How harsh? This harsh: "[Not paying for games] is the same as not paying your dinner tab or shoplifting," she blogs during a break from writing "Chrono Trigger" in Japanese calligraphy. "It's stealing. Don't think you've really played the game if you've done this... I do not think people who don't buy the games have the privilege to enjoy them."

Well, that wasn't that harsh. Still. Remember, this is coming from a person who once played Chrono Trigger for 36 hours straight. She's the anti-Rola Chen and so not joking around. Haruna Anno is serious business.

DS版『クロノトリガー』が発売前に流出に [杏野はるなの日常。via Sponichi Annex] [Pic]

Also. The Games Japan Festa answered a truly important question, what is the planet's greatest retro gaming pin-up model doing with Metal Gear? She's apparently wearing a beret and pointing a plastic gun at Famitsu photographers. That's Haruna Anno in the picture. Now that question is answered, let's movie on to the important stuff like what created the universe and how babies are made. Mysteries!

最新100タイトル以上が遊べた“第7回Games Japan Festa 2008”ではXbox 360の充実ぶりが際立つ [Famitsu]

A Japanese TV clip shows the customization possibilities for PS3 exclusive White Knight Chronicles — that yes, it's even possible to make a Yuko Ogura avatar. That, after the jump.

[Pic]

Being photographed while gaming is a first for me. Initially, I was nervous, but gradually I relaxed and forgot all about that and just enjoyed the game. This isn't just work, it's also play... I don't really know what's best for me to do, but personally, I want everyone to know how much I enjoy game centers so they can see the appeal — especially now [in this heat], game centers are refreshingly cool.

Seems like a nice enough kid, even if he's misguided in his choice of coats. Hit the jump for another shot of Miura.

That bullet is aimed right for your heart, ladies.

セガ・ゲーセン親善大使として”ゲーセン”の魅力を伝える [Famitsu]

They've both done some risqué stuff in the past — nothing X-rated. Google if you like! Just know: These sorts of celebs advertise all kinds of stuff in Japan, so it's not totally unusual to see that here. Either shows how mainstream these models are or how progressive Nintendo's Japanese advertising is. Hit the jump for the Hoshino ad from earlier this year, via Jean Snow at Game|Life.

Watch the Eiko Ad [Wii]

Bape DS [Yuuri's Blog, Kinda NSFW]

Hit the jump for a pic of the ass flashery madness! It's somewhat safe for work. But creepy as hell.

Sawamoto Flashing [Akiba Blog]

"I've always performed in sets of a live performance and photo shoot... I've been doing this stuff in Akihabara since July last year... I'm the most hated person in Akihabara... I can't help it if some people want to complain... And I'd say the warmer weather probably means I'll be showing even more skin than I have until now.

Shokotan Searches [Japan Sugoi]

Katamari is known for its catchy tunes. Beautiful Katamari should be no exception! The Bandai Namco's current Xbox 360 exclusive features a sugary sweet song from another Bandai Namco Xbox 360 exclusive, THE iDOLM@STER. Above, that's it in-game in the Japanese version. No reason to doubt its in the English-language one. Can anyone confirm this?

Hit the jump for the song and idols clumping together.

Thanks, Miki!

Because of that experience, my mental image of voice actors is: Balding dudes in Dockers and boat shoes. Well! In Japan, that is the furtherest thing from the truth. Just take a gander at 99.9 percent of voice actresses! Above, that's Aya Hirano, pop singer and the the voice of Haruhi Suzumiya from monster hit anime The Meloncholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Here she is promoting the upcoming Haruhi PS2 game and just being. Sadly, she's not really into games, which means she loses nerd cred points. Lots of them, dammit. Oh well.
More Pics, Game Screens, Too [IT Media]

Capcom Presser [Game Watch Impress]

Eds Note: To bring everyone up to speed, Yuko Ogura was a two-time SEGA "image character" and even appeared in a SEGA produced kids' show. Ogura claimed to be from an apple-shaped star called Korin, but has since shyed away from that nutty claim realizing that people don't take seriously girls who say they're aliens. SEGA has since replaced Ogura with the more normal Satomi Ishihara.
Ogura Mask [Tokyo Times]

Take note: if you plan on promoting a relatively innocuous, boring DS game, make sure you promote it with girls in schoolgirl outfits! A press event for Tsugawa Method DS (AKA Maru Kaite DonDon Oboeru: Kyoui no Tsugawa Shiki Kanji Kioku Jutsu) was held in Tokyo with idol group AKB48 (AKA AKIHABARA 48). The game helps folks remember difficult kanji through the Tsugawa Method — circling parts of the kanji you cannot remember in hopes of remembering them. For the press event, the members of AKB48 circled stuff and sat at desks in short skirts. All this under the guise of learning stuff. Seems like a ploy!

Interested in what kinda music AB48 makes? Hit the jump for a music video. A super happy one. Brian Ashcraft

AKB48 Event [IT Media]

For a game that got good Famitsu scores (9,8,8,8), Ninja Gaiden Sigma itself isn't the really marketing focus, but rather big-in-Japan American-born Leah Dizon, who's appearing in the title's TV spots.

On release date (June 14th — don't forget!), Tecmo's holding Sigma rally events at Akihabara retailer AsoBitCity in which players will compete in the game's time attack modes. The prize? Among others, a poster signed by Dizon. I'd actually prefer Ninja Gaiden creator Tomonobu Itagaki and co., but hey, that's just me. Brian Ashcraft

Signed Poster Event [Famitsu]

Just when you thought that otaku had moved on comes this: THE iDOLM@STER book tower. Found at TORANOANA in Osaka, this display features character books and comics.

I recently finished up a magazine article on THE iDOLM@STER, which is like Pokémon meets American Idol, and can safely say that the game is the biggest nerd release since the last big nerd release. News bit: The producer for the Xbox 360 version said he'd be interested in bringing the game to English-speaking audiences. That is, if English audiences are interested. When I pressed about whether the Xbox 360 would hit the PS3, Namco offered "no comment." Brian Ashcraft

The Bookc@se [Senaka Blog]

Last year, model Yuri Ebihara was everywhere. This year, she's still around, but less so. Still, Sega hired her to promote the new Puyo! Puyo! game for the DS. We've posted the tv spot before (it's after the jump), but not this making-of clip, which even at two minutes plus feels long. Hearts of Darkness or Burden of Dreams, this ain't. Brian Ashcraft

Puyo Puyo [Japan Sugoi]

That's bikini model Yuuri Morishita. She recently came to play to Test Drive Unlimited online with dorky plebs. To get everyone in the mood for the Hawaiian course, she even wore a lei! While she said she's not much of a real driver herself, she also added that she hasn't been gaming much recently. Boy, that's how you promote a game: Say you don't really play them. The best bit? Since this is Japan, the chances of people actually getting in some game time with Ms. Morishita were pretty darn high. Gotta love the odds! Brian Ashcraft

Morishita Games [Game Watch Impress]

P-TV is a Sony sponsored internet service that allows users to download content to their PSPs and PS3s. As a show of good will to nerds, Sony has put up short movies of pin-up idol Mami Yamasaki, who's also getting a spread in this week's Shonen Magazine. Haven't downloaded the clips, but shots on the site show her doing things like standing in doorways and sitting in chairs. Exciting stuff. She seems like a ho-hum idol, so the real clincher is that Sony's using idols to promote P-TV — A seemingly cool service in its own right! The P-TV website boasts that the clip for the PLAYSTATION 3 is even in HD (as it should be) and that its possible to take the PSP one anywhere (ditto). Here's the PS3 site's URL, which needs to be accessed from your PS3 browswer: http://www.p-tv.jp/HD/. Expect the Japanese language! Brian Ashcraft

Mami Pics [P-TV via Famitsu]

Akihabara retailer AsoBitCity shows that your ¥350 for this week's Famitsu won't go to waste on just cheats and previews. There are jubblies as well! Bikini model Yuuri Morishita gets a big pictorial in the magazine, which has been promptly displayed. I somehow missed this while flipping through the mag, but I did see that Gyakuten Saiban 4 got 9, 9, 9, 9 for its review score. It's all about priorities, folks.

Oh! She's got a self-obsessive website, too. It has a bunch of pictures of herself, and she blogs that she likes Hot Shots Golf for the PSP and PC games. Doesn't seem like she's a true nerd like Shoko-tan. Who is, really? Brian Ashcraft

Appealing to Customers [Akiba OS]

Last night, TV show Waratte Iitomo! ("It's okay to laugh!") had its big spring special on late night Japanese television. Usually, the housewife favorite is on in the afternoon, every afternoon. During a segment in last night's special, Wii Boxing was rolled out for celebrities to pummel each other's brains in. Think: Wii commercial on network TV. The guy in the sunglasses is the show's host, Tamori. He doesn't wear sunglasses because he's a sleazoid, but because he's got a lazy eye or something. He likes trains, too.

The above fight? Miho Kanno vs. Arisa Mizuki. Advantage does to Arisa (long hair), because she owns a Wii — But doesn't play boxing that much. Miho (short hair is a total newb). Yet, she get so into it that her jubblies almost jump out!

Hit the jump for more celebrity fun! Brian Ashcraft

It's the battle of the pretty boys! Tomohisa Yamashita from boy band NEWS takes on Junnosuke Taguchi from boy band KAT-TUN. While both lip sync their songs, they are actually playing the Wii. We think.

Masami Nagasawa fights Satomi Ishihara. Masami (in blue) used to play basketball, while Satomi played tennis. Yup.

There were a couple more matches that include 30 year-old bikini model Aki Hoshino providing an eyefull and one-testicle comedian Yuji Tanaka from Bakusho Mondai breaking a sweat. As soon as the clips pop up online, I'll post.

Something complex like Japanese nerdom needs an expert to explain it. Someone like Shoko-tan! Our favorite cat head sucking model breaks down what exactly otaku means. That other woman? Why, that's singer Akiko Wada. And yes, she's a woman! Really.

Hit the jump for the rest. Brian Ashcraft

Shoko-tan's Private Lesson [News on Japan]

Bring on the saccharine cuteness! Idol Haruko Momoi covers popular anime songs via the Nintendo Family Computer on her new album Famison 8BIT. In case you are not familiar with Haruko Momoi, she's a Japanese voice actress, nerdy and gave herself the nickname "Halko," which was inspired by 2001's HAL. Have a listen for yourself here. Not bad, but I don't think I could make it all the way through in one listen. Brian Ashcraft

8BIT Album [Moeyo!]

You're looking at the face of Sega in Japan. Faces, rather. That's Yuko Ogura before and after she got de-moled. The terminally irritating Ogura, who claims to be from outer space, is a regular on Japanese tv and a popular swimsuit model. Actually, she looks more like an alien now and more like a regular person before. How ironic. Yuko Ogura's contract is coming up for renewal come this April, I believe. Sega, no more freakazoids, please! Brian Ashcraft

Ogura's Pics [Ameblo.jp, Thanks Mrs. Ashcraft!]

Our favorite cat head sucking, Super Robot Taisen W promoting fujyoshi (female otaku) Shoko-tan has scribbled her name and a cat head (go figure!) for Famitsu to give away to five lucky readers. In non-related gaming news, but totally related Shoko-tan news, hit the jump for a obsessively cool rendering of her face! Brian Ashcraft

Shoko-tan's Sign [Famitsu]

Shoko Nakagawa's TV spot for Super Robo Taisen W has *finally* hit YouTube. (I've been waiting!) It's pedestrian, not jaw dropping or anything. The music video for her song CAT Life is. That amazement, dear readers, is after the jump. Brian Ashcraft

"Signed" pictures of THE IDOLM@STER's virtual idols. Overheard in-store was a customer asking if those signatures were "real." Does Bandai Namco know how to promote a game or what? Brian Ashcraft

Banpresto, what have you done to Shoko-tan?! The Shoko we know lives with her mother, adores Dragon Quest and takes public transportation around Tokyo. But here she is. Painted in garish make-up, hair puffed and not putting kittens in her mouth. WHAT GIVES?

Meet the new Shoko Nakagawa. She's appearing in a TV ad for Banpresto's upcoming Super Robot Wars for the DS. Sure she's always been somewhat cute, but now she's been done over to look like every other beautiful model type on TV. Boring! To her credit, Shoko-tan says that to raise her excitement during the filming, she would think that she was cosplaying an adult.

It's like "Train Girl" or something. In Akihabara, otaku must be mourning a loss of one their own. Brian Ashcraft

Otaku Girl Made Plastic [Famitsu]

LOVE x2 KISS takes players on a voyage to America (looks like California), where they can go on dates at romantic places like Carl's Jr. and do cute things like giggle at squirrels. While there's no sex or nudity, it does feature its share of female leg and cleavage. As the story unfolds, players are given choices during shopping or traveling. Make the right decisions, and by the end of the game, the girl will fall for you! Make the wrong ones, and she'll dump you. This, we've seen before, so what's the twist? LOVE x2 KISS won't only hit UMD but also Blu-ray. That means you can play this tripe in HD and 5.1 channel sound. Hooray? Brian Ashcraft

Love, Kiss, Blah [Official Site via New Launches]

Shoko Nakagawa, known as "Shoko-tan," doesn't just talk the talk. She lives it. In a tour of her tiny one room apartment, she shows just how much she loves RPGs. How much? She's got a Slime pillow on her bed, a giant TV for playing Dragon Quest and a personalized signed pic from the individual (FIY: Tetsuya Nomura) who created Final Fantasy VII's Sephiroth. Just watch how excited she gets when Dragon Quest fires up. She says that she enjoys playing it more than watching movies and says she would like to marry Dragon Quest V! And out of left field, she puts her mouth over her cat's face in what can only be described as truly fucked up. Brian Ashcraft

Up and coming idol Haruna Anno may only be 18, but she knows that saying she loves Mother 1 + 2 and Final Fantasy aren't enough to how to make her in geekdom. She needs to do more, like testing Street Fighter II cartridges to determine how tough SNES cartridges are. And that's exactly what she did! She wrote "freeze" on one and then stuck it in the freezer for five hours. On another, she wrote "heat" and burned it on a gas stove, recommending children not to try it at home. She wrote "crash" on another and chucked it down a staircase. (Actually, she wrote part of the Japanese word "collision," but w/e). And what did she find out? The freezer S.F. II worked as did the one dropped down the stairs. The burned one wouldn't fit in the SNES, so she had to trim the melted bits to make it fit. When it did, it worked. If you are wondering why she's doing this now, her being two years old when the SNES first went on sale in Japan might have something to do with it. Brian Ashcraft

Testing Street Figher II [Haruna's LiveDoor Blog]

Boy, I must be sooo jaded! Microsoft held its Adult Games Festa last week in the Akihabara UDX 3D Theater. The event featured the Xbox 360's CERO Z rated games-as-porn titles like Gears of War, Dead Rising, The Godfather, Onechanbara vorteX and the upcoming Vampire Rain. A steady crowd was in attendance even though the Festa was 18-and-up and a photo I.D. was required to enter. Bikini model Mariko Okubo put in an appearance and uttered what every idol does at Xbox Japan events: "I haven't touched an Xbox 360 before this." While campaign girls on the street has "Xbox 360" stamped on their backsides, shiny leather gloves and a plaid corset is about as racy as it got for Ms. Okubo. She did put on the Xbox Live headset, and there were foreigners. How exciting.

Hit the jump for more "adult" gaming action. Brian Ashcraft

Adult Gaming [Game Watch Impress]

The guest is comedian Shinya Arino from the Japanese TV show GameCenter CX, who points out that "Bathing is like gaming. People who don't bathe, don't bathe. People who do, bathe several times a day." (Killer quote!) He then shows a clip of the original Mario Bros., and none of the girls are familiar with it, but do of course know Super Mario and the character. Arino says playing two players if more fun, but then doesn't select two players. After letting the first girl get the hang of it, he then begins to kill her for shits and giggles. The game is then turned into a "Mario Bros. Battle Royale" with each idol trying to kill each other. The first round is kinda dull as the girls end up cheering on their opponents, but the second match gets better once they start turning on one another. The screaming is annoying, though. Brian Ashcraft

Cute gambling? Pachi-slot (Japanese pachinko cross-bred with slots) once again gets all kawaii thanks to pop star Aya Matsuura. For better or worse, the singer, known as "Ayaya," pretty much embodies saccharine J-pop. Anyway, the game's called Hisshou Pachinko Pachi-Slo Kouryaku Vol. 8 Matsuura Aya, and for many might make up for the can't-win-any-cash-from-a-PS2-game aspect. Me, I'd take money. Brian Ashcraft

Aya's Game [Game Watch Impress]

Light years ago, when it was cool to wear yellow sweatshirts, Hudson's human mascot Takahashi Meijin taught Japan "Famicom taisou" ("NES exercises"). Well, yellow sweatshirts may not be hip anymore, but Takahashi Meijin still is. Here is his modern day bald version teaching game aerobics to former Morning Musume singer Mari Yaguchi and Mr. Bad Teeth. (Not his name, but fitting nonetheless.) Takahashi Meijin points out:

I don't know if it really helps with gaming. Back then if you put 'Famicom' on anything, everyone would do it.

Today, too! So, everyone. Ichi, ni, san, Famicon taisou, Famicom taisou, FAMICOM TAISOU!! Brian Ashcraft

We were so worried! It's been months, literally MONTHS, since we last heard from our favorite irritating freakazoid Yuko Ogura. But, here she is, promoting Sega stuff and celebrating her birthday. Know that this event took place on yesterday, and Ogura's birthday is November 1st. (No way, she'd get caught dead at Sega on her actual b-day!) Yuko, who claims to be from outer space, played the piano and did a few numbers from her Sega-sponsored TV show. And those moppets in Love and Berry clothes? Droids, all of 'em. Brian Ashcraft

Happy Birthday Ogura [Game Watch Impress]