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Former Sega/GiGO Arcade in Akihabara Reborn as Silk Hat Game Center

Japanese amusement company Silk Hat announced on November 14 that the former Sega/GiGO arcade in Akihabara will be reborn as Silk Hat Akihabara. The new game center will have its grand opening on Saturday, November 22 at 10:00 a.m. Japan Time (November 21 at 8:00 p.m. EST).

The new center will host nine floors of different types of arcade games. The basement floor will feature Japan's largest array of Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme vs 2 Infinite Boost cabinets (58 of them), the first through fourth floors crane games (plushes and other goods on the first two, figures on the other two), the fifth floor arcade card games, the sixth and seventh floors rhythm games, and the eighth floor still more Bemani Studio rhythm games, darts, prize drawings, and other merchandise.

GENDA GiGO Entertainment, the operators of GiGO Akihabara #1, announced on July 15 the arcade would close as the facility's lease contract was expiring. The arcade opened its doors in October 1992 under the name High Tech Land Sega Shintoku. Later, its name changed to Club Sega Akihabara, Sega Akihabara #1, and then to GiGO Akihabara #1, but it retained its iconic red walls. GENDA Sega Entertainment closed its Sega Ikebukuro GiGO arcade in Tokyo in September 2021 after 28 years with throngs of fans witnessing the event. The company (now known as GENDA GiGO Entertainment after Sega completely exited the arcade venture) and Bandai Namco have since opened smaller centers in the area.

Sources: Silk Hat Akihabara's X/Twitter account (link 2), PR Times via Otakomu