In one of Akira’s most memorable scenes, Shotaro Kaneda skids his 200-hp motorcycle sideways. The skid in the original manga isn’t the iconic showpiece that it is in the anime, but the anime’s scene has been copied and references by numerous anime, cartoons and live-action shows. Just how many? Let’s try to find out! The…
Daigo Umehara is one of the greatest Street Fighter players ever. But did you know that’s not his only game? Turns out he’s also very good at Uno. In a Twitch Japan online invitational tournament called Twitch Streamer Battle: Uno, Umehara made it to the last round of 16 players. He certainly gets excited at…
You have probably seen one of Japan’s life-sized Gundams, whether in person or in photos. But have you seen the skeleton legs of a one-to-one scale movable Gundam? I have not! Currently, the 59-foot-tall Gundam is being constructed, with the frame being put together in Ibaraki Prefecture. To ensure the giant mecha can move, it…
Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai has written about working out in his regular column in Weekly Famitsu. One reader sent in a question asking Sakurai if he’s also careful about what he eats. After a recent, momentary blackout at the gym, it sounds like he needs to be and probably should be better hydrated and rested.…
On March 4, 2000, the PlayStation 2 went on sale in Japan. Can you believe it? It only seems like yesterday I got my PS2 at the Yodobashi Camera in Osaka’s Umeda. The PlayStation 2 wouldn’t launch in North America, Europe and Australia until later. The console would go on to become the best-selling video…
For two decades, the artist known as Maggi has worked in South Korea’s game industry as an illustrator and art director. Now, she finally quit her day job and is focusing on her new love: tattoos. Previously, Maggi worked at IMC Games on titles like Tree of Savior and Granado Espada Three days ago, tipster…
Gaming chairs? Been there, done that. I’ve seen the future, and it’s gaming beds. Japan’s Bauhutte specializes in gaming-centric furniture. If you coordinate correctly, I guess you too can have a bedroom set-up like this. This is a combination of several Bauhutte products, like its bed desk, its bed side-board, side table and more. The…
Hiroshi Ono, aka Mr. Dotman, created some of gaming’s most famous pixels while working at Namco. He was a graphic designer on iconic games including Pac-Man, Xevious, Dig Dug, and Galaga. The designs were originally drawn by hand, and according to Japanese retro game researcher Zek, they’ve been stolen. Zek has interviewed Mr. Dotman for…
Earlier this week, toilet paper was widely available nearly everywhere in Japan. Now, it’s selling out at stores throughout the country because of coronavirus. Here’s how this happened. Rumors had been circulating that the raw materials used to make toilet paper couldn’t be imported due to coronavirus and would thus cause shortages. With it already…
In Japan, tattoos and the yakuza often seem inseparable. Not every gangster has a tattoo and not everyone with a full bodysuit is a gangster, but when pop culture depicts the underworld, anti-heroes come fully inked. Case in point: the Yakuza games. Skin deep they are not. But the same goes for Japanese tattoos, which…
Numerous events scheduled for the next few weeks have been canceled in Japan and abroad. Idol group 2o Love to Sweet Bullet isn’t rescheduling upcoming events, but rather charging extra for fans who don’t wear masks. 2o Love to Sweet Bullet isn’t a mainstream idol group. It’s what’s called a chika aidoru (地下アイドル) or “underground…
One of Japan’s biggest cosplay gatherings, the Nipponbashi Street Festa in Osaka, will not be held this year due to coronavirus concerns. The Street Festa has been held annually since 2005 and draws as many as 200,000 people. This year’s event was supposed to kick off on March 15. There are no plans to reschedule.
Gym Leader Bea from Pokémon Sword and Shield appears in the most recent episode of the Pokémon: Twilight Wings anime. Notice anything different about the character’s animated version? Below are Bea’s official game art and a screenshot from Pokemon.co.jp: More in-game images from event scenes: As Japanese site Hachima Kikou points out, here is how…
Ueno Sanji, a ramen restaurant in Tokyo, is only allowing Japanese customers due to COVID-19 concerns. The owner (pictured) claims that this is not discrimination but his duty to protect his family, his employees and his loyal customers. There have been around 75,000 cases of people infected with coronavirus in China, followed by 104 in…
For a country where Dragon Quest is so popular that there are DQ-themed convenience stores, ATMs featuring the classic RPG font and the character Slime seem inevitable. Below is one of the Dragon Quest Lawson stores in Japan. The same convenience store chain is rolling out DQ-themed ATMs at its locations across the country until…
YouTuber Onigiri Gekijou (Rice Ball Theater) specializes in making rice balls that are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen lots of rice balls! Onigiri Gekijou calls this “onigiri art,” and is uploading how-tos on YouTube. That’s very nice! Many of the techniques, such as mixing ketchup and mayo to make a pinkish color…
This is Hirohiko Araki. He does two things: churns out JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and refuses to age. The manga artist is famous for not appearing to grow old as the rest of us do. The fact that his appearance has stayed the same for years is a meme in Japan. Every time Araki makes a…
Square Enix has rolled out a handful of cafes to serve food, sling drinks and showcase its games. There are no better places to cover with Final Fantasy VII Remake decor It’s not only the Square Enix Cafe in Tokyo and Osaka but also the Artnia Square Enix restaurant in Shinjuku that is covered in FFVII.…
This was inevitable. Champion figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva previously proved that Sailor Moon cosplay works well with skating. Now, she’s going to star in a figure-skating show that will right wrong and triump over evil. Called Sailor Moon Prism On Ice, the show will star Evgenia Medvedeva as Sailor Moon, Satoko Miyahara as Sailor Mercury,…
Over the weekend, the Wonder Festival figure expo got underway in Chiba, Japan. There were lots of cool figurines and statues on display. Some were mass-produced, some were prototypes, and some were fan-made. Many of them looked fantastic. Let’s check out some highlights!
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