-
Kotaku EastJapanRecord Covid-19 Cases In Osaka As Universal Studios Japan Limits Visitors
Today, Osaka posted its highest daily number of covid-19 cases: 719. This is the eighth straight day that covid-19 cases have been increasing in the prefecture. The numbers are also climbing in the surrounding areas. Online in Japan, some commenters online are worried about covid-19’s spread in Osaka, especially in regards to Universal Studios Japan…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 6, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanYu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2021 Is Canceled Due To Covid-19
Konami has canceled the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2021. This isn’t a first. The event was also canceled last year. Below is the announcement: Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, we will be canceling “Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2021″ to ensure health and safety of all parties involved. We apologize to everyone that was looking forward to…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 5, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanOh Dear, The Sony Japan Studio Exodus Continues
Last month, Kotaku reported that yet another producer departed from the Japan Studio. And this month, we’re reporting that the exodus continues. Yesterday, Shunsuke Saito tweeted, “I’m leaving SIE Japan Studio today.” Saito was the character designer and animator for Gravity Rush 1 and 2. He was also the art director for the sequel. His…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 1, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanReport: Tokyo Olympics Proposal Included Akira And Super Mario In The Opening Ceremony
The Tokyo Olympics, it seems, will hold the opening ceremonies this July. While the finalized plans have yet to be revealed, Japanese magazine Shukan Bunshun has apparently acquired a 280-page scrapped proposal for the event. Included within it is an Akira-themed plan, and another that features Nintendo’s Mario. Shukan Bunshun is one of Japan’s most famous magazines…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 1, 2021 -
Kotaku EastMangaPosting Manga Dialogue Online Without Permission Is Copyright Infringement, Says Tokyo Court
Last week, the Tokyo District Court (pictured above) ruled that publishing manga dialogue online without permission is copyright infringement. According to NHK (via ANN), a “spoiler site” published almost all the dialogue verbatim from manga between January 2019 and May 2020. In total, 63 volumes were uploaded. The manga in question is Kengan Omega, and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 1, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanItalian Fashion Brand Criticized for Disrespecting Japanese Culture
If you’ve ever been to Japan (and even if you haven’t), you are probably aware that shoes are a big deal—and specifically, taking them off. The bottoms of shoes are considered dirty for obvious reasons. Because of this, walking inside while wearing shoes is certainly frowned upon. The cultural norms do not stop there. Walking…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 30, 2021 -
Kotaku EastNexon Is Investing $1.5 Billion In Konami, Sega, Namco Bandai, And More
This week, Nexon announced that last year the company greenlit up to $1.5 billion worth of investments in Konami Holdings, Bandai Namco Holdings, Sega Sammy Holdings, and Hasbro. Founded in Seoul but now based in Tokyo, Nexon is one of the most successful game companies in Asia. “We believe companies with strong, well-managed global IP…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 30, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanOnce Again, In-Person Tokyo Game Show Canceled, Event Will Be Online
Last year, the in-person Tokyo Game Show was canceled due to covid-19 concerns. In its place was an online event. This year, once again, the show will be only online. As organizers announced in an official release, this year’s theme will be Sore de mo, bokura ni wa geemu ga aru (それでも、僕らにはゲームがある) or, “We’ll always…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 30, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanMan Arrested Following Daring Pokémon Card Robbery
A 28-year-old Tokyo resident has been arrested for allegedly breaking into a trading card shop atop a six-story building to steal Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, after climbing over the side of the building with a rope. Mainichi reports that in the early morning hours last week, Kensuke Nakanishi anchored a rope to a railing on the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 29, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanEditor At Japan’s Biggest Game Publication Famitsu Arrested For Alleged Fraud
Famitsu editor Eiichi Sato was arrested for alleged fraud. According to Asahi News, Sato is accused of pulling off an impersonation ruse to collect freelance fees for articles. Sato was previously employed as an editor at Famitsu, a subsidiary of Kadokawa, and he was in charge of editing freelance articles. Famitsu, of course, is Japan’s…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 29, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanShin Ultraman Movie’s Release Delayed By Covid-19
Originally scheduled for “early summer” in Japan, the upcoming Shin Ultraman movie will be delayed. According to the official site, the scheduled release has been impacted by covid-19. Shin Ultraman will now get a new theatrical debut date, announced at a later time. Shin Ultraman is the latest collaboration between Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 29, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanKoei Tecmo Couldn’t Salvage The Data for Ninja Gaiden Black And Ninja Gaiden II
Last month, it was announced that the Nintendo Switch was getting a Ninja Gaiden trilogy release. But to the chagrin of some, this bundle includes Ninja Gaiden Sigma 1 and Sigma 2. That’s right, Ninja Gaiden Black and Ninja Gaiden II are not included. Announced in 2005, Ninja Gaiden Black was a reworked, harder version…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 25, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanJapanese Company Creates “Monster Hunter Holiday” For New Game’s Release
Whenever a massive game is released, no doubt, diehard fans wish nothing more than to take the day off. Some may suddenly find themselves coming down with a cold and the only recipe for recovery is a day of gaming. But employees at Tokyo-based VR-studio Mark-On don’t need to feign illness. Exec Jack Masaki formally…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 24, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanKonami Closes 16 Of Its Sports Clubs In Japan Due To Covid-19
In Japan, Konami doesn’t only make video games. It also has a major chain of sports clubs. Gyms have been hit hard by the novel coronavirus pandemic, and Konami has had to shutter a number of its locations. Konami’s presence in sports is why the company has developed exercise games and been a major sponsor…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 24, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanJapanese City Features Slowpoke On Postal Truck And Mail Box
Slowpoke might not exactly be the image postal carriers are going for, but in Japan, the sluggishly cute Pokémon is known as Yadon, and… well, let me explain Since the character’s Japanese name sounds like “udon,” the character has been promoting the famous noodle dish in Kagawa Prefecture since 2015. If you ever visit the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 23, 2021 -
Kotaku EastMobile Game Final Fantasy XI R Has Been Canceled [Update]
For the past few years, Square Enix has been co-developing mobile game Final Fantasy XI R with Nexon. The game was dubbed an “MMMRPG” or “Massively Multiplayer Mobile RPG.” But now, apparently, it’s no more. Originally announced in 2015 as Final Fantasy XI Mobile, the game was promised to be a mobile version of, you…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 23, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanFinal Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade Had A Dedicated Team of Lighting Experts
When Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade was announced earlier this year, Square Enix detailed how it changed the textures and lighting, as well as added fog effects. Some changes were more subtle. During today’s Sony online event, Final Fantasy producer Yoshinori Kitase ran through the changes in the PS5 version. Most of the information was…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 21, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanSize Comparison For Resident Evil Village‘s Tall Vampire With Real People
Lady Dimitrescu is one tall lady—to be exact, 2.9m tall (that is, 9’6″). But what does that look like next to actual humans? Let’s find out! During today’s online PlayStation event, the character was compared with celebrity hosts Hatsune Matsushima and Kayo Satoh. Matsushima is 5’2″ tall (161cm), while Satoh is 5’6″ (172cm). Lady Dimitrescu…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 21, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanGundam Build Series Going Live-Action
Bandai and anime studio Sunrise are teaming up for a new Gundam Build series. This time, though, it’s not animated. It’s live-action. Gundam Build Fighters debuted as an anime back in 2013, and was followed by sequels, with Gunpla builders vying to win battle tournaments. According to Gundam.info, the new series is called Gundam Build…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 19, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanSuper Nintendo World Finally Opens In Japan
After not one but two delays, Super Nintendo World finally opened today. As Being Kansai reports, lines started forming by 6:30 AM, with a good crowd forming within an hour. Although Osaka lifted the state of emergency earlier this month (Tokyo is currently still under one), with people congregating, waiting inside, and eating in restaurants,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 18, 2021