Brian Ashcraft

Track: Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence | Artist: Ryuichi Sakamoto | Album: Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence Soundtrack Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

This Local Two-Player Mode Looks Rather Silly

Handy Mah-jong for Nintendo Switch is a budget-priced download game with a budget-looking local two-player mode. Developed by Imaginative Technology Land, Hand Mah-jong’s official website has a PDF download for TV mode (above). It looks rather imaginative and goofy, but so does the PDF download for the portable mode. Hey, whatever works! Kotaku East is…

NIS America has announced that its online store suffered a data breach, sending out an email to customers about the hack. The online store was taken down by NIS America as the company for maintenance to prevent future breaches.

Last Year’s Crappiest-Looking Anime Made Slightly Less Crappy

When Dynamic Chord originally aired on Japanese TV, it looked terrible. Good thing the Blu-ray release cleaned things up! That’s typically what DVD and Blu-ray releases do—fix all the sloppy and unfinished animation that was originally broadcasted. Twitter user Yuru has been obsessively cataloging the dynamic fixes, which you can compare for yourself in the…

The City That Never Sleeps. Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan. By Aldair Ortiz | Instagram  JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line! 

Track: Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo & L’estasi dell’oro (Live) | Artist: The Danish National Symphony Orchestra | Album: N/A Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

An official Kacho necktie is going on sale! Starting March 10, a Game Center CX Museum opens for around a month at HMV & Books Shibuya in Tokyo. Shinya “Kacho” Arino’s official silk neckties will be among the items on sale.

The Tokyo Olympic Mascots Look Like Pokémon

Children across Japan voted for the Olympic mascots they liked best. Surprise! The two they picked resemble Pokémon. That’s not just me, as others thought the mascots looked like Pocket Monsters. The reaction is similar among Japanese Twitter users. During the presentation announcing the winners, one slide features quotes from the kids that voted. One…

Old and New. Tokyo, Japan. By John Bovellan | Instagram JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line!   

Track: The Same Star | Artist: Belle & Sebastian | Album: How To Solve Our Human Problems Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Rurouni Kenshin Creator Fined For Child Pornography Possession

Last fall, Rurouni Kenshin creator Nobuhiro Watsuki was charged with possession of child pornography. Today, Nikkan Sports reports he was fined 200,000 yen ($1,870) for violating the country’s child pornography law. Debuting in 1994, Rurouni Kenshin has sold over 70 million copies and went on to spawn a hit anime and several live-action films. Kotaku…

Zoids is getting a new anime! It’s called Zoids: Zoid Wild and is slated for this summer in Japan. Studio OLM is handling animation duties.

The Short Life Of An Erotic Game Itasha

On February 24, Twitter user Kuronosu’s Suzuki Swift was minted with erotic game characters. Three days later, he drove it into a ditch. Characters for the adult computer game Riddle Joker were emblazoned on each side of Kuronosu’s Swift, turning the vehicle into an itasha (痛車 or “painmobile”), which refers to cars covered with anime…

YouTuber Potato Chips Go On Sale In Japan

Potato chips featuring the images of popular Japanese YouTubers, such as Hikakin (pictured), are going on sale later this month. In Japanese, the bag reads “Yuuchuubaa Chippusu” (ユーチューバーチップス). The chips are “lightly salted flavored.” The chips come with collectible YouTuber cards, and there are already inevitable YouTube clips. Of course, there are. Kotaku East is…

Back-Alley. Koenji Tokyo, Japan. By Matthew Albasi | Instagram JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line! 

Track: Juicy | Artist: The Notorious B.I.G. | Album: 8 Mile Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Dragon Ball‘s Goku Makes An Impressive Paris Saint-Germain Debut

During the Paris Saint-Germain game against Marseille, fans unveiled a massive Goku banner as Paris continues its march towards the title. PSG is hoping to reach its seventh French title, which is why fans made a Goku banner. There are seven Dragon Balls across the universe, and fans made banners for six Dragon Balls with…

There Might Be A Secret Kojima Productions Message In Metal Gear Survive

Things didn’t exactly end on a good note between Hideo Kojima and Konami. That doesn’t mean Konami is without those who still care about the legacy of Metal Gear creator’s old studio. While at Konami, Hideo Kojima headed up a development arm known as Kojima Productions. Since leaving Konami, he’s founded his own company which…

Square Enix Will Still Be Releasing Final Fantasy XV DLC In 2019

Originally, Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata said he wanted to add at least three more add-ons in 2018. That was the plan. Now Tabata is saying there are four more in-coming and all the DLC might not come out this year. In a recent 4Gamer interview (via Hachima), Tabata discussed the DLC, saying, “There…

In Tokyo, a Taiwanese tourist was arrested after an alleged hit-and-run with a rental go-kart. According to Japanese media (via Tokyo Reporter), the suspect hit a cyclist, who needs two weeks to recover. The suspect allegedly fled, while driving the go-cart and dressed as a video game character.