I'm waiting for my favourite bar to open so......

[Yakumo]

It's time to visit the Retro Arcade.

[CMcK]

So jealous...

[Yakumo]

It's a fantastic place but during peak times its a non smokers nightmare! Doesn't bother me apart from my clothes stink when I come out.

[kryss]

Have they STILL not banned it there??

[importaku]

Here in the UK you'll be lucky to find a few knackered dancing stage arcades and some fruit machines and lots and lots of these things

[briareos_kerensky]

It's a fantastic place but during peak times its a non smokers nightmare! Doesn't bother me apart from my clothes stink when I come out.

I was under the impression that even Japanese arcades are starting to get designated areas for smokers, and not whole floors as before. Or is that the practice of few enlightened places (like A-Cho in Kyoto)?

[wakka]

As a smoker I loved those magnetic patches for ashtrays they put on cabs I was also amused by the way some games, like Initial D 4, had warnings actually programmed into them not to smoke while playing.

Sometimes the amount of smoke billowing around was pretty ridiculous though!

[dyer60]

Looks fantastic, there is nothing like that in the UK now and certainly wouldn't be any smoking!

Brings back great memories, oh and by the way waiting for a bar to open......good lad!

[Asura]

Surprised you got away with that Yakumo - those arcade owners/staff can get touchy about cameras. The arcades in Akihabara have big signs telling people not to take photos (or at least did the last time I was there).

That being said, this is Japan. The Golden Pavilion has a huge sign saying "NO PHOTOS" in front of it, as a diagram and in 12 languages, and there are still dozens of Japanese people and foreigners taking photos.

[briareos_kerensky]

Surprised you got away with that Yakumo - those arcade owners/staff can get touchy about cameras. The arcades in Akihabara have big signs telling people not to take photos (or at least did the last time I was there).

It was still like that last summer. When did you visit the Kinkakuji? The only "no photo" signs I can remember forbid the use of tripods; there are few monuments/temples that forbid photos altogether, but are usually places with old tapestries or statues, where flash lights can wash away colours.

[speedlolita]

Surprised you got away with that Yakumo - those arcade owners/staff can get touchy about cameras. The arcades in Akihabara have big signs telling people not to take photos (or at least did the last time I was there).

That being said, this is Japan. The Golden Pavilion has a huge sign saying "NO PHOTOS" in front of it, as a diagram and in 12 languages, and there are still dozens of Japanese people and foreigners taking photos.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candid_photography

[Yakumo]

I was under the impression that even Japanese arcades are starting to get designated areas for smokers, and not whole floors as before. Or is that the practice of few enlightened places (like A-Cho in Kyoto)?

only family arcades are none smoking down here.

The photos where all taken with my Ninja like stealth skills. Just pretend to be browning the Web on the phone then, SNAP, one lovely photo

[Asura]

See, I wanted to do that - but related question, do JPN mobile phones still not allow you to turn off their camera noise?

My phone made the loudest shutter noise ever when I took photos. I was told all of them did that as a feature to prevent up skirt photos on busy trains :S

[Darwock]

Yes, but there are now apps for smartphones that disable shutter sounds, so the perverts can rest easy.

[bash]

Is Heart of Gaming in Acton no good then? I was gonna drag a mate to check it out.