Brian Ashcraft

When You Turn On Your Wii U, You’ll See This: WaraWara Plaza

Previously, Nintendo showed what it called “Mii WaraWara”. It’s a redesigned Wii Plaza, with Miis clustered around games and leaving messages. Today, Nintendo announced that the final English name for this feature is WaraWara Plaza. “Warawara” (わらわら) is Japanese for “bustling”. In the WaraWara Plaza, you can see what other games people are playing—and talking…

Exclusive Concept Art of the Upcoming Production I.G Short, Kick-Heart

Production I.G, the studio behind the Ghost in the Shell anime, recently launched a Kickstarter for a short anime titled Kick-Heart. The Kickstarter was a success, showing that, like video games, Japanese anime can also find news ways of getting funding. Here is some concept art for the anime, courtesy of Production I.G. Have a…

A Cute Girl Who Watches You? There’s an App for That.

Like it when a cute girl watches you? “This isn’t some weird metaphor,” explains comedian Kendo Kobayashi. Rather, do you like it when a cute girl watches over you? Watching Cute Girl is a new iTunes app that features a young lady watching you. She’s supposed to keep you company if you are, for example,…

Why This Japanese Town Is So Damn Happy Obama Won

When Barack Obama was sworn in for his first term, a small Japanese town was overjoyed. Women danced the hula at the local temple, and the town readied a slew of I Love Obama t-shirts, stickers and flags. Why was this small town of 30,000 people who could not vote in the U.S. presidential election…

Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida won’t commit to a 2013 release for The Last Guardian. How about 2014? 2015? 2016?!

Whack a Dick at This Japanese Arcade

You know the classic arcade game Whac-A-Mole, right? Using a mallet, the goal is to whack moles as they pop up. In Japan, the game is called “Mogura Tataki” (もぐらたたき), which means, well, Whac-A-Mole. It’s the same game. Spotted in a local arcade in Japan, this Whac-A-Mole game, however, doesn’t seem to feature moles. It…

This Guy Is Such a Jerk

Meet Allen. He’s a hair stylist in the latest Harvest Moon game, Harvest Moon 3DS: A New Beginning. And man, he’s such a jerk! Don’t believe me? Have a look. Like so many characters of similar ilk, he’s a jerk a first, because that makes him seem so much nicer when’s not being so damn…

In Japan, a Healthy New Pepsi Beverage Makes It Hard To Absorb Fat

Japan is getting a new kind of Pepsi. It’s a special kind. It’s so special that the name of it is, well, Pepsi Special. The drink is actually designated as a “food for specified health uses”. This means the product is regulated by the Japanese government and has its seal of approval. Pepsi Special actually…

The latest Gran Turismo 5 update makes tweaks and improved the engine sound of the Honda Weider HSV-010. More here

A Gallery of Truly Odd Erotic Game Images

Japanese erotic games (aka “eroge”) often feature cute, curvy characters in evocative settings. So when you think of these computer games, you probably don’t think of, oh, giant mecha, deadly katana, or evil villains. Japanese site Kanasoku (NSFW) assembled screenshots of various eroge that, well, don’t all look like eroge. (On Kanasoku, there are some…

Nintendo released the specs for its Wii U internet browser. Have a look (via Video Gamer).

Taking a Knife to Chocolate Hello Kitty for Sweet, Delicious Horrors

Kotaku has already brought you the wonders—and innards—of the Hello Kitty meat bun. Now there’s a Hello Kitty chocolate bun. Japanese website Gigazine swung by its local convenience store, snapped up a few chocolate buns, and then got out the stabby-stabby. YOU BASTARDS, NO, NO, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! The filling was described as “very sweet”. Looks yummy,…

This Is More Than a Television Brand in Resident Evil 6, It’s a Gag

If you’ve played Resident Evil 6, you might have noticed that “Yashichi” appears as a TV brand. Yashichi isn’t a real brand. It’s an in-joke. Ha ha. For years, the shuriken-like Yashichi emblem has appeared in Capcom games, starting with the first Capcom game, 1984’s Vulgus. It went on to appear in one form or…

Japan Invading China, and Other Frightening Memories Recreated at a Chinese Amusement Park

The Eighth Route Army Culture Park in Wuxiang county, China, allows visitors to dress up at Chinese or Japanese troops. And then shoot each other with phony guns. As tensions between Japan and China reach a fever pitch, this US$80 million theme park, which is backed by the local Chinese government, looks to do more…

Here’s How To Find Conan O’Brien and Andy Richter in Halo 4

Earlier this spring, Conan O’Brien and Andy Richter goofed around in a Halo 4 voice recording booth, talking about loading crates. The duo are appearing in the game as a special Easter Egg. YouTube user GameFrontDotCom has a quick walkthrough on how to find them and hear their dialogue. You can hear more of their…

You Won’t Believe How Shockingly Nerdy This Dating Party Was

Recently, in the city of Kuki, Japan, a speed-dating event was held for otaku (geeks). What made this event unique was that the participants wore masks as they looked for a prospective marriage partner. What better way to fall in love, than with someone with Chimchar on his or her face! In English, the event’s…

Germany’s “Pick Up Dog Sh*t” Game Is Coming to Japan

Kackel Dackel, the infamous German game in which a plastic dog craps rainbow turds, is coming to Japan as “Buriwan” for short (the full title is “Burittoderuwan” ブリッとでるワン, with “buri” referring to the noise made while pooping). In case you missed Kackel Dackel when it first raised eyebrows a few years back with this ad,…

Manga Artist Sells Used Sex Toys Online…with Rice

Manga artist Pikupikun is considered a dreamboat by his adoring fans. When not drawing erotic manga, he often posts pictures of himself in the shower or in frilly outfits. And when he’s not doing that, he’s furiously masturbating—something that actually caused him to once miss a publication deadline. Last week, he put not one, but…

Good Thing the PlayStation 2 Didn’t Derail a Japanese Passenger Train

On November 4, a sixty year-old man noticed something suspicious at a railroad crossing in Yabu, Japan: a large black box. He called the police, and an officer showed up on the scene, only to discover the large black box was a PlayStation 2. After the man, who was crossing the railroad tracks, noticed the…

How Japan’s Nuclear Fears Are Manifested in a Cartoon Character

Many Japanese are anti-nuclear—and for good and obvious reasons. The nuclear disaster at Fukushima has made many question how safe nuclear power is, resulting in the country’s decision to take 48 of its 50 nuclear plants offline. It’s also why the government is pledging to end its dependence on nuclear power in the future. But…