Japan

Pokémon Anime Accused Of Whitewashing

Gym Leader Bea from Pokémon Sword and Shield appears in the most recent episode of the Pokémon: Twilight Wings anime. Notice anything different about the character’s animated version? Below are Bea’s official game art and a screenshot from Pokemon.co.jp: More in-game images from event scenes: As Japanese site Hachima Kikou points out, here is how…

Tokyo Ramen Restaurant Won’t Allow Foreigners Because Of Coronavirus

Ueno Sanji, a ramen restaurant in Tokyo, is only allowing Japanese customers due to COVID-19 concerns. The owner (pictured) claims that this is not discrimination but his duty to protect his family, his employees and his loyal customers. There have been around 75,000 cases of people infected with coronavirus in China, followed by 104 in…

Dragon Quest-Themed ATMs In Japan

For a country where Dragon Quest is so popular that there are DQ-themed convenience stores, ATMs featuring the classic RPG font and the character Slime seem inevitable. Below is one of the Dragon Quest Lawson stores in Japan. The same convenience store chain is rolling out DQ-themed ATMs at its locations across the country until…

Rice Balls Like You’ve Never Seen Before

YouTuber Onigiri Gekijou (Rice Ball Theater) specializes in making rice balls that are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen lots of rice balls! Onigiri Gekijou calls this “onigiri art,” and is uploading how-tos on YouTube. That’s very nice! Many of the techniques, such as mixing ketchup and mayo to make a pinkish color…

Square Enix Cafes Are Covered In Final Fantasy VII Remake

Square Enix has rolled out a handful of cafes to serve food, sling drinks and showcase its games. There are no better places to cover with Final Fantasy VII Remake decor It’s not only the Square Enix Cafe in Tokyo and Osaka but also the Artnia Square Enix restaurant in Shinjuku that is covered in FFVII.…

Sailor Moon Is Getting An Ice-Skating Show Starring Evgenia Medvedeva

This was inevitable. Champion figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva previously proved that Sailor Moon cosplay works well with skating. Now, she’s going to star in a figure-skating show that will right wrong and triump over evil. Called Sailor Moon Prism On Ice, the show will star Evgenia Medvedeva as Sailor Moon, Satoko Miyahara as Sailor Mercury,…

This Month Shows Off Excellent New Anime And Video Game Figures

Over the weekend, the Wonder Festival figure expo got underway in Chiba, Japan. There were lots of cool figurines and statues on display. Some were mass-produced, some were prototypes, and some were fan-made. Many of them looked fantastic. Let’s check out some highlights!

Japanese TV Channel Stops Airing Interspecies Reviewers

Earlier this month, Funimation announced that it would no longer stream Interspecies Reviewers, stating the show fell outside its standards. Now a Japanese TV channel is also canceling the program. IT Media reports that late last week, network TV channel Tokyo MX announced it would no longer broadcast the show. No specific reason was given…

Previously, Kotaku reported that after March 31, Nintendo would no longer be servicing first-gen Wiis in Japan. Nintendo has changed the cutoff date for RVL-001 Wii repairs in Japan to February 6. The company projects it will quickly run out of necessary parts. 

Masahiro Sakurai Says There Are Too Many Fire Emblem Characters In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Even before last month’s DLC was added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the game already had too many Fire Emblem characters! Developer Masahiro Sakurai is well aware of this fact. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the playable Fire Emblem characters include Marth, Roy, Lucina, Ike, Robin, Corrin, Chrom and Byleth. In the most recent Weekly…

Lanterns. Kyoto, Japan. By Bobby Vu | Instagram JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line

In Japan, Animal Crossing Switch Pre-Orders Delayed Due To Coronavirus

Pre-orders for that beautiful Animal Crossing-themed Switch and its matching carrying case have been moved from February 8 to TBA. As reported earlier, coronavirus has impacted Nintendo’s supply chain, affecting Switch production and shipment for Japan. It is unclear how the outbreak will impact Switch hardware sales outside Japan. (Kotaku is following up with Nintendo…

Coronavirus Will Impact Nintendo Switch Production And Shipment To Japan

Today, Nintendo announced that, due to the affects of the coronavirus, there will be delays of Chinese-made Switch consoles and peripherals bound for the Japanese market. According to Nintendo, production and shipment of Switch consoles, Joy-Cons and other peripherals to Japan are being impacted by the effects of the coronavirus. Kotaku has reached out to…

The Studio Ghibli Theme Park Should Be Incredible

Excited? You should be. An official Studio Ghibli theme park will be built in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The first concept art we saw looked great. The latest concept art does, too. The park will be divided into different areas. Ghibli’s Giant Warehouse is filled with all sorts of Ghibli stuff; Dondoko Forest is Totoro-themed; Princess…

Composer Joe Hisaishi Describes His Creative Process

Princess Mononoke. Castle in the Sky. Kikujiro. It’s hard to imagine any of these films without composer Joe Hisaishi’s iconic scores. Decade after decade, he’s consistently written some of the most memorable movie music of our time. Thank goddess for that. This month, Hisaishi is releasing a best-of, 2-disc compilation album Dream Songs: The Essential…

The Japanese Esports License System Is A Mess

In Japan, there is a gaming license system that defines what a pro player is. The system was established in February 2018 and nearly two years later, the awkward stop-gap seems like a mess. The reason given for creating this gaming license is to get around the legal restrictions that have prevented esports from taking…

Live-Action One Piece Coming To Netflix, Eiichiro Oda Involved

The hugely successful One Piece is making the jump from manga (and anime) to live action. Working with Tomorrow Studios, Netflix has okayed a ten-episode adaptation. Tomorrow Studios is currently working on a live-action version of Cowboy Bebop with John Cho. That production is currently on hold after Cho injured his knee during the shoot.…

Man Visits Japan Because of The Yakuza Games, Gets On Japanese TV

SuzuKube of French-language game site OtakuGame.Fr traveled all the way from Martinique with something very specific in mind: He wanted to experience the world of the Yakuza games firsthand. As pointed on HachimaKikou (via SoraNews), SuzuKube was interviewed after arriving in Japan for a TV show called You wa Nani Shi ni Nippon e? (Why…

Real-Life (And Totally Unofficial) Mario Kart Ordered To Pay Nintendo Over $450,000

In Japan, Nintendo has won an intellectual property infringement court case against go-kart operator Mari Mobility (the company formally named Maricar). Mari Mobility was found guilty of infringing on Nintendo’s intellectual property. The go-karting company’s original name resembles Mario Kart, and it also has offered Nintendo-themed costumes for customers to wear. “Unrelated to Nintendo,” was…

In Case You Have Problems Seeing Your Switch’s Screen

Going back to the original Game Boy, there have been peripherals like the Booster Boy or the Light Boy to help players see the screen. The Switch’s screen is more illuminated and has brighter colors, but just in case you’re having difficulties seeing it, you’ll be happy to hear that help has arrived. From Japanese…