The first time I went to Round 1 in Saga City I was disappointed. I was disappointed that I had spent ¥1300 for 90 minutes in there, when for just ¥800 more I could have stayed for as long as I wanted. I have never been in a place that has so much to offer, and here is why you would also be disappointed if you went and didn’t pay so that you could stay til 6am.
Round 1 is an arcade, karaoke place, fast food stand, sports area, spa, roller skating rink and so much more all rolled into one. But lets start in one place first just to give you a taster.
The Arcade
While some of the games are a little dates the arcade literally has 100’s of different games for you to try from Dance Dance Revolution to Taiko to as many racing games as you can imagine and my favourite shoot em up Let’s Go Safari which you play inside a plastic jeep. Games usually have little or no queue and of course are absolutely free seeing as you paid entry and all. The only thing you have to pay for are the Purikura photo booths which are discounted to just ¥200 or ¥100 yen.
Sports
Upstairs there are courts which you and your friends can play a wide range of sports on (pretty much any you can imagine) allowing you to get some much needed exercise in. But what if you didn’t bring the whole team …
The Mini Sports
Bowling, table tennis, shooting hoops, shooting, fishing, putting, scoring goals, roller skating, billiards, rodeo bull, darts and these are just the ones I can remember. These are perfect to be enjoyed by just one or two people, meaning you don’t have to bring the whole team with you in order to have fun.
Karaoke
Round one also has a karaoke room to be enjoyed for short periods of time for you and your friends.
Spa
While speakers of Japanese will get the most out of the spa due to some of the facilities most of it can be enjoyed by non speakers. There is a relaxation area with shiatsu massage chairs which can be enjoyed with a whole library of manga. Gym equipment from a treadmill to that machine which shakes the fat off you, and finally the spa treatments including foot spas, more massagers and a sensory pod. It’s all very relaxing. Those who speak Japanese can also enjoy machines which measure your pulse blood pressure, reactions and give you a reading of your health.
Food
While food at Round 1 is certainly not gourmet, they do a good selection of fried fast food and ice cream which is enough to keep you going if you intend to spend the whole day there. (You will.)
So that’s it. Anyone coming to Japan I would definitely put Round 1 on your list it’s a must do in Japan.
