In these next 3 posts we will be looking at movies featuring shooting galleries (previously: 私刑(リンチ)/ Rinchi,) an important predecessor to all coinop arcades and a thread that continues to this day. In Japan, arcade shooting galleries go back to at least the 18th century.
We got a glimpse of an Edo arcade
as imagined in the 1928 by Crossroads. Similarly, this 1935 movie gives us their depiction of Yaba.
Yaba has a number of meanings and nuances, but in general it is arcade-style archery, featuring various styles of targets and targets that are seemingly spring-loaded. Sometimes this would involve a hostess, such as in this movie. And sometimes it was directly connected with sex work.
It is wonderful to see their imagining of a Yaba parlor, and get a sense of where arcades came from.
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targets of various size are hung by string |
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tiny little bows |
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the small target is hit by the arrow |
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these characters fall from above |
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we can see the gallery from a distance |
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full size archery target, and quiver of arrows Can anyone transcribe the signs? |
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Can anyone transcribe the sign? |
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camera is panning left across these 4 images |
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A different shooting gallery |
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tiny bow! |
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heck yeah shamisen! |
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I'm sharing these 2 images in the hopes that someone can transcribe the sign |
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I love the painted lantern marquee! |
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outdoor archery range |
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full-size bow |
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