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Kotaku EastJapan
Today, Pokémon Was Born 23 Years Ago
On February 27, 1996, Pokémon Red and Blue were released, giving birth to one of the most popular franchises in history. Card games, sequels and anime followed, all of which have been enormously popular. Pokémon director took to Twitter to celebrate the series’s birth, adding, “Today is a day that’s been supported by numerous people.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 27, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
Working Conditions In The Anime Industry
The Japan Animation Creators Association has released the results of a recent study on working conditions in the anime industry. Around 1,500 people were sent questionnaires, and the association received replies from 382 individuals. Out of those 57.6 percent were men and 41.4 percent were women. The average age was 39 years old, with the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 26, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
Pokémon Go Player Arrested For Allegedly Hitting A Police Officer
While playing Pokémon Go in Japan’s Matsuyama City, a 40-year-old man was stopped by a police officer for questioning. The man reportedly got upset that his game was interrupted and allegedly struck the officer in the face. According to Yahoo! Japan, there were around fifty people gathered near a hotel in the city’s Chifunemachi area,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 25, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
The Tokyo Hotel For Manga Lovers
This month, the Manga Art Hotel is opening in Tokyo. With 35 guest rooms, the hotel has around 5,000 manga titles for guests to read. Massive manga libraries have long been a draw of net cafes and manga cafes, which, thanks to private booths and showers, make a viable option for those traveling Japan on…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 25, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
If There Was Another Live-Action Dragon Ball, Japan Wants These Actors For Goku
There has not been a new live-action Dragon Ball announced, but if one were, which Japanese actor would make a good Goku? In 2009, Hollywood made a live-action version of Dragon Ball called Dragon Ball Evolution. It starred Justin Chatwin as Goku. According to Anime Anime, Japanese polling site Ranking asked 10,638 men and women…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 21, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
This Life-Sized Pokémon Plush Toy Is Quite Long
Furret is a Long Body Pocket Monster measuring in at 5 feet, 11 inches long. The character is getting a life-sized plush toy that is, well, long. Fun fact: While Furret is 5’11”, Charizard is only 5’07”. Priced at 30,240 yen ($273), this life-sized Furret is available for order in Japan from February 23. Back…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 20, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
13-Year-Old Kid Makes Impressive Manga Debut
The March issue of shojo manga magazine Margaret features the debut of a new artist named Nana Hoshiki. She created a 16-page manga called Inshin no Yuki (音信の雪) or Tidings of Snow. Hoshiki is only thirteen and already shojo manga fans are impressed. The manga’s lede image is making the rounds on Twitter so that…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 19, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
Monster Hunter Meat Reborn As One Of Japan’s Favorite Cakes
Baumkuchen is very popular in Japan. There are Baumkuchen specialty shops and you can buy little Baumkuchen at the supermarket. Folks love it! Do you know what else people in Japan love? Monster Hunter. To celebrate Monster Hunter’s 15th anniversary, Capcom is teaming up with Baumkuchen maker Juchheim for a cake version of the in-game…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 19, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanEven More Final Fantasy XV Content Is Coming…In Book Form
Last fall, it was announced that 75 percent of Final Fantasy XV’s DLC was getting scrapped. The “Episode Ardyn” DLC will be out on March 26, but there’s content coming, including a book. Yes, a book! The canned The Dawn of the Future DLC was to be four-episodes that told what came next for the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 18, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
Porn Star Comes To The Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch exclusive Oshiete Onedari Shogi (Teach Me Japanese Chess Pretty Please) has players give shogi hints and tips to adult video actress Airi Satou as well as cosplayers Yui Uno and Inori Hanamiya. For a reward, players get photos and clips of them in bikinis, maid outfits and more. In total, there are over…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 15, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanPokémon‘s Former Rival Yokai Watch Is Having A Terrible Time In Japan
In 2014, the popularity of Yokai Watch exploded in Japan. It seemed like Pokémon was going to be eclipsed and overtaken. For a time, it was. That summer in Japan, there were massive lines for the latest Yokai Watch toys. Children, mine included, memorized the show’s theme song and dance. Level-5’s Yokai Watch was a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 13, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
Poop Museum Coming To Japan
This spring in Yokohama, the Unko Museum will delight young and old alike with cute poop. It’s not the first exhibition dedicated to dookie. There is the National Poo Museum on the Isle of Wight, which is temporarily closed, and the Shit Museum in Northern Italy. Yes, that’s its name, the Shit Museum. Those seem…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 12, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
The Sophia Portrait From Xenogears Replicated For Only $360
While the portrait of Sophia looked impressive in Xenogears, it might look even better on your wall. According to Hachima, Square Enix is selling a high-quality replica version of the painting in a fancy frame based on the original game data. Priced at 39,800 yen ($361), the portrait is to celebrate the game’s 20th anniversary…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 11, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
The Mystery Why Dinosaur Jr.’s 25-Year-Old Song Is Topping The Charts In Japan
“Over Your Shoulder” might be a good tune, but there seems to be more explaining why the 25-year-old song is charting in Japan, surpassing even Ariana Grande. The Dinosaur Jr. track hit 18 on Billboard Japan’s Hot 100 chart and number one on the country’s overseas chart This is due to YouTube views and not…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 11, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
Why Kit Kats Are Good Luck For Japanese Students
Like teenagers across Japan, my eldest son is taking high school entrance exams. Earlier today, my wife returned from our local supermarket in Osaka with a bag of Kit Kats. The snacks are for more than eating. They’re for good luck. In Japanese, Kit Kat is Kitto Katto (キットカット). The Japanese word kitto can mean…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 7, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
The Japanese Internet Reacts To The Ariana Grande Tattoo Fiasco
Since Ariana Grande revealed her new tattoo last week, the pop star has been criticized in the English-speaking world for cultural appropriation. But what does the Japanese internet think? Let’s find out! Japanese website Front Row recently explained how Grande was being called out in the English-speaking internet for cultural appropriation, which in Japanese is bunka…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 7, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
Japan’s Blueberry Cheese Burger Looks Freaky But Delicious
Japan’s Freshness Burger has upped its bonkers burger game with its latest release: the Blueberry Cheese Burger. As ASCII points out, Freshness Burger previously released a Peach Burger, which was beef, bacon, a slice of peach and cheese, and a Mango Burger, which was beef, a huge mango slices and onions This time around, Freshness…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 6, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
How K-Pop Revived Black Sickness Masks In Japan
It’s flu and cold season. That means people in Japan are wearing sickness masks in public. Either they are ill or are trying to avoid a cold. The default is still the white sickness mask, but recently, black ones are becoming more popular among the country’s youth. This recent trend in Japan appears to be…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 6, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
Taco Bell Made A Special Burrito Just For Osaka
To celebrate the opening of a new Taco Ball in Osaka’s Umeda, the fast-food chain decided to turn the city’s soul food into a burrito. Okonomiyakiis one of Osaka’s signature dishes. Made with cabbage, flour, egg, strips of pork and crunchy tempura bits, okonomiyaki means “however you like,” so people add all sorts of other…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 6, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
Snack Packaging Turned Into Amazing Art
Snack packaging gets a second life as wonderful papercraft thanks to a Japanese art student. Harukiru, a student at Kobe Design University, makes these striking sculptures by cutting up the packing with scissors or a blade. Kotaku previously featured his paper gun that shoots wooden bullets. These days, he’s best known for his snack packaging…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 5, 2019