Kotaku East

The Return of Those Infamous Japanese Schoolgirl Socks

If you were in Japan during the 1990s, you saw them: loose socks. Well, among some kids, they’re back. An American sock company named E.G. Smith invented the socks, which were originally hiking socks. Teens put their own spin of them, and voilà, loose socks. Their appeal was that they make your legs look “cute,”…

According to an unconfirmed Famitsu leak, Kingdom Hearts III will give Sora a Keyblade that transforms, changing how it’s used. Kotaku will confirm this once the magazine is released in Japan.

Wrong about Japan and Sex

Right now, Japanese people are having sex. Not all the Japanese people at once, mind you. But it’s going on as you read this. Forget what you’ve recently heard about the country’s bedroom habits, because it’s just not true. Over the weekend, The Observer, one of the U.K.’s most respected newspapers, ran a piece titled,…

Sunday Without God Brings a Strange New World to Life

Sunday Without God is one of those anime that got my viewership not through reviews or word of mouth but on simple concept alone. Halfway through, I put it on my list of the five anime you should be watching this past season—a spot it still deserves based on its excellent world building and thematic…

This Generation’s Best Final Fantasys Weren’t Named “Final Fantasy”

This console generation saw only a few Final Fantasy games during its time in the sun but luckily two of them were amazing. Of course, I am not talking about Final Fantasy XIV—decent as it is after its relaunch—or any of the Final Fantasy XIIIs. No, I’m talking about Lost Odyssey and The Last Story…

64 Year-Old Woman Sues Over Destroyed Virtual Item Worth $28,000

In the online game Lineage, you can “enchant” in-game items to enhance them. If you’re unsuccessful, though, the item perishes. In South Korea, one gaming granny tried to enchant an extremely rare sword, but failed. So she sued the game’s maker. According to Inven (via tipster Sang), a 64 year-old woman sued NCsoft earlier this…

A Square Enix trademark for “Lost Crusade” has popped up in Japan. Any ideas on what it could be? That is, besides a trademark…

Japanese Sushi Chef Is Not Impressed with “Authentic” London Sushi

You are looking at, wait for it, crab and mango sushi. It’s from U.K. based chain Yo! Sushi, which claims to offer “authentic Japanese food.” A Japanese sushi chef begs to differ. On Japanese TV show Gaia no Yoake, a Yo! Sushi spokesperson recently claimed, “Our cuisine is authentic Japanese food.” The above two images…

Looking forward to Keanu Reeves in Cowboy Bebop? In a recent Reddit Q&A (via ANN), Reeves said, “Cowboy Bebop does not look like it is going to happen with me in it.” Reeves added that the script was “great and amazing,” but would “cost like a half a billion dollars to make.” Now, he’s trying…

Sneak Peek at the New Pikachu Game Is Scary

They’re making a new Pocket Monster game. And apparently, it stars Pikachu! Here is a very brief glimpse at the in-development title, courtesy of broadcaster NHK. NHK program The Professional follows producer Pokémon Company honcho Tsunekazu Ishihara and offers a behind-the-scenes look at an upcoming title. In the clip, you can see Ishihara saying that…

Korea’s Cop Cats Will Arrest You with Cuteness

A police station in Seoul, South Korea is filled with more than just cops. There are two feline friends on duty—namely, sleep and snack patrol. It’s a heartwarming story how they got there. Meet Mango and Mango Kobun. According to the Seoul Police, a young man brought Mango to the station this past June. The…

A Teenage Chairman Mao Gets His Own Animated Film

This December will mark the 120 anniversary of Mao Zedong’s birthday. To celebrate and honor the birth of The Chairman, China is putting out an animated feature film detailing Mao’s younger years. This new “anime” will be the first of it’s kind to detail Mao’s youth. This project has received government approval. Titled, Shaoshan Youths:…

Korean Counter-Strike Players Can Win a Pig. Like, A Real Pig.

In my time, I’ve seen some pretty interesting swag. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen any swine, er, swag, like this. According to the Counter-Strike Online 2 website (via tipster Sang), the game recently got a new game mode called “Pig Mode.” It consists of adding pink and blue piggies. Counter-Strike Online 2 is…

Japan’s Travel Agency for Stuffed Animals Is So Heartwarming

Stuffed animals are cooped up! They want to ditch your bed and bookshelves. They want to see the world. They want to travel. And in Japan, they can. Enter Unagi Travel. It dubs itself as a “travel agency for stuffed animals.” For the past three years, 38 year-old Sonoe Azuma has been taking stuffed animals…

Kingdom Hearts χ Is More Than I Expected from a Browser Game

After seeing the Kingdom Hearts III gameplay trailer last week, I was reminded that there was still one Kingdom Hearts title I had yet to play: the browser game Kingdom Hearts χ. I was wary going in but, surprisingly, it managed to exceed my (admittedly low) expectations. Kingdom Hearts χ is built on the same…

Rhythm Master Is a Peek into Chinese Pop

While games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band might be going to the way of last gen, rhythm music games are ever popular in Asia, especially when the games are made for mobile. Tencent’s Rhythm Master game is especially popular in China, where the game has been consistently topping the charts in app rankings since…

It’s officially over. The Wii is no longer in production. Nintendo’s Japanese website for the Wii reads “生産終了” (“seisan shuuryou”) or “production ended.” Thanks for the memories and the waggles, Nintendo Wii!

Underpants for Phones Offer Much Needed Protection and Giggles

If your mobile phone is naked, you’re totally behind the fashion curve. Since this spring over a million pure silicone panties were sold in Japan. Silicone may not sound like the most comfortable of lingerie materials but they weren’t your ordinary underwear; they were mini-panties, boxer briefs, special underwear made for smartphones. Naked phones are…

Attack on Titan‘s Opening Recreated with Cats (Yes, Cats!)

The opening credits of popular anime Attack on Titan has been reworked with feline friends. Courtesy of IT Media, this is madness. Purrfectly wonderful madness. Compare with the anime’s original opening credits. 進撃のねこ OPパロディ [jamuomii@YouTube via IT Media] To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft Kotaku…

Terrifying Soldiers Look Like Comic Book Villains

Ballistic facemasks aren’t new. We’ve seen them in movies, comic books, video games like Army of Two. And we’ve seen them in real life, where they are utterly intimidating. Recently, website site DDN Japan and Tumblr site You’re Not Bulletproof pointed to these photos of Taiwanese Special Forces troops. The pics are from a military…