Kotaku East

Japanese Young People Are Imitating That Crying Politician

Politician Ryutaro Nonomura made national news in Japan after he turned into a crying mess during a press conference. The incident spawned internet memes, the latest of which is Japanese youth posing as Nonomura for laughs. In case you missed it, here is the now infamous press conference, which was supposed to address the Hyogo…

Your Complete Summer 2014 Anime Guide

Summer makes the world a sweltering wasteland, so why not hold up in air-conditioned comfort with the new anime season. Of course, with 44 new anime in the pipeline, how do you know which ones to watch? Check out the trailers and brief blurbs about each to see which of them catches your interest. [*Note:…

China Fights Smog with a Giant Mist Cannon

This is a “mist buster.” It’s being used in the city of Zhangjiakou in Hebei province—a city dealing with pollution. And dealing with it using a giant water cannon. According to ChinaNews, it can spray a mist of water at least 100 meters far and 60 meters high. And yes, that’s a military vehicle that’s…

The PlayStation 4 is struggling in Japan, according to figures released by analyst Media Create (via Eurogamer). Between June 23-29, the console only managed to shift 8,000 units, compared to the PS3’s 8,500 and the Wii U’s 10,000 units. Since its February 22 launch, the PS4 has sold a total of 620,000 units.

In Japan, Shinji Mikami’s upcoming game The Evil Within will be sold as a toned down version when it’s released here on October 23. To get the full version, Game Impress Watch reports that Japanese gamers can download content called “Gore Mode DLC,” which is being offered as pre-order bonus.

The Excellent Pokémon Art Academy Art of the Past 24 Hours

The new game, Pokémon Art Academy, allows you to upload your Pokémon artwork to the Miiverse. As the game released in PAL territories last week (and Japan two weeks before that), there are already scores of artwork to browse though. Some of it is pretty amazing—even just in the last 24 hours on the Japanese…

Japanese Building Falls Apart in a Most Unexpected Way

Earlier today, a powerful typhoon ravaged Okinawa, Japan. This is serious stuff. People were urged to seek shelter as islands were hit with strong winds and rain. The way that this building was wrecked might surprise you. Above, you can see a restaurant called “Sakae” (栄), which means “glory” in Japanese. Located in the city…

Police Stop Japanese Superhero on the Streets of Tokyo

Can’t a person just walk around the city dressed as Ultraseven without being questioned by the cops? Is that too much to ask? Guess so! Since mid-2013, a person dressed as late-1960s superhero Ultraseven has been spotted around Tokyo. The Ultraseven has been seen numerous times at train stations, carrying a briefcase, as if commuting.…

Grown Men Should Not Pose Like Little Girls

Then again, I’m not sure little girls should pose like little girls. So there! Miracle Kawaii! Master Posing and Taking Pics is a guide book aimed at grade schoolers to show them the “cutest” way to appear in photos. The book looks to be rather in-depth, showing kids how they should curl their lips and…

Dragon Quest X is finally getting a Nintendo 3DS release. Previously released on Wii, Wii U, Windows and smartphones, the 3DS version will use WiFi and cost 3,800 yen ($37). Out September 4 in Japan, it requires an additional subscription fee like the other versions. No word yet about a Western release for the 3DS.

One Piece Might Last Another Decade

For those worried that One Piece might be ending sooner rather than later, don’t be. In a recent interview, the manga’s creator, Eiichiro Oda, says he won’t be slowing down anytime soon. “After 17 years, after more and more new characters being created in the story, I couldn’t stop inspiration coming into my head,” Oda…

One Piece Expo Steamrolls Taiwan

Japanese comic and animation One Piece is immensely popular in Taiwan. In fact, it’s so popular that the first ever One Piece exhibition outside of Japan saw over 100,000 guests within its first week. The One Piece exhibition, the first of its kind outside of Japan started last Tuesday and will run until September 22…

In Japan, There Is a Shrine for…Hemorrhoids

The vast majority of festivals in Japan are not unusual. Then, there are some that are referred to as “kisai” (奇祭) or “strange festival.” This is one of those. Even to people in Japan, these unusual festivals might appear odd. But in Shintoism, a religion without a dogmatic view of right and wrong (nobody is…

What’s More Important, Video Games Or Airport Security?

Every time I go through airport security, I’m always afraid someone will walk off with my personal belongings. This exact scenario happened to one man in Central China last Thursday. When he realized he had lost his stuff, he went to the security staff. What he found next was terrible. China National Radio reports that…

Here’s How to Draw Pikachu

Can you draw Pikachu? Do you want to learn how? Pokémon Character Art Director Ken Sugimori is here to teach us all. On The Official Pokémon Channel, Sugimori gives a step-by-step explanation as to how to draw the iconic character. If you are interested in learning how to draw more Pokémon characters, then perhaps Pokémon…

Chinese SWAT Team Recruits With Smiles And Crossbows

In the wake of the ridiculously awesome propaganda posters put up by police in Eastern China, another Chinese police force has come out with a set of awesome photos. This time around, instead of letting the locals know who’s watching, a police department of south west China’s Sichuan province is looking for recruits! Earlier last…

Dark Souls Allegedly Ripped Off By Popular Korean Game

In South Korea, Dark Souls has a following and fans. You’d think the makers of popular mobile game Blade would know they couldn’t get away with ripping it off. You’d think! As tipster Sang points out, recently released action RPG Blade has hit number one on Google Play’s Top Grossing chart in South Korea. Developed…

The Latest Advancement in Penis Peripherals

Erotic games are not mainstream in Japan. They are incredibly niche. But that hasn’t stopped them from innovating, all in the name of weenie masturbation. Note: This article contains content some readers might find objectionable. In the past few years, erotic game companies have developed and/or released a slew of highly interactive peripherals (here, here,…

Cats Are Very Serious about Video Games

You might think you are very serious about video games. Maybe you are. But, you know what? Cats are pretty serious, too. Late last week, Twitter user Fan114 uploaded this gaming cat photo, which has since been retweeted over two thousand times. It’s like the furry friend is really concentrating on the game. Gaming cats…

The Creator of Robotech Predicted Crowdfunding in 1995

Yesterday we learned that 80s classic anime Robotech will be returning with the new series, Robotech Academy. It will be paid for via Kickstarter—which is more than a little apt as Robotech’s creator, the late Carl Macek predicted the eventual existence of crowdfunding all the way back in 1995. Check out the video above to…