Kotaku: Osaka

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 »

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 »

Japanese Maids Busting Nintendo Blocks in This Digital Wonderland

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:00:00 EST

Most maid cafes aren't exactly visually striking. The decor lacks pizzazz. Japanese maid cafe chain Maidreamin has pizzazz out the wahzoo. The cafe is Mario meets maids, while guzzling electric Kool-Aid. It's a trip. More »

PS Vita Launches in Japan. Did People Wait for It?

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:30:00 EST

After being revealed earlier this year, the PS Vita, Sony's PlayStation Portable successor, finally launched in Japan. More »

Watch Men Turn a Convenience Store into a Schoolgirl Anime Mecca

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:00:00 EST

Schoolgirl rocker anime K-On! isn't only getting a feature film, in which the girls travel to London. It's also getting a convenience store. This is it. More »

Look at All This Great Hair. Great, Fake Hair.

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EDT

Cosplay isn't only about great costumes. It's about hair, amazing hair. The more amazing the hair, the better. More »

After Yakuza Controversy, Street Fighter IV Studio Loses Celebrity Advisor

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 08:30:00 EDT

Shinsuke Shimada, one of Japan's most famous comedians, retired from the entertainment industry this week after yakuza connections were revealed. Shimada was also an advisor at Dimps, the game developer behind Street Fighter IV, stepping down earlier this week. [Sanspo] More »

How Big Are Life-Size Monster Hunter Monsters?

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 05:00:00 EDT

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They're big! Yes, yes —we know Universal Studios and Capcom are teaming up to recreate Monster Hunter this August in the Osaka theme park. Here are some more details. More »

Japanese Dev Legend Goes from Riches to Rags

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 03:00:00 EDT

He developed some of the most successful, ground-breaking games ever. But today, game designer Yoshiki Okamoto's personal blog has vanished from the internet. Rumors say so did he. More »

The Heroes of Arcade Insanity

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 20 May 2011 03:00:00 EDT

They might look like regular people, but their gaming skills are anything but. They're superplayers. They take gaming as far as it can physically go. More »

From Punching Faces To Swinging Wii Remotes

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 02:00:00 EDT

Life's funny. You start out wanting to be a martial arts master, go on to appear in Hollywood movies, invent Tae Bo, and then decades later, end up with your own Wii game in Japan. More »

3 Year-Old Killed By Mother For Throwing Away Game Console

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 03:00:00 EDT

On the night of March 30, little Shizuku Tanaka was murdered in Osaka. Her feet and hands were bound by tape, and she was stuffed in a garbage bag. The bag was tied shut, and the three year-old is now dead. More »

Buying A 3DS Without A Pre-Order Is A Beautiful Thing

Brian Ashcraft — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 01:10:00 EST

The lines for the Nintendo 3DS didn't start this morning. No, many of them started last night. Those who waited in line were most likely able to snag a 3DS. Those who simply waited probably weren't as lucky. More »

Osaka's Geek District Turning Into Den Of Iniquity

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 02:00:00 EST

Den-Den Town, Osaka's "denkigai" or "electric town", is known for its used game retailers like Super Potato and figure shops like Osaka Gundams. There are also the maid cafes, where folks can get a coffee and talk to a maid. Some, however, are serving way more than coffee. More »

Capcom Japan Says Mega-Man Creator Quit To Create More Games

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 04:00:00 EDT

Keiji Inafune of Mega-Man and Dead Rising fame made no secret that he hated his job. Late last week, the game designer finally left Capcom, a company he worked at for 23 years. The developer's Osaka headquarters says why. More »

The Cosplay And Cars Of Dream Party

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 03:00:00 EDT

Another autumn, another Dream Party. The fall Dream Party was recently held in Tokyo, complete with cosplayers, booth companions and sticker-covered cars called "itasha" ("painmobile"). More »

Capsule Toy? No, Win An R4

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:40:00 EDT

For ¥400 a pop (US$4.75), Japanese capsule toy machine offers folks the chance to win an R4 — a device Nintendo is trying to block. As seen in Osaka's Den-Den Town electrics district by Julie via Ai Amano. More »

This Osaka Building Is Due For A Slimmer Redesign

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 08:30:00 EDT

As seen on はちま起稿. More »

When Arcades Die

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:20:00 EDT

This is the famed Osaka arcade U.F.O. Nagase. So full of life and drink machines. More »

Osaka Regulating "Boys Love" Manga

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 04:00:00 EDT

After considering the issue, the Osaka Prefectural Government has begun regulating boys love manga. More »

Take That, Nintendo!

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 05:30:00 EDT

Forget Osaka's shady R4 cartridge retailers, the city has one shop that is openly advertising the device. And rubbing it in Nintendo's face in the process. More »

The Greatest School Bus In Japan

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EDT

Kindergarten is a tough time for some kids. It's the first time that they are away from their mother or father for an extended period of time. To help ease the experience, Japanese kindergartens and pre-schools have cute, colorful buses. More »

Cosplaying In The Streets of Osaka

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EDT

Girls in stockings. Girls in wigs. Girls in frilly dresses. Over the weekend, the cosplaying hoard took to the streets of Osaka's Den-Den Town in the annual Nipponbashi Street Festival. More »

R4 Sales Get Shadier And Shadier

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EDT

See those signs? They read, "Majikon" — Japanese for R4. And they are pointing into a random apartment building. More »

Japanese Muggers Confess To Stealing US$30,000 From Otaku

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT

Osaka nerds can breathe easy. Hopefully. Two male suspects have been arrested for "otaku gari", AKA "otaku hunting." More »

"No One From Capcom Japan Will Be At E3" vs. "Capcom Japan's Attendance Is Under Review"

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 19 May 2009 07:00:00 EDT

Previously we posted that Capcom's E3 plans were up in the air, because of the Swine Flu. Earlier this morning, game site NowGamer reported that Capcom Japan have apparently canceled their appearance. Now? More »

Capcom Shipped Lots of Games

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 08 May 2009 04:30:00 EDT

Last financial year was pretty good for Osaka-based game maker Capcom. The company was powered by big titles like Resident Evil 5, Street Fighter II and perennial favorite Monster Hunter. More »

Xbox 360 Getting Lots of Shelf Space

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 05:00:00 EST

Before we start, things to keep in mind: This is at one store in Osaka's electronics district, Den-Den Town. At this same store, something like ten people showed up for the Xbox 360 launch. More »

This Is What The Retro Gamer Girl Is Doing With Metal Gear...

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:00:00 EST

Over the weekend, I stayed at home at waited for the baby to fall out of my wife. (It didn't, but rather, hung around in her womb and listened to my Prince albums.) On Saturday and Sunday, Osaka played host to the Games Japan Festa 2008. (Like I said, I was at home, with the wife, Prince records and a catcher's mitt.) The event is nowhere near the size of TGS, but Famitsu was there, reporting long lines for Metal Gear Online: Meme Expansion. The wait reached 90 minutes — compare that to the brisk 15-20 minute lines for The Last Remnant. More »

Let's Check One Store For DSi Launch Lines

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EDT

It's Halloween night in Osaka, and most people DO NOT CARE. That's not all, it's the eve of the DSi launch in Osaka, and likewise, most people DO NOT CARE. That is an overstatement. People do care, and the product will probably be successful. But here I am, standing in front of Umeda's Yodobashi Camera at the exit where tons of people lined up years back for DS Lite launch. This pic was taken at 9:00pm Japan time and as one can see, there's no line! More »

Japanese Schoolgirl Practices At Arcade, Almost Kills Man With Car

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Over the weekend in Osaka's Higashiyodogawa Ward, a 58 year-old man was knocked off his bicycle by a car and dragged 180 meters (almost 600 feet) in a hit-and-run accident. The victim suffered serious injuries, and the driver was arrested by the police. The suspect is a 14 year-old junior high school girl from Osaka's Toyonaka City. There were three male middle school students in the car, and it was originally thought the girl was a scapegoat — until she gave an official statement. She told Yodogawa Police Station authorities in an affidavit, "I was confident in my video game driving, so I wanted to try the real deal... That day was the first time I had ever driven a real car." Apparently, the girl had been "practicing" driving on arcade games. She decided that she had gotten so good at video games, she ought to try an actual car and thus swiped the keys to her father's small mini-van. According to authorities, the girl had a history of missing class at school. 「ゲームで自信あった」＝ひき逃げ逮捕の女子中学生−大阪 [なおさんの「徒然日記」] [Pic] More »

SEGA Explains Yakuza 2's Japanese Voices

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Ryu Ga Gotoku is a solid game with great voice acting. With the game was localized for the West, SEGA made the mistake of dubbing over the voices in English with folks like Michael Madson and Luke Skywalker. It didn't work. At all. Sure, both of those are talented actors, but the dubbing didn't fit. It was, to put it nicely, a "criminally bad f*ck up". But SEGA listened. SEGA cares. According to SEGA's Associate Producer Kevin Frane: More »

How Capcom Is Different

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT

Among Japanese game developers, Capcom's done really well this generation. The company has launched new IPs, gone multi-plat and even still churns out big arcade games. Part of the reason for that success, at least on home console titles, is Capcom's own multi-platform engine, the MT Framework. While other Japanese developers are just starting to acknowledge the need to launch truly multi-platform titles in this next generation, Capcom was ready from the get-go. What's more, Resident Evil 5 producer Jun Takeuchi explains: More »

MGS4 Japan Tour Dates

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:00:00 EDT

For those who missed meeting Hideo Kojima in the States and Europe and for those living in Japan, listen up. Konami has announced dates and places for the Metal Gear Solid 4 autographing spectacular. Kojima, illustrator Yoji Shinkawa and actress Yumi Kikuchi are slated to appear with signing pen. The dates and places and times are: More »

Okami Producer Says Exclusives "Make No Sense"

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Choices, choices, choices. We've got three home console platforms: PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii. (Don't forget the PC!) And that's just current gen! The PS2 is still going strong. Add to that, portable platforms the PSP and the DS. Game developers do have a wide range of choices. Yet some choose to stick their games on a single platform. Not Okami producer and current Platinum Games exec Atsushi Inaba, who states: More »

Lucky Star Used For Prostitution Advert

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 21 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Manga Lucky Star is pretty popular in Japan! The manga's characters play video games, and Lucky Star itself has already gotten a couple of DS games as well as a PlayStation 2 visual novel. Nerds love Lucky Star. Probably why the owner of this Osaka "delivery health" shop (think outcall call girl business) decided to use characters Kagami and Miyuki. Also, Kagami is a fan of shooting games — as in video game shooting games. Ah, nevermind. More »

Osaka's Otaku On Parade

Brian Ashcraft — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 15:00:20 EDT

Late last week was the annual "Nipponbashi Street Festa" in Osaka's nerd village "Den-Den Town." The main street Sakaisuji was shut down for foot traffic only and the event featured cosplaying, maids and general geekery. I've been several times in the past. Good fun! More »

Don't Worry, Capcom Is Doing Well

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 01:00:59 EST

Capcom is on a roll, a money making roll. The Osaka-based publisher posted its third quarter financial results, which show a 4.8 percent rise over the previous year. The cause? Capcom says its games are doing quite well, especially Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles — which we mentioned earlier. The publisher took over US $484 million in the three month period that ended last December. Sales are up 4.8 percent! In summary: People are buying Capcom's stuff, and Capcom is rich. More »

Osaka Cops Protect, Serve, Tamagotchi

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 06:00:16 EST

Yes, Tamagotchi has a couple video games under its belt. There's merchandising, too! You'd think with all that, Bandai Namco wouldn't have to resort to things like, I dunno, enlisting Osaka cops to promote its upcoming anime Appearing on Film: Tamagotchi — Lost in Space. The Osaka police will offer movie ticket discounts to individuals who subscribe to a crime info email list. There is one word for this and that word is "kooky." More »

Make Reservations to Play Wii Fit, So Classy

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 23:00:58 EST

What was the biggest draw at the Games Festa over the weekend? Wii Fit. There wasn't a line, but rather, reservations. If you wanted to try out Nintendo's exer-game, you had to make a reservation at a specific time. (You were given a piece of paper with that time on it.) My impressions of Wii Fit: It's less a game and more a piece of exercise equipment. As far as exercise equipment go, it's fun. As far as games go, well. In Japan, though, it's going to make Nintendo exactly one gajillion dollars. Anyone picking this up? More »