Kotaku East

You Can Rent Old Men in Japan

In Japanese the word “ossan” (おっさん) is somewhat of a rude word for middle aged-dudes. How would you like to rent an ossan? Well, in Tokyo, you can. Enter Ossan Rental, a middle-aged man rental service that makes older gentlemen available for only 1,000 yen (US$10) an hour. And not just regular old dudes, but…

Sony Explains Why It Changed the PS Vita’s OLED Screen

The new slimmer PS Vita has a new screen. It’s LCD, instead of the OLED screen found in the current model. Sony’s Andrew House explained why. In an interview with Nikkei, House said, “The main reason is that the LCD panel can now realize an image as high quality as that of the OLED panel.”…

So, How Does the New PS Vita Screen Compare to the Old One?

We’ve seen the new PS Vita. It’s right up there! We’ve seen it up close. But we haven’t seen how the new LCD screen compares to the current Vita’s OLED screen. Until now. Twitter user Hiro compared the Ragnarok Odyssey title screen on his original PS Vita to the upcoming Vita. Here, have a look…

The Final Fantasy “Agito” Name Returns!

Before Final Fantasy Type-0 was Final Fantasy Type-0, it was Final Fantasy Agito XIII. The “Agito” name lives on in a new iOS and Android Final Fantasy title. Dubbed Final Fantasy Agito, the game features Type-0 characters like Jack (in glasses!) and Ace. There’s a new character named “Miyuu Kagerohi.” The game was revealed in…

A new Theatrhythm Final Fantasy game is hitting the 3DS in Japan next Spring. Gematsu reports that the sequel, titled Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, will feature 60+ characters, 200+ songs, and a multiplayer “Versus Battle Mode” at launch

Tokyo Man Already Lined Up for the iPhone 5S

The iPhone 5S was just announced. Twitter user @Xxxprius isn’t chancing anything. “I went ahead and got the first place in line,” he tweeted. Now, all he has to do is wait. For well over a week. “I’m lined up at the Ginza Apple Store where the new iPhone 5S launches in ten days,” @Xxxprius…

Watch Out for Cats!

Beware of falling rocks. Slippery roads. And in parts of Japan and Taiwan, mind the felines! The island of Iriomote in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture is home to a rare breed of indigenous cat that can be only found on the island, and is suitably dubbed “Iriomote mountain cat” (イリオモテヤマネコ or Iriomote yamaneko). This is a…

Up Close with the New PS Vita Slim

Sony is making a new PS Vita. It’s lighter and slimmer. You’ve seen the promotional images, sure. But what’s it actually like? Gamers in Japan give their opinions. Sony rolled out kiosks for the slim PS Vita in Japan so gamers can get a hands-on with the revamped machine. As previously mentioned, the new Vita…

Harlock: Space Pirate is a Big, Pretty, Action-filled Disappointment

Leiji Matsumoto’s Space Pirate Captain Harlock is one of anime’s greatest classics—a story told and re-told many times over the last three-and-a-half decades. The past weekend saw the release of the latest version of the story: a CG feature film that is as beautiful and action-packed as it is disappointing. Good – Great CG Animation…

It’s Cute When People Ruin Live TV

Ruin? Sorry, I meant make it better. In an NHK broadcast on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a staffer accidentally walked into frame and into Japanese internet fame. Throughout the day, images of this incident have been appearing on various Japanese blogs and 2ch, the country’s biggest forum. It’s getting remixes and YouTube tributes (here and…

King of the Pirates? No, King of the Watermelons

Summer is ending, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t some space for One Piece watermelons. There’s always space for One Piece melons. Always. While geek-carved watermelons are certainly not new in China, recently, they’ve been popping up more and more on Chinese social networking sites and websites like Sina. 合肥版西瓜君雕出海贼王收获美人心 [Sina via ChinaSmack] To contact…

Watch Us Play Mirror’s Edge on the Oculus Rift

The first thought I had when I heard about the Oculus Rift was: “Oh man, I can’t wait to play Mirror’s Edge on that.” My second thought was: “It is going to make me so sick.” Over the past two months, I have played a lot of games on my Oculus Rift development kit, from…

Metal Gear Solid V Made Even More Erotic Thanks to Sexy Fan Art

For some reason, Metal Gear Solid V is erotic. Or sexy. Or something. But honestly, the game isn’t sexy enough. Until now. Kept you waiting, huh? DeviantArtist ZombieSandwich (aka Anne Pogoda) whipped up this “Big Quiet Boss XD,” adding that she’s “truthfully a big fan of this game” and created this “as a parody.” There…

The New JoJo Fighter Is a Social Game in Disguise

When you first boot up JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle, you’ll likely head right into the story mode to start unlocking characters. Three hours later, you’ll probably try versus mode, only to wonder where everyone else got all those cool costumes. The answer is the campaign mode. In it, you unlock the vast majority of…

Japanese Gamers Are Disappointed about the PS4 Launch Date

This November, the PlayStation 4 is launching in North America and Europe. Know where it’s not? Japan, that’s where. While Sony is a Japanese company, the country won’t see the PlayStation 4 until next February. On the official Japanese blog, many commenters seem disappointed by the news. Some are angry, while others are resigned to…

Visit the Real Princess Mononoke Forest

Lush green. Magnificent cedars. Moss-covered rocks. The setting looks like something out of the acclaimed 1997 anime Princess Mononoke. Turns out, it is. Appealing to hikers and anime fans alike, the Japanese island of Yakushima is a World Heritage site, famed for its unique beauty, wildlife, and trees that are thousands of years old. The…

Final Fantasy X/X-2 Isn’t the Only Game with a New Vita Slim

To mark the release of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, Sony is releasing a special Vita Slim. But this isn’t the only one. Sony is also releasing Vita Slims for Gundam Breaker and God Eater 2. The Gundam Breaker one is part of a “Starter Pack” that comes with plastic Gundam models. The set is…

Japan’s Getting Soul Sacrifice Delta, An Updated Re-Release, Next Year

Here’s a first look at the upcoming Soul Sacrifice Delta, which, according to Famitsu, will be playable at this year’s Tokyo Game Show. Designer Keiji Inafune said Soul Sacrifice Delta is a “brand new version” of Soul Sacrifice with a “brand new elements”—including a third, “Neutral” option for the game’s Save/Sacrifice system. Soul Sacrifice Delta…

Today in Tokyo, D3 Publisher announced that a new Earth Defense Force game is in development for the PS4. Note that this is not the Xbox 360/PS3 title Earth Defense Force 2025, which is already out in Japan and will hit the West in February, but a completely new game.

How To Buy Games In China

Living in China is good for the most part. Smog and politics aside, life is good. You can get anything you’d want here, including video games. Here is a guide on how and where you can buy video games and consoles should you wind up in China. So how does one purchase games? Consoles and…