David is an American domainer stationed in Japan. He has a lot of stories to share, about life in the Land of the Rising Sun.
David: Gaijin-san Domainer.
This is the first guest post from David aka “Gaijin-san Domainer“, in an open series; David will be attempting to classify Japanese culture in life and on the Internet among other domainer cultures.
Gaijin is the term used for foreigners in Japan.
Although the term itself is not derogatory, adding the honorific suffix “san” apparently makes Americans feel more welcome. After all, we helped rebuild Japan after nuking it twice.
Give David, aka Gaijin-san Domainer a warm welcome.
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Bitcoin, balls and gambling in Japan – by Gaijin-san Domainer.
Japanese gambling machine.
With the pseudonym of Satoshi Nakamoto behind the invention of Bitcoin being well known as Japanese, it’s no wonder where the idea of it came from.
In Japan, it is illegal to gamble. However, that doesn’t stop the 12,480 pachinko parlors you drive by on a daily basis circumventing the Criminal Code of Japan. Pachinko machines have been in service beginning in the 1920’s.
Ever since then, the games have grown in popularity with almost every parlor having a full house plus a few extra men and women cashing in their government child support checks to double-up.
Nowadays, they are fancy machines with video games played by placing ball bearings in which are purchased at the front counter or an independent machine in hopes of the game dispensing more than you put in.
Ball-bearings used instead of coins to gamble.
With the balls, you are able to continue playing with the dream to get rich quick or cash out by purchasing merchandise such as the latest AKB-48 CD, bottles of whiskey or Ramen Noodles at the store inside.
In addition to buying items, you are able to take your balls across the street to a shop that will buy them for money – most often owned by the establishment – with you most likely losing more than you started with.
Similar to Bitcoin, you put your money in expecting that the market doesn’t crash and you may get a decent return of investment rather than end up a sappy pachinko loser.
In Japan, your balls are just as worthless as Bitcoins.
Is it just me that wonders what other Ponzi scheme will come out of Japan next?
This post is 100% true!
you know a lot of stuff but there is still an asterisk that says you might be crazy in my book.
RaTHeaD – You don’t have to be crazy to work here, but it helps! 😀
Yeah, I probably got a couple of screws up in my head loose… but who doesn’t? 🙂