Kotaku East

Your Memory is The Key To Solving a 15-Year-Old Murder Case

How do you solve a mystery that took place 15 years ago? Through 15-year-old letters with a long lost pen pal of course. On Tuesday, Japanese game developer Kadokawa Games announced a new project; an adventure game series called the Kadokawa Game Mystery. Each game in the series will focus on a different region of…

Think Okami Meets Tactical JRPG

Announced on Tuesday at Kadokawa Games’ press conference, Kadokawa Games Media Briefing 2015 Autumn, comes an all new tactical RPGthat uses Japan’s mythology and folklore as its motif. Titled God Wars: Toki wo Koete (God Wars ～時をこえて～) or roughly translated, God Wars: Beyond Time, the game is set in the land of Mizuho—a name for…

Ranpo Kitan Bites Off More Than It Can Chew

A psycho-suspense murder mystery anime series that talks about the weakness of the justice system against the insanity plea? The premise sounds pretty interesting and engrossing at first, but Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace has more in store—for better or worse. Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace follows the brilliant but socially awkward young boy, Kobayashi,…

In Japan, There Are ‘Handsome Man’ Potato Chips

Not only do the bags say “Handsome Man” or “Cool Guy” chips, they also come with dreamboat trading cards. [Photo:oyatsujapan] Here’s another look at the bag. [Photo: oyatsu-daisuki] The chips. Yep, they look like potato chips. But this is not your regular bag of chips! [Photo: oyatsu-daisuki] Each comes with a trading card, featuring working…

Kinkaku-ji. Kyoto, Japan. By Taufiq. 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!

All the smartphone games DeNA says it’s currently creating with Nintendo will be free to download, reports the Wall Street Journal. Know what that sounds like? Micro-transactions, that’s what it sounds like. Don’t expect all Nintendo smartphone games to be free downloads, however.

K-Pop Group Releases Lightsaber Song

While the world should start bracing itself for a nasty Star Wars: The Force Awakens hangover, it isn’t. Korean pop fans, included. As tipster Sang points out, boy band Exo teamed up with Walt Disney Korea for this songvertisement “Lightsaber.” The video seems kind of low budget, and there’s a side-helping of cringe, but Exo…

Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park. Kobe, Japan. By Pavel. 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!

Five Must-Watch Anime for Fall 2015

This season there are 54 new anime on the air, so it can be more than a little difficult to know which ones to watch. But now that the season has reached its half-way point, we at Kotaku East come bearing our recommendations. Fellow Kotaku author Toshi Nakamura and I have spent the past few…

Champion Martial Artist Started out at an Arcade

This is In Gun Yoo, better known as “Kick Gun.” Last year, he won Red Bull’s Kick-It tournament, cementing his place as one of the best extreme martial artists on Earth. And he got his start in a most unlikely place: at a game arcade. But he wasn’t playing games per se, he was kicking…

When Anime Statues Are Unintentionally Terrifying

What is this, I don’t even. Recently, the latest Detective Conan movie opened in China. According to GamerSky (via Livedoor), one theater rolled out life-sized Conan statues apparently made at a nearby school to help promote the film. [Photo via GamerSky] Oh boy. Obviously, Conan fans in China were surprised and amused by the statues,…

Shimokitazawa. Tokyo, Japan. By Ryan Scullin 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!

Man Impersonates Dragon Quest Characters in His Underwear

Forget fancy costumes and well-made props. All comedian HollywoodZakoshisyoh needs for his Dragon Quest “impressions” are tighty whities and whatever he has around the house. Below, via IT Media, you can see his take on Dragon Quest enemies: Check out more impressions here and here To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com…

One Piece’s and Dragon Ball’s Creators Talk About Not Sleeping

Making manga is not easy. Something has to give and that something is usually sleep! Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, is an infamous workaholic. His hero, Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, is no slouch. In an interview from ages ago (recently, uploaded to 2ch), the two talked about their hectic work schedules. “Now,…

Japanese Comedian Will Show You Some Butt Naked Poses

This is Tonikaku Akarui Yasumura. He’s a funny man who’s achieved a certain degree of fame in Japan for his “I’m wearing” underpants gag. As Afternoon News points out, the comedian has done an English language version of his gag: As well as a Korean and a Thai version. Butt naked gags are universal. That’s…

Daytime View. Taipei, Taiwan. By Morgan Kinkel. 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!

This Guy’s iPhone Passcode Is Too Damn Long

It really is. How does he even remember it? I have no idea! Japanese Twitter user yossy1999116, it seems, originally uploaded the clip, writing, “There’s this amazing dude on the subway…” I’ve seen other videos of people with long passcodes, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone out in the wild with one…

First Look at the Ghost in the Shell Theatrical Play 

While the Hollywood Ghost in the Shell movie with Scarlett Johansson lurches forward, a new GiTS stage play recently opened in Tokyo. It’s called Ghost in the Shell Arise: Ghost is Alive. It’s totally official, and the poster looks totally terrific: [via Dengeki Online] The play has gotten a decent publicity push. [Photo:cafemoca516] Here’s where…

The Up-All-Night Stream Plays Yomawari [Stream Complete]

Aww. Look at that cute little girl with her little flashli—WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!? Update: The stream is now complete. You can watch it in its entirety at the links below. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Yomawari was released in Japan for the PlayStation Vita…

Behold, the Hat That Looks Like Panties

What’s your thoughts on headwear that look like underpants? Because a lady who goes by Korotoro is making each pair, er hat or cap, by hand and selling them for us all to wear. On our heads. In public. Oh boy. The striped panties certainly seem anime-inspired, but as website IT Media says, these are…