Brian Ashcraft

Hayao Miyazaki Called “Anti-Japanese,” a “Traitor,” and “Dim-Witted”

Kaze Tachinu, the latest Studio Ghibli film, opened this weekend in Japan. Its director, Hayao Miyazaki, is stirring up plenty of controversy online. The reasons why might surprise you. They might not. As previously mentioned, the film is fictionalized biography of Jiro Horikoshi, who created the iconic World War II fighter plane, the Mitsubishi A6M…

Chinese Protest Houses Defy Progress

In Chinese, they’re called “nail houses” (钉子楼 or “ding zi lou”). These protest abodes stick up for as long as the owner—and ultimately, the Chinese government—allows them to. Then, they’re smashed down. Recently, Chinese site XinhuaNet ran photos of a nail house in Rui’An, Zhejiang Province. The entire building, save for one corner, has been…

Nintendo Ads Show the Differences Between the U.S. and Japan

Pikmin 3 is already out in Japan. It’s headed to the U.S. on August 4. The game is the same, but the Pikmin 3 commercials couldn’t be more different. Let’s have a look. Here is the Japanese commercial for Pikmin 3. In the ad, actress Juri Ueno watches a Red Pikmin carry a cherry. She…

Catch This Trailer for the Newest Pokémon Anime

Debuting on Japanese TV in 1996, the Pokémon anime keeps going and going! Here’s the trailer for the upcoming Pokémon X/Y animated series. Once again the series features Ash Ketchum, but of course, the Pokémon X/Y Pocket Monsters are new. Of course! The Pokémon X/Y anime debuts this October in Japan. Pokemon X & Y…

“Forever Alone Fail” Wins Over Japan

Earlier this spring, a “Forever Alone fail” pic showed a gentleman in a suit, sleeping. The text read that his girlfriend took the snap. However, you could see his feet in the mirror holding a smartphone. Over the weekend in Japan, that photo has created a viral sensation. As Know Your Meme points out, this…

There’s a New Star Ocean Game. But Don’t Get Excited Yet.

Hey, guess what! There’s a new Star Ocean coming out in Japan. But it’s probably not what you expect. That is, unless you really like card-based social games for Android and iOS. Do you? It’s okay if you do! If so, Square Enix is releasing Star Ocean: Material Trader This is the art style. It’s…yeah…

Manga Initial D, which has been running for 18 years, is wrapping up with its final chapter later this month in Japan.

Japan’s Army of College Student Clones

Students! After years of being forced to wear a uniform, you’re finally free. Free to wear what you want. And free, apparently, to dress exactly like other students. Hooray! Earlier this spring, people online in Japan began commenting (complaining?) that it seemed like college students, especially male ones, dressed the same. Now, it’s the female…

Japanese Poll: Few People Want to Buy the Xbox One (or the PS4)

In Japan, Microsoft just can’t catch a break with its game consoles, can it? The original Xbox was a failure in Japan. The Xbox 360 is a failure in Japan. And according to a recent poll, things don’t look so bright for Xbox One. But not so fast! The poll says things are only slightly…

How Chinese Ingenuity Destroyed Salad Bars at Pizza Hut

You had one trip to the salad bar. So dammit, you had to make it count. In China, Pizza Huts are either take-out only or somewhat upscale sit-down restaurants that even serve steak. A while back, it became a fad of sorts to build enormous fruit and vegetable structures at Pizza Hut salad bars. The…

A Frightening Look Inside Japan’s Newest Resident Evil Attraction

Today in Osaka, Universal Studios Japan rolled out its latest attraction, Resident Evil The Real. Here’s an inside look at the attraction, which is open for a limited time only. As previouslymentioned, Resident Evil The Real (aka “Biohazard The Real”) is a live-action shooting attraction at USJ that uses the same practice shooting system used…

This Final Fantasy Abbreviation Might Surprise You

Everybody knows that the “proper” abbreviation for Final Fantasy is “FF”, right? Nope! Recently, a website managed by the Japan Game Users Association asked over 300 Japanese gamers from teenage to 40-something about how they abbreviate Final Fantasy. Over 70 percent (70.7 percent to be exact) shorten Final Fantasy to “FF”. However, 17 percent said…

Via Twitter, a fan asked chronic Twitter user Hideki Kamiya if Bayonetta 2 were a hit, would he think about developing Bayonetta 3. Kamiya, who when not using Twitter makes Bayonetta, replied ambiguously, “I hope so.” On many Japanese and Western sites, that then turned into “Kamiya hopes for Bayonetta 3“. After seeing one such…

Porco Rosso on Blu-Ray Vs. DVD: Which is Better?

Recently, Studio Ghibli re-released its classic anime Porco Rosso on Blu-ray. Let’s see how it stacks up to the DVD release. Here’s a comparison between the DVD version (on the left) and the new Blu-ray version (on the right). Note the rosso bits. There were complaints about the My Neighbor Totoro Blu-ray being grainy, and…

Japanese Male Bras Are Back? Huh?

A few years ago, there was a story about male brassieres being popular in Japan. You know, male bras for man boobs. A manzier for moobs. Supposedly, the man bra improves posture—or makes some men feel more secure or something. And back between 2008 and 2009, there were a bunch of news stories about the…

Ferrari Lovers, This Anime Stunt Might Horrify You

Today, a Ferrari 458 Spider was cruising around Tokyo’s geek district, Akihabara. Things got freaky. This was a stunt for popular anime Attack on Titan, which features human-eating giants. The point was to draw a crowd and end up on the internet. Mission accomplished! The itasha (痛車) anime stickers, however, weren’t the horrifying part. Neither…

Buddhist Temple for Science Nerds

It’s not every day you see a Buddhist temple with a planetarium. Or with a giant space shuttle. Or a dinosaur. This isn’t your everyday Buddhist temple. In Japan, Buddhist temples typically perform, among other things, last rites and funerals. They are usually solemn places, but not always. Take Shouganji, a four hundred year-old temple…

Turning North Korea into the Mushroom Kingdom

Earlier this week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un visited an indoor mushroom farm and called for the country to become a world-class mushroom producer. A mushroom kingdom, if you will. “The mushroom cultivation grounds look very nice and I am pleased to see them,” said the Supreme Commander (via NKLW), who added that it was…

Popular Japanese manga Bleach is going on a five-week hiatus so its creator Tite Kubo can recharge. He’ll need his full energy, because once the manga resumes in September, it will begin its “final act”, with Kubo giving, what sounds like, the last story arch his all.

Summer’s Here, So Cover Yourself with Bugs!

This is Shoko Nakagawa. In Japan, she’s a famous popstar and TV personality. She appears in Nintendo commercials and voices Pokémon characters. She also likes putting cicadas on her hair and face. Note: This article has content some readers might find objectionable—especially after they’ve eaten. Nothing quite says summer in Japan like the inescapable cicada…