Okura closes down three pachinko halls due to pandemic

Okura Holdings said it's closing down three pachinko parlours due to the slow recovery from the pandemic to focus on better performing outlets.




One parlour is operating under the Big Apple brand in Fukuoka Prefecture, while the other two are in Nagasaki. They will cease operations effective from August 31.




Okura said the three halls were recovering, but at a slow pace and were still recording losses.




"Taking into account the general adverse operating landscape, the intense competition in the pachinko industry and the increasing competition from other forms of entertainment in Japan, the management considered it would be more beneficial to the group to focus its resources on other more promising pachinko halls," it said.




The company said closing down the halls will help to stabilize and improve the group's financial performance in the longer term.




The latest closures add to two that were shuttered in May this year.