In Japan, there are what are called real-infiltration games (リアル潜入ゲーム or riaru senyuu geemu) in which players try to sneak into particular locations. These real-world games are the opposite of escape rooms, or riaru dasshutsu geemu (リアル脱出ゲーム) in Japanese. On December 9, a Final Fantasy VII Remake real-infiltration game is opening in Tokyo. Players become…
When the PlayStation 5 launched earlier today, there weren’t long lines wrapped around the stores. In Japan and internationally, Sony is limiting launch sales to online and pre-order pickups. “The COVID-19 situation makes us very nervous about putting stock into stores around the launch window,” Jim Ryan, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, told…
Now that the PlayStation 5 has been released, the X and the circle buttons are officially swapped for Japan. Since the original PlayStation, the action button has been the circle button, while this was reversed in the West. The X and circle buttons originally had meaning in Japan. Our colleagues at Gizmodo previously reported that…
To launch the PlayStation 5, Sony is holding a projection mapping event at Kanda Shrine in Tokyo. This makes perfect sense. Kanda Shrine is located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, near Akihabara. Because of this, worshippers can get their electronics—or even IT companies—blessed at the 1,270-year-old shrine. In fact, in 2009, after I kept losing and accidentally…
This has been a bad year for Tokyo arcades. The one-two punch of the global pandemic and Japan’s travel ban has meant few customers, which has squeezed the industry’s bottom line. Landmark Tokyo arcades are shutting. Add Arcade Playland Carnival in Shinjuku to that list. Unfortunately. The arcade’s official Twitter account announced that on November…
With the PlayStation 5 launching this month, a new console era has begun. Sony is driving that point home by revealing that it will no longer service launch PS4s in Japan Via Twitter, Sony announced that on December 25, service for PS4 CUH-1000/CUH-1100 series of consoles would end in Japan, and individuals needing their consoles…
This has been a rough year. What better place to seek warmth and comfort than inside a Pocket Monster? Premium Bandai is releasing what it’s calling a 絶対に出たくない (zettai ni detakunai or “I don’t want to go out”) Metapod, suggesting that folks climb in while working from home. It’s priced at 35,000 yen ($335) with…
Life-sized bronze statues of Attack on Titan’s Eren, Mikasa and Armin were recently unveiled at the foot of the Oyama Dam in Oita Prefecture, Japan. The three characters gaze up at the dam, as if they were watching a Titan peer over. (There’s even a special AR app visitors to the dam can use to…
In Japanese, omiyage refers to a souvenir that’s purchased for others. Typically, these are snacks, and in Tokyo, perhaps the most famous of all is Tokyo Bananas—cream-filled cakes shaped like little bananas. Tokyo Banana has been ranked as the most popular omiyage two-years running! In the past few years, there have been a variety of…
As Sega Sammy announced it’s selling off its arcade business, the Tokyo-based game company also announced that it is asking 650 employees to retire voluntarily. With covid-19 impacting business, Sega is expecting what it calls “an extraordinary loss” during the current financial year. Sega Sammy Holdings was formed after Sega and Sammy merged in 2004.…
When the PlayStation 5 launches this month, Sony won’t be selling the console in stores. Instead, launch day sales will only be online. “In the interest of keeping our gamers, retailers, and staff safe amidst COVID-19, today we are confirming that all day-of launch sales will be conducted through the online stores of our retail…
Next January, the Henna Hotel (“Strange Hotel”) in Tokyo is doing a collaboration with The Idolmaster, the Bandai Namco sim filled with anime-style idols. As part of the tie-up, there will be more than simply Idolmaster art plastered in rooms and cut-out cardboard versions of the characters. At the check-in counter, holograms of the idols…
In years past, massive crowds descended on Tokyo’s Shibuya. But this year, with the global pandemic, things were supposed to be different. They were supposed to be virtual. Shibuya mayor Ken Hasebe, for example, asked people to avoid the area to prevent covid-19 clusters and instead visit a “virtual Shibuya” online to celebrate Halloween. In…
Starting next year, Prime 1 Studio is releasing a pair of limited-edition Resident Evil 2 statues, featuring Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield blasting zombies. The Claire statue is 21.6 inches high, weighing 40.5 pounds, while the Leon one is 23 inches and 46 pounds. They are priced at $1,349 and will be out internationally.…
When Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai introduced Minecraft characters in Smash Bros. Ulitmate, he discussed their in-game music. At that time, he said, “Unfortunately, due to various circumstances, it turns out we cannot use the song playing in the original Minecraft.” Continuing, he pointed out that for such a frantic game, many of the tunes…
In the One Piece anime, the first 61 episodes make up the East Blue saga. Debuting in 1999, the TV anime was originally broadcasted at a 4:3 aspect ratio. Now the shows are getting remastered for a two-disc Blu-ray release in Japan, and the frame will be cropped to fit a 16:9 widescreen aspect. How…
For Norah Jones’s latest album, Pick Me Up Off The Floor, the singer has released a manga-version music video of her single “I’m Alive” featuring panels from Rumiko Takahashi’s Maison Ikkoku According to Viz Media, “’I’m Alive’ features Maison Ikkoku’s main character, Kyoko Otonashi, as she shares many similarities with the lyrics, which reflect finding…
During the 2016 Rio Olympics closing ceremony, then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appeared out of a large green Warp Pipe, wearing a red Mario hat emblazoned with Tokyo 2020. But what did Abe think about the whole experience? In a recent interview with Nikkan Sports, Abe was frank, honest and refreshing about the whole…
At this year’s Toyama Gamers Day in Japan, it’s only fitting that the prize for the game Fight Crab in the King Crab Tournament is, wait for it, crabs. But, as Kai-You points out, not just one crab but a total of one hundred during the entire tournament. Why crabs? Well besides the fact that…
This year, more than ever, people are wearing face masks. Twitter user Shuka, who specializes in cyberpunk designs, created this cool-looking face mask. The mask has three different ways to wear it, from a chin guard to a mask and a full-face covering. I imagine wearing a filter or medical mask underneath would make quite…
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