Japan's game arcades are packed with all kinds of entertainment and game machines are found all over the country. They're not just for children—they attract families, friends, and people of all ages. This time on Japanology Plus, our theme is game arcades and what they mean to people in Japan. Our expert guest, Masatoshi Tamura, has 40 years of experience working for a major developer of arcade games. And in Plus One, how to get yourself certified as a player of Japan's ubiquitous crane games.

As in much of the industrialized world, a significant amount of shopping in Japan takes place in towering shopping malls and chain supermarkets. But cities and towns throughout the country are also home to a more traditional form of shopping thanks to their shotengai, or shopping streets. While these traditional shopping streets are facing numerous challenges, they're also being reevaluated for their friendly atmosphere and contribution to the social fabric of their neighborhoods. In this edition of Japanology Plus, we take a stroll down several of these shopping streets and find out why they're worth a visit.