Brian Ashcraft

Tiny ‘Arcade’ Set Up in Tokyo Train Station

To show how digital payments work on arcade games, the folks at Taito set up a teeny, temporary game center at Akihabara Station in Tokyo. Digital money payments are not new at Japanese arcades. Over ten years ago, you could use mobile phones to make e-money payments to play arcade games at, for example, Sega’s…

All Aboard Japan’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens Train

This all makes sense for a country that already has, not one, but two Star Wars airplanes. As part of the seemingly endless Force Awakens promotional push, the Nankai Rapi:t train service, which runs between Kansai International Airport and Osaka City’s Namba Station, is getting covered in a good helping of the Force. According to…

The Korean Ratings board, known to leak unannounced games, has listings for an Xbox One and a PS4 version of Resident Evil 6. Kotaku reached out to Capcom, who replied, “No announcements have been made.” [Thanks, Sang!]

First Details about the New Valkyria [Update]

As Kotaku reported yesterday, there’s a new Valkyria game. We didn’t know much about the game. Now, we know a little more. First, the game’s official English title is Valkyria: Azure Revolution. Media.Vision, who did Shining Resonance and Valkyria Chronicles III, is developing. 11/20 – 5am Update: We’ve added the game’s debut trailer, which you…

Leaf Charizard Is A Fire Hazard

You might not have enough badges to control Charizard, but surely you can round up enough leaves to make one. Japanese Twitter user xxx2251 did just that. As well as quickly making a Charmander in thirty minutes. [Photo: xxx2251] Too awesome to end up in a pile of burning leaves, that’s for sure. Top image:…

Itsukushima. Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. By Reid Armansin. 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!

Capcom Just Opened a Restaurant in Japan. Again. 

You might know Capcom for its Street Fighter or Resident Evil games. But the company has, over the years, opened a couple restaurants (here and here, for example). Its latest is a cafe called, wait for it, Capcom Cafe. How ever did they come up with that one? [Photo: arthur_haschen] [Photo: arthur_haschen] [Photo: Japanista] [Photo:…

Inside Japan’s Newest All-You-Can-Eat KFC

This isn’t the country’s first KFC buffet. Let’s hope it’s not the last, either. According to Gigazine, KFC opened up its second all-you-can-eat restaurant this week in Osaka. The first one is also in Osaka, so if you’re ever in Osaka, you have no excuse not to stuff your face with fried chicken. This is…

Dragon Balls Served Up at Japanese Restaurant

Hungry? How about a nice serving of delicious Dragon Balls. You know, from Dragon Ball. A restaurant in Japan serves up just that. Located in Nagoya, Danke Dinning serves up Dragon Ball-themed hot pots (鍋 or “nabe” in Japanese). [Photo: akaki_tya] [Photo: kenjixxx360] Here is the nabe before the meat and veggies are cooked. [Photo:…

The Weird Thing that Happened to Metal Gear‘s Japanese Voice Actor

In Japan, the voice of Snake is Akio Otsuka. He’s famous! In the past, he would often appear at Metal Gear events, which make recent claims by a Japanese TV show all the odder. Namely, that he refuses to show his face. On late night talk show Shabekuri 007, actor Tori Matsuzaka was asked what…

Nakano Broadway. Tokyo, Japan. By Labib 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: Livin’ on a Prayer (Metal Cover) | Artists: PelleK, 331Erock & Cole Rolland | Source: PelleK Official Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Japanese Porn’s Most Infamous Truck Starring in a New Browser Game

That’s right, the Japanese porn company with the worst name, Soft on Demand, is turning its sex-studio-on-wheels into an adult browser game. The game features the “magic mirror” truck, which is used in some adult video shoots. It’s rather infamous! Sometimes, you’ll see people on Twitter claiming to have seen the magic mirror truck! It’s…

There’s a Ninja Festival This Weekend in Japan

Got plans, Tokyo residents? You do now. While all most people know about ninja is probably “wrong,” this weekend in Tokyo’s Ueno Park, there is a Ninja Festa. Recently, there have been ninja festivals in Japan (typically Mie Prefecture, traditionally a hotbed of ninja activity, but earlier this year there was one in Osaka). What…

Carry Your Cat with This Fluffy Neko Suit

It’s fall. It’s cold and wet. Maybe you don’t want to go outside. Maybe you don’t want to get properly dressed. Maybe you have a cat. Called “Meowgaroo Jumpsuit” in English, it’s house wear with a pouch for you to carry your cat around. [Photo: Unihabitat] Because, chances are, your cat doesn’t want to get…

The Sun. Shanghai, China. By Dhew. 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!

Need Fashion Tips? Watch Sailor Moon. 

I’m not talking about when Usagi and her friends transform into Sailor Moon and whatnot. Oh no, I’m talking about the threads those kids are wearing when not trying to save the Solar System. Korean clothing shop Kuchi Machi updated its Instagram account with a handful of Sailor Moon-inspired styles. This isn’t cosplay, mind you,…

They’re making a 3D CG Gantz anime! That’s pretty much all we know at this point. Oh, that, and it’s coming out in Japan and slated for 2016. Stay tuned for more.

Japan Is Getting Golden Kit-Kats 

For the country with the most interesting and unusual Kit Kats, here’s… another interesting and unusual Kit Kat! Later next month at Japan’s Kit Kat Chocolatory shops, the special gold leaf wrapped Kit Kats go on sale. My Navi reports that they are limited to 500 sticks, each wrapped by hand and each priced at…

The Fighter. Tokyo, Japan. By Rudy Promé 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!