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 poll.

As a kid, I remember the Chuck E. Cheese’s ball pit being fun. A new bar called Ball Pool Bar Dive in Osaka recreates that experience for boozy adults.

Cosplaying Father and Son. Osaka, Japan. By David McCurrach.

It’s been ten years. Platinum Games was founded on August 1, 2006. Since then, the Osaka-based game company has churned out a slew of memorable titles. In a recent interview with Kotaku, Platinum Games co-founder Atsushi Inaba spoke about his past and the studio’s future.

And is it ever cute. Starting this August, several Kirby Cafes will open across the country. Here are some of the dishes that will be served.

Sunset. Osaka, Japan. By Derek Tam.

Joining the likes of other giant statues that have appeared in the country (here and here, for example), this latest jumbo-sized work depicts a reclining Deadpool.

Drive Through Building. Osaka, Japan. By Breuer Photos.

According to Japanese game industry site Game Business, the president of PlatinumGames, Tatsuya Minami, has stepped down. This comes as PlatinumGames began celebrating its tenth anniversary earlier this year.

Nipponbashi Street Festa. Osaka, Japan. By Nelson Diaz.

Like singing? Dancing? Resident Evil? The survival horror series is getting an official stage version this fall in Japan.

You might know Kumamon as the official mascot character for Kumamoto Prefecture. Or you might know Kumamon as the bear from the “For the Glory of Satan” meme. Whichever, there are now a ton of them dotted throughout Osaka Station.

Night. Osaka, Japan. By Lexi.

At first, I thought the 3,980 yen (US$34) price tag was the craziest thing about this Neon Genesis Evangelion Unit-01 popcorn bucket. Nope! The light-up eyes are.

Takoyaki! Osaka, Japan. By Michael Song.

There’s a notion that anime (and manga) characters look good in their respective formats because they are so stylized. In real life, this notion goes, they’d look strange. That’s not always true.

Sorry! If you are a dude, then you cannot enter Osaka’s Ataraxia Cafe, which is aimed strictly at lady geeks. It’s apparently the first of its kind in Japan.

The Urban Sprawl. Osaka, Japan. By Joey Crowdell.