Kotaku East

Dragon Ball‘s Most Ridiculous Super Saiyan Form Gets a Name Change

In Dragon Ball Super, there is a Saiyan form called Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan or SSGSS. It’s a mouthful! Surely, there has to be an easier way to say this. Now, there is. A Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan is when a Saiyan gets the power of a Super Saiyan God and then becomes…

First Look at the Resident Evil Stage Play

Today, the Resident Evil stage play, which is called… Resident Evil the Stage (blergh), debuted in Japan. Let’s see what it looked like! According to Inside Games, the play’s timeline is between Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6. The setting is an Australian university, where BSAA descends after a bioterrorism incident and things get…

Phantasy Star Online 2 Says Not to Build Nukes

Do you read the end user license agreements for software? No? You should. Sometimes they say important things. Like not to build nukes. Phantasy Star Online 2 is Sega’s MMORPG that is currently free to play. The game is available in both Japan and the West [Correction: Not officially in the West.], but players recently…

Japanese Vending Machines Now Lending Out Umbrellas

There’s nothing worse than being caught out in the rain without an umbrella. (There are worse things, but whatever.) If you happen upon a DyDo vending machine, however, you can borrow one for free! NariNari reports that Osaka-based drink maker DyDo is adding the free-loaners at sixty of its vending machines. This is based on…

Overlord is a Magnificent Power Fantasy

You’ve heard the story before: guy gets stuck inside fantasy world. Guy tries to get back to real world. But why even try to go back when you’re a skeletal badass with fanatical loyal minions at your command? This past season had a lot of strong series. Among our favorites was the fantasy series, Overlord,…

If You’re Visiting Japan, Check Out This Pokémon Gym

In Pokémon, the Gym is where you can go to train your Pocket Monsters. In Japan, the Pokémon Expo Gym is where you can shop and interact with Pokémon. Opening this November in Osaka, Pokémon Expo Gym is similar to Pokémon Center stores in that it offers a whole host of things to buy. One…

End of the Shopping Arcade. Osaka, Japan. By Jase Nguyen. 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: Silhouette | Artist: Kana-Boon | Album: Silhouette Single To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter@Brian_Ashcraft Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.

Great Scott! Japan Has Back to the Future Cafes

Not cafe, but cafes. Plural! Today is October 21, 2015. You know, BACK TO THE FUTURE DAY. And to mark the franchise’s thirtieth anniversary, five (count ‘em, five!) Back to the Future pop-up cafes have opened in Japan. They’re only for a limited time, but have BTTF themed food, drinks, and deserts. If the posters…

This November, Nintendo is releasing “Mario hanafuda” cards in Japan. Previously, they released Super Mario character-themedhanafuda cards via Club Nintendo (R.I.P.). These latest sets are priced at 2,500 yen (US$21).

Life-Sized Gundam. Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan. By Dan Vu. 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!

The End of a Grand Sci-Fi Adventure on the High Seas

Arpeggio of Blue Steel was one of my favorite anime of 2013. And while it’s been a bit of a wait for this feature film conclusion, it was worth it. [Note: This review contains major spoiler for the TV series Arpeggio of Blue Steel. For a non-spoiler look at the series that spawned this film,…

Getting Anime Aircraft To Fly in Real Life Is Difficult

In the anime Macross, Valkyries are fighter craft that can turn into mecha. Forget the transforming bit for a moment, because some Macross superfans just wanted to see if they could build RC Valkyries and get them airborn. Here, you can see the incredible hard work that went into building VR-1 Valkyries and then seeing…

It’s Like Tsum Tsum on Your Phone, Only Bigger

Disney’s Tsum Tsum is a worldwide hit and one of Japan’s biggest mobile games—which is why it’s not surprising that someone at Konami decided to take a giant touch screen, turn it sideways and make Tsum Tsum into an arcade game. The arcade in general plays exactly like the mobile app. You make a line…

Dusk. Woodlands Jetty, Singapore. By KC. 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!

Covering Michael Jackson with Traditional Japanese Instruments 

Track: Smooth Criminal (Cover) | Artist: Yoshimi Tsujimoto | Broadcast: NHK World Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Move Over Hello Kitty, This Sanrio Food Shits

Gudetama might be Sanrio’s laziest character. And this might be Sanrio’s most disgusting-looking food. But really, we shouldn’t judge food on whether or not it looks like it’s shitting all over the place. I’m willing to bet these are delicious. Previously, Sanrio had Gudetama themed cafes in Japan, but this month, one set up shop…

The Evangelion Bullet Train Looks Truly Magnificent in Real Life

We’ve seen the teaser images. We’ve seen the concept art. But nothing, I repeat nothing, can prepare you for seeing an actual Neon Genesis Evangelion bullet train. The bullet train won’t be in service until next month in Japan, but today, it was shown off to the Japanese press, and Tokyo Keizai, Inside Games, Tetsudo…

Japanese Restrooms Are Still the Best on Earth

This the Orifuji. It’s the most polite toilet paper dispenser you’ll find and further proof that Japanese restrooms really are terrific. Joining the ranks of heated seats, potties that play music, and commodes that have night lights is a new toilet paper dispenser that automatically cuts the toilet paper so you don’t have to tear…

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII should be out on PC in December, according to a recent message on the development team’s official Twitter. The port, the tweet says, is currently getting some finishing touches, with the team promising to share more info soon.