Brian Ashcraft

Track: Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence | Artist: Ryuichi Sakamoto | Album: Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence OST 

Earth Defense Force 6 is slated to be out at the end of 2021 in Japan, producer Nobuyuki Okajima tells Famitsu in a recent interview. The sixth main entry in the giant bug series picks up where 2017’s Earth Defense Force 5 left off. 

In Japan, Nintendo Says Newly Purchased Switch Units Might Have Setup Error [Update]

It’s the holiday season. People in Japan are obviously shopping for presents, and no doubt the Nintendo Switch will be a popular gift item. However, it might be a good idea to check those Switch units before gifting them. Nintendo announced that customers in Japan are reporting the error code 2162-0002, preventing them from completing…

The suspect arrested for the Kyoto Animation arson attack was deemed mentally competent to stand trial and indicted today in Japan. Medical experts had been examining the suspect, who has a documented history of mental illness but concluded his premeditated actions make him criminally liable.

Track: Out Of Control (The Avalanches Surrender To Love Mix) | Artist: The Chemical Brothers | Album: Surrender (20th Anniversary Edition)

SNK Is Making A New Game Console, It Seems

At one time, SNK made what was considered the Roll Royce of video game consoles. As a kid, I remember thinking that the Neo-Geo was the most amazing game hardware I had ever seen. And now earlier today, the company announced that it making a new game machine. SNK posted the following tweet. It reads, “In…

Yakuza 6, originally a PS4 exclusive, is heading to PC and Xbox Game Pass in March 2021 internationally. So is the Yakuza Remastered Collection, which includes former PlayStation exclusives, Yakuza 3, 4, and 5. Sega says it currently has no plans to make similar announcements for Japan. Update – 1/7/20 4:27AM: A spokesperson for the…

New Mamoru Hosoda Anime Film Coming In 2021

Mamoru Hosoda (Summer Wars, Wolf Children, and The Boy and the Beast) has announced his newest film. Called Belle, the movie tells the story of a young woman in modern-day Japan as she enters a massive virtual world. The movie’s official site posted the following: [Hosoda] has taken on the challenge of depicting the ever-evolving…

Track: Spinning Away | Artist: Brian Eno/John Cale | Album: Wrong Way Up

Ghost In The Shell Director Mamoru Oshii On This Year’s Biggest Anime Hit

When people look back at 2020, for all its awfulness, one bright spot will stick out in Japan: the runaway success of Demon Slayer The manga debuted in 2016 and recently ended its run. Last year saw a TV anime. But this year, Demon Slayer exploded. As of writing, the animated feature film has dominated…

Track: I’ll See You In My Dreams | Artist: Django Reinhardt | Album: Minor Swing and Greatest Hits

Cyberpunk 2077 Developers Are Sorry The Game Runs Badly On PS4 And Xbox, Offer Refunds

Did you buy Cyberpunk 2077 on last-gen consoles? I did! It’s buggy and looks rough. CD Projekt Red is now sorry about that. In an official joint statement the studio writes, “First of all, we would like to start by apologizing to you for not showing the game on base last-gen consoles before it premiered…

Miyajima. Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. By Adrian Kresnik. 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!

Report: Japanese Pokémon‘s Voice Actress Allegedly Involved In Covid-19 Relief Scam

According to Japanese publication Friday, voice actress Rika Matsumoto is under fire for alleged suspicious acts regarding the Japanese government’s covid-19 relief. In Friday’s report (via Hachima, summarized by translated Doug Dinsdale), Matsumoto’s former manager alleges that the voice of Ash allegedly took advantage of government relief grants. Because of the global pandemic, the Japanese…

Track: Prophecy Theme | Artist: Toto, Brian Eno | Album: Film Music 1976 – 2020

Honda Launched Gundam-Themed Mini Motorcycles

In Thailand, Honda is rolling out a pair of limited edition Gundam-themed Monkey motorcycles. The Monkey line or Honda Z series are minibikes that first launched in 1964. These 125cc bikes are based on the RX-78-2 Mobile Suit and the MS-06S Char’s Zaku II. As Bikes Republic reports, these limited-edition rides were unveiled at the…

A new Ao Oni horror game will be released in Japan this month as free-to-play on iOS and Android. It will connect with Ao Oni Online, but as of writing, gameplay details, as well as the title, are currently TBA. The first Ao Oni was released as a freeware game in 2007. 

Dragon Quest Attraction Coming To Japanese Theme Park

The Nijigen no Mori amusement park on Awaji Island, Japan is getting a new Dragon Quest themed attraction. Called Dragon Quest Island, the attraction is a combination of real-world and digital installations that brings the RPG to life. IT Media reports that the attraction will also feature a new story to immerse visitors. Recently, a…

Track: Platform Syndrome | Artist: Scandal | Album: Honey 

Once Again, Hikaru Utada Is Singing The Rebuild of Evangelion Theme

Next January, the fourth and final film in the Rebuild of Evangelion series will hit Japanese movie theaters. And of course, Hikaru Utada will once again sing the theme. The theme for Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time will be Utada’s “One Last Kiss.” Previously, she sang the themes for the earlier three films in…