You would be surprised to know what the generation who invented pacman, once the only game available in an arcade, is doing now; they're running old folks homes with video arcades for the elderly.

This is a story that could only happen in Japan. In the U.S. there are reports of sharpening your brain and preventing alzheimer's by reading and browsing the net, doing crossword puzzles and cross-stitching to improve your concentration. But what about video games? How many people aged 60 play online games? Perhaps a handful might try their shot at the controversial iPhone Flappy Bird, but there have not been many reports about the benefits of video games and aging.

Japan has a sense of innovation totally unique to their part of the world, just like sushi, sumo, and the touted Japanese warrier, the Samurai. It's not just the fish that helps the Japanese stay alive a lot longer than people in the rest of the world. Despite stiff opposition from Australia and other western powers, Japan still refuses to stop whale and dolphin hunting and even killing sharks. But how do playing video games fit in to a conservative culture with a high degree of discipline and hard fast routines?

According to this video on MSN, an elderly group travel to a health center on a Thursday afternoon to spend some quality time in Yokohama. As part of their group therapy, an 87 year old woman, Misae takes part in games stationed at video booths. The woman who enjoys playing arcade games says she needs her daily does of her favorite games and that she is an addict.

It's funny the same word was used with a negative connotation by Dong Nguyen, the creator of the original Flappy Bird Game who pulled it down saying it leads to compulsive behavior and addiction.

The 87-year old woman says it is a mental exercise and makes you work out physically.