Kotaku East

Iconic JRPG Series Inspires High Heel Shoes

The Tales Japanese role-playing series is being immortalized in footwear. See how Yuri Lowell from Tales of Vesperia and Leon Magnus from Tales of Destiny inspired these shoes? Priced at 16,800 yen (US$144), these heels are available for a limited time only. Pre-orders started this week in Japan and end on December 7. 『テイルズ オブ』シリーズのコラボパンプスはリオン&ユーリモデル[Super…

Make Your Own Silly Titan from Attack on Titan

To promote the upcoming Attack on Titan art exhibit in Tokyo, the show’s website launched an online Titan creator. It’s a fun time waster, especially if you make goofy-looking Titans. To make your own Titan, open up the website and click on 自分でつくる (Make Your Own). Then, you’ll see faces, hair, eyes, and more to…

More Wonderful Chalk Art from Japanese Classrooms

There’s more to do than study at school. For example, you can draw amazing pictures on the chalk board. So, let’s have another look at just that. Last fall, Kotaku took a look at some of the terrific chalkboard art found in Japanese classrooms. Some of these drawings were done after school during club activities.…

Soon, You Can Eat Gundam Burgers in Japan

Yep. Japan is getting official Gundam burgers with Gundam-themed buns. AnimeAnime reports that the Tokyo Station Gundam Cafe is being turned into McDaniel Hamburgers Gundam Cafe. The restaurant appeared in the Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam anime as a secret meeting place for the Anti-Earth Union Group, and now it will appear in Tokyo starting November…

Naruto Gag Art is Confusing, Chaotic, and Hilarious

The manga may be over, but the gag art lives on. Note: Images in this article contain spoilers for Naruto It’s pretty much a law of nature that anything that reaches a certain level of popularity is subject to parody and internet memedom. However, with the popular shonen manga, Naruto, the cut-and-paste collages – called…

Japan’s Slightly Depressing Video Game Sales Figures

Or, perhaps, truly depressing. It might depend on which console you own in Japan. That, or even if you own a home console. Full stop. Earlier today, Dengeki Online published the Japanese software sales chart for the week of November 3 to November 9. Keep in mind that the chart covers both home and portable…

Little Mac is Smash Bros.‘ Biggest Loser

According to the numbers, the champ boxer may not be as good as some believe. Smash Bros. will be getting a patch sometime this month to fix the game balance. While the exact details of what will be tweaked have not yet been revealed, a lot of players are probably hoping that one of the…

Japan Is Getting a KFC Coffee Shop

On November 28, the first “cafe type” KFC will open in Kobe, Japan. And it even serves pancakes and coffee. What does the “C” in “KFC” stand for again? The Colonel’s Cafe will serve French press espresso as well as hot tea, such as Earl Grey or Darjeeling. Websites Entabe and Ryutsuu News add that…

Short Clip Celebrates PlayStation’s 20th Birthday

The twentieth anniversary of the first PlayStation console’s Japanese release is fast approaching, and Sony’s here to commemorate it with—what else—a montage. The clip is part of a broader 20th anniversary promotion-slash-celebration for the brand, which is chronicled on a web page found on the official Japanese PlayStation site. Items and events “claimed” by the…

What Japanese Gamers Like About the New Nintendo 3DS

The New Nintendo 3DS is out in Japan, and it’s a fine upgrade to an already decent piece of hardware. With improved head tracking 3D, a second analog C stick and 2 extra shoulder buttons, the new handheld aims to please – and it looks like the people are pleased indeed. Weekly Famitsurecently conducted an…

K-pop Group Wears Nazi-Like Uniforms, Controversy Ensues [Update]

This is Pritz. They’re a South Korea pop group. And during a recent performance at a horse track, they wore outfits that drew comparisons to Nazi uniforms. Update: The group’s newest video, which was released after this initial controversy, features the Nazi-like get-ups. You can watch it below. According to Realtime Korea, the group’s management,…

So Many Legendary Pokémon Coming to Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

While the release of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire is right around the corner, Japan’s CoroCoro Comic points out that eighteen more Legendary Pokemon are headed towards the 3DS remakes. As mentioned previously, Legendary Pokemon are supposed to be “incredibly rare” Pokémon and often have special powers. CoroCoro Comic notes that you can meet…

An Astro Boy crossing signalwas just installed in Kanagawa Prefecture, outside Tokyo. 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…

PS4 exclusive Bloodborne has been delayed from February 5 to late March—specifically, March 24 for North America, 25th for Europe, 26th for Japan, and 27th for the UK and Ireland. The reason? So that From Software can “deliver the best possible final experience.”

What It’s Like To Be Poor and Rich, According to This Cartoon

While I may not agree one hundred percent, I do think there is certainly an element of truth to this illustration. Artist Rika Asakawa drew the image, which Kotaku has localized. OnTwitter, she wrote, “This is something I thought about when I became an adult.” The image appeared online earlier this fall and was retweeted…

A Final Fantasy VIII Remake Could Be a Beautiful Thing

Just look at it. This fan art is based on Final Fantasy VIII‘s Balamb Garden, and it not only looks fantastic, but also screams HD remake for FFVIII This was created by Scott Honeycutt, a 3D environmental artist—and a talented one at that. These images have been floating around Japanese web forums, impressing Final Fantasy…

Japanese High School Holds “Sex Change Day”

Yesterday wasn’t your typical day at Fuji Hokuryo High School in Yamanashi Prefecture. Male and female students could trade uniforms for what the school dubbed “Sex Change Day” (セクスチェンジ・デー or sekusu chenji dee). The event made the national news. According to one of Japan’s largest papers, Asahi Shimbun (via game site My Game News Flash),…

Another Season of RWBY Means More Epic Fights

Want to see some of the most amazing, well-choreographed fights animation has to offer? Then RWBY season two is the place for you. [Note: As this is a review of the second season of RWBY, there will be spoilers in this review. For a non-spoiler look, check out our review of the first season here.]…

You Can Buy a $250 Drum Controller for Wii U, If You Like

If you really, really like Japanese drumming game Taiko no Tatsujin and are planning on getting the upcoming Wii/Wii U game Taiko no Tatsujin: Tokumori!, then perhaps this drummer controller might be of interest? On sale December 4 in Japan, this Taiko no Tatsujin Dedicated Controller Pro is priced at 29,800 yen (US$258) and measures…

Japanese Snack Inspires Kissing, Fan Art, and Internet Celebrations

Today is Pocky Day! So Happy Pocky Day! The iconic snack has its own day in Japan. While hardly a national holiday by any stretch, people online have been celebrating in an array of different ways. November 11 is Pocky Day, because 11/11 looks like Pocky sticks, no? Japanese snack company Glico uses the day…