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Content originally posted to Instagram on July 29, 2021. I highly recommend reading the Wired article I mention -- below you'll find the link!

So for those who didn’t know: yes, this has been a thing. I recommend checking the article out on Wired if you wanna know more: “Covid Is Pulling the Plug on Beloved Japanese Arcades” by John Learned. For the fighting game community, it’s worth checking out too.

Of course, Japanese arcades have much more than fighting games, but this article does well to highlight the plight of that genre in arcades during the pandemic. Members of the JP fighting game scene were interviewed too, including Daigo Umehara and the AnimeIlluminati guys (Jiyuna & Majin Obama).

I didn’t grow up with the arcade experience, so I wouldn’t say I’m nostalgic for it (nor do I strongly pine for the return of arcades in America). But as a fighting game fan, I can’t help but be intrigued by the Japanese arcades that have endured (they were already on the decline even before Covid). These places truly are meccas for fighting games and other genres….one can only hope the best for them while supporting them if possible.