Walk into any arcade in Japan and you¡¯ll likely be greeted by rows of claw machines, known here as UFO Catchers due to the claws¡¯ resemblance to a flying saucer descending to abduct an unsuspecting prize.
While the term initially referred to the eponymous machines produced by Sega that popularized the game in the 1980s and ¡¯90s, today the term is commonly used to mean all crane games in Japan. June 24 is even unofficially known as ¡°UFO Catcher Day¡± in the country, and in 2025, it marks the 40th anniversary since the launch of Sega¡¯s first such machine in 1985.
However, the game got off to a rough start.
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