Do you live in Tokyo? Do you want to? Recently online in Japan, people listed the good points and the bad ones of living in the metropolis with the largest population density on Earth. Thirty-eight million people reside in the Tokyo metropolitan area, which is more than in Delhi (25.7 million), Shanghai (23.7 million) and…
Before he turned 20 years old, animator Kenji Itoso got his start working under Hayao Miyazaki at Studio Ghibli. Recently at the Finnish Embassy in Tokyo, Itoso talked about how he got his start at Ghibli, including how he made it through the interview process. Recently, Studio Ghibli has announced it is hiring up for…
This is not the official theme for director Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ still-in-the-works Metal Gear Solid cinematic adaptation. It is another barn burner by MGSV singer Donna Burke. Besides voicing the iDroid in Metal Gear Solid V, Burke sang “Heavens Divide” for Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and “Sins of the Father” for Metal Gear Solid V:…
In a recent episode of late night Japanese TV show Jikkuri Kiitarou (Listen Carefully), adult video star Cocona Yuzuki talks about which entertainment gig she says has the darkest of dark sides: anime voice acting. Yuzuki made her adult video debut earlier this year. She’s had a variety of jobs in the entertainment business, such…
Big Japanese cities are striking, especially in 8K. Via Japanese website Curazy, this clip of Tokyo and Yokohama night aerials was shot on a RED Monstro VV 8K camera with Carl Zeiss Milvus 35mm lens. Stunning!
Cosplayer Laki specializes in Kingdom Hearts. To show how to bring those characters to life, Laki got a wig and worked some hair styling magic. The result doesn’t look like real-world hair, but rather, what the characters’ locks look like in-game. Laki does not use any hair wax for the styling, but mainly hairspray. After…
Japan’s DJ Doooo not only makes music but also wraps everyday objects in realistic-looking human flesh. The result is starting, and ghoulish. For example, check out his iPhone case. Here’s a better look, complete with holiday festivities. Even the equipment he performs with gets the same treatment. Doooo made an unusual cover for an inkan…
This past weekend, BitSummit roared through Kyoto. The show keeps growing, and this year was the biggest BitSummit yet! Have a look below at some of the games and festivities. If you do get a chance to come to visit BitSummit, I cannot recommend the show enough. It’s a good time.
At this weekend’s BitSummit, Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi asked me if I’d like to see the Playdate. He then proceeded to pull it out of a black case and hand me the version that’s running his new Playdate exclusive Crankin’s Time Travel Adventure “You don’t use any buttons,” Takahashi said. “Everything is done through…
Japan’s weekly game sales for the week of May 20 to May 26 were the lowest they’ve been since 1999. Via Dengeki, here are the top ten selling games at Japanese retail for the week: 10. Team Sonic Racing (Switch) – 3,533 copies 9. Assassin’s Creed III Remastered (PS4) – 3,714 8. Yoshi’s Crafted World…
Marvel movies are successful in Japan. They are popular. But while Avengers: Endgame dominated theaters around the world for weeks, it was soon toppled in Japan by the latest Detective Conan anime. Why are American superhero movies less popular in Japan? Is there a reason? According to film journalist Koremasa Uno, yes there is Uno…
Bandai is releasing a life-sized Detective Pikachu plush toy. His ears, hands and tail are all poseable. Just look at it! The doll is priced at 21,780 yen (nearly $200) and will go on sale this December in Japan. No word on an international release. Check out more images below.
Until recently, Japan didn’t have much of an influx of foreign tourists. Now, it does, and with that comes problems. Of course, Japan should have a thriving tourism industry! This is a beautiful country with a rich culture, a long history and delicious food. But for much of the 20th and 21st century, foreign tourism…
Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency has fined McDonald’s after breaking the law and misrepresenting the Tokyo Roast Beef Burger sold in summer 2017. According to NicoNico, the fine is 21.7 million yen (nearly $200,000) and must be paid by December 25 of this year. The original “Tokyo Roast Beef Burger” ads featured what looked like real…
In Mie Prefecture, a 26-year-old man has been arrested for suspected theft after security camera footage showed the man stealing volumes of the Detective Conan manga. In total, eighty copies were stolen, and the suspect has confessed. According to Tokai TV, the alleged thefts occurred on three separate occasions with the suspect, 26-year-old Aoi Hattori,…
Castle in the Sky themed sunglasses are going on sale in Japan. Muska’s tinted lenses are getting real-world recreations and Pazu’s goggles are also being reworked as glasses. The Muska sunglasses are 27,500 yen ($250), while the Pazu ones, described as “goggle-shaped glasses frames,” are 32,000 yen ($290) Both are made in Japan and will…
Square Enix previously announced that there would be a real-world Final Fantasy XIV-themed wedding plan offered in Japan. Now, we have a better look at the ceremony and wow, is it something. According to Famitsu, reservations are now being taken for couples to get hitched Final Fantasy style. As Kotaku reported earlier this year, the ceremony…
Yesterday, Japan’s foreign minister asked the English-language media to write Japanese family names first, as done in Japanese. This would change how Japanese names are typically written in English. For example, famed animator Hayao Miyazaki is Miyazaki Hayao in Japanese, Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto is Miyamoto Shigeru and Prime Minister Shizo Abe is Abe Shinzo.…
This past March, actor and musician Pierre Taki, who voiced yakuza Kyohei Hamura in Judgment, was arrested for alleged illegal drug use. Sega decided to cease sales of the game in Japan. It will go back on sale this July with another actor playing Hamura. Kotaku previously posted a screenshot of the new Hamura. Voice…
Tokyo’s geek mecca of Akihabara has been reproduced perfectly on a small scale. This is the work of Chiba Keizai University’s model building club, which recently displayed its impressive diorama. The detail is incredible. Excellent work!
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