Las Vegas Day Care Opens New Branch in Higashi-Ōmiya

U・P Company, Ltd. (Edogawa Ward, Tokyo; President: Akira Nishiyama) will open the casino-style day care facility 'Las Vegas Day Care Higashi-Ōmiya' on Tuesday, July 1, 2026. Established to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for local seniors, this facility marks the company's fourth location in Saitama Prefecture, following branches in Ōmiya, Sōka, and Fujimino.

"I'd rather die than go"—Responding to this cry for help

Approximately 70–80% of users at typical Japanese day care facilities are women. Many elderly men strongly resist attending due to feeling infantilized or finding routine exercises boring, often leading to social isolation.

"I'd rather die than go to day care"—This statement from an elderly man became the origin of the casino-style day care facility 'Las Vegas.' Inspired by seeing seniors actively socializing and enjoying games at casinos in Las Vegas, USA, the facility aims to create a care environment that people genuinely want to visit.

[Features of the Higashi-Ōmiya Branch]

Casino-style recreation: Full-scale gaming stations including blackjack, mahjong, and slot machines. The experience begins with a black-liveried shuttle bus that makes guests feel like VIPs.

Unique program to move the body through fun: Participants earn the facility's internal currency, 'Vegas Bills,' by joining exercises and functional training. Through gamification, where physical activity becomes preparation for play, users often realize, 'I was moving without noticing.'

Full statutory care services under insurance: The facility operates under municipal certification as a licensed day care service, offering vital checks, functional training, oral care, bathing, and meals.

Inside the facility, rows of authentic casino-style gaming machines await. The desire to 'win next time' naturally turns into motivation to keep attending.

"Games become rehabilitation. Fun becomes the reason to come."

The facility features full-scale casino-style gaming stations such as blackjack, mahjong, and slot machines. Users can play games using 'Vegas Bills' earned by participating in exercises and functional training. The desire to 'win next time' or 'come again' naturally motivates physical activity, enabling users to maintain and improve physical functions while having fun. Because health improvement is seamlessly integrated into play, continuing is never a burden.

"Play" as scientific rehabilitation

Game-based competition and social interaction generate strong emotions, promoting dopamine secretion in the brain. Increased levels of this neurotransmitter are linked to improved motivation for daily life and the maintenance or improvement of cognitive functions.

Moreover, games like mahjong and card play are stored in the brain's deep regions as 'procedural memory' acquired in youth, allowing even those with advanced dementia to enjoy them by recalling the rules. Certified physicians from the Japanese Society of Geriatric Psychiatry have stated, "Playing while recalling happy memories from the past has a highly positive impact on reconstructing brain networks."

"My father, who used to stay locked in his room without speaking, now tells jokes since he started attending Las Vegas. I never thought he could change so much." (Family member of user at another branch)

Nationwide, Las Vegas facilities have achieved a user composition where approximately 70% are men—completely different from typical day care services. Around 1,300 users visit the 21 locations nationwide each month, proving the effectiveness of this model.

"Mahjong is the ultimate brain training."

Mahjong involves fine finger movements that stimulate nerves in the fingertips, while the thought process of reading opponents' discards continuously activates the prefrontal cortex. Additionally, intense emotional experiences such as tension, joy, and frustration from competition promote dopamine secretion in the brain, which is linked to improved motivation for daily life and cognitive function. "It's fun, so I want to come again"—this spontaneous motivation is the most effective form of rehabilitation.

Mahjong's simultaneous stimulation of 'thinking, fingers, and emotions' supports brain activation.

Pachinko simultaneously engages fingers, vision, and memory. Nostalgia sparks conversations and motivates repeat visits.

"My fingertips remember that feeling."

The delicate finger movements of launching balls maintain manual dexterity, while continuously tracking the board trains eye movement. Familiar sounds and sensations evoke past memories and naturally spark conversations among users. The excitement of increasing payouts and the tension of concentration promote dopamine secretion in the brain, boosting mood and motivation for daily life. That single phrase—"I want to come again tomorrow"—is the ideal form of care we aim to provide.

"Why open in Higashi-Ōmiya?"

Located just a 5-minute walk from Higashi-Ōmiya Station, this facility offers convenient access for seniors along the JR Utsunomiya Line. It aims to function as a community-based gathering place that residents of Saitama City's Minuma Ward and surrounding areas can easily visit.

Breaking the stereotype that 'care facilities are inevitably dull,' our mission is to create a place people genuinely want to visit.

"A gateway to the extraordinary, blending into the everyday."

The exterior of the Higashi-Ōmiya branch, with its red-and-white LAS VEGAS signage, stands out vividly in the streetscape. The entrance, with its red carpet and golden door handle, welcomes visitors as 'guests to a special space.' This 'unlike-a-care-facility' atmosphere removes psychological barriers to attendance and creates an inviting environment that naturally draws people in. We aim to create a special entrance where first-time visitors naturally feel, "I'm glad I came here."

Here, the feeling shifts from 'going to a facility' to 'heading toward a place I want to visit.'

Facility Overview

Facility Name: Las Vegas Day Care Higashi-Ōmiya

Address: 5-18-2 Higashi-Ōmiya, Minuma Ward, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture

Access: 5-minute walk from 'Higashi-Ōmiya Station' on the JR Utsunomiya Line

Opening Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2026

Business Hours: 9:00–18:00

Regular Holidays: Saturdays and Sundays

Services: Transportation, vital checks, functional training, oral care, bathing, meals, casino-style recreation

Eligible Users: Individuals certified as requiring support level 1–2 or care level 1–5

Company Overview

Company Name: U・P Company, Ltd.

Established: November 2004

Representative: President Akira Nishiyama

Headquarters: East Inn 1F, 7-66 Ichinoe, Edogawa Ward, Tokyo 132-0024

Business: Day care services (Las Vegas Day Care Ōmiya, Sōka, Fujimino, Higashi-Ōmiya, and others)

Group: Tomoiki Care Co., Ltd.

URL: https://tomoikicare.fun