entertainment
In the relatively new market of video services in Japan, one clearly stands above the rest. But you might be surprised what it is.
A lot’s been said about how foreign audiences feel about Japanese TV dramas, but what if we flip the script?
Our skeptical writers wonder if the combination of singing and elevating is a winner or a bust.
The self-proclaimed “Netflix of nightclubs” lets you enjoy Tokyo’s nightlife for a great price.
Some of the more civilized comments against the tabloid Friday include “Die” and “Do you feed your families with the money you squeeze out of people’s souls?”
The production house behind Korea’s hit kid’s show Pororo the Little Penguin recently announced a partnership with a developer to release an augmented reality game called Pororo Go.
Thanks to Pokémon GO, Hollywood executives are reportedly super-interested (again) in the idea of a live-action Pokémon movie.
Next weekend, handsome versions of some of Japan’s most prominent historical military figures will grace the stage in Asakusa for an interactive, foreigner-friendly show!
Comic Con, a festival of pop culture and entertainment, will be coming to Tokyo next year, and they’ve already put on a huge announcement bash!
Karaoke in Japan tends to be a little different from in the west, and it comes with its own set of rules and etiquette that it’s a good idea to learn if you want to keep being included in karaoke parties.
Whether it’s your first time ever singing in (semi-)public or you’re a seasoned karaoke veteran back home, these six tips for not being a total karaoke bore will help make your singing sessions super special (and not at all humiliating…).
A Taiwanese college student tragically chose to set himself on fire recently after an apparently pretty harsh argument with his father over video games.
Xue Zhenjun, a student of Taiwan’s Chienkuo University of Technology, reportedly chose to end his own life in one of the more horrific ways imaginable because his father told him to get some sleep instead of staying up all night playing an online game.
Much to the delight of series fans, Dragon Ball Z is still going strong in the form of feature-length animated films released sporadically over the years since the original series ended its run way back when people still wore Hammer pants and JNCOs.
Fans were surely pants-wettingly ecstatic, then, to learn recently that the 19th feature-length film in the series will hit theaters in 2015 and will apparently be only one of the two films personally supervised by series creator and lover of food-themed character names, Akira Toriyama.
Now more details are being released about the film, Dragon Ball Z: Fukkatsu no F, in the form of a detailed character cast sheet.
If you’ve been following behind-the-scenes entertainment news for a while, you’ve probably heard the reputation that animators have as low-paid peons that, despite providing a valuable and necessary service for both the obvious animated films as well as any movie that relies heavily on computer animation, often get paid meager wages and work hellishly long hours.
Some, then, might reverse that logic to assume this is all because animators are basically the burger-flippers of the entertainment world; cranking out a desirable product through simple, mindless repetition. Hence the low pay, right?
Well, if this Touei Animation employment exam “question” – among myriad other evidence – shows us anything, it’s that animation is hard work that requires creativity, sure, but also a fair bit of mental agility in addition to all those long hours.
Shinjuku’s Robot Restaurant is the stuff of legend the world over. An epic music and light show with a dash of burlesque flair featuring enormous robots, exotically dressed dancers and more neon than the original and 2010 sequel to Tron put together, it’s a must-see for anyone visiting Tokyo and looking for a dose of quintessential “WTF Japan?” weirdness (no, seriously, just check out its website).
But what if you’re not a trust-fund Toby or a highly successful business magnate with the cash to splash on weekend trips to Japan? Those plane tickets don’t come cheap, and Tokyo is known for being on the pricey side, so short of a wealthy aunt popping her clogs or your idea for edible cutlery coming to fruition, you may never have the chance to see this baffling spectacle of awesomeness. If you happen to live in or near Sydney, though, your feet won’t even need to leave terra firma for you to experience it, thanks to a unique event coming up in February.
Back in the day, Japanese console games were king. What late-20s gamer doesn’t fondly remember the classics like Final Fantasy VII, Tactics Ogre, Street Fighter, Metal Gear, the original Super Smash Bros, and the spate of Japan-produced side-scrollers owing their lineage to Mario?
Unfortunately, while great Japanese games do exist and are still being made, general consensus on English-language gamer forums is that the vast majority of modern Japanese games have devolved into 25-hour, barely interactive CG films and creepy boob-ogling simulators.
And, with this widening rift between Japanese game fans and Western gamers, the darker, dirtier corners of the Internet can get a bit cheeky with their memes.
It can’t be overstated just how in love with Disney’s Frozen Japan is. The return to classic “princess tale” Disney form was received especially well by the Japanese – notorious consumers of all things cute that they are.
Of course, this means that you can’t go five minutes in Japan without hearing either the English or popular Japanese version of the film’s hit single, “Let it Go.” It’s long since become grating to hear and we really wish they’d just, er… stop.
But if there’s one way to send the song out with a bang before everyone mercifully, um… gives it up, it’s this awesome figure skating routine by Japan’s Asada sisters.
Police in Tokyo have stepped up patrols in popular nightlife areas such as Shibuya, Shinjuku and Roppongi in an effort to reduce the presence of touts who stand outside shops or on corners and attempt to lure customers to their establishments with promises of cute waitresses, cheap drinks and other attractions.
MOST POPULAR
Now
Tokyo has a bar that only lets you in if you come alone – No bringing your friends allowed!
Japanese women categorise male friends by levels of intimacy, from hugging to bathing
Lost something on a Japanese train? Look for it at the railway’s lost-and-found market
Terrifying Cthulhu-yaki created by lazy Japanese home chef
Man in China says he likes Pokémon’s Team Rocket on social media, company makes him issue apology
Japanese dating site’s picture of ideally attractive woman: young, no sleeves, college education
Japan’s craziest, most terrifying video game arcade is going out of business【Photos】
Ichiran Ramen opens new premium branch in Ginza with high-class boxed noodles
New Starbucks Dark Night Frappuccino debuts at sunset with cup cosplay costumes for Halloween
This is Japan’s second-shortest mountain, and we climbed it without realizing it【Photos】
Weekly
Japanese Phantom Cheesecake: A sweet so popular 2,000 sold in ten minutes
Typhoon warning from NHK Japan “to all foreigners” causes controversy online- Japanese women categorise male friends by levels of intimacy, from hugging to bathing
World’s #1 Smash Bros. player takes on random kid in Japan’s Narita Airport
Typhoon Hagibis turns skies in Japan purply pink, makes people fear the end is nigh
Shibuya rats scuttle along streets in the wake of Typhoon Hagibis【Video】
Japanese Mame Shiba Inu banknote design pays homage to nation’s beloved dog- Man in China says he likes Pokémon’s Team Rocket on social media, company makes him issue apology
Japanese news agency under fire for announcing Nobel Prize goes “to foreigners”
You can now turn your smartphone into a Pokémon Pokédex thanks to Bandai【Photos】
Monthly
PewDiePie buys house in Japan, calls it “a dream come true”
Naruto’s author Kishimoto reveals what characters’ names would’ve been if editor didn’t intervene- Japanese Phantom Cheesecake: A sweet so popular 2,000 sold in ten minutes
- Japanese Mame Shiba Inu banknote design pays homage to nation’s beloved dog
- You can now turn your smartphone into a Pokémon Pokédex thanks to Bandai【Photos】
Uniqlo announces new line of awesome Dragon Ball T-shirts and hoodies【Photos】 
We took advantage of Burger King’s Whopper Jr. sale in an extreme way
Kyoto Animation will use none of its arson donations for business recovery, all of it for victims
Pakistani Japanese citizen is tired of the cops asking him for his foreign resident card
Hayao Miyazaki has turned down multiple offers from Hollywood to make live-action Nausicaa movie
Yearly
Which Pokémon are you? Official quiz reveals your Poké-personality, and how to take it in English- PewDiePie buys house in Japan, calls it “a dream come true”
- Naruto’s author Kishimoto reveals what characters’ names would’ve been if editor didn’t intervene
We asked a Niantic insider 30 questions about Pokémon Go, learned a lot of useful information
Japanese woman stumbles on the power of the infamous “gaijin seat” phenomenon during flight
Why do Japanese recycle bins have two openings but dump everything into the same compartment?
Tokyo public schools will stop forcing students with non-black hair to dye it, official promises- Japanese Phantom Cheesecake: A sweet so popular 2,000 sold in ten minutes
Japanese baseball teen refuses walk after getting hit by pitch, follows up with home run【Video】
50-year-old Japanese woman pulls off amazing Love Live! anime idol cosplay【Photos】
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Japanese dating site’s picture of ideally attractive woman: young, no sleeves, college education
Japan’s craziest, most terrifying video game arcade is going out of business【Photos】
Ichiran Ramen opens new premium branch in Ginza with high-class boxed noodles
New Starbucks Dark Night Frappuccino debuts at sunset with cup cosplay costumes for Halloween
This is Japan’s second-shortest mountain, and we climbed it without realizing it【Photos】
Twitter user thinks he knows why blood drives use sexy anime artwork in Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new limited-edition mugs, cards and travel bottles for Halloween
Japanese boy knows the one thing he needs when evacuating from typhoon, and it melts our hearts
Rugby World Cup: Captain Michael Leitch melts hearts with the reason why he plays for Japan
Ginza Sony Park offers chance to be a Ghostbuster in AR ghost hunt
Japan Travel: Explore a hidden cave on a tiny monorail roller coaster thrill ride in Nara
Canon shows off video-game-like replay tech for real games of Rugby World Cup in Japan
This is Japan’s oldest oyakodon chicken-and-egg rice bowl restaurant, and it’s awesome
Japanese artist creates cat banknote alternative: Kittens on 200 yen
-
