Pac-Store, also known as Pac-Man Ginza Style, is a chain of retail stores originating around 2016. The majority of locations were in Japan, save for one in Hawaii and another in Hong Kong. It is classified as a "pop-up store"; each location intentionally only lasts for a few months before being closed. There has been no new Japanese location since 2017 (and no worldwide locations since 2019).
Around April of 2022, the store's official website was shut down and now redirects to Bandai Namco's ASOBISTORE website. The Pac-Store social media accounts (Twitter/Instagram) were also updated to state that the Pac-Store line had officially ended.
General information[]
The venue featured three main characters: Pac-Man, Pac-Marie and Pac-Little. Alongside the main cast were a new group of Ghosts named Harry (light green), Terry (teal), Kelly (pink) and Rocky (purple). They appeared on the merchandising and throughout each location.
Animated shorts[]
Six animated shorts were produced by ODDJOB Inc. and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment to promote the Pac-Store exclusively in Japan. The shorts see Pac-Man, Pac-Little and Pac-Marie run the Pac-Store, a store that is composed of a restaurant and a clothing store. The shorts were distributed from March 24, 2017 to May 19, 2017.
Voice cast[]
- Minami Takayama - Pac-Man
- Nanami Yamashita - Pac-Marie
- Azusa Shibuya - Pac-Little
- Katsuhiro Tokushi - Narrator, Rocky
- Aimi Tanaka - Kelly, Terry
Trivia[]
- Pac-Marie and Pac-Little bear resemblances to both Ms. Pac-Man and Jr. Pac-Man. Though unknown why they were created, it may have been in relation to avoid possible issues with General Computer Corporation regarding Ms. Pac-Man. It is unclear if the G.C.C. issues affected Jr. Pac-Man, though it's possible the Pac-Store wanted to play it safe.
- Most Japanese Pac-Store locations attempted to make it clear they were the same characters by putting both the original Ms. Pac-Man and Jr. Pac-Man arcade machines (imported from the United States) in the store to play.
- It is possible that the replacement of these characters was, at least partially, a creative decision. One sign that points to this being the case is how the original 4 ghosts are seemingly replaced by 4 new ghosts, despite those characters having no copyright problems.
- Despite appearing in advertisements and merchandise, Harry never appeared in any of the animated shorts.
- During April 1st of 2017, Kawaii Monster Café had a "Pac-Store Night" event, which included Pac-Store themed decorations and food.