Classic Pachinko Machine Information?

Jonnylotto · 20 Nov 2020

I'm hoping for some help regarding an early 70's Nishijin pachinko machine I have. The playfield has a heart shape with a cross on a field silhouette inside it and the overall effect seems to be a firebird or thunderbird. On the right sight there are two sets of "longships" that just feel "out of place" with the rest. However, it is all original to the machine according to the wear patterns, oxidation and staples.

mdchachi · 20 Nov 2020

Cool machine. It's not clear to me what your question is.

Jonnylotto · 20 Nov 2020

mdchachi said:
Cool machine. It's not clear to me what your question is.

Reading it back I guess I forgot to ask.

I'm just trying to find the "theme" or the meaning behind the designs. In the US at least, the long boats are associated with Vikings while the cross in the field inside a heart would be a veteran's memorial, war dead or even back to the Crusades. The thunderbird or firebird would be out of the American Southwest native mythology. (if the design is not actually a "phoenix" ) It just doesn't tie all together in a theme I can recognize. If nothing else, a translation of the kana in the first image may help; I'm not literate in Japanese and Google Translate can't pick up the calligraphy.

mdchachi · 20 Nov 2020

First name is 西陣 (Nishijin) which is the brand/sales company and second name is Sophia which is the manufacturer.
I agree that it looks like a theme adopted from the U.S. But slot machines often have Asian themes so maybe it shouldn't be surprising Japan would adopt Western themes. Especially in those days when they were importing U.S. entertainment in bulk. It will be interesting to find out more about the logo though. Is it really a viking ship?

Jonnylotto · 20 Nov 2020

mdchachi said:
First name is 西陣 (Nishijin) which is the brand/sales company and second name is Sophia which is the manufacturer.
I agree that it looks like a theme adopted from the U.S. But slot machines often have Asian themes so maybe it shouldn't be surprising Japan would adopt Western themes. Especially in those days when they were importing U.S. entertainment in bulk. It will be interesting to find out more about the logo though. Is it really a viking ship?

Viking ship was the first impression: high prow and stern, shields on the side, striped sail and pennant on top of the mast. But to be honest it could be anything. Oddball things like this make me wish more companies would maintain a historical archive but pachinko of that era was so disposable.

nice gaijin · 21 Dec 2020

Ah I love these vintage pachinko machines, the new ones completely baffle and overwhelm me... which I guess is the intended function

I happen to have a couple of these, and I believe your guess is correct. One of mine (which my grandparents got from a local import shop, as was very popular for a while) has a more elaborate viking ship motif on it. I need to sit down and reverse engineer them so I can get them back into working shape.

Jonnylotto · 21 Dec 2020

"so flip the handle timely" Gah! Frustrating to understand what it is but not the context of what it's supposed to mean.
Your machines look to be in very good shape; cleaning gunk out and jammed wrong size balls are the only difficult things I've run into. The backs are like elementary school versions of Rube Goldberg machines.

nice gaijin · 22 Dec 2020

Jonnylotto said:
"so flip the handle timely" Gah! Frustrating to understand what it is but not the context of what it's supposed to mean.
Your machines look to be in very good shape; cleaning gunk out and jammed wrong size balls are the only difficult things I've run into. The backs are like elementary school versions of Rube Goldberg machines.

As a child I learned that it mostly just means don't hip the flipper too fast or you'll jam it. The one on the left was kept on my grandpa's bar counter, I thought they bought it on a trip to Japan, but it's likely they bought it after a trip, since it has an importer's sticker. It was great fun for the kids and is in pretty excellent shape, I may just need to replace the 6v battery, though as you said, it's mostly mechanical and the electrical is just for lights and ringing bells.

The other one has no cabinet and was going to be a built-in wall unit for a friend's basement arcade, but he never got around to working on it and moved, so he gave it to me. I'm almost to the point in my quarantines that I'm starting to dust off old projects, this might be next!

Jonnylotto · 22 Dec 2020

Hmm. I'd never thought about moving to 6v and using a lantern battery for lighting. Definitely period correct

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