COVID has hit arcades hard, causing multiple large arcades in Japan to shutter, including the Silk Hat Ikebukuro arcade, Adores, and the Sega Akihabara Building 2. Yesterday the Sega Ikebukuro GiGO, which debuted in 1993, closed its doors. But it might not be for forever. …Read more »
How do you encourage more people to recycle? If you’re in Oita City in Japan, you use mega franchise Attack on Titan. Japan has rules about recycling, but sometimes people still dump their trash into deposits that are meant for recyclables only. One case where …Read more »
Universal Studios Japan is getting Demon Slayer attractions, including the “Demon Slayer XR Ride” and the “Hollywood Dream the Ride.” So what else does the theme park need to stay with the theme and get the tourists in? That’s right — Universal Studios Japan is …Read more »
This weekend marked the official celebration of National Power Rangers Day! Fans of the long-running series, which premiered in 1993, have been sharing their fan stories all weekend. It’s a show that colored a lot of our childhoods, and got a lot of us into Super Sentai …Read more »
Otaku love getting great merchandise from their favorite franchises, but there is an issue of scalpers buying out rare items and then charging ridiculous prices to fans. Some stores in Japan are turning to unique ways to make sure the fans get their merchandise and …Read more »
Have you ever wished you could visit the world of your favorite anime? That probably depends on the anime, to be fair. But if the answer is “yes,” then good news — it’s already happening! Virtual reality experiences are letting fans “walk around” the settings …Read more »
The Square Enix Café in Osaka, which debuted in 2017, will unfortunately have its last day on August 31. When Square Enix made this announcement, it did not give a reason. In fact, the announcement is pretty short, and it opens with thanking people who …Read more »
This month, your favorite VTubers unite for Hololive ERROR: an interactive horror story in a virtual space. With a trailer and a single installment out, we’re getting an idea for what lies in store. But there are plenty of questions, too. What’s the “Error”? Why did we …Read more »
In a surprising move (and that’s saying something), Discotek Media have announced Cutie Honey THE LIVE on Blu-ray! The 2007 tokusatsu series reimagines the original Go Nagai story yet again. You’ll see familiar characters and story beats, but there are a lot of wild changes, too. If …Read more »
Tennis pro Naomi Osaka is no stranger to the world of manga and anime. Her sister previously launched a manga series inspired by the sports superstar, and now she’s caught the eye of Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto. Following her moment lighting the Olympic flame during …Read more »
Japanese sword expert Paul Martin wants people to understand what’s so special about Japanese swords. He’s curated the Japanese section of the British Museum; works with Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to promote sword tourism; and he’s hired master craftsmen in Japan …Read more »
The Tokyo Olympics have officially concluded, and the Paralympics are set to begin on August 24. While Japan didn’t get as much otaku-related tourism as it wanted, there were still quite a few otaku moments, like the video game music of the opening ceremony and …Read more »
Japan might not have gotten all the otaku-oriented tourism it wanted during the Tokyo Olympics, but some of its otaku sites are still making their way into the news. That includes the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam statue, which is just under 65 feet tall and located …Read more »
The Sega Ikebukuro GiGO arcade in Tokyo debuted on July 21, 1993, and it’s shuttering in September, with the 20th as its final day. In addition to offering video games, Sega Ikebukuro GiGO has offered many crane games and sticker picture booths, as well as …Read more »
The Moshi Moshi Rooms hotel in Tokyo has a few different themes going on, including the Sakura room, the Origami room, and the Dosukoi room, and most recently they’ve added the Harajuku room. Harajuku is both an area in Tokyo and a sense of style. …Read more »
Danica Davidson
Kara Dennison
Joseph Luster
