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Kotaku EastK-Pop Pick Of The Day: Roly Poly
For a few months there in the early 2010s, K-Pop went through an unabashedly retro period. That trend started with T-ara’s 2011 sleeper hit, Roly Poly Roly Poly’s own inspiration becomes abundantly clear starting with its album, John Travolta Wannabe, a not-so-subtle hint to movies like Saturday Night Fever. Even the music video looks like…
By Seung Park Published February 20, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
13-Year-Old Kid Makes Impressive Manga Debut
The March issue of shojo manga magazine Margaret features the debut of a new artist named Nana Hoshiki. She created a 16-page manga called Inshin no Yuki (音信の雪) or Tidings of Snow. Hoshiki is only thirteen and already shojo manga fans are impressed. The manga’s lede image is making the rounds on Twitter so that…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 19, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
Monster Hunter Meat Reborn As One Of Japan’s Favorite Cakes
Baumkuchen is very popular in Japan. There are Baumkuchen specialty shops and you can buy little Baumkuchen at the supermarket. Folks love it! Do you know what else people in Japan love? Monster Hunter. To celebrate Monster Hunter’s 15th anniversary, Capcom is teaming up with Baumkuchen maker Juchheim for a cake version of the in-game…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 19, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanEven More Final Fantasy XV Content Is Coming…In Book Form
Last fall, it was announced that 75 percent of Final Fantasy XV’s DLC was getting scrapped. The “Episode Ardyn” DLC will be out on March 26, but there’s content coming, including a book. Yes, a book! The canned The Dawn of the Future DLC was to be four-episodes that told what came next for the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 18, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
Porn Star Comes To The Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch exclusive Oshiete Onedari Shogi (Teach Me Japanese Chess Pretty Please) has players give shogi hints and tips to adult video actress Airi Satou as well as cosplayers Yui Uno and Inori Hanamiya. For a reward, players get photos and clips of them in bikinis, maid outfits and more. In total, there are over…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 15, 2019 -
Kotaku EastK-Pop Pick Of The Day: Remember
Another idol group has been tossed into the dustbin of history. This one especially hurts. Happy trails, Nine Muses. In the past, I’ve made no secret of my belief that Nine Muses (well, more like Four Muses by the time this goodbye song came out) was one of the most underappreciated, hidden gems of mainstream…
By Seung Park Published February 15, 2019 -
Kotaku EastK-Pop Pick Of The Day: DALLA DALLA
ITZY is the newest girl group on the block, and they bring some eye-opening pedigree to the saturated K-Pop idol market. First, they hail from JYP Entertainment, which is reason enough to pay attention. JYP is one of the oldest and most storied agencies in Korea that drove groups like Twice, 2PM and GOT7 to…
By Seung Park Published February 14, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanPokémon‘s Former Rival Yokai Watch Is Having A Terrible Time In Japan
In 2014, the popularity of Yokai Watch exploded in Japan. It seemed like Pokémon was going to be eclipsed and overtaken. For a time, it was. That summer in Japan, there were massive lines for the latest Yokai Watch toys. Children, mine included, memorized the show’s theme song and dance. Level-5’s Yokai Watch was a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 13, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
Poop Museum Coming To Japan
This spring in Yokohama, the Unko Museum will delight young and old alike with cute poop. It’s not the first exhibition dedicated to dookie. There is the National Poo Museum on the Isle of Wight, which is temporarily closed, and the Shit Museum in Northern Italy. Yes, that’s its name, the Shit Museum. Those seem…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 12, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
The Sophia Portrait From Xenogears Replicated For Only $360
While the portrait of Sophia looked impressive in Xenogears, it might look even better on your wall. According to Hachima, Square Enix is selling a high-quality replica version of the painting in a fancy frame based on the original game data. Priced at 39,800 yen ($361), the portrait is to celebrate the game’s 20th anniversary…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 11, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
The Mystery Why Dinosaur Jr.’s 25-Year-Old Song Is Topping The Charts In Japan
“Over Your Shoulder” might be a good tune, but there seems to be more explaining why the 25-year-old song is charting in Japan, surpassing even Ariana Grande. The Dinosaur Jr. track hit 18 on Billboard Japan’s Hot 100 chart and number one on the country’s overseas chart This is due to YouTube views and not…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 11, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
Why Kit Kats Are Good Luck For Japanese Students
Like teenagers across Japan, my eldest son is taking high school entrance exams. Earlier today, my wife returned from our local supermarket in Osaka with a bag of Kit Kats. The snacks are for more than eating. They’re for good luck. In Japanese, Kit Kat is Kitto Katto (キットカット). The Japanese word kitto can mean…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 7, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
The Japanese Internet Reacts To The Ariana Grande Tattoo Fiasco
Since Ariana Grande revealed her new tattoo last week, the pop star has been criticized in the English-speaking world for cultural appropriation. But what does the Japanese internet think? Let’s find out! Japanese website Front Row recently explained how Grande was being called out in the English-speaking internet for cultural appropriation, which in Japanese is bunka…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 7, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
Japan’s Blueberry Cheese Burger Looks Freaky But Delicious
Japan’s Freshness Burger has upped its bonkers burger game with its latest release: the Blueberry Cheese Burger. As ASCII points out, Freshness Burger previously released a Peach Burger, which was beef, bacon, a slice of peach and cheese, and a Mango Burger, which was beef, a huge mango slices and onions This time around, Freshness…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 6, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
How K-Pop Revived Black Sickness Masks In Japan
It’s flu and cold season. That means people in Japan are wearing sickness masks in public. Either they are ill or are trying to avoid a cold. The default is still the white sickness mask, but recently, black ones are becoming more popular among the country’s youth. This recent trend in Japan appears to be…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 6, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
Taco Bell Made A Special Burrito Just For Osaka
To celebrate the opening of a new Taco Ball in Osaka’s Umeda, the fast-food chain decided to turn the city’s soul food into a burrito. Okonomiyakiis one of Osaka’s signature dishes. Made with cabbage, flour, egg, strips of pork and crunchy tempura bits, okonomiyaki means “however you like,” so people add all sorts of other…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 6, 2019 -
Kotaku EastK-Pop Pick Of The Day: Tears Attack
Throughout the run of this column, I’ve noted several Korean reality programs like K-Pop Star, Produce 101, and the like that revolve around making people famous. For every contestant that hits the big time—like Kang Daniel, Akdong Musician, and others—there are dozens more that don’t quite have that “it” quality to get them through to…
By Seung Park Published February 6, 2019 -
Kotaku EastThe Hypnotic World of Fake Japanese Food
At many Japanese restaurants, there is plastic food out front. The fake meals function as supplements to the menu so people can see what the meals actually look like. And the way this phony food is made is fascinating. As previously posted, plastic food is called “shokuhin sample” (食品サンプル) or “food sample” in Japanese. Many…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 5, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapan
Snack Packaging Turned Into Amazing Art
Snack packaging gets a second life as wonderful papercraft thanks to a Japanese art student. Harukiru, a student at Kobe Design University, makes these striking sculptures by cutting up the packing with scissors or a blade. Kotaku previously featured his paper gun that shoots wooden bullets. These days, he’s best known for his snack packaging…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 5, 2019 -
Kotaku EastK-Pop Pick Of The Day: We’ll Be Alright
It’s the start of another week. Here’s a soothing indie track to get things started on the right foot. The indie duo OuiOui has been pumping out chill R&B singles perfect for late-night listening since last year. Blueny and Meijee released their first song, Thinkin’ Bout You, in March 2018, and We’ll Be Alright is…
By Seung Park Published February 5, 2019