SEGA has just closed its historic Arcade Gigo arcade in Ikebukuro after 28 years of activity. The hall was opened in 1993 and was acquired by SEGA only in 2013, and its closure, according to the company, is due to the expiry of the leasing contract of the building where it stood and the need to restore the same building. , now very old.
SEGA Ikebukuro Gigo: closes the legendary arcade
A decision, that of closing the arcade, which does not seem to be due to the pandemic of Covid-19, although it is difficult not to think that the current health situation has not affected the closure at least a little. On the other hand, Ikebukuro Gigo has been heavily hit financially over the past two years for this very reason.
After the long period of inactivity of arcade halls in Japan, obviously due to the lockdown, SEGA Sammy was forced to sell 85% of the business in this sector to Genda Inc.
To definitively greet the Ikebukuro room, the fans gathered in front of the building, with a banner that read “thanks for these 28 years”, while the song was broadcast from the loudspeakers “Hotaru no hikari“, A song used in Japan when shops are closed.
“If it were in my power I would like to stay open forever in this place and greet the happy faces of our wonderful customers – said the manager of the arcade – Unfortunately at this moment, for how it turned out the arcade had to close ( …) From tomorrow, Sega will no longer have a games room in the Ikebukuro district, but we believe that the arcade culture will never disappear (…) We will work hard so that Sega can return to patronize us again, to give birth to a new structure and create us new memories together “.