P-WORLD

What P-WORLD lists

P-WORLD is a directory site for pachinko and pachislot in Japan. It is not a casino, not a betting platform, and not a place where money changes hands. Think of it as a phone book for the pachinko industry: it tells you which halls exist, where they are, and what machines they have on the floor.

The two numbers that matter most are the size of its store list and the size of its machine database. P-WORLD covers 5,779 registered stores nationwide¹. That is a large share of the roughly ten thousand pachinko parlors that operate across Japan, and it means that for most cities and towns, you will find at least one listing near you.

The machine database is even broader. P-WORLD tracks 10,578 machine models¹. This includes current machines on parlor floors and older models that have been retired. For each model, the site typically records the manufacturer, the release date, the machine type, and basic specifications such as how the payout mechanism works.

That machine type matters more than it sounds. Pachinko machines come in several categories, and one of the most recognizable is the hane-mono, or feather type, where the ball hits a set of pins and drops into a payout pocket. A well-known example is the Chindonya P-2, a hane-mono machine themed on a chindonya street performer and released by Nishijin¹. If you are trying to understand what a specific machine does before you sit down, the P-WORLD entry is often the fastest plain-language explanation you will find.

P-WORLD also covers pachislot, the slot-style machines that sit alongside pachinko in many halls. The same database approach applies: model name, maker, release date, and specifications. If you want to understand how these machines differ from pachinko, our guide to pachislot machines walks through the mechanics.

Number of registered stores: 5,779

The 5,779 figure is the count of stores registered in the P-WORLD directory¹. It is worth understanding what that number does and does not mean.

It means the site has a listing for that many halls, each with an address and usually a phone number. It does not mean every pachinko parlor in Japan is listed. Some smaller halls, especially in rural areas, may not appear. Some may have closed since the listing was last updated. And a listing does not guarantee the hall is currently open, though P-WORLD is generally kept current because the industry relies on it.

For a visitor, the practical takeaway is simple: if you are in a Japanese city of any size, searching P-WORLD by prefecture will almost certainly return several halls within a short train ride. In Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and other major cities, you will find dozens.

The store count also tells you something about the scale of pachinko in Japan. Even after years of decline, thousands of halls operate nationwide, and the directory exists because players want to know which hall near them carries which machine. That is the core use case: not gambling advice, but logistics.

Machine models in the database: 10,578

The 10,578 machine models in the P-WORLD database¹ cover both pachinko and pachislot. This is a historical archive as much as a current catalog. If a machine was released in Japan and had any commercial run, it likely has an entry.

Each entry typically tells you:

• The manufacturer, such as Nishijin, Sankyo, or Sanyo¹.
• The release date, which helps you judge whether a machine is current or retired.
• The machine type, including hane-mono and other pachinko categories¹.
• Basic specifications, such as the payout structure and how the start pocket works.

What the database does not tell you is how a machine is currently set. Pachinko halls adjust the payout settings on their machines, and those settings change. A machine that pays generously one week may be tightened the next. No directory can track that, and P-WORLD does not try to.

This is the single most important thing to understand about using P-WORLD as a player. The site tells you what a machine is. It does not tell you what it will do today. If you want to understand how payouts actually work in a parlor, our guide to visiting a pachinko parlor covers the costs and the mechanics.

How to find a pachinko or slot parlor on the site

P-WORLD's store search is built around location. The standard path is:

1. Open the store search page.
2. Choose a prefecture from the list.
3. Narrow by city, ward, or train line.
4. Open a store listing to see its details.

The search also works by machine model. If you want to play a specific title, you can look up the machine and see which halls carry it. This is useful because not every hall stocks every machine. A large hall may have several hundred machines across many models, while a smaller hall may carry only a few dozen.

For visitors, the most practical approach is to search by the area you are staying in, then check the map link on each listing. Most P-WORLD store pages include a map or a link to one, so you can see exactly how far the hall is from your hotel or the nearest station.

If you are comparing halls, note that P-WORLD listings often show the number of machines and the machine types on the floor. A hall with a large pachislot section will be listed differently from one that is mostly pachinko. That helps you pick a hall that matches what you actually want to play.

What information each store listing gives you

A typical P-WORLD store listing is a compact fact sheet. The fields you will usually see are:

What you will not find is a payout figure. P-WORLD does not publish how much a given machine is currently paying. That information is not public, because it depends on the hall's settings, which are adjusted regularly⁵.

The listing also does not tell you whether a hall accepts foreign visitors, whether staff speak English, or whether there is a dress code. In practice, pachinko halls in Japan are open to anyone of legal age, and there is no formal dress code. You walk in, choose a machine, and buy balls or tokens from the machine or the counter. If you have never been to one, our guide to pachinko parlors explains the first visit step by step.

One more thing the listing will not tell you: whether the hall is still open. P-WORLD is generally well maintained, but halls do close. A quick phone call or a look at the store's own website is the safest check before a long trip.

Using P-WORLD as a visitor to Japan

If you are visiting Japan and want to try pachinko, P-WORLD is a useful planning tool, but it is not a guide to the game itself. Here is how to use it well.

Before you go. Search by the prefecture and city you will be in. Save two or three halls near your hotel. Check the machine lineup if you have a specific model in mind. Note the opening hours, since some halls open late morning and close around midnight.

What to bring. Cash. Pachinko halls are cash-based. You buy balls or tokens at the machine or counter, and you do not need ID to play. Age rules apply: you must be 18 or older to play pachinko in Japan. If you look young, staff may ask for ID, so carry your passport.

What it costs. You buy balls in batches. A common entry point is a few thousand yen, and you can stop at any time. There is no membership fee and no cover charge. The cost is whatever you choose to spend on balls or tokens.

What you can win. Pachinko winnings are not paid in cash directly at the machine. You exchange balls for prizes at the hall's prize counter, and the prizes are then exchanged elsewhere. This two-step system is how the industry operates under Japanese law. If you want the full picture of how pachinko sits in Japanese gambling law, our guide to pachinko and whether it is gambling explains it.

What you cannot do. Playing on offshore casino websites is illegal in Japan, and players have been prosecuted⁶. P-WORLD is not one of those sites. It is a directory, and using it carries no risk. But if you are in Japan and thinking about online casino play, the legal position is clear and the practical risk is real.

Language. P-WORLD is in Japanese³. If you do not read Japanese, use your browser's translation feature. Machine names and store details will translate imperfectly, but addresses and map links usually survive translation well enough to be useful.

Other gambling in Japan. If pachinko is not what you are after, Japan has legal betting on horse racing, keirin cycling, and boat racing, plus the takarakuji lottery and sports betting through toto. Each has its own rules, ages, and purchase methods. Our guide to gambling in Japan covers what is legal, who can play, and where.

If you want to understand the machines first. P-WORLD tells you what is on the floor, but not how a machine plays. For that, start with our guides to pachinko and pachislot. If you are interested in the older Japanese games that predate pachinko, our guide to traditional Japanese gambling games covers hanafuda and dice games.

A note on what P-WORLD is not. It is not affiliated with the halls it lists¹. It does not run games, hold money, or pay prizes. It is an information service. That is why it is free, and why it can list thousands of stores without being a gambling operator itself.