The crane machine—also known as claw machines, crane games and, in Japan, as “UFO catchers” due to their proclivity for aerial abductions—first gripped the public imagination in the early 1900s. Even ...

Gacha & Catch, a pop-up Japanese crane game store, is opening in the Santa Monica Promenade in Santa Monica on Nov. 22, 2025. The joint project between Japan Entertainment One Inc., TOMY Company, Ltd.

The 8-year-old crouched in front of the claw machine to get eye level with the small toys behind the screen. With intense focus, she gingerly maneuvered the joystick until the claw was above a ...