Brian Ashcraft

Japanese Newspaper Uses Scientist’s Photo To Frighten and Amuse

This is researcher Haruko Obokata. Yesterday, she held a press conference, apologizing for the numerous errors in her stem cell study. One Japanese paper seems to have decided to troll the young scientist with giant photos of her face. As The Wall Street Journal reports, Obokata’s research was initially thought to be groundbreaking, but now…

In This New Anime, Lupin Sure Looks Like a Badass

Some of the first images of upcoming Lupin anime spin-off Lupin the IIIrd: Daisuke Jigen’s Gravestone have hit the web. And Lupin (above) has somewhat of a Big Boss thing going on. Not a bad look at all! Courtesy of website Crank-in and tipster Lee, you can see the first images of the upcoming feature…

Cosplayers, I Mean Students, Weren’t Allowed into University Ceremony

At university entrance ceremonies, you are supposed to wear a suit. Dress conservatively! These kids didn’t get the memo and showed up in body paint. While the Kyoto University seems to be a cosplay free for all, the Hokkaido University apparently wouldn’t let these freshmen into their entrance ceremony. Maybe campus security was worried about…

Inside Taiwan’s NSFW Sex-Themed Restaurant

From the land that gave the world toilet-themed restaurants comes this: a goofy sex-themed eatery. Opening last year, the restaurant is called “Funny Sex.” Because, really, when you think about it, sex is pretty damn funny. Note: This story might have content some readers find objectionable. This isn’t a sex club! It’s a theme restaurant,…

Korean Dev Allegedly Ripped Off One of the Wii’s Best-Looking Games

Muramasa: The Demon Blade was truly a lovely game. While it was originally released in 2009, there are now allegations that it’s been copied by a Korean game developer. There are claims that the knock-off even stole Muramasa’s original code. As noted on My Game News Flash (via tipster Sang), upcoming Android title Soul Hearts…

​Two Judo Kids Fight It Out with Lethal Cute

If cute could kill, these two little girls would strike you dead. Watch as two youngsters experience their first judo match, complete with bowing, throws, and hugs. As we’ve seen before, kids doing martial arts is truly dangerously adorable. These two little girls from Madrid, Spain have mastered it. According to The Huffington Post, the…

Politician Dresses as Spider-Man, Climbs Building, Asks for Votes

Thirty-two year-old Gaurav Sharma is running for Parliament in India. Previously a martial arts instructor for the Mumbai Police, Sharma is now climbing up the sides of buildings in a Spider-Man costume, asking for votes. Below, you can watch him campaign. Video courtesy of AP: Raw: Indian ‘Spiderman’ Climbs for Votes [AP@YouTube] ‘Spider-Man’ Runs for…

Japan’s Wonderfully Strange Samurai Helmets

In Japanese, they’re called “kawari kabuto” (変わり兜), which is often translated as “unusual helmets.” They’re some of the most interesting head armor you’ll ever see. Today, I got out my sons’ miniature samurai armor (鎧 or yoroi) and helmet (兜 or kabuto) to display for Children’s Day, which is on May 5. The armor measures…

How Do the Lupin Movie Actors Compare to the Original Characters?

Lupin the Third is getting a live-action film. While Kotaku previously published an image of lead actor Shun Oguriin his Lupin costume, earlier today full cast photos were released. Let’s have a look! Via website Sanspo, here are Tadanobu Asano as Inspector Zenigata, Go Ayano as Goemon, Tetsuji Tamayama as Daisuke Jigen, and Meisa Kuroki…

Groomer Turns Dog into Nintendo Nightmare Fuel

That’s not a dog in a Nintendo sweater. You are looking at groomed, dyed, and trimmed dog hair. Let’s call this pooch “Yoshi Dog.” Recently, the Intergroom dog grooming convention was held in New Jersey. Courtesy Buzzfeed (via GoNintendo) are these photos of a Nintendo themed-grooming from a creative challenge competition. Creative? Yes. Terrifying? Definitely.…

Japan’s Ikea Monorail Is Filled with Ikea Crap

You know who digs Ikea? Japan, that’s who. Ikea stores are popular destinations for shoppers. And what better way to go to Ikea than in Tokyo’s Ikea monorail? No, make that, the Ikea “Party Train.” To mark the opening of a new Ikea near Tokyo’s Tachikawa Station, the Tama Monorail Line has been redecorated with…

South Korea Unveils a Windows XP… Task Force

Microsoft is no longer supporting Windows XP. It’s being phased out worldwide. In China, folks are hanging on. In nearby South Korea, the government has set up a special task force. As reported by NewsY (via tipster Sang), South Korea’s Ministry of Security and Public Administration just set up a “Windows XP Response Total Situation…

​A Friendly Reminder To Be Nice to Others

Man, the internet! Sometimes it seems like people are cold-hearted jerks. They don’t care about anyone but themselves. Here’s a Thai Life Insurance ad reminding us that it’s good to be nice to others—whether that’s offline or on. Unsung Hero” (Official HD) : TVC Thai Life Insurance 2014 [thailifeinsurance] To contact the author of this…

Hedgehog Impersonates Pikachu (and More)

You might not think a hedgehog can pull off impersonations of, say, a dog, a bear or even Pikachu. Then again, you might not have met Marutaro the Hedgehog. Twitter user Hedgehogdays has been uploading photos of Marutaro’s impersonations. And while the hedgehog didn’t actually draw the faces, the result is rather adorable: A bear.…

The only PSP color left, it seems, is “Piano Black.” The Japanese PlayStation site shows that that the other colors will no longer be released in the country. No word yet about outside Japan.

The Japanese Game Show That Mummifies People

On Japanese game show Tore!, contestants must do more than solve puzzles and show their knowledge. In one part, they must climb a wall. In another, they must avoid mummification. Today, website Gamer announced that the show is getting a 3DS game—which makes sense as Tore! seems like a live-action video game. In the clip…

New Chinese Game Console Totally Rips Off the Wii Remote

This is the controller for a new game console called the Nintendo Wii the G20. Doesn’t the controller look familiar? According to TechInAsia, the console is a collaboration between Chinese online retail giant Alibaba and electronics company Xiao Bawang. The G20 runs on Aliyun OS, Alibaba’s Linux smartphone OS, and can also stream movies and…

I Hope JRPGs Use This Stunning Photoreal Tech

Japan’s Silicon Studio is perhaps best known for co-developing the Bravely Default games with Square Enix. The studio has a new, next-gen game engine, and it looks beautiful. According to Silicon Studio, the rendering engine is working in real time. This is, of course, a tech demo, and as a tech demo, you shouldn’t necessarily…

Have You Ever Seen a College Entrance Ceremony Like This?

Glowsticks. Confetti. A pop music group. This looks more like a party than an entrance ceremony. But Kinki University isn’t your typical academic institution. Kinki (近畿) does not mean “kinky.” It refers to the region of Japan that consists of Osaka, Hyogo (Kobe), Kyoto, Nara, Shiga, Mie, and Wakayama. It can also be called “Kansai”…

Finally! Convenience Store with Karaoke Opens in Japan This Month

Japan is famous for its convenience stores. They’re so, um, convenient. The country is also famous for karaoke parlors. And this month, they’re finally coming together. Literally. On April 17, “Family Mart Plus Karaoke Dam” is opening in front of the south exit at Kamata Station in Tokyo. According to an official Family Mart press…