-
Kotaku EastJapanHello Kitty And Sanrio Show Their Support Of Black Lives Matter
Sanrio, the company behind Hello Kitty and her friends, has taken to social media to show its support for inclusivity, stating, “Black lives matter. Kindness matter.” On Instagram, the company wrote: We stand for friendship, kindness and inclusivity. Sanrio was built on the foundation of social communication for people to express their heartfelt feelings of…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 11, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanCovid-19 Makes Things Tricky For Haunted Houses
The novel coronavirus has impacted a wide array of businesses, ranging from restaurants to movie theaters. As theme parks start to reopen in Japan, there are new rules. Universal Studios Japan doesn’t want guests to scream on roller coasters, for example, while haunted houses will use social distancing and masks. During the summer, people in…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 10, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanNintendo Confirms Another 140,000 Accounts Were Possibly Breached In April
Earlier this year, Nintendo confirmed the possibility that as many 160,000 Nintendo Accounts were breached in a hack. Today, Nintendo announcedanother 140,000 or so more accounts may have been accessed. That means a total of around 300,000 accounts may have been breached. Nintendo pointed out in an update today that that’s less than one percent…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 9, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanStudio Ghibli’s First CG Animation Feature Is Coming To Japanese TV This Winter
Studio Ghibli is doing a long-form adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones’ novel Earwig and the Witch. Previously, the studio adapted the author’s 1986 fantasy novel Howl’s Moving Castle. This will be Ghibli’s first full-length CG feature. Titled Aya to Majo (Aya and the Witch), the movie will air on NHK in Japan this winter. As…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 3, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanBandai Is Making A Plastic Model Of…Cup Noodle
The folks behind Gundam models have set their sights on instant ramen in a styrofoam cup. This fall in Japan, the iconic Cup Noodle is getting a one-to-one scale plastic model. The official site points out that you are not to fill the model with hot water or eat it. Sorry! Here is how the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 2, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanOn Twitter, Japanese PlayStation Fans React To The PS5 Showcase Delay With Support
Yesterday, Sony announced it was delaying the PS5 showcase. On Twitter, the reaction among Japanese fans has largely been supportive. As pointed out by YouTuber Gaijinhunter, the replies to PlayStation Japan’s tweet announcing the delay are, for the most part, overwhelmingly understanding. I saw a few incendiary remarks on Japanese game blogs, but on Twitter,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 2, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanOne Japanese Bus Company’s Solution To Travel In The Covid-19 Era
Willer Express is an overnight highway bus company that transports travelers between locations like Tokyo and Osaka. For many, being on a bus for a long period of time sounds worrisome during the novel coronavirus pandemic. Kotaku previously introduced the company’s space buses. As NHK reports, the bus company is trying its best to ensure…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 1, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanDrink Up This Video Game Booze
What better way to celebrate 60 years of Sega, 40 years of Pac-Man and the Yakuza games than by drinking sake. Hiroshima brewery Miyake Honten, makers of Sempuku brand sake, has brewed anniversary sake for Sega and Namco’s Pac-Man, with the brews bottled in special anniversary bottles. This certainly isn’t the first video game branded…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 1, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanDemon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Has Done Truly Incredible This Year
Debuting in 2016, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has sold 60 million print copies. Amazingly, between May 17 and November 18 of last year, it has sold 45.29 million print copies. Oricon (via ANN) has listed the first half manga sales tallies by series for this year in Japan. The exact dates are, as previously…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 29, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanThe Time Utada Hikaru Found A Porn DVD In The Street
Recently on Japanese TV, singer Utada Hikaru recounted the story behind one of her most memorable tweets: the time she discovered a porn DVD on a Tokyo street. Back in 2012, the J-pop superstar posted a photo she found on her mobile phone that she had taken two years earlier: The DVD she found is…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanLet’s Check In With Universal Studios Japan’s Super Nintendo World
The last time we checked in with Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan, it was coming along nicely. Now, the theme park looks like it’s nearly finished. USJ’s Super Nintendo World was slated to open this summer, and it’s still unclear how the new Mario-themed area will debut. The state of emergency has been…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanFollowing Hana Kimura’s Death, Production On Terrace House Has Stopped
Today, the official website for Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020, the latest season of the popular reality show, announced that production was ending. The announcement began with deep condolences for the death of housemate Hana Kimura. “We would also like to offer deep condolences to the members of her bereaved family.” “In addition,” the announcement continued,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 27, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanJapanese Police Finally Arrest Suspect For Kyoto Animation Arson
Today in Kyoto, police arrested 42-year-old Shinji Aoba for allegedly carrying out last year’s Kyoto Animation arson attack. The authorities waited until Aoba recovered from his own serious burns before placing him in police custody. Aoba is believed to have lit the fatal fire at around 10:30 AM on July 18, 2019, that set Kyoto…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 27, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanJapanese Game Cafe Attempted Robbery Leaves One Woman Dead, Suspect Is Still On The Loose
On the morning of May 25, there was an attempted robbery at a 24-hour game cafe in Naha, Okinawa. The suspect stabbed two employees, leaving one of them dead. The suspect is still on the loose. Yomiuri reports that the suspect, a man in his 40s, entered the cafe as a customer. He told the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 26, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanFans Remember Hana Kimura As Terrace House Episodes Are Suspended In Japan
This weekend, Terrace House star and professional wrestler Hana Kimura died at the age of 22 years old. Fans around the world were saddened to hear of her sudden passing. Note: If you are ever considering taking your own life, please know that there are people who will listen and can help Hailing from a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 25, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanIf You Know Japanese, You Won’t Forget These Lyrics For The Star Wars Imperial March
School lunch in Japan varies from day to day, but it usually contains these two things: milk and bread. In Japanese, milk is gyuunyuu (牛乳) and the type of bread served is called koppepan (コッペパン). So nearly everyday, kids in Japan can count on getting milk and bread or gyuunyuu to koppepan with to meaning “and”…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 22, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanYouTuber Drinks Really Old Final Fantasy Potion Drink
Back in 2005, Square Enix launched a Final Fantasy Potion energy drink in Japan to promote Final Fantasy XII. The beverage was made by Suntory, and I remember having it and thinking it tasted like a Japanese energy drink. But that was then and not 2020. What exactly did it taste like? If you’ve had…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 21, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanThe History Of Ramune, Japan’s National Soda
Today in Japan, McDonald’s launched a ramune-flavored shake. I immediately made a beeline to my local McDonald’s drive-thru window. With the hot summer months fast approaching, it makes sense to see a ramune shake. The beverage is Japan’s national soft drink. “Ramune” (ラムネ) is from the English word“lemonade,” but the soda doesn’t taste quite like…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 20, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanIn Japan, Get Sushi From Shirtless Macho Men
Do you like raw fish and… beefcakes? Well, good news! In Nagoya, a new delivery service is staffed with hunky men packing buff bods and delicious sushi. Called Vber Macho, muscle-bound dudes will bring sushi to your house, strike some flex poses, and then smile for photos. They even will practice social distancing when delivering,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 20, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanIn The Age Of Covid-19, Japanese Drinking Parties Look Complicated
As the number of novel coronavirus cases drops in Japan, some people will want to go out and drink with others. Whether or not they should is another matter. For the past few months, people in Japan have been participating in online drinking parties called “on-nomi,” which is short for “online drinking.” Basically, you’re drinking…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 19, 2020