Kamen Rider Rides Again
Ah, always nice to be able to share some Kamen Rider Cosplay.
In Japan, There's a Superhero Who...Plants Rice
Meet Chojin Neiger. Unlike other heroes who spend their time battling foes, Neiger is often found farming, not fighting.
Cosplay Makes Your Last Day of Work Better
If you are planning on leaving your job, be sure to leave it in style. Kamen Rider style.
Forget Batman, a Japanese Superhero Is Patrolling the Streets
Don’t get me wrong. That Batman outside Tokyo is great. But Batman is an American comic book character. There’s something special about suddenly seeing a Japanese superhero out and about and doing good on the home turf.
Japanese Superhero Show Copies Batman's Gotham City
Kamen Rider Gaim, the latest entry in the long-running Kamen Rider series, is quite interesting. It's samurai-themed, but uses fruit motifs throughout the show. That no longer raises eyebrows among viewers. A recent map that appeared on the show, however, does.
Kamen Rider! Cosplay by Sidney Kusanagi, photo by William Phan.
I Can't Decide if Samurai Flamenco is Brilliant or Terrible
Usually when an anime hits its halfway point, I like to give a point-by-point review of its first half. However, in the case of Samurai Flamenco, this has proven impossible for me. Because depending on how the series so far is interpreted, it's either brilliant or terrible—and I can't seem to decide which.
72 Year-Old Grandpa Paints Anime Art for Grandchild
In Japan, most little girls watch the magical girl anime Pretty Cure. Many adore it! One Grandfather decided the best way to delight his grandchild was to paint it. In watercolors.
Japan's Newest Superheroes Are Fruity
When I heard that Japan's newest superhero show was based on fruit, I scoffed. How silly! And then, I saw their outfits. That changed everything.
Cosplay Doesn't Get More Heartwarming Than This
Cosplay is the act of dressing up as your favorite character. Charity is helping others. Japanese businessman Akihiro Tomikawa does both.
Japanese Toilet Candy Is a Big Hit!
Things weren't exactly easy. In fact, many stores in Japan didn't even want to carry the product. Sweets that you drink out of a plastic toilet? Eh... But now, Moko Moko Mokoletto is flushed with success.
Woman Shows How To Kick Ass at Work
This is Nao Nagasawa. She's here to unleash fists of fury. And do so at the office, apparently!
Japanese Superheroes Getting Really, Really Effeminate
Whether it's the Power Rangers, Ultraman, or Kamen Rider, male Japanese superheroes have one thing in common: they are tough and masculine. These poses aren't.
Namco is making a new Kamen Rider game called Kamen Rider: Battle Ride Wars for the PS3.
In Japan, Thugs Sit Like They're Taking a Crap
In years past, you'd always see them outside convenience stores and in parking lots, coping a squat next to their Subarus and Hondas, smoking cigarettes. They were tough looking. They were thugs. And they'd sit like they're squeezing out turds.
The Wild and Wonderful World of Japanese Scarecrows
Across Japan, it's harvest time. In September, the rice turns a golden hue. The color—my favorite—is koganeiro (黄金色). Scarecrows stand watch over the rice fields. Most scarecrows in Japan are rather pedestrian—what you'd think a scarecrow would and should look like.
In Hong Kong, Superheroes Live Very Normal and Somewhat Bittersweet Lives
Being a superhero seems so glamorous. There are the outfits, the universe saving, and the crime fighting. But in Hong Kong, the lives of superheroes seem so normal.
How Blatant Is This Kamen Rider Rip-Off? Pretty Damn Blatant.
Next year, a new tokusatsu movie called Space Hero Fly is hitting theaters in Taiwan. You might remember this movie the first time, when it was called Kamen Rider. Which Kamen Rider? Take your pick.
A Love of Japanese Vending Machines
While some Japanese vending machines are under fire for offering sexy good times, the vast, vast majority of vending machines offer only beverages.
Japan's Most Iconic Heroes. Crawling Through Dungeons.
Ultraman. Kamen Rider. Gundam. These three heroes are going forces in the upcoming role-playing game Lost Heroes for the 3DS. It's a dungeon crawler—with badasses.
