Wandering in the general direction of my hotel I stop outside a video game arcade and catch my breath. Inside is packed with high-school children blasting Orcs to kingdom come, scoring the winning goal in the World Cup or feeding steel balls into gaping pachinko machines.

It’s close to midnight and yet the arcade is still packed. I wonder why the children aren’t at home tucked up in bed with a book or a teddy bear. I want to ask some of the children if they are lonely and so I dive into the arcade.