A simple squabble over the breakfast table turned into a scene from a horror movie for one family.
game (Page 2)
Autumn is the season of school cultural festivals (bunkasai) in Japan. Students pour hours and hours of their time into creating the best possible attractions, food stands, and performances and proudly display these efforts of love for the surrounding community to enjoy.
There must be something in the water because, starting with the teacups ride we introduced last month, Japanese students seem to be showing some unprecedented creativity this year. Just take this musical arcade game that was built entirely by high schoolers, and which many stunned guests have proclaimed to be “good enough to be in a real game center.”
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a classic game that is considered by many as the greatest video game of all time. Needless to say, it’s pretty popular and people play it over and over and over. One gamer in particular, Runnerguy2489, has played it so many times that he can, in fact, beat it with his eyes closed.
Do you like cats? Do you like video games? Do you believe we all exist in a infinite number of dimensions simultaneously and our consciousness can shift between these coexisting realities depending on the choices we make?
If so, I think I know a game you might like. It’s a fun little time waster called 100 Neko by PDC Okinawa, in which the goal is to lure adorable little cats onto your screen with treats and one of those furry wand things. It’s also quite charming.
Let’s see how it works, shall we?
You may remember Google’s April Fools’ challenge last year, since it was pretty epic. If you missed it, Google came out with a game where you could search for Pokemon on the Google Maps app on your mobile device. It got rave reviews and it’s such a shame that it was only available for a limited time.
This year, Google is reaching out to a slightly older generation of video game lovers, letting us play Pac-Man on real streets of Google Maps!! Of course, being Google and April Fools’ Day, there is a catch, but more or less, you can transform neighborhoods into Pac-Man game screens.
The worldwide popularity of Japanese anime has certainly served as inspiration for many who aspire to be illustrators or animators in the future. The rise of anime has also influenced big names in good old American animation industry, such as Disney and Cartoon Network. In fact, Cartoon Network Asia will debut an Australian-made anime production in December, titled “Exchange Student Zero“.
The only problem is, they seem to have taken the idea of ‘exchange student’ a little too literally…
We’ve seen plenty about virtual girlfriends, fun little apps that provide you with all the charms of an attractive girl (well, almost all) without the inconvenience of having to deal with a real person. Well, what if you’ve been waiting for the crossdressing male version…?!
In Dolly Kanon, the newly announced Nintendo 3DS game from Happinet, you can take on the role of musical producer as you manage your secret cross-dressing boyfriend’s career as a music idol!
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!
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.
Tag is a childhood game loved worldwide although known by different names depending on the region, and Japan is no exception. Here the game is known as oni gokko (demon play) and follows the same rules aside for the “it” person being called oni, which translates to a demon but is probably more akin to an ogre.
If you happen to be in the Gunma area this month and want to relive some childhood fun playing a classic game, Gunma University and J.League soccer team Thespa Kustasu Gunma are working to set up a Guinness World Record breaking game of Oni Gokko.
The online role-playing game, Final Fantasy XI has garnered tremendous popularity within Japan, not to mention the rest of the world. Love of the game has grown steadily in the 11 years since its Japanese release in May of 2002.
Unfortunately, as gamers grow older and become busy with real-life responsibilities, they sometimes must set aside their virtual buster swords and magical mage staffs and focus on the tangible things in life. Luckily, there’s always a circle of lazy gamers ready to take their places! These impatient players are wide-eyed and eager to buy your character’s levels and loot off of you. Read More
Japanese telecommunications company SoftBank is seemingly never out of the news recently. In the past seven days, we’ve seen CEO Masayoshi Son put down a heckler on Twitter, offer his employees up to a month’s pay for mastering English, and now the company comes out with a genuinely wonderful free app for iOS in celebration of being Japan’s most popular telecommunications provider for five years running.
Officially titled 「ラップお父さん」 “Rappu Otousan” (lit. rap dad), the application is essentially a sound board filled with memorable lines uttered by members of SoftBank’s fictional White Family, as seen in commercials. As well as allowing users to annoy friends with one-liners like “Shut it!”, “What’s so funny!?” and even the company CEO’s famous “Let’s do it!” line, users can play and mix a variety of prerecorded rhythm tracks, making this app by far the most wonderful time-waster we’ve discovered so far this year.
Hot on the heels of its highly successful Super Mario spoof animal fur campaign, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has launched a brand new flash game that centres on kids’ videogame favourite Pokémon, exposing the cruel truth behind the trainer / pocket monster relationship and prompting us all to think a little harder about how we treat animals.
The game, which mimics the style of the hugely popular videogame, has seen thousands of visits since its launch, and asks players to take on the role of captive pokémon as they battle with their abusive trainer for freedom. Read More
Tokyo Game Show: home to videogames, freebies, pretty girls and people who love all of the above.
Of all the titles I saw during my visit today, smart-phone game company mobile_one’s Kaikan Ashitsubo Massage (lit. Pleasurable leg massage) definitely wins my award for “Most Borderline Creepy”. Read More
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Weekly
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Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]- Japanese vending machine sells freshly squeezed lemon juice with a futuristic light show
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever gacha capsule toys, featuring iconic menu items as plush coffee charms
7-Eleven Japan adds new chocolate fruit gummies to its sweets range, but are they worth the hype?
Kyoto receives more foreign tourists than ever before, but fewer visitors say they’ll return
7-Eleven Japan now offering baked-in-store pizza by the slice with two very different topping sets
Starbucks Japan opens new store inside historic seaside quarantine station near Tokyo- Studio Ghibli’s No Face twirls to sound of Spirited Away’s theme song in beautiful accessory box
Foreign tourists in Japan eat far more rice than previously thought, according to new data
Monthly
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Family Mart opens new “Famima” flagship store in Tokyo that’s like a tourist attraction- Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Uniqlo looks back to the very start of Pokémon with new black-and-white pixel art T-shirts[Pics]
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
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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】
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7-Eleven Japan rethinks convenience store sandwiches with a wild new choc-mint variety
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Toyota Museum’s international retro vehicle parade returns to Aichi this autumn
Japan’s favorite popsicles add multilingual packaging to better connect with foreign tourists
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Live-action Princess Mononoke is coming to streaming as a live event, previews look amazing [Video]
Japan’s Super Volunteer, 86-year-old Haruo Obata, heads to the Kumamoto earthquake site
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Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]
Daiso now sells stress-relief punching bags, but are they worth beating on?
The train station that stayed open for a single school girl finally closes down
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