Japan

Buy A 5-Foot Tall Gundam For $3,400

A lot of you like Gundam, but do you have room in your houses for a 5′-tall Gundam? And enough moolah in your bank account so the $3,400 sting wouldn’t be too painful? If so, proceed downstairs… Bandai’s Gundam is a 1/12 scale-model version of the RX-78-2 model, and weighs 35kg. Each statue is built…

Tech News Kat Hannaford May 13

Japanese Kanji Transformers Are Killing Words

Bandai’s new Mojibakeru toys transform from kanji characters to actual animals (i.e. the kanji for “dragon” becomes a dragon). It’s like the Autobots tabled their quarrel with the Decepticons to teach literacy in Japan! [via Pink Tentacle] 犬 = Dog. 犬 = Dog. 虎 = Tiger. 虎 = Tiger. 魚 = Fish. 魚 = Fish.…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar May 11

Twitter User Brings Toilet Paper To Desperate Japanese Man

When he found himself stuck in a public restroom stall without any toilet paper, Twitter user naika_tei did what any clever man would do: He posted a Twitter message pleading for help. It worked. It took 20 minutes from the time aika_tei first voiced his desperation, but someone apparently really brought him a roll of…

Tech News Rosa Golijan May 10

Motion Tracking Taken to Inevitable Conclusion: Groping and Skirt Lifting

Japan’s Teatime is an adult game developer known for adding webcam functions like face tracking to their games. But their latest innovation known as “hand tracking”? It’s a new era, friends. Also, no, I’m not free to video chat. [Kotaku] https://kotaku.com/its-kinda-like-project-natal-but-with-virtual-skirt-li-5534912

Tech News Mark Wilson May 10

David Lynch’s Twin Peaks Georgia Coffee Ads

In 1993, David Lynch directed a series of Japanese coffee spots that piggybacked on the success of 1992’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me in Asia. The commercials featured Kyle MacLachlan and company solving mysteries and pounding canned bean juice. Agent Cooper’s not the only one stuck in the Black Lodge. From LynchNet: These commercials…

Movies A D Jameson May 9

Why Are All These Happy Tourists Drowning?

Why are all these vacationers at the bottom of a swimming pool? Are we looking at a holidaying civilization of merpeople? Is this a shot from the newest Clark Griswold flick? What the heck is going on here? Never fear, dear readers! This is just Argentian artist Leandro Erlich’s The Swimming Pool at The 21st…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar May 3

Japanese Scientists Invent ‘Elastic Water’

This is “elastic water,” a substance researchers have created in Japan that’s 95% water yet retains a jelly-like texture that’s perfect for sticking tissues together. The stuff is made by adding two grams of clay and “a small quantity of some organic matter” to regular old water. And if they’re able to figure out how…

Tech News Adam Frucci Apr 29

Japanese Robots to Invade the Moon

2015. That’s when the First Interplanetary War starts, when Japanese humanoid robots arrive to the Moon to fight the Nazis stationed there. If there are no Nazis, however, they’ll just set up camp and explore, waiting for humans to arrive. https://gizmodo.com/inside-a-nazi-ufo-5515450 The bipedal humanoid will be called Maido-kun, and it’s being developed by SOHLA—Space Oriented…

Space & Spaceflight Jesus Diaz Apr 28

Japanese Show Off Gesture-Controlled Phone For Natal-Style Emailing

Between various patents and even a bog-standard Sony Ericsson, we’ve already thought about the possibilities of gesture-controlled phones. The University of Tokyo, in typical form, has taken it one step forward and released a video showing some sweet Natal-like possibilities. https://gizmodo.com/patent-for-gesture-controlled-phones-could-be-nokias-an-5095509 Recombu likens it to the Project Natal of smartphones, which is a pretty accurate…

Tech News Kat Hannaford Apr 26

Another Format Bites The Dust: Sony Discontinues Floppy Disks

What, wait? Sony’s been churning out floppy disks all these years? And 12m were sold last year in Japan alone? I guess that’s not enough though—as Sony Japan will cease selling them March 2011. [Akihabara News]

Tech News Kat Hannaford Apr 26

Eclectic Japanese Pentax K-x Colors Coming Stateside

A number of previously Japan-only Pentax K-x camera colors are headed to the U.S., the company confirmed Friday. Until Pentax opened up the color palette, we Yanks only had access to red and black models in this line. Now we’ll have orange, bright blue, green and purple. [Electronista]

Tech News Jack Loftus Apr 25

The Crazy-Ass “Mutant Girls Squad” Trailer

Hot on the heels of Big Tits Zombie in 3D comes a trailer for another wonderfully detached genre flick — this time, featuring young women on a violent, evolutionary bender. https://gizmodo.com/big-tits-zombie-in-3d-the-trailer-5520038 The best part about trailers like this is that you don’t need to know a lick of Japanese to suss out precisely how screw-loose…

Trailers Marc Bernardin Apr 23

Gundam Cafe Opens In Akihabara

There’s no place more fitting for an official Gundam Cafe than in Tokyo’s Akihabara district. Sadly Japanese maids don’t draw hearts in syrup over your pancakes or put “love spells” on you like at Maid Cafes…but there are Gundam biscuits! http://kotaku.com/227240/akihabaras-tip-top-maid-cafes Akihabara News visited the cafe before its grand opening to the public this Saturday,…

Tech News Kat Hannaford Apr 22

Insane Kaiju Art Full Of Psychedelic Guts

These kooky illustrations by Takayoshi Mizuki depict Ultraman, Ultraseven, and Dino-Tank(!), smacking the tar out of other rubbery reptiles. If you exposed the Muppets to toxic waste and mescaline, this is what you’d get. Mizuki created these masterworks between 1965-1972. I love the surrealism of #2, wherein Ultraseven are battling inside Dino Tank’s stomach. [via…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar Apr 20

Japanese AffectPhone Concept Conveys Emotions Through Heat

Temperature-sensing accelerometer are possible, but Japanese researchers at the Rekimoto Lab have taken it a step further with their AffectPhone project, which monitors Galvanic Skin Response for conveying emotions through an iPhone. https://gizmodo.com/next-gen-accelerometers-will-have-temperature-sensor-am-5442865 Sensors on the sides and back of the phone would allow the user holding the phone to feel heat or coolness depending…

Tech News Kat Hannaford Apr 14

H.R. Giger’s 1980s Japanese Stereo Ads Sell You Nightmare Fuel

In the mid-80s, Japanese electronics giant Pioneer asked Alien designer H.R. Giger to create an ad campaign for their Zone entertainment center. What did Giger whip up? An ad that makes you want to buy a gun, not a stereo. Giger developed this series of ads in 1984-1985. The rolling death tank you see here…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar Apr 11

Incredibly Creepy Japanese Android Gets Facelift, Still Incredibly Creepy

Japanese roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro is at it again. He’s improved upon his hellish personal twin android with a new model, the uber realistic Geminoid F. It’s totally just like Lt. Cmdr. Data, except you get night terrors. As you can see in the video, the facial expressions really are uncanny. There’s a frown in there,…

Tech News Jack Loftus Apr 4

The Robo-Skateboard: For Pipedreams Only

Costing about $1,000 and weighing 33 pounds, the Robo-Skateboard out of the Shibaura Institute of Technology in Tokyo will shred pipes of the dream-based variety when it arrives in 2013. The board operates much like the Segway: Learn forward, go forward; lean back, go backward. Four load sensors in the corners assist with maneuvering, which…

Tech News Jack Loftus Apr 4

Cosplay + Kickboxing = The Ultimate Intimidation Tactic

You’re about to kickbox with a very large, very angry man. What’s the best way to psyche him out? If you’re Japanese kickboxer Yuichiro Nagashima, you dress up as a female anime character. And you thought pro wrestling was flamboyant. These clips from the recent K-1 World Max 2010 kickboxing tournament in Saitama, Japan showcase…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar Apr 3

Google Japan’s Drum Keyboard: Not Quite Practical

As part of what is apparently an April Fool’s Day Prank over at Google Japan, they’ve made a pretty impressive drumset keyboard, complete with emoticon keys. The funny thing is, with all those kana characters they use over there, a keyboard with this many keys isn’t that ridiculous. I mean, they have uses for all…

Tech News Adam Frucci Mar 31

Buy A 5-Foot Tall Gundam For $3,400

Japanese Kanji Transformers Are Killing Words

Twitter User Brings Toilet Paper To Desperate Japanese Man

Motion Tracking Taken to Inevitable Conclusion: Groping and Skirt Lifting

David Lynch’s Twin Peaks Georgia Coffee Ads

Why Are All These Happy Tourists Drowning?

Japanese Scientists Invent ‘Elastic Water’

Japanese Robots to Invade the Moon

Japanese Show Off Gesture-Controlled Phone For Natal-Style Emailing

Another Format Bites The Dust: Sony Discontinues Floppy Disks

Eclectic Japanese Pentax K-x Colors Coming Stateside

The Crazy-Ass “Mutant Girls Squad” Trailer

Gundam Cafe Opens In Akihabara

Insane Kaiju Art Full Of Psychedelic Guts

Japanese AffectPhone Concept Conveys Emotions Through Heat

H.R. Giger’s 1980s Japanese Stereo Ads Sell You Nightmare Fuel

Incredibly Creepy Japanese Android Gets Facelift, Still Incredibly Creepy

The Robo-Skateboard: For Pipedreams Only

Cosplay + Kickboxing = The Ultimate Intimidation Tactic

Google Japan’s Drum Keyboard: Not Quite Practical

No Fooling, ‘Spaceballs 2’ Will Hit Theaters April 2027

I Regret to Inform You That the Artemis II Astronauts Are Having Lots of Screen Time

The First ‘Maul: Shadow Lord’ Reactions Are Most Solid

‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 3 Is Doing What You Hoped

Wearables Are Getting Very Messy

Trump Wants to Start Privatizing TSA in Latest Budget Proposal

Lost Warship From Battle of Copenhagen Found After 225 Years

These One-of-a-Kind Objects Are in the Wrong Museums

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Let us help find what you are looking for...