Kotaku East

Phantasy Star Online 2 is coming to the PS4 next year in Japan. The PS4 version will be playable at next month’s Tokyo Game Show. The game was first released in Japan on PC back in 2012.

Cosplayer Forgets Something Very Important 

Costume and accessories? Check. Makeup and hairdo? Check. Sunscreen? Um… Cosplayer Ayane Maro dressed up as Death Note’s Misa Amane during the recent Comic Market in Tokyo. This weekend was hot and sunny, and Ayane forgot to put on sunblock. [Photo: aru_nico] You might think, well, her sunburn probably wasn’t that noticeable. [Photo: aru_nico] You,…

Awa Odori Festival. Tokushima, Japan. By William Hofer. 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!

Sources: When You Work At Konami, Big Brother Is Always Watching

Konami, the company behind Castlevania, Metal Gear Solid and Silent Hill, does not appear to be a fun place to work. That’s according to reports in the Japanese press and new information shared with Kotaku by people close to the company. They describe a game development environment where Big Brother is always watching and where…

Car Seesaw Is Terrifying and Dangerous

Just when you think Japanese TV has settled down, it goes and pulls a stunt like this. Television program Itte Q! sent some members of its celebrity panel to Taiwan, where they got to experience a car seesaw, among other activities. The driver, a fellow named Mr. Wan, has been doing this car seesaw stunt…

Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest: The Kotaku Import Preview

When picking up Fire Emblem Fates, I had two choices: the stereotypical “good guy” story in Birthright, or the far darker “good people forced to do bad things” story in Conquest. Even as I slaughtered the would-be Birthright heroes, I was glad with the choice I made. Fire Emblem Fates is three games, not one—though…

Track: Woo Hoo | Artist: The 5, 6, 7, 8’s | Album: Bomb the Twist Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

During its first week on sale in Japan, Wii U exclusive Devil’s Third didn’t make the top fifty on the sales chart. Number fifty, Yokai Watch 2, sold 1,006 copies. Guess that means Devil’s Third didn’t even sell a thousand copies! Correction, 8:06 AM: As pointed out by several Kotaku commenters, Devil’s Third isn’t in…

Bikini Warriors is a Comical Look at JRPG Tropes

Bikini Warriors is an anime about two things: buxom fantasy heroines dressed in nothing but bikini armor, and making fun of some of the most prevalent JRPG clichés. Let’s be clear up front: There is a stupid amount of fanservice in this short-form anime. So that alone may move it off (or onto) your watch…

A Religious Shrine for Voice Actors

This month in Tokyo, a voice actor museum opened. It claims to be the first of its kind. It houses anime scripts and various memorabilia. But the most interesting part of the museum is a Shinto shrine dedicated to voice actors. In Japan, voice actors (seiyuu) also release pop music albums, write books, and some…

Square Enix’s streaming service Dive In is dead. The company’s Japanese headquarters announced that it will end on September 13. It launched in October 2014 in Japan. At last year’s Tokyo Game Show, Kotaku checked out Dive In. Read our impressions right here.

Kabuki-cho Signs. Shinjuku, Tokyo. By Denis Barbini. 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: Angel Night | Artist: PSY・S | Album: Non-Fiction Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Japan’s Official Mario and Luigi Cosplay Costumes

Here we go! These are the first officially licensed Mario and Luigi costumes for Japan. I believe that officially licensed Halloween costumes are available outside the country, but until now, that wasn’t the case in Japan. Below, you can check out the Luigi costume (via Inside): Both outfits go on sale in Japan on September…

Koei Tecmo’s Attack on Titan Won’t be Another Dynasty Warriors Game

Announced last week, Koei Tecmo is making an Attack on Titan game. It’s being developed by Omega-Force, the developers of all the Dynasty Warriors games. But it won’t be a Warriors game. And they want you to know that. In an interview with Dengeki Online, producer Hisashi Koinuma talked about the conception of the game.…

New Japanese TV Show Stars a Singing Sumo Wrestler

Taiwan’s Lin Yu-chun might be most famous for his rendition of “I Will Always Love You.” He sometimes appears on Japanese variety, showing off his incredible gift. Now he’s starring in a new Japanese TV show, showing off more than that. Lin is starring in a new Japanese drama for streaming service dTV. Called Dosu-koi…

Five Must-Watch Anime for Summer 2015

Having reached the halfway point of the Summer anime season, most series currently airing have settled into their groove. For those out there for whom forty-seven new shows are a bit too much to stomach, we at Kotaku East are here to offer our recommendations for what we feel are the cream of the crop.…

Dragon Quest XI looks very nice on the PS4 in this latest batch of screenshots. Check 4Gamer for more, including Nintendo 3DS screens.

Senso-ji at Night. Asakusa, Tokyo. By Edward Dearberg. 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!

Mad Max Recreated with Vegetables for Dead Spirits

This week, one Japanese Twitter user Sativa_high decided to turn eggplants, cucumbers, and a bunch of toothpicks into vehicles from Mad Max: Fury Road. This was to welcome his dead ancestors back to this world. And what a welcome! During August in Japan, Obon is when the spirits of people’s ancestors return to this world.…