Brian Ashcraft

Report: Atlus Is Becoming Part of Sega [Update]

Atlus will soon be a Sega brand, reports Japan’s Nikkei. The Japanese news source reports that there have been substantial steps forward for Index Corporation (Atlus’ parent company) to transfer management control over to Sega Sammy Holdings (Sega’s parent company). This comes as Sega will formally purchase Index for 14 billion yen (US$141 million), and…

Breaking—apparently! Japanese site Famitsu busted out a “sokuhou” (速報) or “news flash,” because Microsoft just announced the Xbox One would be launching in Japan in 2014. Online in Japan, people seemed amused by this, joking, “That’s sooner than I thought” and “Wasn’t it going to be 2015?” Previously, Microsoft stated the console would be out…

You’ve Never Seen Sushi Like This

Sushi rolls that look like great works of art. Or video game characters. Or dookie or dicks. Meet Takayo Kiyota, a makizushi (“rolled sushi”) artist. Makizushi is sushi wrapped in rice and seaweed. The cylindrical roll is cut, revealing the roll’s contents. It’s not easy to make good makizushi, let alone makizushi that looks like…

Jackie Chan’s Theme Park Sure Sounds Sappy

You’d think if an action star like Jackie Chan opened a theme park, it would be an exciting, rock’em sock’em experience. Well, then you’d be wrong. According to The Malaysian Times (via USA Today), Jackie Chan plans to build a theme park in Beijing called JC World. The two square kilometer park will house personal…

Naked Man Meditates in Busy Chinese Street

Yesterday, a Russian student at a university in Hainan, China began meditating in the middle of a busy thoroughfare. Chinese people and other foreigners stopped to see if the man was alright. He wasn’t. The man continued to remove articles of clothing while he was meditating, until he ended up completely naked. The man apparently…

CGI Makes Ninja Dancing Better

I didn’t know ninja dancing was a thing, let alone ninja dancing CGI. This is Enra, a Tokyo-based dance troupe that mixes dance rhythms, martial-arts influenced acrobatics, and computer graphics. The group is spearheaded by Nobuyuki Hanabusa, who made a career of creating computer graphics for Japanese television shows and commercials. The performers have impressive…

One of Japan’s Most Amazing Buildings

Japan is filled with buildings—many of them are impressive. One Osaka building, however, stands apart. It’s not because it’s particularly tall or even that beautiful. It has a highway passing through it. This is the TKP Gate Tower Building, and it’s a structure that blew my mind well over a decade ago when I saw…

The PS Vita Screen Comparison to End all Vita Screen Comparisons

Previously, Kotaku posted a comparison between the original PS Vita and the new, slimmer PS Vita. You might have seen it. But that was just a photo and didn’t move. Now, there’s a video. It moves. In the video, the original Vita is stacked on top of the new revamped Vita. Stick around to 2:50…

Apple Customers Escape Japanese Typhoon in Apple Store

Today a powerful typhoon bringing heavy winds and torrential rains hit Japan. Flash flood warnings hit parts of the country and in certain areas, people were ordered to evacuate. This was serious stuff. So, how the hell are you supposed to wait for a new iPhone? Since mid-last week, Apple fans have been lining up…

Pikachu (And Friends) with No Ears

You’ve seen a Pikachu numerous times, but have you ever seen the character without ears? Online in Japan recently, a thread on 2ch, the country’s largest forum, popped up with people contributing altered photos of iconic characters sans ears. Like this. And here’s the Miffy we all know and love. Here’s Miffy without ears. Rilakkuma,…

Sony’s Interracial Ad Sure Brought Out the Idiots

Sony’s debut spot for the PS Vita TV features an interracial couple—something that didn’t escape YouTube commenters. Hey, if a mixed-race Cheerios commercial can spark a race debate, you can bet a PS Vita one will, too! Yes, YouTube commenters are usually pretty awful! But there’s more to this story than just YouTube comments. And…

These Character Changes Are Ridiculous

Over time, characters evolve. They change! But the way the characters in PS3 game Atelier Rorona have changed is something to behold. Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland was originally released on the PlayStation 3 in 2009. Now, the game’s developer is releasing a “new” remake version, revamping the gameplay and characters. Some of the…

These Chinese Kids’ Rides Are Terrifying

You know those coin-operated kiddie rides. They’re usually somewhat cute, right? Not these. They’re the stuff of nightmares. Usually located outside supermarkets, in arcades, or in hypermarts, kiddie rides are a fairly common sight, even in China. In neighboring Taiwan, net users have assembled some of the most frightening Chinese kiddie rides they could find.…

Is this teaser site counting down to a Kingdom Hearts game? As noted by Japanese site Amaebi, the “Project Destati” teaser site has the word “Kingdom Hearts” in the page’s source code. As of posting, the countdown ends in three days. Make of it what you will.

Japan’s “Anal City” Must Be Fixed

In Hakata, Japan, there’s a shopping center called “Canal City.” Well, it’s usually called that, except for when the sign’s “C” burns out. Then, it’s something else entirely. Recently, the sign did burn out, causing Twitter users like @taiji_utagawa to upload images and people to snicker. The tweet has been retweeted over eight thousand times.…

A Counter-Strike Party on 9/11? It’s Actually Worse Than it Sounds

Yesterday was the 12th anniversary of 9/11. And one bar in Shenzhen, China apparently decided to throw a party—complete with unsettling cosplay. Hey, the bar said it was a fun party! As pointed out by The Nanfang Insider, the event featured men in military- and Middle Eastern-style garb, brandishing weapons and shooting “Americans.” According to…

Now, These Buttons Are Just Silly

Want a second D-pad for your 3DS? Don’t might tacky add-ons? Or looking silly? Well, this is for you. This month, Japan’s GameTech is rolling out a set of “Anywhere Buttons” that can be placed on any touch screen. Previously, we’ve seen similar products for iPhones and whatnot. The Anywhere Buttons go with the 3DS,…

Entertaining Kids Is Effing Hard Work

Children! You have no idea how good you have it. Just wait until you grow up and find yourself dragging your own kids to cartoon events like this. Or worse, performing on stage—especially when you’re not up to it. Here, you can see characters from Anpanman, the beloved children’s anime, at what looks like a…

What Do Some Japanese Think of the New Godzilla?

Hollywood is making a new Godzilla movie. The last time Hollywood made a Godzilla movie, many in Japan hated how the lead kaiju looked. Make that, many on planet Earth hated it. What about this latest effort? The image above was spotted at an expo in Brazil and as our colleagues at i09 point out,…

You Can Rent Old Men in Japan

In Japanese the word “ossan” (おっさん) is somewhat of a rude word for middle aged-dudes. How would you like to rent an ossan? Well, in Tokyo, you can. Enter Ossan Rental, a middle-aged man rental service that makes older gentlemen available for only 1,000 yen (US$10) an hour. And not just regular old dudes, but…