Fantastic news for collectors of ecchi tapestries: they now serve a legitimate purpose. Well, another legitimate purpose. Twitter user and visual novel fan @idzuna_tan (whose timeline is about as NSFW as you’d expect given their collection) offered proof in a recent tweet. They ran a series …Read more »
For decades, the word “otaku” had a distinctly mixed connotation in its native Japan. Among fellow otaku, it was a simple greeting, a literal “you” borrowed from ancient Japanese used as a kind of nod to one’s geeky peers. For those on the outside, though, …Read more »
Soon, Tokyo commuters will be saying hello to Hello Kitty every morning. That’s because trains on the Keio and Toei Shinjuku Lines will be soon be getting trains decked out in Hello Kitty stylings. The trains, which are set to debut November 1, are part …Read more »
Can a normal person get famous in Japan? Big in Japan, a documentary released online last month, chronicles one man’s attempt to get famous through any means necessary. As the title suggests, the film’s premise follows the classic assumption that it’s easier for a foreigner …Read more »
With the caveat that the word “otaku” means different things to different generations, subcultures and nationalities, this is still some pretty interesting news. A survey of 400 Japanese women from 15 to 24 around Japan has revealed that almost 70% of those women identified as …Read more »
In these troubled times, let us take solace in the fact that for a few moments, we can kick back with some footage of Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno sipping on a Sapporo. The 58-year-old director, who has also helmed projects like Gunbuster, Nadia and Shin …Read more »
Ever wanted your haircut to look like it popped straight out of Steins;Gate? Now’s your chance. Wille, a hair salon in Shibuya, Tokyo, is offering up a special Steins;Gate 0 menu, with cuts based on Kurisu, Mayuki, Moeka and others. There are seven styles in …Read more »
Game over. Four video game bar managers in Kyoto and Kobe have been arrested for alleged copyright violations, Mainichi reported June 13. Specifically, the managers are “suspected of renting video game software and allowing customers to play them in April without obtaining the permission of …Read more »
There may be readers of Otaku USA younger than Cowboy Bebop, the 26-episode series that originally aired in 1998. Thankfully, there are multiple essays on this very site about the allure of Bebop, alleviating me of the burden of describing just what was so great about …Read more »
As fans of Love Live! Sunshine!! are aware, the series takes place in the real-life city of Numazu in Shizuoka, Japan. Thanks to Sunshine!!, the city has had a lot of new visitors, and has paid tribute to this new interest by recently installing custom …Read more »
Back in 2017, we reported about a new service for otaku in Japan looking to tie the knot called ToraCon. Over the last year, the service has been doing well, apparently, because it’s now adding a range of new ways for potential otaku couples to …Read more »
Wow, Yuki Yuna is a Hero! For a remote shrine in Kanonji, Japan, anyway. The shrine and its torii gate tower over the city and offer great views, but they’re hard to get to, and visits had waned in recent years. But thanks in part …Read more »
An exhibition centered around the theme of lesbian love, which was set to take place in Tokyo, has been canceled, it was reported yesterday. Titled simply “Lesbian Love Exhibition,” the event was to take place at department store Ikebukuro Marui. But retailer Village Vanguard canceled …Read more »
Chengxi Huang is living the dream: the skilled animator, who hails from China, is living and working in Tokyo, where he works on the Naruto franchise, of which he’s a self-proclaimed giant fan. That’s why we’re sure the animator had nothing but good intentions when he posted a …Read more »
Cities, prefectures, public facilities—name a place, and it’s more than likely Japan has a mascot for it. There are a reported 1,157 of these mascots, known in Japan as “yuru-kyara,” and they’ve just faced off in a yearly competition. After a hard struggle, Unari-kun, who …Read more »
Kara Dennison
Matt Schley
![Doc Big in Japan Offers A Guide on How (or How Not) to Get Famous in Japan [Review]](https://otakuusamagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/biginjapan01-202x202.jpg)
![Doc Big in Japan Offers A Guide on How (or How Not) to Get Famous in Japan [Review]](https://otakuusamagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/biginjapan01.jpg)
Sean O'Mara
![Cowboy Bebop Cafe Celebrates 20th Anniversary With Food, Tunes [Photo Report]](https://otakuusamagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/bebopcafe-202x202.jpg)
![Cowboy Bebop Cafe Celebrates 20th Anniversary With Food, Tunes [Photo Report]](https://otakuusamagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/bebopcafe.jpg)
