You know what’s really cool? The moving, kinda-sorta walking Gundam down in Yokohama that opened back in December 2020. You know what’s not cool? That no one from outside Japan’s been able to come see it! Well, now there’s a (slightly) better chance of that …Read more »
While Japan has its borders closed off to non-residents for the foreseeable future, there’s one way you can get your travel fix and see some of Japan’s greatest sights. Through JRPGs, of course! Video games are a great way to escape for a little bit …Read more »
Japan looks to unique ways to bring in tourists, sometimes turning to pop culture. Pokémon, for instance, helps bring in tourism through manhole covers and Pokémon ambassadors, and big franchises like Gundam or Attack on Titan have their own local ways to get people in. …Read more »
Steins;Gate (which turns 10 this year!) takes place in Chiyoda, one of Tokyo’s 23 wards and the home of Akihabara, which we suspect you may have heard of. Anyway, if for some reason you were planning a trip to Tokyo and didn’t have Chiyoda in …Read more »
Last year we reported on MariCar, a Go-kart tour service in Japan which rents Mario Kart-themed cosplay to customers as they are lead on a driving tour around Tokyo. In characteristic fashion, Nintendo felt the need to protect their IP from damage and began a …Read more »
Many fans just learned about After the Rain thanks to the new anime adaptation, but the manga itself is nearing an end. The manga by Jun Mayuzuki, which started its run back in 2014, will end after two more chapters, it was announced today. The …Read more »
This past weekend, an anime tourism event was held in otaku mecca Akihabara, and some special guests were on hand to join in the fun. One of those guests was Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike, who is a self-professed fan of anime and cosplay. She was …Read more »
March Comes in like a Lion , the anime adaptation of the manga by Honey and Clover ’s Chica Umino, started airing this week, and a pop-up cafe has, uh, popped up near Tokyo Station to promote the series. The cafe, which is open from …Read more »
Chichibu, the city used in anohana , is a popular pilgrimage spot. When fans travel to a city or specific location used in their favorite anime series or film, it’s known as an anime pilgrimage. These pilgrimages have brought in a ton of cash to …Read more »
Chichibu, Saitama, has seen otaku flow in since being used in anohana . If you’ve been following us for a while, you know we’re kind of obsessed with the idea of the otaku pilgrimage, where anime fans go to the real-life settings of their favorite …Read more »
Everyone’s getting hype for the new Star Wars film, and that includes rice planters in Aomori Prefecture, who’ve planted this summer’s rice crop to create a giant Star Wars illustration. Villagers from Inakadate planted 11 different kinds of rice to achieve the different colors in …Read more »
Nagasaki, the city in southern Japan famous for its steep residential streets, has adopted a new tactic to encourage tourism: moe. In the style of KanColle , in which navy ships are represented by cute anthropomorphized girls, Nagasaki community development group Modal has given each …Read more »
Kabukicho, a seedy-yet-charming entertainment district in Tokyo, has a new mascot care of Toho, the movie studio that just opened up a new movie theater in the area. As of this month, a 12-meter high Godzilla head stands perched on the top of the nine-story …Read more »
We’ve already covered Tokyo’s well-known otaku hotspots like Akihabara and Nakano ad nauseum here at Otaku USA, but it’s always worth pointing out that there are plenty of other areas Japan’s capital city that ooze otaku cred. Ikebukuro, home of the third-busiest station in Tokyo, …Read more »
Matt Schley
Brianna Fox-Priest
Danica Davidson
Julian Gnam
Sean O'Mara