Last month, I had the absolute pleasure of traveling to a newly opened arcade with a friend. This arcade aimed to recreate the experience of a Japanese one. Though a little small, it packed a lot of games in there I never thought I’d get to play. It was about a 3-hour drive away from us, but it was well worth the journey. Nestled within an outdoor mall in Little Rock, Arkansas, is the Lucky Cat Arcade. Attached to the arcade was a reasonably standard otaku specialty store with all the figures and imported goods you’d expect. But the fact this was in Arkansas, of all places, made me realize just how far Japanese culture has taken root. So, I’d like to share my experience and hopefully inspire you to look for the same.
The Cultural Stew
We were a bit hungry from the drive, so we checked out the food at the store. In the back, there’s a lovely recreation of a ramen bar for patrons. They served up imported instant ramen, with the option to add several toppings you couldn’t usually get in America. I passed on this, choosing Japanese sweet buns and Asian potato chips. As we sat at the ramen bar, a big screen TV played Nichijou, an all-time favorite of mine. The atmosphere was cozy despite the influx of tourist traffic due to the upcoming eclipse. I sat down and began eating my snacks. Up first, the chocolate sweet bun. It was less sweet than expected due to the lower amount of sugar. Despite that, it was delicious. The bun was soft yet dense, and the chocolate filling was a wonderful treat.
Afterward, I cracked open a tube of Lays chips. The flavor? Black Pepper Rib Eye Steak from China. Though obviously not as good as a genuine steak, they capture the smoky flavor well. The tube didn’t last long. From there, I looked around the store. A live jazz band played just outside the open entrance. Their selections were all from Japanese video games. I sat there, stuffing my face with Asian snacks, watching anime, and basking in the red glow of a paper lamp with the kanji for “ramen” emblazoned on it. Then, as if on cue, the band began playing their version of “Beneath the Mask” from Persona 5. I’m not a big fan of the game, but I will always praise the incredible music. All I could do was sit, listen, and enjoy this beautiful moment celebrating Japanese culture in the most unlikely place.
The Neon Nihon Hues
After we finished eating, we cleaned up and went to the arcade. Crossing the hanging curtain barrier was like stepping into a different world. Dim lighting inside lets the neon hues of the games radiate into a comforting, nostalgic glow. I could hear the rhythm games’ thumping bass and the familiar stomping of the DanceDanceRevolution pros. The first and most distinct difference from the arcades at home was game selection.
Rhythm games dominate Japanese arcades, and this was no different. Everything was here, from Dancerush Stardom to Groove Coaster. To my surprise, Little Rock has a booming rhythm game scene. Therefore, getting to play some of these titles involved long waits. It was mesmerizing to see professional players absolutely destroy the games. Some even wore gloves to protect their hands from friction burns. Their fingers would dance with noticeable familiarity and ease, making these games look like a cakewalk.
Alongside the rhythm games, several consoles with Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6, plus “candy cabs,” were set up for versus action. The space was moderately small, but not an inch of floor space was wasted. They even had UFO Catchers, Japan’s more skill-based alternative to our payout-locked claw machines. More paper lanterns were strung through the center of the arcade, giving it a kind of nighttime festival vibe. We bought our passes for two hours of playtime and got to work.
Rhythm and Bashi
My first pick to try was the imposing Dancerush Stardom by Konami. I’d seen many Japanese players on YouTube and always wanted to try it. Boy, was that a mistake. It’s a great game, but I’m a relatively portly office worker with back problems. Dancerush uses your whole body. The game’s mat reads the position of both your feet and gives you notes and slides to hit with the corresponding foot. Up next, I tried Pop’n Music. You may not recognize the name, but you’ve undoubtedly seen it in anime like Watamote or High Score Girl. I consider myself a fairly decent rhythm game player, but there’s something so mechanically different about the controls here. Instead of moving your fingers on the face of a controller, your whole arm has to move quickly and accurately. To my shock, several Undertale songs were on several different machines.
Not far away, a massive setup for Guitar Freaks sat vacant. For those unaware, this game inspired Guitar Hero, which took America by storm in the late 2000s. I took a small break and walked around the arcade once more. During this, I stumbled across a game I’ve been dying to play on an arcade setup, Bishi Bashi. It’s part mini-game collection, part button masher, a bit of puzzles, and a substantial scoop of chaos. Here’s a video showing it in action. We stopped short on our way there because we noticed the Gundam Extreme Vs setup was free, so we played a few rounds. We eventually made our way to both Bishi Bashi games and had a blast. As our time ran out, I could only smile. Against all odds, a little piece of Japan made it to the Deep South of America and succeeded.
Unexpected Connections
On the ride home, I reflected on a trip with my wife from last year. We went to Lawrence, Kansas, to visit the sunflower fields. I recalled how often I saw sunflower fields in anime and Japanese video games. The inspiration behind our trip was an emotionally charged review of the Japan-exclusive life sim, Boku no Natsuyasumi. Even Clannad has a powerful scene that takes place within a similar field. If you’ve never seen one in person, do it. It’s a breathtaking experience. We drove five hours to be able to see the blooming flowers, and as we turned the corner to see the field, I was speechless. Thousands of gigantic, golden flowers coated the rolling hills. No visual medium can do it any justice. We spent a few hours soaking in the scenery, and I flew my drone around to get some aerial shots.
After leaving the field, we spent a few hours in town and found a locally owned game store specializing in tabletop, Japanese console, and card games. They had a wide variety of both Japanese and English TCGs (trading card games). The crown jewels of their store were the Hololive Weiss Schwartz cards. They had several “autographed” variants, and if I had the money, I’d have picked one up for a friend. They command a high price, but the cards look incredible, and I regret not getting any photos. Also among their selection was an array of Japanese physical games from several different console generations. They even had real gachapon machines!
Finding Your Nexus
All of this is to say that even if you can’t travel to Japan, you can find pieces of it close to you. It won’t always take the form you expect, but that’s the joy of it. Seeing a sunflower field or an arcade may sound like a mundane experience for some, but tying it to the media and culture I cherish made it that much sweeter. I’ll never forget my time spent in either place, so I challenge you, dear readers, to find similar experiences in life. If you don’t have any, try to find some like-minded individuals who would like to start one. After all, even the biggest conventions started as small events made by fans for fans. If you already have some travel memories, please share! We’d love to see them. If you’ve undertaken the trek to Japan, please share your experiences there, too!
If you’d like to try a little taste of Japan, we currently have a few Kit Kat Variety Party Boxes left. Once summer hits, we will not be able to ship these, so order soon!
