Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
That’s it folks, the third and final day of E3 is over and it’s been a privilege to bring you coverage of 2014’s expo. We’ve had a great time freaking out while trying our Project Morpheus, and were pleasantly surprised to find that Sunset Overdrive is just as fun as it looks. There’s more coverage to come, but in the meantime, here’s our last photo compilation from Day Three to tide you over!
As is expected at any gaming expo, there were plenty of booth babes, swag and cosplay to be found. However, unlike events such as Tokyo Game Show, all three were kept to a minimum.
But fear not, RocketNews Nation, we searched high and low to bring you photos of sexy ladies, freebies, and costumed strangers from E3…just because you asked so nicely.
What does it mean to be human? That’s the question being asked in a thought-provoking new exhibition of stunningly lifelike androids, which also suggests that maybe the singularity could be closer than we think.
Things I can do that impress Japanese junior high school students: touch my nose with my tongue; recite the lyrics to ‘That’s What Makes You Beautiful’ on cue; whistle the Benny Hill theme inconspicuously during class and then blame it on the Japanese sensei.
There’s one thing I’ve never mastered though – one thing that would hugely augment my repertoire of “odd things the English teacher can do”. I can’t whistle with grass. Or any kind of plant, in fact. Clearly, I should’ve taken some lessons from this guy, who can play entire tunes with a single pea pod.
Nearly half of all the people who play video games are women, but you wouldn’t know it by the video game industry’s biggest conference.
Only five women presented on stage at the major press events at E3, the video game industry’s huge conference, which took place in LA this week.
Sadly, that number won’t be surprising to anyone familiar with sexism in the tech industry, and the particularly appalling way women are treated in the video game industry.
But here’s the really shocking part. E3 actually featured more severed heads on stage than women: eight heads.
“Hey, you, go dress the mannequins in the window. Do whatever you want, but make sure you show off this season’s gift items. And make it summer-y, you know. It’s getting warmer, after all.” “Ok, boss, whatever you say…”
We have no idea whether this was employee sabotage or a knowing campaign, but this window display is certainly attracting attention in all the right places.
Recently, we sent our intrepid reporter Meg to Ehime Prefecture’s Aoshima, also known as Cat Island or even Cat Paradise. We’d heard rumors that the island’s packs of free-roaming kitties were facing an obesity crisis from the snacks given to them by their numerous animal-loving visitors, and wanted to check up on our little friends.
When Meg came back, she reported that the cats were fine, thanks to their active, calorie-burning lifestyle. But how could she be sure? Did she check every cat on Aoshima?
She certainly came close, and we’ve got the photo collection to prove it.
Walking through the Los Angeles Convention Center, we can’t help but notice a certain game popping up in all sorts of unexpected places. From the nook in the vaulted ceiling to the women’s restroom, Sunset Overdrive, has taken over E3.
Super Mario Bros., the classic Nintendo game that spawned dozens of sequels and introduced millions of people to video games, has been around for some 29 years now. In that time, along with discovering every secret the game has to offer and performing dazzling speed runs, players the world over have hunted for increasingly creative and complex ways to rack up stacks of extra lives by “juggling” shelled enemies until the timer runs out.
There are a number of “infinite lives” secrets that we’re already aware of, but just last week a new video appeared online showing one that appears to be not just brand new, but one of the most complicated 1-up discoveries yet.
Unlike a lot of children, I never doodled in my notebooks because I was bored at school. This wasn’t because I was consumed with the beauty of education or absorbed in what my teachers were saying. I was simply such a bad artist that listening to them drone on was still more enjoyable for me than trying to draw a picture, even if the lectures ended up putting me to sleep as often as not.
If they’d only had these Attack on Titan notebooks when I was a kid, maybe I would have stayed awake more often.
Okay, we have a question for you. How many of you personally know someone who’s fallen under the spell of Sanrio? We’re guessing, quite a lot. The sheer number of characters the company has come up with during its 54-year history is truly amazing, not to mention the immense appeal and popularity some of these characters enjoy across the world. Even if you’re not a passionate fan, if you have even a remote fondness for anything kawaii, then you’re bound to have a favorite Sanrio character, which is why Sanrio has a popularity poll for its characters each year, called the Sanrio Character Ranking.
Now, considering that most people probably think of Hello Kitty as the undisputed queen of Sanrio, you may expect the international feline celebrity to have an iron-clad hold on the top place in the rankings, but apparently, that hasn’t always been the case. This year in particular, the preliminary results from the first stage of the polls seem to be surprising Sanrio fans, specifically with regards to the votes Hello Kitty has managed, or not managed for that matter, to earn. Could it be that there’s something amiss with Hello Kitty’s reign over the kingdom of Sanrio?
The colossal titan is coming, and it’s your job to keep the wall standing. With this Jenga-esque Attack on Titan tower game, you and your buddies can challenge each other to see who can ward off the intruder the longest.
Day Two of E3 has come and gone and we still can’t get enough of this crazy expo devoted to gaming. It was an absolute blast to play Super Smash Bros. on the Wii U and we feel so lucky to have had the chance to check out Sony’s Project Morpheus virtual reality headset (although, a slightly less terrifying demo would have been appreciated).
Here come the photos from DAY TWO!
When starting a new business, one of the most important things to do is build name recognition. An easy, if ethically questionable, way of doing this is to base your company’s name on an existing, more recognized brand, such as calling your new restaurant McBurgers, or your talent agency filled with only the most charming and pleasant-smelling individuals RocketGoodSmell24.
Of course, McDonald’s would probably put a stop to such a plan, even if you weren’t directly competing with them in the fast food market. In fact, the company would probably be all the more swift in dropping the hammer if you were setting up shop in an industry it wants to avoid any association with. For example, if you were a budding pimp and called your brothel McHumptown, you could expect an angry letter from the Golden Arches.
You know who else doesn’t like being connected to the skin trade? Denny’s, as three men in Japan who appropriated the restaurant’s logo for their sexual services company just found out.
If you’re a big gamer but weren’t able to attend this year’s E3, you may be wondering what the overall vibe is in amongst all of those giant, flashing screens and cardboard cut-outs. So before we headed back to our hotel to get some much-needed sleep at this end of this busy, busy day, we thought it might be nice to show you what each of the “Big-three’s” booth looks like this year. We’re nice like that.
As a kid, I went through a stage where I bugged my parents to let me have a dog. My dad, though, wisely realized that he would be the one who ended up having to take care of it, so jokingly told me that I couldn’t have any animal I wasn’t prepared to eat.
Apparently a woman in China took the same philosophy regarding her grandson’s pet, only she didn’t bother to tell him before she cooked it for dinner.
The promoters of Just Dance 2015, Ubisoft’s sixth dancing game of the series, sure do know how to get people’s attention at E3. Songs such as “Happy” by Pharrell Williams and Run DMC’s remix of “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith already make you want to tap your toes. But they’ve also deployed cute dancers at the Just Dance booth to encourage the crowd to start, well, dancing. Even Wolverine couldn’t resist slicing the air with his claws to the game’s groovy beats.
And on Day Two of E3 2014, we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the elusive unicorn…dancing with his hippo pal to “What Does the Fox Say.” Yeah, we don’t know why either, so you’d probably better just watch the video…
The professional video game world might be a boys’ club — males account for 70% of frequent viewers and players — and there aren’t a lot of women playing video games professionally. At least not yet.
But those who do are definitely making a name for themselves.
e-Sports Earnings has ranked the top 100 female players who have won the most prize money, based on information provided online.
With their dramatic posing, frenetic accessorizing, and manic shouting, you could easily arrive at the conclusion that the cast of long-running manga and anime Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures is one seriously over-caffeinated set of super powered bare-knuckle brawlers.
Don’t expect Jojo and company to settle down anytime soon, though, as the characters created by artist Hirohiko Araki are set to grace cans of Coca-Cola Japan’s Georgia coffee this summer.
A filmmaker based in Los Cabos, Mexico, is attracting attention online in Japan with his stunningly beautiful food video. Entitled “A Taste of Japan”, Mike Arce’s video features the food he fell in love with on a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun. In an impressively expansive gourmet tour, Arce sampled everything from Kyoto speciality tofu cuisine to delicious hot-plate favourites like okonomiyaki and sukiyaki, even squeezing in a trip to Sukiyabashi Jiro in Roppongi for some high-class sushi, too.
If you didn’t already want to go to Japan really, really badly, you will after you watch this!
Japan approves foreign resident visa renewal fee increases of up to 967 percent, starts soon
Japan tripled its departure tax to fund tourism but is using the money on cherry blossoms and bears
Tokaido Lumière Express: Stay overnight inside the Shinkansen from Osaka to Tokyo
McDonald’s Japan reveals exclusive new Tsukimi moon viewing collection for 2026
Nike x One Piece collection brings Devil Fruits to sneakers and streetwear in Japan
Nephew of Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki serves up Totoro Shaved Ice in Tokyo
Data suggests increased bear sightings have led to a decrease in mountain climbers across Japan
Ministop brings bulked up Okinawan-style rice balls to mainland Japan for one week only
Starbucks Japan adds new Customisation Bar to stores, with free ways to hack your food and drink orders
Domino’s puts a new spin on moon viewing with Tsukimi dango-inspired tarts in Japan
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Studio Ghibli unveils new interactive stationery dioramas that bring anime movies to life on your desk
Anime fans can now wear a Seiko watch inspired by Japan’s One Piece ShinkansenJapan tripled its departure tax to fund tourism but is using the money on cherry blossoms and bearsNike x One Piece collection brings Devil Fruits to sneakers and streetwear in Japan
7-Eleven Japan brings back best-selling flat croissant that became a hit on social media
Studio Ghibli composer Jo Hisaishi just set three Guinness Records
Foreign hiker on Mt. Fuji loses consciousness and dies, becoming climbing season’s second fatality
We recommend not buying one pack of Japan’s new convenience store corn soup-flavor fried chicken
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heatSushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
Japanese vending machine sells freshly squeezed lemon juice with a futuristic light show
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Nephew of Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki serves up Totoro Shaved Ice in Tokyo
Data suggests increased bear sightings have led to a decrease in mountain climbers across Japan
Ministop brings bulked up Okinawan-style rice balls to mainland Japan for one week only
Starbucks Japan adds new Customisation Bar to stores, with free ways to hack your food and drink orders
Domino’s puts a new spin on moon viewing with Tsukimi dango-inspired tarts in Japan
We recommend not buying one pack of Japan’s new convenience store corn soup-flavor fried chicken
Amid foreign sex tourist rise, Japanese government considering outlawing paying for prostitution
Pikachu and other Pokémon evolve into hydration types with Thermos drinkware collaboration [Pics]
Police in Japan looking for who’s responsible for dumping 80 loaves of bread on side of road [Video]
Dragon Ball Z theme park, financed by Saudi Arabia, to be built in France
Winnie the Pooh cosplays as Yuzuru Hanyu for new plushie collaboration
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Turn octopus, spaghetti, and more of your favorite foods into crackers with Senbei Maker 2
Japan’s double-decker portable rice cooker/bento maker is better than ever with new version