iPhone iOS6 Map Takes Our Reporter on a Quest for the Pachinko Gundam Train Station

Apple users from all over the world have been discovering new and exciting destinations and brand new locations of well known landmarks thanks to iPhone’s newest iOS 6 mapping service. The Washington monument has been moved a few miles away and is now near the Potomac River, London is currently located in Ontario, and the birth place of Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon, no longer exists. Also, Helsinki station is now a park and Airfield Garden, once a working farm in Ireland, has been transformed into an airport.

Japan, just like the rest of the world, is not immune to Apple’s amazing ability to destroy beloved landmarks and erect fabulous new destinations.

Checking out the iOS6 operating system’s new map, our reporter discovered a new station on Tokyo’s busiest train line, the Chuo Line. Filled with excitement and curiosity, our reporter embarked on a quest in search of “Pachinko Gundam Station.”

Pachinko, Japan’s noisy silver ball-filled answer to the slot machine, and Gundam, kickass giant robot, have teamed up to create an epic train riding experience (or so we were led to believe by Apple).

According to our reporter’s iPhone map, Pachinko Gundam Station is located on the Chuo Line near the 65 year old Akishima Station. Nearing the supposed location of the magical slot machine and robot-filled station, the train showed no sign of stopping. To our reporter’s disappointment, the train continued on its journey, eventually stopping at Akishima Station.

Now that traveling by train to Pachinko Gundam Station was out of the question, our reporter begrudgingly got off at Akishima. Approaching a station attendant, he asked, “Excuse me, I’m trying to get to Pachinko Gundam Station, but it seems that the train doesn’t stop directly at the station. What’s the best way to get there?” The bewildered station attendant said he didn’t know of such a place. Upon showing him the iPhone map, the attendant replied “Hey, look at that! Well, I guess there is a station there…but no, not really.” Concluding that this particular station attendant must be new and not yet knowledgeable about all of the stations, our reporter set off on foot to continue his quest.

Using his trusty iPhone’s GPS feature, our reporter soldiered on and eventually came to the location of Pachinko Gundam Station…except, there was no station at all. Just a bunch of grass, road, and a telephone poll. The shining beacon of robot fighting, ball-dropping glory was nowhere to be found.

This can’t be! Where is the Pachinko Gundam Station that Apple promised we would find? Maybe only people who know the entrance location of Pachinko Gundam Station can enter. Much like Harry Potter’s Kings Crossing on platform 9 ¾, there must be an invisible passage somewhere. Our reporter ran into the light pole at full speed just to make sure. No dice.