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Kotaku East
Nine Ways Japanese Women Know You Are a “Creepy” Otaku
Some of you are nerds. That’s fine. Some of you are not. Likewise—fine. But for the geeky male readers out there, not all members of the opposite sex are going to be down with your peculiarities. According to Japanese site Sugoren, here are nine ways that Japanese women can instantly spot “creepy” otaku. Sugoren also…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 16, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Fukushima Ghost Towns
On March 11, a devastating earthquake and tsunami rocked Japan. In its wake, the country’s Northeast was ravaged. Buildings and lives were destroyed and lost. Photographer Satoru Niwa documented the days following the disaster in late March 2011. Some of the photos show the extent of the quake and ensuing tsunami’s destruction. The resulting images,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 15, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Look, It’s Persona 4 in Living Flesh
Japanese role-playing game Persona 4 is being turned into a hardcore porno. This is not the cast of that flick. Sorry! Instead, these are the folks starring in the Persona 4 stage show. Called Visualive Persona 4, the show combines movie-style special effects with a live performance. Visualive Persona 4 opens next March at the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 15, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Korean Gyms Subjected to Kinect
Microsoft Korea joins World Gym Fitness Center in the Ilsan district to promote the Kinect throughout February. Members of the gym will be able to participate in the “Dance Time with Kinect” program, held twice every Tuesday. The promotion will use Dance Central 2, and during the last week of February, there will be a…
By Chi Lee Published February 15, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Japan Isn’t All Neon Lights
There’s a tired stereotype that Japan looks like Blade Runner. Sure, some parts do, but the vast majority of the country doesn’t. While most of Japan isn’t terribly exciting (not necessarily a bad thing!), it sure is pretty. This is a picture about three minutes from my house. I live in a modern and, for…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 15, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Maids Entice Young Men to Give Blood
In Japan, you expect to see maids in cute cafes, slinging coffee and rice omelets. But for two days earlier this week, they popped up in an unexpected location: a blood donation center. This winter the blood donated for transfusions is short. That’s why a center in Fukuyama decided to bring in four young maids…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 15, 2012 -
Kotaku East
No, Korea, Gaming Does Not Make You a Bully
What might kill video games in Korea? The ice age. Earlier this month, the South Korean government’s Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology announced plans for its new game shut down system. The “Cooling Off” system would restrict young people from playing for more than two hours in one day by automatically shutting down the…
By Chi Lee Published February 15, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Square Enix Setting Up Shop in India
Square Enix is starting operations in India and is staffing up. If you speak Japanese and Hindi, and have an awesome hairdo, apply! (That last part is not a staff requirement—just a game character one.) [Square Enix Japan]
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 15, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Japanese Cosplayer Feels Heat For Flashing Taiwanese Police Car
While Japanese cosplayer Ushijima Ii Niku (“Good Meat”) was in Taiwan, she caused a media storm after showing up to an event in her underpants. The incident even made the evening news there. But that’s not what is pissing of the country’s police force. Ushijima posed for a photo in front of a Taipei squad…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 15, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Virtual Tour of Korea with Idols
Annyeong. Depending on the inflection, you can use this to say “Hi” or “Bye” or “I wish you well” in Korean. annyeong is also the title of a movie, which promotes Korean culture using interactive elements taken from gaming conventions. The film is a three day journey through Korea, and the main character is you,…
By Chi Lee Published February 15, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Jackets So Badass, They’ll Punch Your Teeth In
Yesterday, Japanese game designer Hideo Kojima posted a photo of himself wearing the jacket actor Ryan Gosling wore in the movie Drive. But Kojima, best known for his Metal Gear games, didn’t call it a “jacket”. No, the famed designer called the coat something else: a sukajan. Sukajan (スカジャン) are colorful jackets with embroidered designs…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 15, 2012 -
Kotaku East
This Chocolate Isn’t Painful. It’s Sweet and Dorky.
You know “itasha”, right? It means “painmobile” and refers to cars covered in nerdy stickers. These days, everything that has been covered with nerdy imagery—from Shinto plaques to bicycles—seems to get the “ita” label in Japan. Heck, there are even “itachoco” this Valentine’s Day. I guess a literal translation would be “painful chocolate”. Check out…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 14, 2012 -
Kotaku EastPlaying With Gravity. Seven Minutes of Gravity Rush Gameplay.
Gravity Rush (Gavity Daze in Japan) is one of Sony’s most anticipated titles for the Vita in the West. The entire game is built around manipulating your own personal gravity as you adventure through a floating city in a mysterious steampunk world. We’ll be posting our hands-on impressions of the Japanese release on Kotaku East…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published February 14, 2012 -
Kotaku East
A Valentine’s Day Contrast Worth a Thousand Nerds
Today, love simulator New Love Plus went on sale. Today is also Valentine’s Day. A photographer at Japanese game site 4Gamer snapped this photo, which seems to show a young couple passing by the Love Plus Akihabara launch, which is populated with dudes. Online in Japan, commenters are saying that the couple is probably wondering…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 14, 2012 -
Kotaku East
I Didn’t Get Any Chocolate Today. Did You?
Instead, I got apple pie. Mrs. Bashcraft, my wife, made apple pie for the kids and me. This is it! Actually, this isn’t mine. While the kids got their apple pie in nice little bags, I got mine in a Ziploc bag. Apparently, we are out of nice little bags, but have tons of Ziploc…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 14, 2012 -
Kotaku EastNorth Korean Clams Cooked with GASOLINE
While North Korean hamburgers look (and sound) awful, North Korean gasoline-baked clams also sound pretty friggin’ awful. They’re not, according to Japanese site RocketNews24. A Japanese traveler who recently visited the country and tried the dish said they’re actually pretty good—and don’t even taste like gasoline. While Kotaku East does not recommend playing with gasoline…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 14, 2012