Kotaku East

How One of Japan’s Biggest Games Was Created

In Japan, games don’t get much bigger than the Dragon Quest franchise. Recently, series creator Yuji Horii uploaded some of the first game’s original design documents, providing an inside peek at its birth. [Photo: Yuji Horii] According to Horii, first the stages were drawn out on paper. Then, the positions of in-game characters were drawn…

Interested in how Japan saved American fashion? Read this interview with one of my favorite Japan writers W. David Marx or, better yet, check out his book Ametora on the subject!

All the Characters in the New JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Game

The newest JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure 3D fighting game has exactly what fans of the long running anime and manga are looking for: being able to play as a ton of the series’ heroes and villains—53 to be exact. Part I: Phantom Blood Jonathan Joestar, Will A Zeppeli, Robert E. O. Speedwagon, Dio Brando Part II:…

Umbrellas. Kyoto, Japan. By Mike Kowalek 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!

When Politicians Campaign with Anime

Over the weekend, Tsai Ing-wen became the first woman to be elected the president of Taiwan. Above is a GIF from her political campaign. Because anime is real. The biggest cornerstone of her agenda is perhaps protecting Taiwan’s own identity, but her campaign did what it could to appeal to the country’s youth by playing…

Sega announced that the Phantasy Star Online 2 closed beta test for the PS4 version will run from February 25 to March 6 in Japan. The game’s official launch is April 20 in Japan. In Japan. In. Japan.

The Evangelion Popcorn Bucket Is Suitably Insane

At first, I thought the 3,980 yen (US$34) price tag was the craziest thing about this Neon Genesis Evangelion Unit-01 popcorn bucket. Nope! The light-up eyes are. The bucket is available at Universal Studios Japan during the Cool Japan 2016 campaign, which wraps up in late June. This popcorn bucket looks like the Eva Unit’s…

Reminder: Do Not Wear High Heels in Snow

I don’t care if you are a guy or a gal, please do not wear high heels in snow. Just don’t! Because, as you can see in the above GIF, you will slip and fall. Today, Tokyo got covered in snow. Throughout the morning, Tokyo internet friends on my Twitter feed kept saying there were…

One Piece‘s Devil Fruit Goes on Sale in South Korea

In cake form, of course! According to Insight and Extreme Movie, two kinds of Devil’s Fruit cake have gone on sale, each priced at 50,000 Korean Won (US$41). Apparently, there were only a limited number offered, first come first serve basis at the end of last year. Two kinds were offered: Gomu Gomu no Mi,…

Ginza. Tokyo, Japan. By Fernando Brischetto. 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!

Track: Again | Artist: Yellow Machine Gun | Album: Spot Remover Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Inside Japan’s Attack on Titan-Themed Shop

As far as I know, the only Attack on Titan specialty shop in the entire country is at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. Of course, these shops are always there at the end of Universal Studios attractions. But last year at Universal Studios Japan, there was only a kiosk. This year, there’s still a kiosk,…

Life-Sized Anime Schoolgirl Statue Costs Only $16,000

If you’ve ever wanted to own an enormous anime schoolgirl statue for lots of money, here’s your chance. This is Megumi Kato from Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend, and the statue is based on illustrator Kurehito Misaki’s rendition of the character. [Image: Aniplex] The statue is priced at 1.98 million yen (US$16,866), which…

One of the Last Pokémon You’d Expect in a Fighting Game

Nobody thought this would ever happen, I’m sure. But Chandelure, a Ghost/Fire Pokémon that attacks opponents’ spirits, is joining Pokkén Tournament as a playable character. Bwah? Since Pokkén Tournament is an arcade fighting game, you’d probably expect Pokémon able to throw punches and kicks—or, at the very least, an actual body to take blows. Yet…

Takoyaki! Osaka, Japan. By Michael Song. 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!

Today, I Visited Resident Evil‘s Umbrella Corporation [Update]

And I got infected with the T-virus. Don’t you hate it when that happens? Universal Studios Japan is once again rolling out its “Cool Japan”-themed area with attractions for Neon Genesis Evangelion, Monster Hunter, Attack on Titan, and Resident Evil Update – 6:15PM, Feb 9: We have removed several photos from this post that we…

Kizumonogatari Isn’t Your Average Vampire Tale

The Monogatari anime franchise has given us four TV series and several specials since it started in 2009. So it’s all the more surprising that it’s only now that we’re getting the beginning of the story in the first of three films with Kizumonogatari Part I: Tekketsu The Monogatari series in general follows high school…

Your Complete Winter 2016 Anime Guide

It’s winter. It’s cold outside. That is, unless you are in warm country or in the Southern Hemisphere. Whatever, let’s stay inside and watch anime. That’s right, it’s that time of the year again. Time for Kotaku’s annual Winter Anime Guide—namely, the 2016 edition. Have a look at the shows below, which are in alphbetical…

Nintendo is running a special Amiibo campaign in Japan. Buy an Amiibo and you get a code for download title Mini Mario and Friends Amiibo Challenge, a platformer with toy-versions of the Nintendo characters. No word yet on a Western release.

No Guys Allowed at New Geek Cafe in Japan

Sorry! If you are a dude, then you cannot enter Osaka’s Ataraxia Cafe, which is aimed strictly at lady geeks. It’s apparently the first of its kind in Japan. Over the years, there have been a variety of cafes aimed at women otaku, such as “butler cafes,” which were relatively popular a decade ago among…