Kotaku East

Nintendo just bought a stake in NicoNico Douga’s parent company Dwango. The company provides content via smartphones, but Nintendo says it won’t be using Dwango for that. More on Siliconera.

Our Favorite Video Game Characters of the Last Generation

Video games immerse us in worlds beyond our own, letting us encounter sights and sounds beyond our imaginations. But no matter the scenery, what would these worlds be without the characters we have fought alongside and grown emotionally attached to over the past eight years? With the impending release of the PlayStation 4, today is…

There Are Japanese Temples for Boobs

There are several festivals in Japan dedicated to the phallus. At the very least, it’s only natural that there would also be a religious sites for breasts. This is Mama Kannon (formally “Ryuuon-ji”), and it’s a Buddhist temple in the Joudo sect. Kannon (aka Guanyin) is the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. Located in Aichi Prefecture,…

One Man’s Quest To Prove How Far Laser Pointers Reach

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who did this, but the first thing I did when I got my first laser pointer was go outside and point it at the moon. I’d stare and wonder if someone was up there, would they be able to see the little red light shining from the…

See Just How Small the Vita TV is

Yesterday you saw how Sony’s newest console stacks up to the competition but what about its little brother, the Vita TV? According to my tape measure, this little guy is only 10.5 cm x 6.5 cm (around 4 in x 2 1/2 in). Having problems imagining that? Well let’s compare it to some other video…

A Look at the PS Vita TV’s Innards

The PS Vita went on sale in Japan today. Know what that means? Somebody’s already taken the microconsole apart for your viewing pleasure. That somebody is Japanese site 4Gamer. Below you can see the console busted wide open, totally voiding the warranty. Living on the edge there, 4Gamer! PS Vita TV発売。取り急ぎ分解してみた [4Gamer] To contact the…

72 Year-Old Grandpa Paints Anime Art for Grandchild

In Japan, most little girls watch the magical girl anime Pretty Cure. Many adore it! One Grandfather decided the best way to delight his grandchild was to paint it. In watercolors. What a darling painting! So cool to see a grandfather go the extra distance to delight his grandchild. The watercolor depicts the characters from…

Smash Bros. Creator Is Always Being Recorded At Work and He Hates It

You wanna see video of Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai in his day to day work overseeing game development? Apparently, there’s tons. Sakurai is hard at work on the upcoming Smash Bros. games for the 3DS and Wii U. According to his column in Weekly Famitsu, generally whenever he talks about editing and changes at…

Red Panda Curry Is Best Served with Real Pandas

No, no, no! You’re not eating curry made from Red Pandas. You are eating a panda-shaped meal while you watch those furry critters frolic and play. IT Media reports that Safariland, an “animal park” in Yamaguchi Prefecture, is now offering “Red Panda Curry.” The curry is made to look like a Red Panda (meatballs form…

Cops Called for Underboob Cosplay Controversy

This weekend, there was a big anime event in Singapore called Anime Festival Asia. Many cosplayers showed up. And so did the police. According to forum Singapore HardwareZone, an older woman called the police after seeing a cosplayer dressed as the character Ryuko Matoifrom popular anime Kill la Kill. The outfit was Ryuko’s battle gear,…

Screw Burgers with Bacon Slices, You Want Bacon Cubes

You really do. Your heart and your arteries might not, but who cares what they think. Man, we’re talking burgers here. Burgers Lotteria, the most mental fast food chain in Japan (proof here, here, and um, here), is rolling out the Bacon Cube Deluxe Cheese Burger (Kakugiri Beekon Zeppin Chiizu Baagaa or 角切りベーコン絶品チーズバーガー). Priced at…

Knock on Your Car. You Might Save a Cat.

It’s fall! In much of Japan, the weather is getting chilly. And while we bundle up, cats want to stay warm, too. And sometimes, they crawl up next to car engines for warmth. Remember that before you start your car! In Japan’s Kochi Prefecture, a non-profit group launched a “knock knock” (“kon kon” or コンコン)…

Sega in Japan’s Biggest Restaurant Scandal of 2013

This fall, a series of restaurant scandals have been front page news in Japan. Several pricey eateries have admitted to lying about their menus. Establishments Sega owns, it seems, did as well. Yes, Sega runs restaurants in Japan. As The Guardian‘s Justin McCurry reported, luxury hotels and restaurants duped patrons by giving false menu descriptions,…

Sony boss Kaz Hirai recently said in Shanghai that Sony is working to release its home console in China. However, Sony explained it needed to first create a retail network that can support the PS4. As TechInAsia explains, specifics like a timeline, weren’t given.

China’s Monster Fish Ends Up in a Cheesy Photo Op

That’s one big fish. One really big fish. Your typical smaller grouper weighs between three and five pounds, but this is hardly typical. This is a goliath grouper. As SinoNet (via ShanghaiIst) explains, fishermen recently caught this 683 pound grouper fish near the Spratly Islands. It was then displayed in Dalang in southern China and…

Overheating Consoles Were the Worst Problem of Last Generation

With this past generation, the most terrifying thing console owners could see was a small red or yellow light that meant their several hundred dollar console was dead. Without a doubt, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are amazingly complex pieces of hardware—each a powerful computer shoved into a tiny box. Unfortunately, as it turned…

Japan’s “Privacy Visor” Offers Internet Privacy and Incessant Giggles

When you step outside, anyone can snap your photo. And said photo could spread all over cyberspace—Twitter, Facebook, you name it. Heck, it could even end up here! Maybe you don’t want that. Maybe you want privacy. Maybe you don’t mind looking silly. Japan’s National Institute of Informatics is working on a “privacy visor.” The…

Can’t Go to the Real Akihabara? Try This Game!

Akiba’s Trip 2 is about two things: stripping vampires (and thus exposing them to lethal amounts of sunlight) and the mecca for otaku worldwide: Akihabara. And as the game sports over 130 stores from the real world Akihabara, I went out and took a few pictures to see just how well the game captured real…

Kingdom Under Fire II Coming to PS4. It’ll Be Out…One Day.

Kingdom Under Fire II has been in development for a long time. A very long time. Originally announced in early 2008 as a PC and home console game, Kingdom Under Fire II was supposed to hit the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Delays followed, there were rumors of development problems, and the console game…

Eat Totally Fake Maguro Sashimi in Japan

Raw maguro (tuna) is served with rice as sushi or without as sashimi. One Japanese company is now introducing phony maguro you can eat. Imagine that! This faux sashimi is actually konnyaku (こんにゃく), which is a rubbery jelly made from a variety of potatoes. It’s actually very healthy and high in fiber. Natural tomato coloring…