Brian Ashcraft

One Piece Theme Park Opening in Tokyo Next Spring

To mark the 15th anniversary of the One Piece anime, the first One Piece theme park will open in Japan. Details are scant, and currently, there is only a teaser page that says this will be One Piece‘s “first theme park” (初のテーマパーク or “hatsu no teema paaku”) and that it will open at Tokyo Tower.…

Man in China Has Spent $32,000 Collecting Transformers

Transformers is quite popular in China. Heck, the latest film is set in the country. There are many diehard Chinese fans. One of them shelled out $32,000 for his collection. According to News 163 (via ShanghaiIst), retired soldier Zhang Wei has been collecting Transformers since 2002. So far, he and his wife have over 380…

You Know What Makes Blind Dates Better? Anime

Dating is tough. It’s not always easy to find a partner into the same things you are. Anime, for instance. Not everybody is into that. Wouldn’t it be great if there were blind dating events for anime lovers? In Japan, there are. Animax, the Japanese television network dedicated to anime broadcasting, is teaming up with…

First Real Look at Tokyo’s Giant Godzilla Statue

Later this week, a new giant Godzilla statue will be officially unveiled in Tokyo. Here is a first peek at the actual statue as it’s going up. Previously, only an artist rending of the statue was shown, but now we can see what it really looks like as the giant Godzilla is being constructed. The…

A Theory about the Ending Credits of an Iconic Anime

An anime family runs into a house, causing the house to stretch like elastic. What the heck is going on inside? Surely, they’re knocking about inside, but how exactly? Here’s a theory. Anime shows come and go, but there are two animated programs that are bound to be shown on Japanese television forever: Doraemon and…

Yokai Watch 2 has already sold over 1 million copies in Japan. Famitsu reports that in Yokai Watch 2′s first four days on sale, the 3DS game sold 1.28 million copies, surpassing the sales of the prequel, which has been out for a year. The Yokai Watch 2 sales total does not include downloads.

Cat Cafes Don’t Get Much Cuter Than This

Japan has loads of cat cafes. Loads. Many of them look the same—like coffee shops with cats or, even, like somebody’s apartment with, well, cats. But Temari no Ouchi looks like something out of a Studio Ghibli anime. Located in Tokyo’s Kichijoji, the cafe opened last year. There’s a 1,200 yen ($11.81) entrance fee on…

Japan’s Pikachu Cafe Serves Pikachu Burgers and More

Japan already has loads of Pikachu- and Pokémon-themed products, whether that’s soft drinks, candy, or even curry. But typically, those simply have a Pocket Monster slapped on the labelling. The official Pikachu Cafe is a tad different. Opening this weekend in Tokyo, the limited-time “Pikachu Cafe” will be servicing up Pikachu-themed eats that are supposed…

Solid Gold Godzilla Can Be Yours for Only $1.5 Million

Only! To mark the 60th anniversary of Godzilla and the new Hollywood flick, Tokyo jeweller Ginza Tanaka is offering this solid gold ‘Zilla. The statue is nearly ten inches tall and weighs 33 pounds. According to website Fashion Press, Ginza Tanaka is selling golden Godzilla for 150 million yen (US$1.47 million). In case you were…

Managers Crawl on the Street After Failure

In Sichuan, China, three supervisors at an interior decorating company crawled on their hands and knees for over half a mile after failing to meet sales targets. They weren’t alone in the shaming: One female employee was forced to shave her eyebrows to repent. However, she was not forced to crawl around the city streets,…

Japanese Gamers Explain Why the PS4 Isn’t Selling There

Sony. The home team. The PS4 should be doing well in Japan, right? Right? According to Japanese gamers, um, no. Recently, a Eurogamer article pointing out that the PS4 wasn’t exactly doing gangbusters in Japan (the console barely outsells the PS3) was translated and posted on 2ch, the country’s largest web forum. “We’re conscious of…

Vagina Artist Arrested in Japan

Move over guns. Add 3D-printed vaginas to the things that will get you arrested in Japan. Note: This article contains content some readers might find objectionable. Previously, Kotaku reported that a Japanese artist named Rokudenashiko was trying to make a name for herself with her vagina art. She even made a “pussy boat.” With her…

Everything’s Better With Attack On Titan

You know what makes everything better? Adding Levi from Attack on Titan to everything. Yes. Everything. Below, you can see what Levi Ackerman looks like in the Attack on Titan anime. If you are unfamiliar with Levi, this wikia can hopefully bring you up to speed. In the past few years, Attack on Titan has…

Fans of beat’em up games, rejoice! Maybe. In tonight’s Nintendo Direct, game developer Hiroyuki Sonobe of ParityBit said they were working on “that game,” without directly mentioning the title. Images that appeared to be from a new Kenka Bancho flashed on the screen and the words “Coming Soon.”

The Best Starbucks Rip-Off Name Is Still “Starf**ks”

You know it, you love it. Starbucks. Or maybe you hate it. The coffee chain is everywhere. And at one shopping mall in China, a knock-off Starbucks sign has a memorable name. Note: This article might contain content some readers find offensive. Others might be amused. Starfucks. That’s right, Starfucks. As People’s Daily Online, Xinhuanet,…

Smoking Hair Is the Best Worst Haircut

Recently on Korean website Humor School, a series of photos appeared of a young man who was slated to enter military service on June 30. He got a haircut that was so bad, it’s good. No, no, no. I’m not talking about the close-cut hairdo service members get. I’m talking about something much worse. And,…

PR Stunt Involves a “Thousand” Women Installing a PC Game

In China, there’s a contest for online game Tera. According to the game’s official site, “a thousand beautiful women” install the game on gamers’ computers. Not at once, mind you. You sign up via the game’s official Chinese site to enter. As noted on the developer’s Facebook (via tipster Sang), the models show up at…

Anime Fans, Don’t Miss These Studio Ghibli Exhibits

This week, a special exhibit opened in Tokyo. If you like anime, namely Studio Ghibli, it is not to be missed. Neither is the one opening later this month. The exhibit features the structures, the architecture, and the environments that appear in Studio Ghibli’s films. This is a close-up look at the animated world the…

China and Taiwan Are Now into a Really Old Meme

Remember “cone-ing?” Back in 2011, a YouTube user named Alki Stevens racked up ten million views with his video titled “Cone-ing is the New Planking.” Young people in Asia, it seems, have just discovered cone-ing. As reported on a variety of Chinese and Taiwanese sites (such as Cnhuadong.net. Stockstar, Xinhuanet, Gamme, etc.), kids are doing…

One Piece Deemed Offensive in South Korea, Exhibit Cancelled [Update]

Three days before a One Piece exhibit was to open in Seoul, South Korea, the event was suddenly cancelled. The event was to be held at the War Memorial of Korea Peace Plaza and was to feature life-sized statues of One Piece characters, sketches by series creator Eiichiro Oda, and over three hundred rare One…