Kotaku: Japan

Girls Plus Hardware Equals Hardware Girls

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:15:00 EST

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Photographer and pin-up model Julie Watai, whom Kotaku has featured before, is releasing a magazine version of her Hardware Girls photos. More »

Nine Ways Japanese Women Know You Are a "Creepy" Otaku

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:00:00 EST

Some of you are nerds. That's fine. Some of you are not. Likewise—fine. But for the geeky male readers out there, not all members of the opposite sex are going to be down with your peculiarities. More »

Fukushima Ghost Towns

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:55:00 EST

On March 11, a devastating earthquake and tsunami rocked Japan. In its wake, the country's Northeast was ravaged. Buildings and lives were destroyed and lost. More »

Look, It's Persona 4 in Living Flesh

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:35:00 EST

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Japanese role-playing game Persona 4 is being turned into a hardcore porno. This is not the cast of that flick. Sorry! Instead, these are the folks starring in the Persona 4 stage show. More »

Japan Isn't All Neon Lights

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST

There's a tired stereotype that Japan looks like Blade Runner. Sure, some parts do, but the vast majority of the country doesn't. While most of Japan isn't terribly exciting (not necessarily a bad thing!), it sure is pretty. More »

Maids Entice Young Men to Give Blood

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:50:00 EST

In Japan, you expect to see maids in cute cafes, slinging coffee and rice omelets. But for two days earlier this week, they popped up in an unexpected location: a blood donation center. More »

Duke Nukem Forever Delayed in Japan (Sigh)

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:30:00 EST

Didn't see that coming, did you? The years-in-development Duke Nukem Forever is getting pushed back in Japan: from March 8 to March 29. [Famitsu] More »

Japanese Cosplayer Feels Heat For Flashing Taiwanese Police Car

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:00:00 EST

While Japanese cosplayer Ushijima Ii Niku ("Good Meat") was in Taiwan, she caused a media storm after showing up to an event in her underpants. The incident even made the evening news there. But that's not what is pissing of the country's police force. More »

Jackets So Badass, They'll Punch Your Teeth In

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:01:00 EST

Yesterday, Japanese game designer Hideo Kojima posted a photo of himself wearing the jacket actor Ryan Gosling wore in the movie Drive. But Kojima, best known for his Metal Gear games, didn't call it a "jacket". No, the famed designer called the coat something else: a sukajan. More »

This Chocolate Isn't Painful. It's Sweet and Dorky.

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:55:00 EST

You know "itasha", right? It means "painmobile" and refers to cars covered in nerdy stickers. More »

A Valentine's Day Contrast Worth a Thousand Nerds

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:30:00 EST

Today, love simulator New Love Plus went on sale. Today is also Valentine's Day. A photographer at Japanese game site 4Gamer snapped this photo, which seems to show a young couple passing by the Love Plus Akihabara launch, which is populated with dudes. More »

I Didn't Get Any Chocolate Today. Did You?

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:15:00 EST

Instead, I got apple pie. Mrs. Bashcraft, my wife, made apple pie for the kids and me. This is it! More »

Lowest. Score. Ever. (In Super Mario World)

Richard Eisenbeis — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:50:00 EST

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Everyone's heard about high score runs, but how about the opposite? In this video, NicoNico Douga user Haru@Yotsuba sets out to get the lowest possible score in Super Mario World on the SNES. Mario World becomes a very different game in this challenge, where killing Koopa Troopa or breaking a brick is the same as failure. But not content with this already insane challenge, he added a few more rules: More »

Super Cars? Super Cute, Super Cool, and Super Geeky.

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:40:00 EST

At this weekend's Wonder Festival in Chiba, Japan, collectible figures and cosplayers weren't the only thing on display. There were also super cars—and race queens. More »

Japanese Kids Don't Walk Much These Days (Video Games Blamed)

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:20:00 EST

According to a Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education poll, today's Japanese kids walk 30 percent less than they did 30 years ago. Experts attribute this to video games and other indoor activities. [Yomiuri] More »

The Girls Are Fake. The Sausage Party Is Real.

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:01:00 EST

Today is Valentine's Day in Japan. The day is slightly different from its American counterpart—2012, more so. Early this morning, gamers lined up so they could spend the day with someone special: their virtual girlfriends. More »

These Plastic People Are Wonderful

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 07:50:00 EST

The Wonder Festival isn't only about cosplay. Rather, the event is dedicated to figurines and models. So of them are production models, which are mass-produced, while other pieces are limited edition or even one-off pieces. More »

Swedish, Sixteen, and Stunning

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 07:20:00 EST

Earlier this month, it was revealed that a Swedish "bishounen" (beautiful young boy) named "Yohio" will be making his debut in Japan this spring. More »

A Collection of Right-Wing Japanese Propaganda Buses

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:30:00 EST

If you've ever spent any time in Japan, you've seen them: big black buses blaring right-wing propaganda. And today, you're going to see an entire fleet of them. More »

Mmm... Octopus Tentacles

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:30:00 EST

Have a nice weekend? This Sunday, like so many Sundays before, I made dinner. I was actually somewhat nervous about our Kotaku East rollout, and I do find cooking (and drinking while cooking) relaxing. So I made one easy dish I can make fairly well: takoyaki. More »

The Wonder and the Horror of Japanese Cosplay

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:00:00 EST

The Wonder Festival roared through Japan over the weekend. The biannual event is a gathering of figure collectors and makers—as well as cosplayers. More »

Big in Japan, Made in England

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:01:00 EST

Music wasn't what brought singer Emi Evans to Japan. But it's what made her stay—and what is making her famous. With her work on Dark Souls and Nier, the British-born singer is quickly creating a name for herself. More »

The Roof, the Roof, the Roof is Not on Fire, Says Konami

Owen Good — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:17:16 EST

An image circulating Twitter earlier today seemed to imply a Konami office building in Japan was burning. It most certainly was not, a spokesman told Kotaku. Reading into Japanese Twitter users' feeds, it appears this "strange smoke" might be only building steam. All is well. More »

This Konami Building Seems To Be On Fire [UPDATE]

Jason Schreier — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:45:00 EST

Multiple Japanese Twitter users have posted pictures of what appears to be a fire in a Konami office. More »

Foreigners Rejoice! EA's Biggest Titles Come to Japan in English

Richard Eisenbeis — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:40:00 EST

For those living in Japan and wanting to play Western games in their original format, the invention of the Blu-ray disc was a godsend. Suddenly games shipped with both versions, Japanese and English, right on the same disc. But for some reason, EA never followed suit. More »

The Most Extensive Pac-Man Collection Ever

Richard Eisenbeis — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST

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For the 30th Anniversary of Pac-Man way back in 2010, the 3331 Arts Chiyoda gallery on the outskirts of Akihabara held an exhibition showcasing the most complete collection of all things Pac-Man the world has ever seen. More »

First There's Cross-Dressing and Dancing. Then Shock. Then Respect.

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:40:00 EST

Graphic design company MokuMoku Factory also makes live-action shorts. They're fantastic. Why, you ask? Well, I'll give you thirty-one seconds to watch this clip—and that should do all the explaining you'll ever need. More »

Iconic Japanese Mecha Inspired...a WiFi Tower?

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:30:00 EST

Patlabor, the iconic Japanese anime, will be reborn this year—as a WiFi tower. More »

The Japanese Side of the PlayStation Button Confusion

Richard Eisenbeis — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:00:00 EST

Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo (The Japanese that Japanese People Don't Know) is a collection of real-life stories centering on a young Japanese woman as she teaches Japanese to a group of foreigners in Tokyo. More »

Bandai Namco Games Making "Bandai Namco Studio"

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:10:00 EST

Today, Bandai Namco, known as Namco Bandai in the West, revealed it's created a new studio called Bandai Namco Studio. It will be responsible for Tekken, SoulCalibur, Taiko no Tatsujin, the Tales games, and the Gundam games. [BNG] More »

Virtual Snow Idol Being Rebuilt. Hopefully It Won't Injure Old Ladies.

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 EST

After a snow sculpture of virtual idol Hatsune Miku crumbled and injured an elderly woman at the Sapporo Snow Festival, officials destroyed the statue. More »

The Stupidest PS3 Password Story Ever

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:00:00 EST

When Sony was hacked in 2011, it was major news. People's personal information was put at risk. This latest PlayStation password story is not major news. It shouldn't even be on television. More »

Transform! Ridiculous Transformations and Showboating in Games

Chris Person — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:30:00 EST

Popular Anime Remade into Gay Porno

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:30:00 EST

Uber popular anime Tiger and Bunny stars two male protagonists—Kotetsu T. Kaburagi and Barnaby Brooks Jr.—who battle as superheroes on the show's Hero TV. More »

Idol's Mother Arrested for "Obscene Acts" with Junior High Student

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:40:00 EST

The 44-year-old mother of singer Minami Takahashi was arrested for obscene acts with a 15-year-old boy. More »

Final Fantasy Is Bringing Pricy DLC to the 3DS

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:30:00 EST

While Nintendo's said it would help ensure that DLC pricing isn't unreasonable, Square Enix shows us the future. One downloadable song for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is ¥150 (US$1.95); all 8 tracks are ¥1,200 ($15.60) Not cheap! [忍之閻魔帳] More »

Virtual Idol's Snow Sculpture Injured Elderly Lady for Real

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:40:00 EST

Every winter, the Sapporo Snow Festival amazes visitors with snow sculptures. This year, a "Snow Miku" of virtual idol Hatsune Miku was erected. Today, it was destroyed after injuring a senior citizen. More »

Hello Kitty and...Hooters?

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST

When you think "Hooters", you might think of orange hot pants, buffalo wings, or, if you are a Philadelphia Phillies fan, retired catcher Darren Daulton (who married a Hooters icon). The one thing you do not think of is Hello Kitty—until now. More »

It's Cold. Time for Hot Panties.

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:00:00 EST

February is always so cold in Japan. This winter has seen record snowfall across the country. Akihabara, Tokyo's geek mecca, has a way to warm up: hot underpants. More »

Darth Vader Invades South Osaka (Noooooooooo!)

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:00:00 EST

When I first moved to Osaka, I lived near Shinsekai—a rough part of town in the south. My apartment was clean and spacious, but the area was populated with drunks, prostitutes, and gangsters. More »