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The consumption tax increase next April will hit every household in Japan hard, with many people's financial future hanging on whether their wages rise enough to offset the impact of the hike, experts say.
Every parent is all too familiar with The Tantrum. The screaming, the flailing arms, the angry head butting — and the timing (normally in the most inconvenient public place possible).
International events undermine Japan's democracy. Shame on the International Olympic Committee for being a party to it.
Tucked away behind the main museums in Ueno, the Tokyo University Art Museum may not be on most people’s radar, but it is definitely one of the city’s top museums in terms of curatorial quality. Whenever I go there, I am always delighted by ...
Francisco Liriano showed up at PNC Park on Tuesday afternoon in a suit with his suitcase packed for a trip St. Louis. The message reverberated through the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse. After 21 years away from the playoffs, it was time for the best story ...
Brian Ashcraft is a senior contributing editor at Kotaku and has been writing about video games for The Japan Times since 2007. He is also the author of two books, “Arcade Mania!” and “Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential.” A graduate of Cornell University, Ashcraft has called Osaka home for over a decade.
For Brian Ashcraft's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
When each new generation of game hardware begins, gamers are presented with choices: Which console will they buy? Will they be satisfied with one company's machine or will they need to buy rival hardware too?
We’re playing in the rain “Rain” is perhaps the most hauntingly beautiful game of 2013. Developed by Sony’s Japan Studio, it’s set in a darkened city and begins with a boy seeing the silhouette of an invisible girl in the rain. The boy follows ...
In Japan, the Tokyo Game Show (TGS) is gaming’s main event. This year, heavyweights Sony and Microsoft are set to square off at Chiba’s Makuhari Messe convention center with brand new consoles in tow. Who will come out on top? Sony’s PlayStation 4 and ...
Suit up for more ‘Armored Core’ “Armored Core” games are loved by fans for their terrific “mecha” robot designs, cool visuals and rigorous gameplay mechanics. The latest addition, “Armored Core: Verdict Day,” is set in a war-torn dystopian future in which rival groups fight ...
Gangsters. Hostesses. And lots and lots of street fighting. No, this isn't a night in Shinjuku's Kabukicho red-light district. It's an evening with "Yakuza," Sega's crime opus on the Wii U.
Finally, ‘The Last of Us’ is here One of this year’s most eagerly anticipated titles, “The Last of Us” is set in a near-future post-apocalypse that’s crawling with zombies. It is around 2030, decades after a fungi outbreak has ravaged America, infecting people and ...
Most collectible statues are a few inches or perhaps 30 cm tall. Typically, they are not life-size. But this is no typical statue.
Game otaku rejoice! A bounty of treasures is available while limited-edition supplies last, from commemorative figurines to superkawaii retro backpacks.
The Nintendo Wii U, which was released late last year, is outfitted with a near communication field (NCF) reader, and the first game to make use of it is the upcoming, downloadable Wii U title, “Pokemon Scramble U.”
Despite rumors to the contrary, the Japanese independent-game scene is alive and well. Over the past weekend in Kyoto, nearly 180 game developers packed into an event hall to show off their latest self-made creations at the first BitSummit.
There is an option for budding game-developers, however — a less expensive one that allows for more freedom and, if they’re lucky, more exposure than they could ever imagine.
Late last month, Nintendo issued a press release, regarding its smash hit “Animal Crossing: New Leaf.” The game, a simulator in which cute characters do things like collect items and decorate their houses, hit No. 1 on the game charts thanks to its dedicated ...