For a long time, Sega’s grand arcades were a mainstay of the Akihabara skyline and some of the main draws for anyone who strolled the streets of Tokyo with games.
Unfortunately in 2020 they either closed or rebranded to Gigopart of Sega’s broader withdrawal from the arcade business, and for some time the Sega Akihabara Arcade Building 4, which was once one of the city’s most prominent gaming venues, has stood empty. But not anymore! After news broke last month, it has now been confirmed that rivals Bandai Namco will take over much of the space instead, with the arcade set to reopen next month.
It will of course be a brand new arcade as it will be stocked with Bandai Namco’s games instead of Sega’s which means you can expect to see everything from Tekken To Mario Kart arcade in there. In addition to the arcade, Bandai Namco will also open a number of stores, including one specializing in the company’s trading card games, another that will sell capsule toys, as well as a dedicated area for claw machines.
If you’ve ever been there, seen many and are wondering which arcade is changing hands – there are four in the area! – Sega Akihabara Arcade Building 4 was the big one on the corner with the very cool exposed escalators. The other notable arcades — like the Sega Akihabara Arcade Building 1, which you’d first see coming out of the station — are still there, although these now sport the Gigo logo as part of the 2020 rebranding, so they really aren’t the same anymore .
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Bandai Namco’s new arcade — which is sort of the company’s first ever in Akihabara after decades sucking up all the oxygen from Sega — opens on March 1st.
