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Yakuza Designer Now Has More Incentive to Never Leave Sega
Toshihiro Nagoshi has undergone many changes while at Sega. His latest? He’s now slated to become Sega’s Chief Creative Officer. Good news, because he said he’d never leave the company. [Famitsu]
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 29, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Squid Character Recreated with Real Squid. She Is Not Cute.
Squid Girl or Ika Musume as she’s known in Japan is a popular Japanese manga and anime. The character is funny and cute. This real-life Squid Girl recreation, while funny, sure as hell ain’t cute—with her blue tentacles replaced with real tentacles. It’s the Uncanny Valley of food characters. Or something. イカめしめ作ったったwwwwwwwww [オタクニュース] (Top photo:…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 29, 2012 -
Kotaku EastMan Builds One Piece Slingshot. He Shoots It, Throws It, Scares Me.
Joerg Sprave doesn’t just build slingshots, he builds them and then shoots (slings?) them. His latest creation? A slingshot that will look familiar to any One Piece fan. In One Piece, of its characters, Usopp, used a long staff called a kabuto. Joerg recreated this weapon and then tested it out. Be sure to stick…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 29, 2012 -
Kotaku East
This Is The Ugliest 3DS Ever
It really, really is. It’s horrendous. And I say this as someone who thinks both the 3DS and the Dragon Quest character Slime are well designed. Starting May 31, this Ice White Nintendo 3DS is being bundled with the 3DS version of Dragon Quest Monsters, a 3D release of the 1998 Game Boy Color game.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 29, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Where Japanese Thugs Meet and Date Online
You are not alone. If you’re into video games, I bet you can easily find a companion who is, too. What if you are in to getting into fights and acting tough? Sure, if you are a Japanese hooligan, you can find others with similar hard nosed interests. And now that’s just gotten a whole…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 29, 2012 -
The Adobe Flash VW Bus
Flashed | TOKYO, JAPAN: Nice bus! (Photo: azixero | GameWatchImpress) Saluting Japan’s Computer Graphics Pioneers There was a revolution in the 1980s. It started in the military and the space industry, but it didn’t use rockets or weapons. Instead, it used computers and floppy disks. More » The First Great Cosplay of 2012, in Video Form…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 28, 2012 -
Let’s Be Freaked Out By The Big-Headed Girl Costume
Hatsune Miku is a virtual idol that was originally created for Yamaha Vocaloid software. Now, Hatsune Miku pops up in her own Sega music games. Meaning? People wearing ridiculous Hatsune Miku costumes at Sega events! The costumes themselves are rather freakish—even freakier when you consider that there is a person in there waving hands and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 28, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Well Designed Tongue Cleaners
I’ve actually never thought that I needed an instrument to clean my tongue. I thought regular tooth brushing (and occasional tongue brushing) would handle that. I guess I was wrong. This morning, I spotted this as the store. The fact that there was a tongue cleaner—well, a whole rack of them—was not interesting per se.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 28, 2012 -
Kotaku East
A Starbucks Unlike Any You’ve Seen
If you’ve been to one Starbucks, you’ve been to them all, right? No! You have not been to this Starbucks in Fukuoka, Japan. Designed by Kengo Kuma, this Starbucks is near Dazaifu Tenmangu, one of the country’s most important shrines. Explained Kengo Kuma and Associates: Established in 919 A.D., the shrine has been worshiped as…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 28, 2012 -
Kotaku EastThis Might Be the Worst Beatles Cover Ever
You might know Aki Toyosaki from her voice acting in games like Final Fantasy Type-O. Or maybe you know her from her role as Yui Hirasawa in anime K-On! After this clip, you’ll know her as the woman who massacred “Hey Jude”. Toyosaki covered The Beatles tune in concert, and her rendition is a hot…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 28, 2012 -
Is This Lady the Perfect Chun-Li?
You might have a notion of who you’d think could pull off the perfect Chun-Li. Then again, you didn’t develop Street Fighter II so what the hell do you know? Japanese illustrator Akiman, one of gaming’s most celebrated artists, illustrated Chun-Li—and a whole bunch of other cool characters. Recently on Twitter, he posted a series…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 28, 2012 -
Kotaku East
When Russian Hotels Have Anime Walls
The Red Stars Hotel is one of St. Petersburg’s more unusual lodges. Unusual in that its walls are not only covered in graffiti, but graffiti inspired by various countries, including the UK, the US, Brazil, and…Japan. If you’ve ever been to Japan, you’ll know that, yes, there is graffiti in Japan. Though, I’ve never seen…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 28, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Three Women Got the Same Plastic Surgery. Wait, What?
You know in video games, how you see the same enemy characters over and over and over again. Real life isn’t like that. Even if people are dressed in similar outfits, people look different. Except these three ladies. Japanese blogs have dug up this photo from Chinese site TT.Mop, even going as far as saying…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 28, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Saluting Japan’s Computer Graphics Pioneers
There was a revolution in the 1980s. It started in the military and the space industry, but it didn’t use rockets or weapons. Instead, it used computers and floppy disks. The revolution was the proliferation of computer graphics, and it soon spread to entertainment. “Japanese institutions were just as avid as its American and European…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 28, 2012 -
Charging Me for Hints Is Totally Not Cool, Move the Box!
As of today, the number one free gaming app on iTunes is Move the Box. I wanted to check out what the fuss was about, so I downloaded the app and got to playing. For about ten minutes, I enjoyed myself. And then, I got very, very angry. In Move the Box, the goal is…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 27, 2012 -
It’s Like Uncharted, But Smaller and with Real Fire
Uncharted | DUBAI, UAE: Uncharted brought to life with miniatures. (Photo: azixero | flickr) Fake iPhone Gas Stoves Seized in China Apple makes a lot of different things, such as laptops, displays, and phones. It does not make gas stoves-regardless if the Apple logo and iPhone brand seem to indicate otherwise. More » The Three Biggest…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 27, 2012 -
Kotaku East
This Fruit Costs Twelve Bucks. Just This.
In Japan, “omimai” (お見舞い) is when you visit folks in the hospital. My mother-in-law broke her back, so we’ve been several times. But it’s not only family members—like elsewhere, friends and extended family visit, too. My brother-in-law’s company sent a huge dekopon fruit basket, as well as cookies and cakes. My mother-in-law then divided up…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 27, 2012
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