Walk into any arcade in Japan and you’ll likely be greeted by rows of claw machines, known here as UFO Catchers due to the claws’ resemblance to a flying saucer descending to abduct an unsuspecting prize.
While the term initially referred to the eponymous machines produced by Sega that popularized the game in the 1980s and ’90s, today the term is commonly used to mean all crane games in Japan. June 24 is even unofficially known as “UFO Catcher Day” in the country, and in 2025, it marks the 40th anniversary since the launch of Sega’s first such machine in 1985.
However, the game got off to a rough start.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.