For sheer addictive quality, nothing beats Pachinko, the pinball-type game ubiquitous in Japan. This combination pinball-slot machine originated in the early 1920's in America, where it was a children's game called Corinthian Bagatelle. After making its way to the Far East, Pachinko quickly took over every city in Japan. It had a downtime during World War II when all the pachinko parlors were closed but it bounced back after the war, becoming more popular than ever.

The concept of Pachinko is simple but allows for a large number of variations and permutations that keep game play exciting. The player starts with a number of steel balls that he loads into the machine and fires into the playfield--originally with a spring-loaded lever but by manipulating a dial now. "Dialing" up or down determines the amount of force with which the balls go flying into the machine.

The balls then start their rapid descent through a field of nails or pins that divert the balls' path differently each time. Most of the balls fall through the bottom of the machine into limbo but some make it to a gate that may open and close at regular intervals. Accumulating balls into the gate causes the digital slot machine located at the center of the Pachinko screen to start spinning. Getting three identical symbols in a row means more balls and a chance to win the big jackpot.

Since gambling is illegal in Japan, "payouts" consist of trading your buckets and buckets of balls for prizes that can range from the ultra cheap to expensive electronics. Modern Pachinko machines are marvels of lights and sounds, providing entertainment in addition to the thrill of gambling. Pachinko parlors can be found everywhere and you can usually find them by following the near-deafening sound of whistles, bells, whirring and music that they spill out into the street. The parlors are big tourist attractions too but if you ever find yourself in one, remember: never, ever touch another player's balls.