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Kotaku EastJapanAt Tokyo’s Ninja Bar, Drink Beer And Throw Shuriken
On July 1, the Ninja Cafe and Bar will open in Tokyo’s Asakusa. You can eat, drink, dress up like a ninja and throw shuriken. Food includes curry and rice, pasta, udon and more. Drinks include draft beer, whisky and soda, coffee and tea. The cafe is aimed at tourists who hope to get a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 19, 2019 -
Kotaku EastK-Pop Pick Of The Day: Step By Step
It’s been awhile since we’ve featured a classic girl group pop ballad, in the veins of Gfriend’s Me Gustas Tu or A Pink’s No No No. Oh My Girl’s Step By Step is one of the better examples of late. Step By Step is one of the B-sides from Oh My Girl’s 2016 repackage album,…
By Seung Park Published June 19, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanPerhaps The Best Bread Art In Japan
We’ve previously seen made-in-Japan latte art and banana art. Both are great. Now let’s marvel at the art bread of Twitter user Izuyo. All the coloring is done with completely natural ingredients, Izuyo writes. Obviously, the fact that the bread will expand and rise when baking must be taken into account. Amazing! Have a look…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2019 -
Kotaku EastChinaChinese Resident Evil Fans Think This Biotech Company’s Logo Looks Familiar [Update]
In Resident Evil, the Umbrella Corporation is an evil biotechnology and pharmaceutical conglomerate. Shanghai Ruilan Bao Hu San Biotech Limited is also in biotechnology and, as Chinese Resident Evil fans point out, has a similar logo. Update: January 29, 2020 – 2:20 am EST: The Chinese Weibo post (below) mentions that this was for fun.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2019 -
Kotaku EastK-Pop Pick Of The Day: Run
It’s summer. You’re working on your beach body. Jogging seems like an easy way to do it. Your running soundtrack would benefit from the inclusion of Younha’s Run The rhythmic drums, set at a perfect allegro pace, mimic the steady beating of feet on pavement as best as a song could. I especially love the…
By Seung Park Published June 18, 2019 -
Kotaku EastChinaChina’s Official Studio Ghibli Posters Are Excellent
This month, Spirited Away will finally be officially released in Chinese movie theaters eighteen years after the movie first came out in Japan. To promote the release, artist Zao Dao created some truly wonderful posters. Via 2ch, have a look: Last year, My Neighbor Totoro was released in China, which was thirty years after the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 14, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanNaruto-Themed Ride At Japanese Amusement Park
Amusement park Fuji-Q Highland is opening the closest we’ll see to a Naruto-land, filled with attractions based on the popular ninja anime and manga. According to Kyodo, the Naruto-themed area is nearly 28,000 square feet and will feature attractions like an indoor ride in which guests wear 3D glasses and shoot targets (pictured). There will…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 14, 2019 -
Kotaku EastK-Pop Pick Of The Day: Birthday
It feels weird writing the words “Jeon Somi’s debut” in the year 2019, because as far as I’m concerned, she debuted all the way back in 2016 with Produce 101 and I.O.I. But I suppose Birthday is offically considered to be Somi’s first release, which is wild, because, well, what has she been doing all…
By Seung Park Published June 14, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanThe Good Points And Bad Points Of Living In Tokyo
Do you live in Tokyo? Do you want to? Recently online in Japan, people listed the good points and the bad ones of living in the metropolis with the largest population density on Earth. Thirty-eight million people reside in the Tokyo metropolitan area, which is more than in Delhi (25.7 million), Shanghai (23.7 million) and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 13, 2019 -
Kotaku EastK-Pop Pick Of The Day: Show Me The Light
I just wrapped up three days’ worth of E3 conferences, so all I want to do is lean back, close my eyes, and put on some chill tunes. Anyone who’s followed this column for any appreciable length of time knows about my newfound and deep love for city pop and retrowave, so it shouldn’t come…
By Seung Park Published June 12, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanWarning: Hayao Miyazaki Is A Tricky Job Interviewer
Before he turned 20 years old, animator Kenji Itoso got his start working under Hayao Miyazaki at Studio Ghibli. Recently at the Finnish Embassy in Tokyo, Itoso talked about how he got his start at Ghibli, including how he made it through the interview process. Recently, Studio Ghibli has announced it is hiring up for…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 11, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanImagining A Theme For The Metal Gear Solid Movie
This is not the official theme for director Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ still-in-the-works Metal Gear Solid cinematic adaptation. It is another barn burner by MGSV singer Donna Burke. Besides voicing the iDroid in Metal Gear Solid V, Burke sang “Heavens Divide” for Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and “Sins of the Father” for Metal Gear Solid V:…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 10, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanAdult Video Star Talks About The Casting Couch In The Anime Industry
In a recent episode of late night Japanese TV show Jikkuri Kiitarou (Listen Carefully), adult video star Cocona Yuzuki talks about which entertainment gig she says has the darkest of dark sides: anime voice acting. Yuzuki made her adult video debut earlier this year. She’s had a variety of jobs in the entertainment business, such…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 7, 2019 -
Kotaku EastK-Pop Pick Of The Day: Swimming Pool
Summer is very nearly upon us. Here in New York, where Kotaku’s mothership is based, that means the advent of sticky, humid weather that has you aching for—you got it—a swimming pool. Swimming Pool is Bye Bye Badman (BBB)’s title track for their second extended play, 2013’s Because I Want To. BBB is a relatively…
By Seung Park Published June 7, 2019 -
Kotaku EastK-Pop Pick Of The Day: Sorry Sorry
A decade after it was released, Super Junior’s 2009 hit Sorry Sorry remains one of K-Pop’s untouchable anthems. Blessed with a tremendously addictive chorus and an easily replicated choreography, Sorry Sorry is one of those songs that, if you count yourself as a general K-Pop fan, you just have to know. At the very least,…
By Seung Park Published June 6, 2019 -
Kotaku EastChinaChaos Breaks Out At Uniqlo In China Over Kaws T-Shirts
The American artist Kaws has once again teamed up with Japanese clothing chain for a series of shirts that were released worldwide. In China, clips show all hell breaking loose. Footage circulating online shows people rushing the stores, even dropping their cell phones as they raced towards the store, pulling shirts off mannequins (and pulled…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 5, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanJapanese Cities Look Stunning In 8K
Big Japanese cities are striking, especially in 8K. Via Japanese website Curazy, this clip of Tokyo and Yokohama night aerials was shot on a RED Monstro VV 8K camera with Carl Zeiss Milvus 35mm lens. Stunning!
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 5, 2019 -
Kotaku EastK-Pop Pick Of The Day: Whatever
The opening chords to Exist’s Whatever kind of remind me of an atmospheric soundtrack to a Metroidvania or a roguelike, right before everything goes to hell. The rest of the song isn’t too shabby, either; I’m especially fond of the drums and keyboard, which is both minimalistic yet, together, conveys the full spectrum of emotions…
By Seung Park Published June 5, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanPerfect Kingdom Hearts Hair
Cosplayer Laki specializes in Kingdom Hearts. To show how to bring those characters to life, Laki got a wig and worked some hair styling magic. The result doesn’t look like real-world hair, but rather, what the characters’ locks look like in-game. Laki does not use any hair wax for the styling, but mainly hairspray. After…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 4, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanRealistic Human Face Coin Purse Is Nightmare Fuel
Japan’s DJ Doooo not only makes music but also wraps everyday objects in realistic-looking human flesh. The result is starting, and ghoulish. For example, check out his iPhone case. Here’s a better look, complete with holiday festivities. Even the equipment he performs with gets the same treatment. Doooo made an unusual cover for an inkan…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 4, 2019