Android
Typing this Japanese word into your iPhone or Android device will introduce you to some very unusual characters.
Had your fill of Pokémon Go? Use this device to play classic Game Boy-era games on your phone’s display!
Android experiment OBJECT took over 200 submissions for ideas and produced these four futuristic products.
Soseki Natsume: writer, a man long dead. We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was: better, stronger, faster…
Japanese smartphone and tablet gamers spend a disproportionate amount of money on mobile games compared to the much larger mobile markets of North America and China, according to a new report from EEDAR – a video gaming analytics consultancy. This is despite the fact that the Japanese mobile gaming population is just a third of that of North America and a mere eighth of the Chinese gaming population.
Do you even lift? ‘Cos these macho guys certainly do! While the heroes of otome games, story-based romance games aimed at women, tend to err on the feminine side, the hunks in this mobile game cater specifically to women (or men!) who like their guys beefy. And when I see beefy, I mean ox-on-steroids beefy.
Do you think putting together broken bits of pottery sounds like fun? No, me neither. And I’d never imagine something that’s so tedious in real life would make a good basis for a game. However, that’s the theme behind this free Android app which draws upon an ancient Japanese philosophy and, after reading some reviews, I was convinced that I had to give it a go myself.
Nintendo may be ditching its historic proprietary operating systems (OS) and instead using Android to power its next games console, according to Japanese newspaper Nikkei, Kotaku reported.
If true, this could be a big win for Google, while helping to boost Nintendo’s flagging sales.
One thing that Apple fans tend to bring out during the enormous Android vs iPhone flame wars is apps. While both systems have a huge number of applications, people often claim that those on iOS are either better or cover a broader range. We won’t even pretend to have an opinion on whether or not this is true, but it looks like Android may have Apple beat in at least one area! Though we’re not so sure Google will be proud of this accomplishment.
It looks like there might be an Android app in China that you can use to find some tough guys to rough people up for you!
Wonder Festival is a semiannual Japanese convention dedicated to model and figure-building which attracts all manner of pros, amateurs, and cosplayers from across the country. Most recently, the Winter 2015 Wonder Festival was held at the Makuhari Messe Convention Center in Chiba City on February 8.
Our reporter Meg was busy checking out the show when she spotted a cute girl standing behind robotic company A-Lab’s booth. “Aww, she looks just like an idol from AKB48!” Meg thought. But when she got closer, she was shocked to realize that the girl was actually a hyperreal-looking android! In fact, many of the people attending the exhibition were equally stunned to learn that Asuna was an android, and not a living, breathing human girl. Would you have been tricked along with them?
As someone may have once said, “Great artists steal.” Then again, someone else probably said, “I’ll catch that hack who ripped me off and teach them a lesson or two,” so maybe we should just say that sometimes people “borrow” inspiration to make great things. And sometimes pirates come up with better titles than the original!
Of course, in the world of mobile games, “similar” and “inspired-by” games are the norm–but one Japanese game developer isn’t exactly happy about someone making a game just a bit too similar to his own. Is he overreacting or does he have a good point?
Innovation is the thing that keeps humanity moving towards a new future. That’s the sort of idea that is behind the Tokyo Design Week, which this year was renamed to the Tokyo Genius Expo. Gathering visionaries from all over the world every year to showcase their brilliant work in their respective fields, the Tokyo Genius Expo has taken place since 2005, and attracts over 100,000 visitors intrigued with what the human race can achieve. However, this year one star stole the show at the exposition, and while she is definitely an example of innovation, “human” might not be the right word for her. Meet Asuna.
Nguyen Ha Dong, creator of Flappy Bird, has been teasing his second game recently and it has finally been unleashed upon us! The game, called “Swing Copters“, shares many of the same gameplay elements of his first game, but might be even more annoyingly difficult than Flappy Bird! Is Swing Copters going to become the next Flappy Bird? Is it “fun” enough to warrant your time? Find out with some hands-on impressions!
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.



















Lacquerware supplier to emperor of Japan and Pokémon team up for new tableware
A Japanese dating app matched our bachelorette with a Buddhist monk, and she learned some things
Oh Boy, That’s Pretty Racist (Part Two): Japanese woman explains why Taiwanese girls suck
Shinjuku izakaya’s all-you-can-eat-and-drink plan is one of Tokyo’s best secret cheap eats
Starbucks Japan unveils Halloween Frappuccino for 2024, and it’s like drinking a magic spell
Is this the most relaxing Starbucks in Japan?
Green tea chocolate-covered potato chips arrive in Japan! 【Taste test】
Anime Spirited Away finds a new way to be beautiful with gorgeous traditional hanafuda card set
Is the all-you-can-eat KFC buffet in Tokyo really as good as they say it is?
Japanese Tumblr user drops hammer on debate of if Caucasian girl’s Japan-themed party was racist
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
Starbucks Japan releases new zodiac chilled cup drink for 2026
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Starbucks on a Shinkansen bullet train platform: 6 tips for using the automated store in Japan
Street Fighter Hadouken Churros to be launched and eaten in Tokyo, Okami pudding on offer too
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes
Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Is this the most relaxing Starbucks in Japan?
Green tea chocolate-covered potato chips arrive in Japan! 【Taste test】
Anime Spirited Away finds a new way to be beautiful with gorgeous traditional hanafuda card set
Is the all-you-can-eat KFC buffet in Tokyo really as good as they say it is?
Japanese Tumblr user drops hammer on debate of if Caucasian girl’s Japan-themed party was racist
More people in Japan quit sending New Year’s cards and many have started to regret it
Tokyo ramen restaurant apologizes for trying to set too-strict time limit for eating its noodles
Learn Japanese through ridiculous manga: Death Vote 【Episode #6】
More Than a Capsule Stay: Why Solo Travelers Choose “global cabin Yokohama Chinatown”
Store where you pay to shoplift returns to Tokyo
Can a dirty butthole make you filthy rich in Japan? We’re starting a New Year’s lottery experiment
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo