Bandai Namco to Open Arcade in Former SEGA Akihabara Building

Namco Akihabara will move into the white building on the left of the image (photo: Daryl Harding)

 

After the closure of GiGO Akihabara No. 4 in September 2022, the area outside of the JR Akihabara station has looked bare. As one of the first buildings seen after one walks out of the iconic station, the just-as-iconic building has been lacking a tenant – until now! A job listing on Bandai Namco’s corporate site has revealed that Namco arcades will be opening up sometime in Spring 2023.

 

Keen observers of the Akihabara area have noticed the rolling in of Bandai Namco arcade machines over December, but it wasn’t until a job listing on Bandai Namco’s corporate site confirmed that Namco Akihabara will be taking up the space.

 

RELATED: Akihabara’s Most Recognizable Arcade Closes Down

 

Pre-GiGO transformation (Photo: Daryl Harding)

 

SEGA, and then GiGO, occupied the arcade for 11 years before it closed on September 25, 2022, due to the end of the fixed-term lease for the building and the non-renewal of the contract to extend it. This was the second iconic GiGO/SEGA to close in Akihabara after SEGA Akihabara Building 2 closed in August 2020. 

 

Now with Namco moving in, the white building will once again return color to the train station gate.

 

Sources: Bandai Namco via Akiba PC Hotline!

 

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Daryl Harding is a Senior Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs a YouTube channel about Japan stuff called TheDoctorDazza, tweets at @DoctorDazza, and posts photos of his travels on Instagram.