Kotaku East

Kendo Sure Looks Painful

Once upon a time, I thought about doing kendo. After watching this video, I have come to one conclusion: What the hell was I thinking? Co-directed by Vimeo user Simon Conlin, this video was created for the Canadian Kendo Federation to support the Canadian team when it competes in Tokyo next year. While kendo attacks…

One Piece Theme Park Opening in Tokyo Next Spring

To mark the 15th anniversary of the One Piece anime, the first One Piece theme park will open in Japan. Details are scant, and currently, there is only a teaser page that says this will be One Piece‘s “first theme park” (初のテーマパーク or “hatsu no teema paaku”) and that it will open at Tokyo Tower.…

Man in China Has Spent $32,000 Collecting Transformers

Transformers is quite popular in China. Heck, the latest film is set in the country. There are many diehard Chinese fans. One of them shelled out $32,000 for his collection. According to News 163 (via ShanghaiIst), retired soldier Zhang Wei has been collecting Transformers since 2002. So far, he and his wife have over 380…

You Know What Makes Blind Dates Better? Anime

Dating is tough. It’s not always easy to find a partner into the same things you are. Anime, for instance. Not everybody is into that. Wouldn’t it be great if there were blind dating events for anime lovers? In Japan, there are. Animax, the Japanese television network dedicated to anime broadcasting, is teaming up with…

Blade & Soul Has No Teens or Harems, Just Action and Vengeance

When I talk with older anime fans, the biggest complaint I hear is that everything has become nothing but moé, angsty, high school, love-harems. They claim they want exciting action shows with an adult cast and grown-up stories. To those people, I say this: “Blade & Soul is the anime for you.” Good – A…

First Real Look at Tokyo’s Giant Godzilla Statue

Later this week, a new giant Godzilla statue will be officially unveiled in Tokyo. Here is a first peek at the actual statue as it’s going up. Previously, only an artist rending of the statue was shown, but now we can see what it really looks like as the giant Godzilla is being constructed. The…

A Theory about the Ending Credits of an Iconic Anime

An anime family runs into a house, causing the house to stretch like elastic. What the heck is going on inside? Surely, they’re knocking about inside, but how exactly? Here’s a theory. Anime shows come and go, but there are two animated programs that are bound to be shown on Japanese television forever: Doraemon and…

This is the Closest You Can Get to Really Playing Sword Art Online

Sword Art Online is an anime series about 6000 players trapped in a VR MMORPG. So what could be more apt than playing a Sword Art Online game with the Oculus Rift VR headset? About a week ago, Oculus Rift had a booth at Anime Expo 2014. There you could try out an official demo…

Yokai Watch 2 has already sold over 1 million copies in Japan. Famitsu reports that in Yokai Watch 2′s first four days on sale, the 3DS game sold 1.28 million copies, surpassing the sales of the prequel, which has been out for a year. The Yokai Watch 2 sales total does not include downloads.

Blizzard is bringing Diablo III to China (though probably not as a “big pineapple”). The game will be operated by NetEase, which also provides servers for Blizzard’s other games—like Hearthstone and World of Warcraft—in Asia. (via Gamasutra)

Watch Us Play Gundam‘s Video Game Side Stories Reimagined on PS3

There have been a lot of Gundam side story games over the past few decades and many of them are now quite hard to find. Thus comes the PS3 collection Gundam Side Stories which reimagines these classic games with a modern engine. Let’s see what it looks like in action. Gundam Side Stories was released…

Cat Cafes Don’t Get Much Cuter Than This

Japan has loads of cat cafes. Loads. Many of them look the same—like coffee shops with cats or, even, like somebody’s apartment with, well, cats. But Temari no Ouchi looks like something out of a Studio Ghibli anime. Located in Tokyo’s Kichijoji, the cafe opened last year. There’s a 1,200 yen ($11.81) entrance fee on…

Japan’s Pikachu Cafe Serves Pikachu Burgers and More

Japan already has loads of Pikachu- and Pokémon-themed products, whether that’s soft drinks, candy, or even curry. But typically, those simply have a Pocket Monster slapped on the labelling. The official Pikachu Cafe is a tad different. Opening this weekend in Tokyo, the limited-time “Pikachu Cafe” will be servicing up Pikachu-themed eats that are supposed…

Solid Gold Godzilla Can Be Yours for Only $1.5 Million

Only! To mark the 60th anniversary of Godzilla and the new Hollywood flick, Tokyo jeweller Ginza Tanaka is offering this solid gold ‘Zilla. The statue is nearly ten inches tall and weighs 33 pounds. According to website Fashion Press, Ginza Tanaka is selling golden Godzilla for 150 million yen (US$1.47 million). In case you were…

Video Games Make a Convenient Scapegoat for Weak Students

A recent study by the Chinese Ministry of Education has found that the majority of China’s college student population is physically frail. But what is the reason behind the fact that students are physically inadequate? Well, you’ve probably guessed it, the blame is on video games. That’s right, Chinese media and in part the MoE…

China’s Government Had Enough Of Dirty, Ugly Net Cafes

Chinesenet cafes are a double-edged sword. In a way, they’re a great place to play games, consume copious amounts of ramen and junk food, but at the same time they’re total s**t-holes. The Chinese government is sick of them and now it wants to change what internet cafes are all about. Since February of this…

Managers Crawl on the Street After Failure

In Sichuan, China, three supervisors at an interior decorating company crawled on their hands and knees for over half a mile after failing to meet sales targets. They weren’t alone in the shaming: One female employee was forced to shave her eyebrows to repent. However, she was not forced to crawl around the city streets,…

Survey Says Chinese Gamers More Interested In PS4

With the Xbox One dropping in China in Septemberand the PlayStation 4 dropping some time later, Chinese news portal NetEase took the chance to survey netizens on their preferences. Turns out, Chinese users are more interested in the PS4. Hidden at the bottom of an article about the first major public showing of the PlayStation…

Japanese Gamers Explain Why the PS4 Isn’t Selling There

Sony. The home team. The PS4 should be doing well in Japan, right? Right? According to Japanese gamers, um, no. Recently, a Eurogamer article pointing out that the PS4 wasn’t exactly doing gangbusters in Japan (the console barely outsells the PS3) was translated and posted on 2ch, the country’s largest web forum. “We’re conscious of…

Vagina Artist Arrested in Japan

Move over guns. Add 3D-printed vaginas to the things that will get you arrested in Japan. Note: This article contains content some readers might find objectionable. Previously, Kotaku reported that a Japanese artist named Rokudenashiko was trying to make a name for herself with her vagina art. She even made a “pussy boat.” With her…