{"id":64379,"date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=64379"},"modified":"2026-03-30T15:08:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T06:08:05","slug":"taitos-nationwide-search-for-japans-first-crane-game-machine-ends-without-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/taitos-nationwide-search-for-japans-first-crane-game-machine-ends-without-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Taito\u2019s nationwide search for Japan\u2019s first crane game machine ends without success"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Following a\u00a0large-scale public search<\/a>\u00a0for Taito\u2019s\u00a0Crown 602<\/strong>\u00a0crane game machine\u00a0which\u00a0began\u00a0in October 2025,\u00a0the company\u00a0announced\u00a0on March 28\u00a0that they were unable to\u00a0locate\u00a0the fabled crane game machine\u00a0(source:\u00a0FNN Prime Online<\/a>).\u00a0Even after\u00a0offering\u00a0a\u00a0100,000\u00a0JPY\u00a0prize\u00a0(around $630 USD)\u00a0for relevant information\u00a0and\u00a0receiving\u00a0over 4,000 tips\u00a0from\u00a0across Japan, Taito\u2019s search has ended without\u00a0success.\u00a0They were, however, able to\u00a0locate\u00a0and secure\u00a0a Crown 603, which is the successor model of the 602\u00a0released a year\u00a0later.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After reviewing\u00a0numerous\u00a0reports and clues about the 602, the closest Taito got was a Crown 603 owned by\u00a0Keisuke Higano,\u00a0a\u00a0former restaurant owner and retro video game collector. According to Higano, he obtained the machine about 10 years ago while collecting retro game machines from\u00a0all over the country.\u00a0Though\u00a0he knew the machine was old, he\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0know its model and\u00a0historical significance, making him\u00a0all the more\u00a0surprised when he found out it was a Crown 603\u00a0in his possession.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Released in 1965, the Crown 602 is believed to be Japan\u2019s first domestic crane game machine (based on Taito\u2019s own historical records). While its blocky body, simple beige coloring, and iconic trapezoid-shaped glass window make it stand out from today\u2019s crane games, the fact that several machines from the 1960s copied its design makes\u00a0it hard to\u00a0identify\u00a0a real Crown 602 from its contemporaries.\u00a0The only difference between\u00a0the Crown\u00a0602 and Crown 603 is the location of the coin slot. While the 602\u2019s coin slot is\u00a0located\u00a0on the side of the machine, the 603\u2019s coin slot is\u00a0placed\u00a0at the top for easier access.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Crown
Crown 603 (Image via PRTimes<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Though Taito representatives picked up the Crown 603 on March 28 for preservation, the fact that it\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0the machine\u00a0they were looking for\u00a0means\u00a0Higano\u00a0was not able to receive the\u00a0promised\u00a0100,000\u00a0JPY\u00a0grand\u00a0reward\u00a0for\u00a0substantial\u00a0information\u00a0regarding\u00a0an existing Crown 602.\u00a0While\u00a0he was sad to see the Crown 603 leave his hands, Higano hopes that the company will keep it safe in storage for a long time.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taito public relations representative Itsuko Sasaki had a few words to add: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlthough we were unable to locate a Crown 602, we were able to pinpoint the whereabouts of a Crown 603, which keeps our hopes alive, and we are filled with surprise and gratitude. As we read through the tips we\u2019ve received (regarding the Crown 602), some people shared heartwarming memories of crane games. Those stories, along with the information, have become our greatest treasure.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Taito\u2019s quest for the Crown 602 continues, the public search has been closed, and tip submissions on the official webpage are\u00a0no longer being accepted<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related:\u00a0Manual of Japanese retro game alone valued at over $1,400 USD for including photos and commentary by late celebrity Ai Iijima<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pok\u00e9mon fan discovers rare misprint Gameboy title in their closet potentially worth thousands of dollars<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Even after 4,000 tips from across Japan, Taito wasn’t able to locate a Crown 602, only its successor, the Crown 603.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":55759,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-64379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-japan-related-news"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"\nTaito\u2019s nationwide search for Japan\u2019s first crane game machine ends without success - AUTOMATON WEST<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Even after receiving 4,000 tips from across Japan, Taito wasn't able to locate a Crown 602, only its successor, the Crown 603.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/taitos-nationwide-search-for-japans-first-crane-game-machine-ends-without-success\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Taito\u2019s nationwide search for Japan\u2019s first crane game machine ends without success - 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