Space and Play in Japanese Videogame Arcades

This book presents a scholarly investigation of the development and culture of Japanese videogame arcades, both from a historical and contemporary point of view.

Providing an overview of the historical evolution of public amusement spaces from the early rooftop amusement spaces from the early nineteenth century to the modern multi‑floor and interconnected arcade complexes that characterize the urban fabric of contemporary Japan, the book argues that arcade videogames and their associated pra...