Pullip Dolls [Senaka Blog]

Yes, you are. A thirteen year-old boy.

Boy touching and all, the game seems to be a smash — SNK's biggest since, geez, I dunno... a long time! Well, a smash in nerd hubs like Den-Den Town and Akihabara, where the game has been selling out. No clue how it's doing in the rest of the country. Remember when SNK used to make fighting games? I don't!

Hit the jump for saucy sell out images.

Boy Touching [My Game News Flash]
Akiba Sell Out [Akiba Blog]
Den-Den Sell Out [Senaka Blog]

Obviously the above display is for a sex game. Spotted in Osaka's Den-Den Town, this display goes the extra mile: there's aren't just rubber jubblies, but rubber jubblies in a brassiere and behind plastic. What's more, the plastic case is locked! That way people don't, you know, try to touch the faux mammaries. The name of this game? Oppai Baka, or as I like to say, "Boob Fool." There are two words for that plastic display case: absolutely necessary. Brian Ashcraft

Ero Game Promotion [Ota Road]

When the DS Lite first went on sale in Japan, it sold out. And then it sold out again. And again. As soon as the product showed up in stores, it was cleaned right out. From late 2005 until April 2007, getting a DS Lite was hard. You had to be lucky. But, is the supply-and-demand problem slowing? Blog Ota-Road points to a flood of Lites that have hit stores in Den-Den Town. While I was in Tokyo over the weekend, I noticed that it's much easier to get a Lite there as well. And people I was talking to kept bringing up the same thing: The DS drought is over. Well, until Dragon Quest IX hits, and people start buying Lites in four packs. Get 'em while you can, Japan. Brian Ashcraft

DS Lite Can Be Purchased Recently [Ota Road]

Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy VII looks, err, different. She looks somewhat depressed. I would be too if I were on the cover of Kuusou Jikken -Vol. 7- ("Imagination Experiment -Vol. 7-). "Hentai doujin" comic books like this often feature famous characters from video games or animation doing shameful, embarrassing things! They're printed in small numbers so that they can hopefully slip under the radar, but are carried in popular bookstores in places like Akihabara and Den-Den Town. This particular doujin comic group, or circle, has done other naughty mangas with the likes of Mai from King of Fighters. So! If you are curious, there are some NSFW-ish Tifa pics at the link below. Just know: There's a reason why Tifa looks glum. Brian Ashcraft

Tifa's New Manga [Akiba Blog]

One word best sums up Japan's relationship with the DS: Insane. The portable has sold oodles (yes, OODLES) and continues to do so. Likewise, the Wii is a big seller. So, Nintendo's been producing the DS Lite for a while now, so there shouldn't be shortages still, right? And the Wii, well, that can't be that hard to make so Japan should be swimming in them. Nope! Both products seem in short supply. A Den-Den Town retailer tells Japanese blog Ota Road:

The shipments for March and April have been small.

It's been possible to purchase *used* versions of the DS Lite and the Wii up to now. There's talk that the shortages should ease in April, making it possible to easily purchase the consoles here. April? That coincidences with the financial year in Japan. What a kwinky dink! Brian Ashcraft

DS Lite, Wii Shortages [Ota Road]

Ack! That sure ain't Toriyama's Blue Dragon. Rather, that's the art work of Takeshi Obata, the artist behind mega popular manga Death Note. Based off the Xbox 360 video game and written by Tsuneo Takano, Blue Dragon RalΩGrado has been making regular appearances in Weekly Shonen Jump since last December. The shirtless dude with nipple covers is mammary-loving "Ral." His blue dragon is named "Grado." The manga is now being published in book form. Hit the jump for a peek of Ral fondling a woman's jubblies. Brian Ashcraft

Blue Dragon Manga [Ota Road]

Who needs jubblies when you've got robot toys? Spotted at Sofmap in Den-Den Town is this truly RAD display for upcoming erotic PC title Patro Vessel from May-Be Soft. Anyway, the game seems to be set in a crime-ridden city that causes cops to take to the skies and screw. Mega points for playing up the cool robots instead of the cartoon sex.

And yes, that embedded link above is NSFW. The one below ain't. Brian Ashcraft

Patrol Vessel Display [Ota Road]

I haven't been to Akihabara's Super Potato in something like 8 months. No, need to! The legendary game store chain is based out of Osaka, and there's one near my house. I can walk to Super Potato.

Yesterday, went to the Akiba branch with Patrick Macias and Matt Alt. Perhaps my memory is crap, but it's really, really changed. The controllers hanging from the ceiling are gone. There are new lamenated signs. And the top floor is a mini-arcade. You can smoke there, too. Good if you smoke, I guess!

I dunno, I kinda missed the old Akiba Super Potato. You know, with the grime, like we have here in Osaka. Perhaps that just doesn't fly in Akihabara anymore. Brian Ashcraft

Sofmap in Den-Den Town inexplicably stuck this original Xbox next to an Xbox 360 neon sign. It's not for sale. But, I mean, what if a customer is interested in purchasing this unit? Or if somebody walked out of the store with it? My question: Why is it there? The way in which Japanese retailers handle displays never ceases to amaze. Not news in the least, but certainly odd! Brian Ashcraft

The Retronauts (1Up's Jeremy Parish and Wired's Chris Kohler) descend on Ninten-centric retailer Super Potato and go game shopping. Setting's perfect for Kohler and Parish to totally geek out and try to make some money in the process. Brian Ashcraft

Retronauts Descend On Akiba [New Launches]

Nope! And so THE IDOLM@STER officially captures the hearts of otaku-dom. Found in Osaka's Den-Den Town, here's a PLAYSTATION 3 console running a demo for THE IDOLM@STER. Fear not Sony, this isn't a battle of the capitalized letters. Upcoming PS3 title Gundam Musou should win back any recent Xbox 360 converts. Hopefully... Brian Ashcraft

PS3 IDOLM@STER [Ota Road]

Late last week, Gears of War went on sale in Japan. If early (albeit isolated) indications are anything to go by, Gears *could* be a hit. While the title racked up an impressive Famitsu scores and sports truly impressive graphics, some believed that the game's blocky very American-style characters wouldn't fly with gamers used to more slender Final Fantasy-type heroes. (Interesting to note: There is a population in Japan who are extremely interested American games just as there's a Western segment who fetishize Japanese titles. Kindred spirits!) Though, move several million copies abroad, and bet your ass, Japan listens. While the title sold flat out at Sofmap, the Gears demo at retailer a-Too reportedly drew a crowd. Mind you, this isn't just for an Xbox 360 game, but a CERO Z-rated Xbox 360 game so I am interested in seeing those sales figs. Like I said, isolated, possibly meaningless, but in Japan, still impressive. Brian Ashcraft

Gears Sell Out [Ota Road]

Previously, we ran photos of unsold PS3s in Tokyo. To shed more light on the situation, here's a collection of photos taken at retailers in Osaka's Den-Den Town. The area is Osaka's gaming and electronics district, and these pictures were taken at retailers like Sofmap, Big Tiger, Super Potato, a-Too and even 7-11. (Yes, 7-11 in Japan sells video game consoles.) The above pic is from Sofmap, and the sign says the Wii and the DS Lite are sold out; they have PS3 units in stock. A cocktail of high price, bad press and lackluster titles might be driving customers away. Expect sales to pick up as new games start to flesh out the line-up. More photos after the jump, make of them what you will. Brian Ashcraft

PS3 Not Flying Off Den-Den Town Shelves [Ota Road]

Tomorrow at Den-Den Town's Sofmap, Nintendo Wii pre-orders commence. To mark the occasion, the retailer has set up its in-store Wii corner, making it one of the first of its type I've seen in Japan. Looks simple. Clean. Nice. Brian Ashcraft

Den-Den Town's Wii Corner [Ota Road]

By: Brian Ashcraft

Go North, East or West and end up surrounded by tiny veiled massage parlors, tiny high-rise bars and an endless selection of restaurants. That leaves South, go South. From Nipponbashi, it's a straight shot down Sakai-suji Ave. to Osaka's otaku district, Nipponbashi, also dubbed Den-Den Town.

Taking its name for the Japanese word for electricity (denki), the area today is known more for a place to pick up Radiant Silvergun or have tea at a maid cafe, than where to get a Lumix digicam or a Bravia flat-screen, though they've got them too. Den-Den Town is fairly straight forward, easy to navigate. Maps and directions are helpful, yet useless. This is a guide, not so much just for the shops, but the area. Like I said, go South.

Used toy mecca Mandarake sits across from the elegant, and quickly becoming obsolete Takashimaya branch. Want post-war area playthings? Ultraman masks? Wigs? Vintage Play & Watch portables? This is your place.

Prices are fairly competitive, but the staff is the district's least friendly. Want to take a photo of a Virtual Boy while standing outside the shop? Try elsewhere.

The appropriately monikered Gundam's has everything Gundam. All the games are Gundam. The CDs are Gundam soundtracks. T-shirts and wrist-bands, Gundam. And golf bags are, well, Gundam. An electric guitar wails on the second floor in-store speakers. Decals, models, paint, and Gundam.

ME: "Do you ever get tired of Gundam?
CLERK: "No."
ME: "Really?"
CLERK: (serious as a heart attack) "Yes."

Behind Gundam's and Mandarake, there are several smaller streets, including the one called "Ota Road." The name is short for "otaku road." At the North end of the street is Sofmap Saurus, a personal favorite. Prices are standard, and the store concentrates on new games and hardware. But its "Ota Road" location is oddly picturesque. Shoppers shuffle by, carrying shopping bags filled with comics or PC titles. Bandanas are hip. So is flannel. Backpacks, a must.

Tokyo has two geek areas: Akihabara (for men) and Ikebukuro's Otome Road (for women). Osaka, on the other hand, hasn't separated its geeks. Otaku looking for hentai games and Fujoshi ("rotten girl", AKA female otaku) looking for yaoi boy's love comics freely mix. If only, we could set them all up on blind dates.

Back on Sakaisuji Ave, I swing by K-Books. A girl in thigh-highs is pouring over a manga. A troupe of women flood out of the store and whisk past. Continuing down the street, there are the requisite adult bookstores, adult video shops, adult video shops selling used blue jeans.

Interspaced between these, they are still the tiny retailers, nooked away, selling nothing but power-drills, cords and plugs. The owners are older. Relics. My nose is filled with the dry smell of tatami. A craftsman's workshop is wide-open to the street as he weaves together squares of straw. I think of the wall-to-wall carpet covering my new apartment.

Straight ahead is Super Potato. The Osaka-based retailer is a shrine to vintage gaming. You want it, Super Potato probably has it. Not super cheap, but one-stop stopping.

Famicoms start upwards of 3,000 yen, Sharp Twin Famicoms top out at 10,000 yen and a boxed Dreamcast can be had for 6,000 yen. Consoles, controllers and software bursts off the shelves and moving through the store is tricky.

A little further down is Game Tanteidan. The aisles are wide, the floor is covered with laminated retro ads and articles, and 8-bit game music bleeps from monitors. Yet, Game Tanteidan is eerily quiet. I swear I can hear the air-conditioner.

I head upstairs. Quick inventory: comic books, Metal Gear Solid GameCube, soccer cards, baseball cards, Virtual Boy and a vending machine. There's even something called the "Famicom Box," an 100 yen per-play on demand game system for Japanese hotels. The second floor is likewise deserted, save for a clerk flipping through a copy of Death Note.

Continuing South and leaving Den Den Town, there's Ebisucho and Shinseikai, a typical setting for yakuza movies, but actually a better place to see old men gulping cups of vending machine sake from mid-morning. I think about heading down there, having its famous kushikatsu or blowfish for lunch and checking out the Tsutenkaku Tower. Or I could double back, hit a maid cafe for a rice omlette and stop by Big Tiger. I buy a Fanta from the vending machine and head out of the shop, down the street. Like I said, go North.

The GameCube has had a decent run, but time to call it a day. With the Wii around the corner, consumer interest in the console is waning, but it remains relatively strong in Japan, where the system outsells the 360. Super Potato in Osaka's Den Den Town has a limited quantity of GameCubes (used, we assume) that ballpark between US $45 and $25. I'd love to see what exactly a $25 GC looks like, and it's probably not too pretty. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Nipponbashi Blog]

Well, maybe they are, but I haven't found them. I trounced through multiple Den-Den Town stores, looking for cracked display models. The handhelds were beyond dirty and weren't coated in grim, but embalmed in it. They appeared to have been the same ones that had been out on display since launch. Random people man-handling these DS Lites all day for months. A perfect breeding ground for cracked hinges, right?

Nope.

Not a single DS Lite I encountered in an afternoon of trouncing was damaged. There weren't even the makings of hairline cracks. Nothing. That filth-causes-DS-Lite-cracks theory went right into the trash. It wasn't grime, but Americans, it seems, that were causing the cracks.

But why?

I hesitate to vomit up silly stereotypes like that Americans have fat hands or Japanese gamers take better care of their portables. Something else is afoot, and for the life of me, I have no idea what. I haven't really heard of cracks here in Japan. It doesn't seem to be a problem, but I'd love it if somebody proved me wrong. Brian Ashcraft

There is a warning about the DS Lite's brightness, however. Nothing about cracks.

Seniors aren't the only ones that need brain training. Dorks do, too. And now in Japan they can as a CD-ROM geek trainer called Moeru Nou Tore has hit otaku-land. The word "moe" refers to the pink, the cute and the dow-eyed doe-eyed, "nou" means brain and the "tore" is a shortened form of "training." The CD-ROM is a take-off on Nintendo's hugely popular "adult" brain training games that feature Prof. Ryuta Kawashima. The Windows game is divided into four sections: Calculation, Memory, Reflection and Judgement. Players attempt to win over a young lass, and in the process, keep their brains as young as the Lolitas they lust after. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Akiba Blog]

The naughty school dating sim Buraban! ~The bonds of melody~ is not just about an after school band, but an after school brass band! And a PC hentai game that specific needs targeted goods, namely large inflatable bed-sheet that features life-sized young girls taking off their shorts. Don't want anyone to buy Buraban! on accident, do we? Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Senaka Blog]

Over the weekend, a girl band played at the Gamers shop in Den-Den Town. The event caused a mob scene, blocking the street so that cars were not able to drive down Den-Den Town's Ota Road. Cops were even mobilized. The band that caused this ruckus? Skimpy talent skirt outfit T-BACKS (the Japanese word for thong underwear). Bees on honey, bees on honey. Brian Ashcraft

Tasteful Crowd Shots Here [Ota Road]

Conventional wisdom says that any Gundam, Dragon Ball Z or Final Fantasy title will be a surefire hit in Japan. Screw conventional wisdom. While previous DBZ games have been monster sellers, the latest installment is anything but. Cho Dragon Ball Z (Super Drago Ball Z) boasts toonshaded graphics and was developed by ex-Capcom and Street Fighter II producer Noritaka Funamizu. The title dropped last Thursday for around 7,140 yen (US $63), the new DBZ was already hitting the Japanese bargain racks in both Akihabara and Den-Den Town. The game was marked down almost half-price to 3,980 yen (US $34) at some stores. Why? I talked to an insider who has worked on previously DBZ titles in Japan, and he seemed to think it had reached saturation. Comments were also made about the new game's style of play being "heavy" and "sober" for fans of the series. Cue joke about Super Dragon Ball Z not being that super. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Akiba Blog]

How do you get otaku worked up over a new cutesy PC porn game? Try a mini-van with a crummy sticker on the side. To promote its upcoming title Tenku Symphonia 2, game maker Cocktail Soft has sent a caravan across Japan. Late last week, the van rolled into Osaka's Den-Den Town. The van and its door-stickers have actually made me not want to buy this game—not that I was in the market for Tenku Symphonia 2 anyway (I missed the first one). They're probably going to spend more on gas than this CD Rom will rake in. Brian Ashcraft

In Store Craziness [Ota Road]

This past Sunday, the Dream Party was held in Osaka. The bishoujo convention takes place twice a year in Osaka and Tokyo and features very Japan-only PC games and PS2 titles like Festa: Hyper Girls Party. I missed the one last fall, and the one over the weekend. However, Den-Den Town blog Ota Road took loads of pics so we can all relive the otaku experience that includes cosplay, figurines and anime Dr. Pepper. Brian Ashcraft

Forget PC case mods. Otaku who really want to impress their buddies do it with cars. Not just any wheels, but autos that have been painted or stickerd with characters from popular titles like To Heart 2. Nothing says "badass" like a doe-eyed schoolgirl with aqua hair.

Looking at Geeks [Kotaku]

From today's festival in Osaka. More dress-up after the jump.

Den-Den Town [Official Site]

"Kimo-kawaii," a trendy woman says next to me. "Kimoi" as in "creepy," and "kawaii" as in "cute." Combined, it's a popular buzz word. Several cosplayers are plopped right in the middle of the street, which has been closed for Nipponbashi Festival in Den-Den Town. Photographers swarm, and I can hear the digital shutters snap.

A guy in a grey sweater and ridiculous, white sunglasses is on her arm. They just kinda stand there in their designer dudes, gawking. "Kimo-kawaii, ne?" ("Creepy cute, huh?") she asks Sunglasses, who nods.

Japanese nerds have traditionally been classified somewhere between dilettantes and serial killers. Since last year's Densha Otoko craze, otaku are suddenly cool. The book/movie/TV show featured a beautiful woman that fell for an otaku. Not real otaku, but a handsome actor wearing dork-face and flannel. The mainstream has reassessed the stereotype and is ready to get its geek on, see what this otaku thing is.

The entire street is filled with cosplayers. Men with died eyebrows and girls in knee-highs dot the landscape. Very-single men scurry around and take pictures of maids. I turn to Sunglasses and Trendy, still standing there like tourists. He says something about being hungry, and they are swept up in a crowd.

A man in a balloon hat making balloon animals. Gundam. Spiderman standing next to a capsule toy dispenser, shooting the shit. Vending machines selling oden. Cat ears everywhere. A business man in a wrestling mask. More Gundam.

In front of a police box, a woman wearing a uniform stands.

"Are you a cop?" I ask.
"Event staff," she tells me.
Several other staff "cops" walk beats nearby, holding bull-horns and directly foot traffic.

Sunglasses appears, eating something on a stick. He finishes, and Trendy pitches the stick. They scan the crowd and wade in. I follow. Gobs of maids pass out fliers. Sunglasses takes one from each and hands them to Trendy, who folds and puts them into her purse. Souvenirs.

A troop of women appear from a building somewhere. All of them could be arrested for what they are wearing. Police escort them to the center of the street. Bees on honey, and within nanoseconds a sizable crowd has assembled. "Incredible!" a guy exclaims as he darts by, readying his digicam. Sunglasses and Trendy stalk over.

The girls mug for everyone's cameras, including Sunglasses'. Excited, he circles and moves in for the kill. He shows the pics to his companion. She ho-hums them and sends him out to get better shoots. Once again, he circles and moves in for the kill. Takes a few more, which he takes to Trendy for approval. She nods, he puts away the camera and they head down the crowded street.

Kimo-kawaii ne.

Den-Den Town [Official Site]

The Nipponbashi Festa kicks off tomorrow in Den-Den Town. There will be a parade, women dressed as maids and loads and loads of otaku. Time permitting, I will definitely try to swing by and check it out.

Festa Info Here [Den-Den Town Festa] via Ponbashi Blog

Unopened Premium sets and opened bottles have been appearing on second-hand store shelves in Den-Den Town. Used FF Potion? Ewwww. No thanks.

Image Here [Ponbashi]

Last summer, a painted PVC Kasumi figurine went on sale for a whopping 8,190 yen (that's about $77 US) and were snapped up by serious collectors. A huge shipment went on sale recently at Toranoana in Den-Den Town for a measely 2,000 yen a piece. Does that mean Kasumi has lost her vexing hold over Japanese otaku? Meh, probably not. I'm more curious why there's a big "Do Not Touch" sign on the plastic case. Ewww.

Dead and Alive [SenakaBlog]

Trolling around Den-Den Town, I happened across a flier for the newly-opened establishment, "B Dash." Home to Den-Den Town, Osaka's Nipponbashi also plays host to countless massage parlors and similar sleazy spots such as this. Note: by "hotel health," the site does not in fact mean a hotel, but more or less a brothel. Thanks to relaxed laws and even more relaxed cops, this type of adult business is an everyday eyesore throughout the country.

Wired's Chris Kohler's retro-rip article came to mind as the site's 8-bit graphics screamed Mario. The scantly-clad young lady on the following page did not. Well, she might for a price. Never mind.

(And "B Dash"? What a wretched name!)

B-Dash Blog (Yes, They Even Have a Blog) [Not Safe for Work]

Japanese arcades are packed with UFO Catchers — game machines that offer prizes to be picked up with a metal claw. A game center in Den-Den Town boasts a UFO Catcher that's stuffed with cans of oden, which is a Japanese winter dish that includes radish, fish cakes, boiled eggs and more. It's eaten with spicy mustard and usually cooked for hours, left simmering to bring out the taste. The weather is freezing here in Japan, but these cans are kept warm by a small oven, which is set at 40 degrees centigrade. I assume that means some dude has to rotate the cans every hour or so to ensure winners get pipping hot oden. Hope the arcade hooks the poor bastard up with freebies, because that gig sucks.

Let's Make Japanese Oden [Oishii-Web]

An adult novelty shop in Den-Den Town is using a mannequin dressed up as the HG character for their PSP capsule toy machines. PSPs and leather hot-pants: How do you think Sony feels about this?

Shop Here for Japanese Adult Leather Goods [A-1012]

Think of this as Msoft Japan's last-ditch chance to convince Japanese gamers to buy the Dead or Alive-less console on launch day. With tons of otaku crammed into the tiny Joshin 6th floor showroom, harsh lighting and utterly pointless game companions, I'm kicking myself for not going. Kick, kick, kick.

Photo looks like a police line-up. More crime scenes after the jump.

Images Here [Nintendo Inside]