Who we are
About PachiPass
The friendliest, most accurate guide to pachinko and pachislot for people who don't read Japanese.
Why PachiPass exists
Millions of people walk past Japan’s neon pachinko halls every year, and very few go in. In one 2023 street survey of 349 foreigners in Osaka, 40% wanted to try pachinko but only two had ever played (Global Pachinko survey). The barrier isn’t interest. It’s not knowing what to do, what it costs, or whether you’re even allowed in.
PachiPass fixes that with clear, sourced, up-to-date guides for first-time visitors, expats and residents, anime and gaming fans, and collectors of real machines.
Who’s behind it
PachiPass was founded by Thomas (Tom) Leeming, based in Perth, Western Australia. We’re independent: not owned by or affiliated with any parlour, manufacturer or gambling company.
How we work
- Every fact is sourced and every page shows when it was last checked. Read our editorial policy.
- We’re honest about gaps. If we haven’t verified a hall’s English support, we say so.
- We put responsible play first. Support lines are linked from every page.
- We disclose money. See our affiliate disclosure.
Languages
PachiPass is available in English, Traditional Chinese (繁體中文) and Korean (한국어). For pachinko hall owners and operators, we also run a Japanese-language hub: ホール様向け.