Nagano’s Forgotten Arcade Days (Or Why I Still Regret That Melon Pan)

i woke up to the kind of silence that makes your bones scream. not like the cozy hush before sunrise-this was the quiet you hear when your headphones slipped off and the only sound left is your breath syncing to the frigid 0.65c. kinda poetic? maybe. i’m a vintage clothes picker for giggles, so i’m out here hunting threadbare flannel in a place where the buildings look like they’ve been sketched by a toddler on an energy drink. the weather here? it’s exactly like they said: 78% humidity trapped inside this metal coffin. i just checked and it’s… there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.

there’s this coffee shop on the corner with a name i can’t pronounce. i saw a Yelp review from someone who clearly hates it: ‘the macchiato tasted like regret,’ they wrote. which, fair. i walked in and the barista was crying into a pot of coffee. the locals said it’s ‘always like this,’ which in my book is either poetic or code for ‘buying a one-way ticket to tokyo.’ either way, it’s got charm. i’d link to it but TripAdvisor is basically ancient graffiti now. check their Yelp instead-

https://www.yelp.com/biz/coffee-corner-nagano-1

so i wandered around, freezing my toes off. someone told me there’s a hidden arcade in a creaking building downtown. i didn’t believe them until i overheard two neighbors whispering about ‘the cabinet that goes click.’ classic locals. they added, ‘but don’t tell the owner-he’ll charge you 2000 yen to play space invaders.’ i’m sitting here listening to that boombox sound outside, wondering if that’s real. inside my head, i’m picturing a kid in a neon gi hacking the machine with a candy bar. maybe that’s why this place has that gamers-only vibe?

another random thought: the humidity is so thick it feels like someone dumped a sponge on the ceiling. i wore a jacket with a hood, but it just turned into a sauna lining. i asked a guy selling expired matcha packs if he’d seen a melon pan anywhere. he stared at me. matcheda packs? that’s the stuff they throw to rats on the streets, i thought. he nodded. ‘you’ll find one in that alley by the train tracks if you play your luck.’ luck’s a strong word here. last week i saw a street artist selling ‘vintage’ ski masks. they were plastic. from the 90s. but i bought one. way cheaper than the real ones. deal.

at night, i’ll sit on this bench by the river and stare at the lights reflecting in the water. it’s -4.85f, so i’m bundled up like a snow fox. neighbors once told me that if you get bored, nagano is just a short drive away. obviously they were joking. or half-lying. either way, the vibe is ‘stay or freeze.’

someone warned me about this spot: ‘the sushi here is so industrial it’ll give you a headache.’ i ordered it anyway. turns out the chef’s a pro. took my money without a thank you. left. weird. but then i watched a group of teenagers smash bubble wrap outside. what do you expect? it’s neon-lit chaos. i took a pic. not great. Unsplash gave me this garbage:

here’s another one for the coffee shop atmosphere:

this is what happens when you let a sleep-deprived human wander. i almost forgot to mention: the rain just started. oh no. i’m now wrapped in layers like a sad onion. the ground is ice-icy, but at least the street performers are here. a guy playing a saxophone made me buy a pack of wasabi. it was a scam. he was legitimate though. cried as he played.

if you’re reading this from some future time where things are ‘stable,’ i’ll write you back. probably in all caps. or a haiku.

p.s. check the local boards for updates. they’re usually full of nonsense, but hey-

https://nagano-local-boards.net/arcade-edition

...if that works. it’s 2029. who knows?

oh, and the melon pan? yes, it’s still a regret. i bought another one. sticky honey inside. sweet, but worth it. i think.

Nagano’s Forgotten Arcade Days (Or Why I Still Regret That Melon Pan)

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About the author: Arthur Webb

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