UFO Catcher Guide

After a few failed and some very successful attemps at playing UFO catchers, I thought I would make a post about my experiences. Here is a picture of Dan modeling our Rilakkuma winnings~



UFO catchers in Japan are nothing like the ones in America. Always remember that you never pick anything up. You win prizes by pushing objects into the hole. That happens either by using the claws or the body of the claw machine. The machines are usually set up so there is only one or two prizes you can win at a time.

I have yet to win any large stuffed animals... but small stuffed animals and towels and bags are pretty easy to win. The best advice I can give you is to ask the attendant to re-set the prizes. Don't hesitate or feel bad about asking. And if you ask them to make it easier, and you still can't get it.. you can definitely ask them to make it easier again. If you don't know Japanese, don't worry. You only need to say "Sumimasen!" and then point to what you want them to move.

My favorite machines are the super small ones usually located at the front and outside of the game center. If you are a normal height you will probably have to kneel to use them comfortably. They are set up with the hole in the middle and prizes are piled around three sides. In my opinion, these are the easiest. The prizes are small, the claw can actually move the toy and flip it into the hole. Sometimes the toys are piled up so much that if you just get the claw to dip into the pile, one or two will get pushed into the hole.

If you try to play the larger machines you will find out pretty quickly that the claw does nothing and can't pick up any weight. I still haven't figured out the secret to getting larger stuffed animals. An attendant at a Taito game center tried explaining to me how to win a large Rilakkuma plush, but after $10 worth of attempts, I still couldn't get it.

I think that the location of the arcade also plays a factor in how difficult it is to win. I have found that the arcades in Shinjuku are the easiest.. and Akihabara has the most difficult. Everywhere else I have been have been somewhere in the middle.

Once you win at a machine a few times, you will be able to start spotting prizes that are easy to win. And if you figure out how to win that huge Rilakkuma plush- please let me know ;)