Biannual migration of otaku taking place in Tokyo
Twice a year, mother nature treats us to one of her most spectacular phenomenon: the mass migration of otaku through Kokusai-Tenjijō Station in Tokyo. For years now scientists have been studying a...
View ArticleJapan’s cosplay inn giving a new lease on life to beautiful family business
Traditional hospitality mixes with modern otaku culture at mountainside ryokan. Japanese Twitter user @gu_max_, who also goes by the nickname Miya, has a problem. His family runs a ryokan, or Japanese...
View ArticleOtaku group gives own twist to popular “Love Dance”, internet can’t get...
These pro otaku dancers are too cool for school. Thanks to the weekly TBS drama Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu (or NigeHaji for short) and its popular theme song “Koi”, the accompanying dance –...
View ArticleWhy are Japanese light novel names so ridiculously long? Author’s latest has...
Pretentiousness run amok, or madness with a method to it? Traditional Japanese culture prizes simplicity and shuns excess. This is, after all, the country that likes to take the time to appreciate the...
View ArticleJapanese Twitter user causes stir with panty-proliferating anime art edit
Technique transforms otherwise ordinary moments into subtly suggestive scenes. While there are plenty of anime which are created with the purpose of telling a story or exploring a theme, there are no...
View ArticleTokyo maid cafe customer drops more than US$4,000 on champagne-fueled bender
If you’re out enjoying the fantasies and frills, don’t forget that they come at a very real price. In many ways, Japan’s maid cafes are a smaller-scale, more relaxed version of the country’s hostess...
View ArticleAnime/manga fans flood publisher’s office with Valentine’s Day presents for...
Popular series’ title refers to a prince, but he’s also the king of Valentine’s Day chocolate. Japan has its own unique traditions and ideas about how to celebrate Valentine’s Day. For example, it’s...
View ArticleAwesome otaku room has a huge secret: It’s an amazingly detailed...
You might not think you have enough space in your home to display all these anime and movie robots, but you’re wrong. When you’re a student, decorating your living space more or less overlaps with...
View ArticleNew matchmaking service promises to weed out fake otaku with pre-registration...
Company plans singles parties for fans of specific areas of otaku interest. Japan’s Tora no Ana chain of specialty stores is well-known to otaku as one of the best places to look for dojinshi...
View ArticleCan you sing at least one anime song? Then you’re a step closer to a job with...
Pass the first stage interview with karaoke! Or, by playing wink murder. For many Japanese university students job hunting is a near full-time activity, involving visiting countless job fairs and...
View ArticleA sexy penguin, Studio Ghibli cats, and other cosplayers take over Osaka for...
Now in its 13th year, the Den Den Town event is one of the biggest otaku gatherings in central Japan. While Tokyo’s Akihabara is the worldwide center of otaku passion, anime and video games are big...
View ArticleThe ita-bag contest showcases your favorite anime characters in the most...
The results are a bright kaleidoscope of repetition and fandom that makes our eyes burn. Of the many trends in Japan, the “ita” trend is the certainly one of the most attention-grabbing. Whether you...
View ArticleTokyo wedding chapel to host marriage ceremony so fans can marry their VR...
And yes, the grooms will be required to wear tuxedos at the private ceremonies with their video game brides. In a more innocent time, Niitzuma LovelyxCation, the latest romance video game from...
View ArticleNintendo Switch game promises players can feel boobs that feel like pudding,...
The Senran Kagura video game series is poised to bounce onto Nintendo’s system the only way it know how: breasts-first. In all the excitement over the Nintendo Switch’s hybrid console/portable...
View ArticleAnime legs fly high in the sky, look just like a video game glitch come to...
These legs turned heads on the weekend as they ran on the wind like a character in a video game. For all the advancements made in video game production and technology, there’s still always a chance of...
View ArticleIf you’ve got 25 grand lying around, you might be able to buy this life-sized...
Really, is there any more sensible way to spend that money than in obtaining a 1:1-scale figure of the female lead of one of anime’s most popular harem series? Just like human beings need a strong...
View ArticleJapanese concertgoer sues idol group because dancing otaku ruined the show...
High Court hands down ruling in three-year legal dispute stemming from different attitudes between hard-core idol singer fans. Personal opinion on their overall quality aside, you have to admit that...
View ArticleSexy Japanese cosplayer thanks foreign fans for (relatively) classy behavior,...
Says messages from overseas admirers “almost make me swoon.” Not so long ago, being a cosplayer meant you could achieve, at best, local fame. While there’s a lot of talent and effort involved, cosplay...
View ArticleAnime fan dating party in Tokyo at risk of being cancelled for failing to...
If you’re an anime-loving lady, here’s your chance to save the day. A few months ago, a new matchmaking service called Tora Con was launched in Japan (with the “Con” coming from the Japanese word...
View ArticleJapanese idol singers put on hazmat suits before hugging fans at Tokyo...
The six young ladies of this Nagoya-based idol unit skipped the frilly skirts when it was time to embrace their fanbase. With the Golden Week holiday period over, Japan headed back to work and school...
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