It's X-Men: Days of Future Past Meets...Japanese Professional Baseball

One of Japan's most popular baseball teams, the Hanshin Tigers, released a new poster that looks exactly like the poster for X-Men: Days of Future Past. That's no accident. » 5/21/14 6:00am 5/21/14 6:00am

Some of Japan's Most Wonderful And Strange Cosplay

Today, Osaka's geek district Nipponbashi held a big street festival. The area's main drag was closed off to cars, allowing cosplayers to roam free and cause all sorts of cosplay chaos. » 3/21/14 8:15am 3/21/14 8:15am

Whoever Made This Anti-Weed Poster Must Have Been High

Those who grew up in America during the 1980s might remember those "Just Say No" posters. They were anti-drug propaganda, and Japan has them, too. Though, this particular poster looks like it was made by people stoned outta their minds. » 3/14/14 7:40am 3/14/14 7:40am

The Machines That Claim to Uncensor Japanese Pornography

This week in Osaka, cops busted uncensored dirty movie sellers. According to The Tokyo Reporter, police seized 140,000 uncensored DVDs. Pixelated porn is the law! And in the past, machines were made to give those rules the shaft. » 2/26/14 7:31am 2/26/14 7:31am

Ten Letdowns for Foreigners Visiting Japan

Have you ever been to Japan? If so, maybe you had a swell time. Maybe you had an awful time. Let's see if any of your complaints match up to this recent poll. » 2/18/14 7:00am 2/18/14 7:00am

Fried Scorpion? Osaka Restaurant Serves Up Unusual Eats

If you ever visit Osaka, be sure to try one of its most famous dishes, "kushikatsu" (串カツ). Typically, it's fried pork on skewers. One restaurant's menu is anything but typical. » 1/15/14 5:30am 1/15/14 5:30am

Sega in Japan's Biggest Restaurant Scandal of 2013

This fall, a series of restaurant scandals have been front page news in Japan. Several pricey eateries have admitted to lying about their menus. Establishments Sega owns, it seems, did as well. Yes, Sega runs restaurants in Japan. » 11/13/13 5:00am 11/13/13 5:00am

Japanese Hotel Rooms Don't Get Much Cheaper Than This

Traveling to Japan on a budget? Need a place to stay? Don't mind people having sex all around you? Well, have I got a hotel room for you. » 10/30/13 7:00am 10/30/13 7:00am

Who Thinks Japan's Owl Cafes Are a Hoot?

Forget cat cafes. Or black cat cafes. Or penguin bars. Japan's latest novelty cafe is the "fukurou cafe" (フクロウカフェ), or the "owl cafe." » 10/28/13 4:00am 10/28/13 4:00am

One of Japan's Most Amazing Buildings

Japan is filled with buildings—many of them are impressive. One Osaka building, however, stands apart. It's not because it's particularly tall or even that beautiful. It has a highway passing through it. » 9/16/13 5:30am 9/16/13 5:30am

Ever want to open a game bar in Japan? Matt Bloch talks to Japanator about doing just that with his Osaka-based watering hole Space Station. It's apparently the only foreign-run video game bar in Japan! » 9/02/13 3:00am 9/02/13 3:00am

Cramped Or Not, I Want To Live in These Tiny Japanese Houses

Land can come at a premium in Japan, especially in big cities. For urban dwellers, sometimes the only option is to build small. Real small. » 8/07/13 5:30am 8/07/13 5:30am

Former Yakuza Injured in Shooting at an Osaka Game Center

In the afternoon of March 31, a shooting broke out at game center in Osaka. According to Jiji Press (via The Tokyo Reporter), a former high-level yakuza was grazed in the left part of his chest. He was taken to a local hospital, and he is expected to recover. » 4/02/13 5:30am 4/02/13 5:30am

More Cool, Amazing, and Totally Odd Japanese Cosplayers

Last weekend, Osaka's Den-Den Town, the city's geek district, held a street festival. Previously, Kotaku showcased some of the unusual cosplay on display during the event. There was more. Much more. » 3/27/13 7:30am 3/27/13 7:30am

Japanese Subway Stations Totally Look Like Role-Playing Game Dungeons

As any longtime resident can attest, Japan's subway is punctual, clean, and convenient. Its stations, however, can get elaborate and confusing. » 3/19/13 6:30am 3/19/13 6:30am

Other Tokyo Metro stations are also like dungeons. Here's Otemachi Station. Akasaka-mitsuke. Tameike-sanno. This isn't only a Tokyo thing. Other Japan Rail stations…

Scary New Computer Virus Could Be Responsible for the Nintendo Bomb…

"This week, I'm going to blow up Nintendo headquarters." This anonymous online message appeared on September 10 of this year. Japanese police moved quickly to find out who was responsible for the threat—as well as other threats to blow up Ise Grand Shrine » 10/08/12 4:00am 10/08/12 4:00am, one of Japan's most important Shinto shrines.

There's a Huge Chocolate Bar in Osaka. You Cannot Eat It.

Osaka is filled with places to visit. But if you are in town, make sure you stop by the Meiji factory and marvel at the biggest chocolate bar you'll ever see. Just don't try to eat it.

Located in Osaka's Takatsuki, the factory boasts the largest plastic billboard in the world. It's even in the Guinness Book. Dubbed… » 10/04/12 7:30am 10/04/12 7:30am

Insensitive Jerkwad Connects Stabbings with Japanese Geek Culture

This Sunday, two individuals tragically lost their lives » 6/12/12 7:20am 6/12/12 7:20am in a senseless attack. And yesterday, a well-known Japanese journalist tried to connect the stabbings to otaku (geek) culture. Well, that didn't take long.

If You Swallow an SD Card with Illicit Photos, the Cops Will Know

Earlier this month, a 55 year-old junior high school teacher allegedly took pictures » 5/24/12 7:40am 5/24/12 7:40am up a young woman's skirt at an anime shop in Osaka's geek district, Den Den Town.

Creepy Jerk Arrested for Illicit Photos. He Tried To Blame Video Games.

In years past, video games have been scapegoats. Need something to blame social problems on? Blame video games. This is changing, sure, but that doesn't mean people still don't try to do it. Heck, even suspected criminals do.

On April 30, a 38 year-old Osaka City bureaucrat was arrested for taking upskirt photos of a… » 5/24/12 6:00am 5/24/12 6:00am

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