Editor / Reviewer
Hiroshi Tanaka
Asian Slot Specialist
Tokyo, Japan · Reviewing since 2018
“Most Asian-themed slots are made by Europeans. The good ones know it. The great ones know why it matters.”
Background
Hiroshi started as a junior designer at a Tokyo arcade software company in 2010 — small studio, mostly licensed pachislo machines for the domestic market. The work taught him the difference between visual theme and mechanical theme: a dragon on the reel doesn't make it an Asian-style game, the math underneath does.
He moved to Singapore in 2015, joined an iGaming studio targeting Southeast Asian markets. Three years there, then went freelance, splitting time between Tokyo and Manila depending on the contract. Started writing reviews in 2018 because he kept getting pulled into "is this slot actually authentic" discussions — figured he might as well publish his answers.
His angle is unusual. He'll review a Western studio's "Asian dragons" slot and tell you exactly which mechanical decisions read as authentic and which feel like wallpaper. He's also the editor anyone goes to when a slot uses concepts from real Asian gambling traditions — Mahjong-style symbol matching, lottery-influenced jackpot ladders, Pachinko cascade rules.
Married, two kids in Tokyo schools. Plays Go badly but stubbornly.
Areas of expertise
Education
BFA Game Design, Tokyo University of the Arts