Brian Ashcraft

Experience a First-Person Walk Through Tokyo

Maybe you’ve always wanted to visit Tokyo. You can visit a fairly realistic (though, highly stylized) version in Sega’s Yakuza games. Or you can watch this video. Uploaded by YouTube user egawauemon, this is pretty much exactly what it’s like to stroll through Tokyo, minus the actual walking and oppressive summer heat. × Shibuya, Tokyo,…

The Most Amazing Places to Pee and Poop in Japan

Japan is famous for its high tech toilets. But the country also has some truly unique restrooms to go with those fancy toilets. While other countries also have amazing restrooms, Japan has some truly unique water closets. Let’s have a look at what website Naver has flushed out. A restroom stall in Fukui Prefecture with…

Parents Allegedly Sold Children to Buy Virtual In-Game Items

A young unmarried couple in China are accused selling not one, but two of their children to human traffickers. The money they got was used for gaming. As reported on Guangdong TV (via Sina Games and Games in Asia), the young parents’ first son was unplanned. Instead of supporting the child, they allegedly sold the…

Doodles Make Selfies Way Better

Washington D.C. resident Helene Meldahl has figured out a way to improve selfies: Add your kick-ass doodles. Using acrylic markers, Meldahl does charming illustrations on mirrors and windows, some of which can take around thirty minutes, and then inserts herself into the scene for a selfie. The resulting photos look terrific. Here are some of…

This Japanese Television Conspiracy Has Familiar Faces

Do you trust your local television media? In Japan, some folks are suspicious of the country’s television media. Here’s why. Previously, Kotaku reported how some television news segments appeared to be what’s called “yarase” (ヤラセ) or “staged” (here and here), allegedly filled with phoney people pretending to be regular folks called “sakura.” As previously explained,…

Taiwan’s Sea of Scooters Is a Sight to Behold

So. Many. Scooters. If you like motorized bikes, then Taipei is the place for you. Well, unless you hate traffic, that is. The following videos show rush hour at Taipei Bridge, which is well-known for its flood of scooters. As website Plotting The Course points out, there are 415 scooters for every one thousand people,…

Shirtless Spartan Warrior Cosplay Made Easy!

All you need are incredible art skills, and bam, and you too can look like King Leonidas. This is Mr. Nagata from Japanese comedy site Omocoro, which recently had artist Hikaru Cho paint him a chiseled chest. Kotaku has featured Cho’s body paintings before (here, here, and here). They are terrific. The process took over…

Nintendo just revealed that two games featured on Kirby Triple Deluxe are getting released as standalone downloadable 3DS titles for Japan. Kirby Fighters Z and DeDeDe’s Drum Dash Z will be out July 23, both with new content. No word yet on a Western release.

Japanese Young People Are Imitating That Crying Politician

Politician Ryutaro Nonomura made national news in Japan after he turned into a crying mess during a press conference. The incident spawned internet memes, the latest of which is Japanese youth posing as Nonomura for laughs. In case you missed it, here is the now infamous press conference, which was supposed to address the Hyogo…

China Fights Smog with a Giant Mist Cannon

This is a “mist buster.” It’s being used in the city of Zhangjiakou in Hebei province—a city dealing with pollution. And dealing with it using a giant water cannon. According to ChinaNews, it can spray a mist of water at least 100 meters far and 60 meters high. And yes, that’s a military vehicle that’s…

In Japan, Shinji Mikami’s upcoming game The Evil Within will be sold as a toned down version when it’s released here on October 23. To get the full version, Game Impress Watch reports that Japanese gamers can download content called “Gore Mode DLC,” which is being offered as pre-order bonus.

Japanese Building Falls Apart in a Most Unexpected Way

Earlier today, a powerful typhoon ravaged Okinawa, Japan. This is serious stuff. People were urged to seek shelter as islands were hit with strong winds and rain. The way that this building was wrecked might surprise you. Above, you can see a restaurant called “Sakae” (栄), which means “glory” in Japanese. Located in the city…

Police Stop Japanese Superhero on the Streets of Tokyo

Can’t a person just walk around the city dressed as Ultraseven without being questioned by the cops? Is that too much to ask? Guess so! Since mid-2013, a person dressed as late-1960s superhero Ultraseven has been spotted around Tokyo. The Ultraseven has been seen numerous times at train stations, carrying a briefcase, as if commuting.…

Grown Men Should Not Pose Like Little Girls

Then again, I’m not sure little girls should pose like little girls. So there! Miracle Kawaii! Master Posing and Taking Pics is a guide book aimed at grade schoolers to show them the “cutest” way to appear in photos. The book looks to be rather in-depth, showing kids how they should curl their lips and…

Dragon Quest X is finally getting a Nintendo 3DS release. Previously released on Wii, Wii U, Windows and smartphones, the 3DS version will use WiFi and cost 3,800 yen ($37). Out September 4 in Japan, it requires an additional subscription fee like the other versions. No word yet about a Western release for the 3DS.

One Piece Might Last Another Decade

For those worried that One Piece might be ending sooner rather than later, don’t be. In a recent interview, the manga’s creator, Eiichiro Oda, says he won’t be slowing down anytime soon. “After 17 years, after more and more new characters being created in the story, I couldn’t stop inspiration coming into my head,” Oda…

In Japan, There Is a Shrine for…Hemorrhoids

The vast majority of festivals in Japan are not unusual. Then, there are some that are referred to as “kisai” (奇祭) or “strange festival.” This is one of those. Even to people in Japan, these unusual festivals might appear odd. But in Shintoism, a religion without a dogmatic view of right and wrong (nobody is…

Here’s How to Draw Pikachu

Can you draw Pikachu? Do you want to learn how? Pokémon Character Art Director Ken Sugimori is here to teach us all. On The Official Pokémon Channel, Sugimori gives a step-by-step explanation as to how to draw the iconic character. If you are interested in learning how to draw more Pokémon characters, then perhaps Pokémon…

Dark Souls Allegedly Ripped Off By Popular Korean Game

In South Korea, Dark Souls has a following and fans. You’d think the makers of popular mobile game Blade would know they couldn’t get away with ripping it off. You’d think! As tipster Sang points out, recently released action RPG Blade has hit number one on Google Play’s Top Grossing chart in South Korea. Developed…

The Latest Advancement in Penis Peripherals

Erotic games are not mainstream in Japan. They are incredibly niche. But that hasn’t stopped them from innovating, all in the name of weenie masturbation. Note: This article contains content some readers might find objectionable. In the past few years, erotic game companies have developed and/or released a slew of highly interactive peripherals (here, here,…