Lawson has been installing crane games since 2024, and currently, they are available in approximately 1300 stores nationwide, including 50 stores in Fukuoka Prefecture. Lawson Entertainment Company, Yumi Yamaguchi: "Tourists and inbound visitors are playing and enjoying our games more than we anticipated, which is a major driving force behind our sales. In that sense, sales are very strong. Our main objective with our current crane games is to utilize the empty space in our stores." "Online Crane Games" on Smartphones The evolution of crane games isn't limited to physical stores. "Online crane games," which are remotely controlled via smartphone screens, are also gaining popularity. Players operate the arms on the app to win prizes, and the actual prizes are delivered to their homes later. Some prizes include... Hakata Wagyu, Saga Wagyu, and Kumamoto Akaushi beef as prizes JA Zen-Noh Meat Foods Kyushu Sales Headquarters, Yudai Sunaba, Center Manager: "We offer about three types of meat products in our crane games. Currently, we o...