There are almost 160 Pokémon manhole covers across Japan, serving as tourist attractions. The manhole covers started out in less popular places to lure in tourists, but so many people are enjoying them that they’re getting placed in cities that already bring in plenty of …Read more »
Studio Ghibli has many characters it can use for merchandise, and while plenty of Totoros have been made, there are other, lesser-known characters that can also be inspiriting for making goods. Like the little soot sprites that you get to see in Spirited Away and …Read more »
There’s nothing quite as endearing as one professional artist showing love for another series, and that’s precisely what Kiyotaka Haimura has been up to lately. Known for providing illustrations for light novels like A Certain Magical Index and Is It Wrong to Try to Pick …Read more »
Google Japan is making some favorite Japanese franchise characters a little more “real.” Essentially, if Japanese users search the name of one of the selected characters on a smartphone and pick “View 3D,” they’ll get to see the characters in augmented reality. Google Japan released …Read more »
After multiple COVID-related delays, Super Nintendo World officially opened on March 18. However, there’s a new state of emergency in Japan, and it has asked all theme parks to close down. So all of Universal Studios Japan, including Super Nintendo World and the Hello Kitty …Read more »
The Japanese amusement park Seibu-en is going to be reopening May 19, and it will have a few changes. You’ll be able to stroll down a street designed to look like a bunch of stores from the Showa Era (1926-1989). And at the end of …Read more »
The presence of mascot characters is a major part of Japanese life. Everyone has them, from businesses to prefectures. Entire companies build brands around them for their own sake. You’ll see cities with official Pokémon, and tourist spots with their own big cuddly characters. It’s …Read more »
Sometimes you see cars driving around with ads on them. Well, in Japan a company called Cheer Drive is paying people to drive around with otaku ads. Japanese drivers who are interested can download the app and pick what otaku project they’d like to advertise. …Read more »
Japan loves making things for April Fools’ Day gags that should actually become a reality, and the latest has Good Smile Company mixing Fate/Grand Order up with Thunderbolt Fantasy. Naturally, when FGO goes Thunderbolt style it becomes a puppet show, so we’re treated to a …Read more »
Sailor Moon has had multiple stage musical adaptations. The most recent one, Kaguya-hime no Koibito, was supposed to premiere in 2019. It got bumped to 2020, and then 2020 happened, so of course it got bumped again. But today it was revealed that a new …Read more »
Kagawa prefecture is continuing to show its love for its Pokémon ambassador Slowpoke. Along with coming out with official merchandise, it has Slowpoke involved in the local mail. A Slowpoke-themed mailbox was recently unveiled, with a person in a Slowpoke costume there to help. But …Read more »
The bus stop Mekki, located in Toyama, the capital of Toyama Prefecture, has unwittingly gotten itself involved with Demon Slayer tourism. It’s for a reason non-Japanese speakers wouldn’t guess, but its characters are the reverse of how to write “Kimetsu” in Japanese. According to Japan’s …Read more »
There are special Kirby cafés dedicated to the little pink alien in both Tokyo and Hakata. April 27 marks Kirby’s 29th birthday, so of course the cafés are celebrating. The main part of this celebration will be special birthday cakes available throughout the month of …Read more »
Attack on Titan creator Hajime Isayama is originally from Hita City, Oita Prefecture, and the city likes to show its love for his creations. After unveiling statues of Eren, Mikasa and Armin near their dam, the city has opened an Attack on Titan museum. The …Read more »
This weekend marked the final performance of the Haikyu!! stage play, Hyper Projection Engeki Haikyu!! Itadaki no Keshiki (A View from the Top) 2, ending a five-year run for the series. The 11th show went down at TOKYO DOME CITY HALL in Tokyo on March …Read more »
Danica Davidson
Joseph Luster
Kara Dennison
