The Japanese department store Parco and its fashion brand tenants are coming out with literally hundreds of fashion and accessory items relating to Super Mario and his pals. The items launch at the beginning of next month, and so far a few of the items …Read more »
It was recently announced that hololive Virtual YouTuber Kiryu Coco was graduating (retiring), and now her fellow hololive YouTubers Akai Haato and Murasaki Shion have made announcements of their own. Haato noted that she’ll be paying attention to Coco’s graduation event, and that she’ll be …Read more »
Pokémon manhole covers have been popping up all over Japan, but central Tokyo only now just got in on the action! The manhole covers are of Tyrunt and Baltoy. Because Tyrunt is clearly inspired by a T-Rex, it’s located right by the National Museum of …Read more »
There are three life-size Gundam statues in the world, and Bandai Namco says it’s not enough. The company has put forward plans to make a fourth statue, as confirmed by Bandai’s Chief Gundam Officer Kōji Fujiwara. We’re told we’ll get more information this coming autumn …Read more »
NOTE: This feature contains spoilers for Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time — in particular the very end. Neon Genesis Evangelion is officially over. It will likely continue in the form of merchandise and collaborations, but the story as we know it has been wrapped for good. …Read more »
Adores is a major arcade located by the Akihabara Station building in Tokyo, but unfortunately it won’t be around for much longer. Like the Sega Akihabara Building 2 arcade and Silk Hat Ikebukuro arcade, it appears that the COVID-19 pandemic has chased away enough people …Read more »
The isekai genre has gotten so popular that this summer there’s a limited-time Isekai Museum exhibit at the Kadokawa Culture Museum. But it turns out you don’t have to be in Japan to explore its objects, because the museum is available to check out online. …Read more »
Hello Kitty is known for bringing cuteness wherever she goes, but the cat without a mouth can also handle reporting on serious issues. June 8 marks World Oceans Day, and Hello Kitty made a video where she interviews Ryota Nakajima of the Japan Agency for …Read more »
Eito Hara has been obsessed with kaiju monsters since he was a kid, when he got a Godzilla toy. As an adult he got a job at Kaiyodo Co., which makes figurines. While there he made all sorts of figurines, including ones of anime characters, …Read more »
This past March Shibuya Station got a total Jujutsu Kaisen makeover, with walls and columns sporting images from the manga. The display only lasted until March 14. Once again Shibuya Station has a Jujutsu Kaisen display, but now it honors the anime and is done …Read more »
McDonald’s is very popular in Japan, and their popularity might rise with the addition of three limited edition Pikachu food and container designs. Together, the three items are referred to as “Sweets Trio Furuchu,” which is a play on the word Pikachu and the Japanese …Read more »
The Sanrio Summer Puro Festival occurs at Sanrio Puroland and mixes adorable Sanrio characters with traditional Japanese summer activities. The festival obviously didn’t happen last year because of COVID, but is scheduled to return this July 9. It will take place until August 31. They’ll …Read more »
The hundredth volume of the One Piece manga is scheduled to come out before 2021 ends, and the ninety-ninth volume is being released this June in Japan. As a way to celebrate this, one hundred taxis in Tokyo are getting One Piece themed artwork in …Read more »
Japan has a long history of using printed seals called hanko instead of signing names. While in this day and age they could become something of the past, hanko stores are still coming out with special designs to keep people interested. Pokémon hanko have been …Read more »
Last week the Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested six people because of how they were operating their maid cafés. It has to do with the Adult Entertainment Business Regulation Law in Japan. So-called regular restaurants can be open at any hour, but a “social” restaurant or …Read more »
Danica Davidson
Kara Dennison
