The History of Atari in Japan: Why America Struck Out in the Land of the Rising Sun

Each of the three owners of the old Atari gave it their all to succeed in Japan. Here's what happened. (Chapter Markers and more below!)

0:00 GTV ID
0:03 Introduction
0:27 Act 1: Atari Japan Corporation and Arcade Games
4:43 CM 1: Atari 2800 Debut (Japan, 1983)
5:16 Act 2: Atari International Nippon and the Atari 2800
13:25 CM 2: Pole Position (Atari 2800, Japan, 1983)
13:58 Act 3: The Lynx and Jaguar under Mumin

Episode information
GTV 48 "Atari in Japan" Season 3 Episode 7
Original Airdate: May 10, 2018
Remastered Airdate: January 28, 2022
Produced April 18-May 7, 2018, January 16-18, 2022
Recorded at Butsudan Studios and edited on my 15" MacBook Pro with Touch Bar in 2018 and my all new 14" M1 Pro Macbook Pro in 2022.
Produced with Final Cut Pro and Photoshop, which my job paid for!



Here’s some other videos from the Atari era I know you'll like!

Super Pac-Man Memories    • Super Pac-Man Memories: How I Got An ...  
Game On: Video Game Museum    • Videogame Museum in Japan! Game On: W...  
Atari 2600 Pac-Man Day    • Pac-Man Day: Why the Atari 2600 Versi...  
The More You Know: Cassette Vision    • The More You Know Gaming: Epoch Casse...  
Pac-Land Fever    • Pac-Land  Fever!! Fun Codes & Glitche...  
Pac-Man Mini    • 40th Anniversary Pac-Man Mini Promoti...  


This video used several resources others worked hard to find. Thanks to Atari Age, Atari Museum run by the late, great Curt Vendel, Chris Covell and Random Terrain/Replayability for being great caretakers of Atari information.

Japanese information came from Famitsu, Famimaga and Sukora (Scholar) magazines. Other footage taken from various trailers, promos and advertisements from that time.