Kotaku East

Accused Child Predator Allegedly Used Nintendo’s Swapnote Service

On October 31, Nintendo suddenly announced it was ending its SwapNote service for the 3DS. Nintendo said Swapnote had been “actively misused” to transmit “offensive material” among system users, including minors. Now we know how offensive and unsettling some of that material was. Japanese newspaper Mainichi reports that charges for child pornography have also been…

The Kiki’s Delivery Service Live-Action Movie Looks Horrible

Totally horrible. Awful. Rotten. The latest teaser trailer, which is the first to show footage, is bad. The movie is a live-actionadaptation of the book, which was adapted into a terrific anime by Studio Ghibli. The live-action movie is not connected to Ghibli. And no, Hollywood is not involved. This is a Japanese production. As…

Mysterious Chinese Restaurant in Tokyo Raises Eyebrows Online

Purges and harassment. Torture and destruction. And millions dead. Those are what China’s Cultural Revolutionevokes. And according to one Chinese news source, there’s a new Cultural Revolution-themed cafe. Xinhua, one of China’s largest news sources, ran images this week of the themed restaurant, which it claims is based in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro. Xinhua reports that it’s…

I’ll Never Forget my First Journey with a Stranger

I love co-op gaming. Ever since I was a child, I have loved teaming up with friends to beat a game together. But Journey taught me something I had missed out on, the joy of teaming up with a complete stranger. When it comes down to it, Journey is almost a “stealth co-op” game. It…

Foxconn wants to dabble in mobile gaming. The controversial Taiwanese company, eager to move beyond parts manufacturing, recently announced that they would be releasing several mobile games. Their first game, developed jointly with NetDragon (Dungeon Keeper Online, Transformers Online), will be out within six months Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing…

Stop The Twitter Stupidity, Says Local Japanese Government

This year in Japan, idiots on Twitter have got into all kinds of trouble. Dummies have been climbing into freezers and on subway tracks to snap Twitter pics. And now, one area in Japan has had enough. Kanagawa Prefecture is launching a public awareness campaign to help prevent future Twitter stupidity. Later this month, the…

Japanese Vending Machine Dispenses Latte Art

Over the years, Japan has seen an amazing array of vending machines. From sushi to bras, there have been some truly peculiar ones. But most serve drinks. One, however, serves latte art. Located at Tokyo’s Haneda Aiport, the “Yojiya Cafe Selection” vending machine claims to be the first in the country to offer “latte art.”…

Check Out How Much Better the Tales of Symphonia Sequel Looks in HD

Last week we took a look at how the PS3 remaster of Tales of Symphonia stacks up against the original GameCube version. But this is not the only game in the Tales of Symphonia Chronicles HD remaster collection. Its 2008 sequel, Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, has had an HD makeover as…

If You Like Shirtless Anime Boys, Watch Free!

Earlier this year, four shirtless anime boys appeared in a commercial—a commercial that became so popular that a full anime series about them was ordered. That is how Free! was created. And, as you might expect from those beginnings, Free! is a shameless cash-in—though that doesn’t make for an unwatchable show. Free! is one of…

Here’s a Marvelous New Dragon Quest 3DS XL

Early next year, Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Iru and Luca’s Marvelous Mysterious Key hits the Nintendo 3DS. To mark the occasion, Nintendo is releasing a special 3DS XL. Neat DQ print, no? Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Iru and Luca’s Marvelous Mysterious Key is a remake of Dragon Quest Monsters 2: The Mysterious Key to Malta,…

Japanese Towel Art to Delight and Amaze

Isamu Sasagawa just might be the greatest towel artist in Japan, if not the entire Earth. What is towel art? It’s folding towels to resemble things, whether that’s animals or figures from pop culture. (And yes, some people like to fold dicks with towels. Shame on them!) If you’ve stayed at Walt Disney World, you…

How Sony’s Hometown Studio Rose From the Ashes In Time for the PS4

The Tokyo-based Japan Studio, responsible for PlayStation 2 classics such as Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and the Ape Escape franchise, seemed A.W.O.L. for much of the PS3 generation. Now, on the eve of the PlayStation 4’s release, Japan Studio is trying to make a major comeback. I went to Tokyo to find out how.…

Chinese Players Call Out International DotA Players: China’s The Best

MOBA games are super popular in China right now. Sure, they’re super popular everywhere, but they are particularly popular in China—that’s why, when a netizen asked online what China does better than the US, the most popular answer was Defense of the Ancients Earlier this year, a question appeared on China’s answer to Quora, Zhihu.com,…

One of the World’s Best Tekken Players Is a 13 Year-Old Kid

At the recent Tekkeg Tag Tournament Global Championship in South Korea, 13 year-old Alexander “AK” Laverez sure has remarkable skills when it comes to fighting games. The young Filipino was able to beat Japan’s favorite Nobi as well as one of the top Korean player Help-Me!! Although he finished third (that means $1000 and a…

Check Out the Rejected Lightning Returns Logos

This is the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy logo. You might have also seen this logo with an all-black background. But have you ever seen the rejected ones? At a recent event in Tokyo for Lightning Returns and Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD, Square Enix showed off the Lightning Returns logos it didn’t end up using. Below,…

Becoming a Demigod: Tencent’s Asura Online Ascends Chinese MMOs

Journey to the West is a classic Chinese tale that has been retold millions of times. It’s been referenced by a variety of media, from the movie the Forbidden Kingdom to even Dragon Ball. But despite all the awesome adaptations of the main subject, Tencent’s Asura Online might just be the coolest one yet. Released…

The Chinese Gaming Console with the Jackie Chan Seal of Approval

Chinese super star Jackie Chan, singer, dancer, and all around movie star, has endorsed loads of products in his lifetime, and will probably endorse many more to come. Recently in China, Chinese netizens have been going over some of Chan’s earlier product endorsements, including one that should’ve been banned. While the game console ban has…

Twitter Is Still Great at Finding Racists and Morons

Looking for idiots? Racists? What about insensitive people? Twitter is a good place to start. Last night, South Korean pop group Girls’s Generation won YTMA Video of the Year for “I Got a Boy,” beating the likes of Demi Lovato, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, One Direction, and Lady Gaga. That’s some stiff competition, and Girls’…

This Persona 5 “Leaked Image” Looks Really Fake

Over the weekend, a “leaked” Persona 5 image appeared on Reddit. It looks super duper fake. So, so, so fake. Did I mention that it looks fake? A Redditor said the recently uploaded Atlus teaser site looked like this for “a good minute.” If that’s the case, it was created by Japanese people who have…

Some of the World’s Scariest Military Troops

Last month, Kotaku published images of Taiwanese special forces. They were totally frightening. But Taiwan doesn’t have a monopoly on scary troops. Other countries are ready to terrify you, too. On Twitter, many Japanese netizens are uploading photos of other scary special forces. Below, you can find some of the most intimidating troops from around…