Yesterday, Genda GiGO Entertainment revealed in a press statement that it will be closing Akihabara GiGO 1 arcade, in Japan, at the end of next month (as reported by itmedia and IGN).
The famous location, which is situated just a short walk from Akihabara Station, was notably the former site of Sega's flagship arcade, and has had something of interesting history since first opening its doors back in 1992.
Originally opened under the name High Tech Land Sega Shintoku, it would end up going through various names changes over the next couple of decades, also being known as Club Sega Akihabara before rebranding again to Sega Akihabara 1 in the early 2010s.
Later on, in March 2022, it would ultimately lose the Sega branding, however, being renamed to Akihabara Gigo 1, after the amusement company Genda completed its acquisition of Sega’s arcade and amusement business in January 2022.
For decades, the iconic red building has proven to be a popular destination for tourists visiting the Tokyo district, which is famed for its arcades and anime, manga, and game-related stores. But now, according to this new announcement, it will be closing its doors on Sunday, August 31st, 2025., due to the fixed-term lease on the building expiring.
This is the same fate that struck Akihabara GiGO 4 in 2022 — another arcade that was formerly owned and operated by Sega.
It's expected that Matahari Entertainment, the company which operates the Silk Hat chain of game centers, will take over the lease, transforming the amusement facility, with Genda GiGO entertainment issuing the following comment at the end of their press statement, "Collaborating with Matahari Entertainment, we will contribute even further to the development of Akihabara and Japan’s pop culture".
There are still three Genda GiGO locations still in Akihabara. These include Akihabara GiGO 2, Akihabara GiGO 3, and Akihabara GiGO 5.