Famous Taito Station arcade in Tokyo to close down next month

Taito Station Nishi Shinjuku (Image: Twitter/@Taitoshinjuk_w)

One of Tokyo’s famous video game arcades is set to close down in March, just a few months after other large arcades also stopped operations in the Japanese capital.

The Taito Station Nishi Shinjuku branch in Akihabara will be operating only until March 21, as announced via its official Twitter page on Feb. 21.

“On March 21, Taito Station Nishi Shinjuku will be permanently closing. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has visited us over our time in operation,” Taito said in Japanese as translated by Sora News 24 on Feb. 22.

https://twitter.com/Taito_shinjuk_w/status/1363298571030732804

The said arcade is managed by the “Space Invaders” publisher Taito. They still have two other branches in the Shinjuku district, according to the report.

Last year, Sega’s iconic building in Akihabara filled with arcade games also closed down for good amid the pandemic.  The Silk Hat Ikebukuro arcade, meanwhile, closed down just last month.

Akihabara is a district in Central Tokyo famous for its electronic shops and arcades, according to travel website japan-guide.com.

Taito did not disclose a specific reason as to why the arcade will be permanently closed, although the pandemic’s negative effects on businesses and tourism may play a part. The said branch opened only in 2018. Ian Biong /ra

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