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Gegege no Kitaro

Classic yokai anime GeGeGe no Kitaro gets spooky stage play adaptation this summer

Key cast members and visuals were also just released, including a very big name in the world of voice acting.

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Shigeru Mizuki’s world of Japanese yokai comes to life in new exhibition in Tokyo

“Betobeto-san” © 水木プロダクション (Mizuki Productions)

A parade of monsters is coming to Roppongi Hills this summer, and it sounds like a treat! 

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The most unusual ATM in Japan? Banking with yokai spirits who want to know your PIN

Bank earns praise for unique way of warning customers about sneaky souls in the area.

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Anime character art doesn’t age, but it sure did change for these characters

Japanese anime Twitter takes a look back at characters who have been around so long you might not recognize them in their original forms.

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Male grooming brand creates bizarre manga, features cloth demon reincarnated as a body wipe

Leave your skin feeling fresh and clean with a demonic moist towelette.

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Anime lingerie takes a walk on the wild side with GeGeGe no Kitaro fundoshi from Japan

This possessed cotton spirit will scare everyone away from your private parts.

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The granddaddy of yokai anime, Gegege no Kitaro, gets an unexpected salute as it reaches the half-century milestone.

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Add a Japanese anime twist to your Halloween costume with unisex kimono cosplay

Japan’s spookiest yokai anime releases a range of gorgeous outfits just in time for Halloween.

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Shiba Inu dressed up as Japanese yokai achieve new level of cute and spooky

Even the pets of Japan want to show their respects to the recently passed yokai author Shigeru Mizuki.

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We check out the spooky snacks of the ghost-themed GeGeGe no Kitaro cafe

Maybe you’re familiar with the popular video game and anime franchise Yokai Watch. It’s a series that combines the addictive qualities of Pokemon with the traditional ghostly lore of Japanese yokai monster stories.

But maybe you didn’t realize the “real OG,” if you will, when it comes to cutesy renditions of traditional Japanese ghosts is the manga and anime franchise GeGeGe no Kitaro. Going strong since the 1960s, Kitaro is a beloved series in Japan that tells the tale of a ghostly boy fighting for peace between humans and ghouls, like a Japanese ghost-flavored X-Men.

The series is especially cherished in the author’s hometown in Tottori, but Kitaro mania extends as far as Tokyo proper, where a Kitaro-themed cafe exists. Of course, our ghost-obsessed Japanese writer felt compelled to make a pilgrimage recently.

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Four manga that are hits in Japan but relative flops in America

Manga has made its impact all over the globe, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that all that reads from right to left is gold. While your Dragon Balls, Narutos, and Attacks on Titan have all gone on to fame worldwide, it doesn’t mean every one of Japan’s hand-drawn treasures share the same love abroad.

Japan’s Da Vinchi News recently interviewed a publisher in New York whom they call “Mr. C” about four particular smash hit manga series in Japan that could hardly make a dent in the American market. What was it about these titles that made them perform completely differently in these two parts of the world?

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We try 400-year-old Ghost Child Care Candy – so good it’ll raise the dead

In the Higashiyama area of Kyoto City stands a candy shop which boasts a unique regular customer, the specter of a woman who comes for their candy. The legend began in 1599 and has been handed down from generation to generation to the present day.

The shop, now called Minatoya Ghost Child Care Candy Main Office, only sells its legendary Ghost Child Care Candy. RocketNews24’s Kuzo decided to head down to Kyoto to investigate the bittersweet story behind this candy shop’s connection to the other side.

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