Kotaku East

If Cats Watched Porn, I Guess They’d Watch This

Cats and porn. These are two of the biggest juggernauts on the internet. And a Japanese company called Soft On Nyanko has figured out how to bring them together, like never before. The Soft On Nyanko movies feature an array of cats, doing all kinds of things, like playing with cat toys, stretching, sitting in…

BlazBlue Made Small and Cute (Again!)

Arc System Works, the folks behind fighting series BlazBlue, are doing another cute reworking of the universe. It’s called BlayzeBloo: Clone Phantasma and is slated for a winter download release in Japan on the 3DS. Clone Phantasma is an action game, and it features ten characters, seven stages, a story mode, and cuteness. Did I…

You cannot play Virtual Console games only on the Wii U GamePad—something Nintendo is working to change.

Taiwanese Woman Believes David Petraeus Will Marry Her

When not appearing in Call of Duty: Black Ops II, David Petraeus is at the center of a sex scandal—a very confusing sex scandal. Taiwan’s Liu Shu-jen isn’t making anything easier, either. She is making things stranger. According to Want China Times, Liu Shu-jen is a former engineer at a Taiwanese semiconductor company. In September…

Heads up fighter fans! BLAZBLUE CHRONOPHANTASMA (their caps, not mine) hits Japanese arcades on Nov. 21, says 4Gamer

The Secret Life of Japanese Toys

If the Pixar flicks are about the secret lives of toys, then YouTube user ugoorePowerPlant‘s stop motion clips are about the secret lives of Japanese toys. Courtesy of sister site Kotaku Japan, the above short is called “Fuufugenka” (夫婦喧嘩) or “marriage quarrel”. 夫婦喧嘩 [ugoorePowerPlant via Kotaku Japan] Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet…

How Sony Is Turning into a Ghost in Japan and Around the World

For some people in Japan, Sony is already dead. The only question they have is how did Sony die, or who killed it, and how long will the spectre of Sony remain haunting Japan. It’s a pessimistic view of the company but it’s one reality in this island country. Mr. and Mrs. Nakayama have run…

Evangelion 2.22 is a Film That Plays On Your Expectations

We are now less than a week out from the Japanese release of Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo. Over the past few weeks we have looked at my personal history with the Evangelion franchise in general and the first film in the Rebuild of Evangelion series, Evangelion 1.11: You Are (Not) Alone, in specific.…

All-You-Can-Eat Burger King? This Is Madness, Japan.

To mark the fifth year of Burger King’s return to Japan, the fast food chain is once again offering a special deal for a limited time: an all-you-can-eat burger buffet. Between November 17 and 21, those who order a large black burger meal deal between 2pm and 11pm get to stuff their faces with as…

Report: Pleas for Japan’s Most Infamous (and Frightening) Blogger To Stop

Japanese actress Aki Higashihara writes a blog—a blog that has been nicknamed the “Death Blog”. It’s called the “Death Blog” after Japanese manga Death Note, because her track record has not been good. Well, it’s been good at causing bad things, such as the death of the Nintendo Wii. As previously noted, here’s a round…

The Bravely Default Browser Game is Deeper Than I Expected

Bravely Default: Flying Fairy is not the only game to bare the Bravely Default moniker. There is also a tie-in browser game called Bravely Default: Praying Brage. We’ve already had a look at some of the game’s… less than stellar artwork but luckily these character portraits do not reflect the overall art style of the…

Here’s How You Build a Giant Z.O.E. Statue

Ever wondered how Konami built that large Jehuty statue and then put it on a building in Tokyo? No? Well, here’s a photo montage that might clue you in. Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from…

Japan’s Traditional Seals Get Very, Very Nerdy

In Japan and most of Asia, documents require a seal. The Japanese word for these stamps is a typically “hanko” (判子) or inkan (印鑑), and they’ve been used for over a thousand years. People’s names are carved onto them, and take the place of a signature when doing things like opening a bank account, getting…

You’ll Need to Clean Out Your Ears to Watch This Game in Action

Over the course of this generation in gaming, more than a few Nintendo-published Wii titles have never made it outside of Japan—despite it being the best-selling console of the generation. One of these unfortunate titles is Kiki Trick, a video game based completely around listening. Somewhat resembling music title Rhythm Heaven in both style and…

This Guy’s Geeky Latte Art Will Blow Your Mind

Meet Kazuki Yamamoto. He’s a latte artist. You’ve probably seen the work of latte artists before and how they can draw things like hearts or leaves in steamed milk. But you’ve probably never seen anything like this. Yamamoto draws anime, manga, and video game characters in latte—as well as celebrities and animals. Whether it’s Pokémon…

According to a Chinese newspaper, Apple will apparently start trial production next month for the iPhone 5S.

It’s Like China Is Making a Real Stargate Transport Ring

In the Stargate universe, there are these giant rings called, well, Stargates, that are portal devices that allow quick travel through space. In China, there’s this. Located in Fushun, it’s called the “Ring of Life”. According to Reuters (via The Atlantic), the structure is 157 meters tall, is built using 3,000 tons of steel (not…

Want to Intern for Kotaku East?

It’s that time again. It’s time to look for Kotaku East interns. Do you live in Asia? Would you like to intern with Kotaku? Have I got something for you! In particular, Kotaku East is looking for interns in Asia that are located outside of Japan. Here are the particulars: • You must be over…

There’s a New Paid Dating Service Just for Japanese Nerds

For some, it’s not enough to have virtual girlfriends. Maybe they want the companionship of a real one, but aren’t good at meeting people. Open your wallets, Japanese geeks! There’s a new service called “Moé Date”. And for a price, you can have a girlfriend for a few hours. “Moé” (萌え) literally means “budding”, but…

Out of 1,161 Japanese gamers polled, 40.4% want a Wii U, 33.4% a Vita, 21.2% a 3DS, 19.7% a PS3, and 9.6% an Xbox 360.