We all know and love Tokyo’s Akihabara as the crazy neighborhood that boasts everything from maid cafes where you can lift weights with swole maids, to Internet cafes that look like beautiful Japanese ryokan, to virtual reality wedding experiences with the heart-throb anime husband of your dreams.

But Akihabara wasn’t always about otaku and technology. In fact, if you want to discover the origin of Akihabara’s shortened name (it’s often referred to as “Akiba” by residents and fans alike), then you have to go back more than a hundred years into Japanese history.

▼ It would make more sense it abbreviate it as “Akiha,” right?
…although we can kind of see why they don’t abbreviate it as “Akira.”

Before the 20th century, Japan kind of had a problem with fires, especially in the capital Edo (modern-day Tokyo). With all the buildings made of wood and packed tightly together, it didn’t take much for everything to go up in flames.

There were no less than 14 “great fires” from 1600 to 1855 in Edo that killed anywhere from thousands to hundreds of thousands of people. Fires were so common that a popular saying during the time was: “Fires and quarrels are the flowers of Edo.”

So finally in 1869 the Meiji government had enough. They set up an area in Edo called“Chinkabara” (Akihabara’s modern-day location) as a “fire proof area.” Its name “Chinkabara” even translates to “extinguished-fire field.”

▼ A photo of the Akihabara area from 1889. It doesn’t look a whole lot more
fireproof than other Japanese cities at the time, but I guess it worked?

And, just to be extra safe, they had Akiba Daigongen (the Japanese Buddhist deity/kami of fireproof-ness) transferred from Enshu (modern-day Shizuoka) to be enshrined in the new location.

…did you catch that deity’s name? It’s Akiba Daigongen, with “Akiba” meaning “autumn leaves,” another euphemism for fire. That’s where the name change starts.

▼ You know, instead of joking about horrific fires all the time,
maybe they should just invest in a fire department?

Since the location’s name was “Chinkabara,” the shrine set up for the deity was originally called “Chinka Jinja” (Chinka Shrine). But the deity’s name was “Akiba,” so everyone just called it “Akiba Jinja.” Eventually the name of the temple changed from “Chinka” to “Akiba,” so people started calling the area itself “Akiba” instead. 

There were a bunch of different names for the location, some of them mixtures of “Chinkabara” and “Akiba,” such as “Akibahara” or “Akibappara.” It wasn’t until 1890 when the location got a railroad station and needed to be officially named that it was dubbed “Akihabara,” though it was still referred to as “Akiba” as well, a name that has stuck around until today.

▼ “Akiba,” once synonymous with fires, temples, and a deity,
is now synonymous with “maid cafes.”

So there you have it! We can all thank the deity of fireproof-ness, Akiba Daigongen himself, for giving us Akihabara’s modern abbreviated name. Would he approve of Akihabra’s modern-day capsule hotels where you can sleep with anime characters? We have to imagine that, as long as the flames of passion don’t actually burn anything down, he’d think they’re a-okay!

Source: Akihabara Denki Machi Shinkokai via My Game News Flash
Top image: Flickr/Dushan Hanuska
Insert images: Wikimedia Commons, Pakutaso, Wikimedia Commons

We’re no strangers to the power of a good camera. Last year’s 4K introductory video to San’in prefecture, with its gorgeous foliage and eerily perfect beaches, set an incredibly high standard. Now, Akita-based cinematics company Armadas is here to push that standard doubly high, with eye-searing, gorgeous shots from a number of locales around Japan – in 8K resolution!

Armadas partnered with Nakanihon Air Service to get these breathtaking aerial views from all around Japan. Naturally, we start out with our favorite and most famous of the Japanese mountains, Mt. Fuji. Standing proudly between Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, this titanic peak is one of the beautiful landmarks of the country, even when missing its signature cap of snow. But what an angle to admire it from!

We transition to Goryokaku Park in Hakodate, known for the fleeting beauty of its cherry blossoms and the permanent beauty of its fort.

▼ Here you can see both Hakodate highlights at once!

The fort was built in the 19th century and has a unique star shape that can be best appreciated from above. We’re in luck, then! The camera lovingly captures every fluttering petal of cherry blossom and highlights the geometric charms of the fort too.

Moving swiftly on, our new desination is the verdant wilderness of Yakushima, an island just off of the coast of Kyushu.

▼ This little friend looks like something right out of a Ghibli movie, but real, and in high-def.

The dense forests of cedar trees famously inspired Hayao Miyazaki with his animated masterpiece, Princess Mononoke – and it isn’t hard to see why from the shots we see in the video. Monkeys ruminate, deer pick their way over the rocky floor and the waterfalls gush in powerful, constant sprays. Yakushima doesn’t feature in many English-language holiday brochures, but every holiday sees Japanese nationals head there to enjoy its sub-tropical delights.

Next, we’re treated to a front-row seat to one of Toyokawa’s Tezutsu festivals: patrons are treated to a spectacular show where fireworks artisans from each district bring their handcrafted cannons and fire them, in hopes it will protect the city from misfortune. The video even gives us a fly-on-the-wall eyeful of the creative process before said cannons are fired.

▼ All of those firework cannons are handmade!

As the video winds down, it’s time for the RED Weapon 8K camera to train its eye on the capital city.

▼ How many Tokyo landmarks can you spot from up here?

Even a classic shot like Tokyo’s skyline looks jaw-dropping from this unique angle, and the high resolution creates a dreamlike effect as though you’re truly soaring through the sky above it. The video concludes with a series of nightscape views from the places we’ve toured in the previous minutes, and before you know it, it’s over.

Once you’ve whet your appetite for high-quality tourism footage, it’s hard to stop with just one video. Make sure to stop by the HD video library to scout out Japan’s most scenic hotspots, and then unwind in the Onsen town in Guma. You might want to make sure you’re alone before you watch Saga’s take on hyper-realistic ads, but they’re stuffed full of sensual… scenery, and come highly recommended.

Source: YouTube/Armadas via Japaaan
Images: YouTube/Armadas

For decades, sharks – with their cute stubby little noses, lifeless black doll-eyes, and rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth – have lit up the silver screen along with hearts of all ages. Of course sharks have appeared in movies before, perhaps as long as the art itself, but it wasn’t until Jaws that their charm was truly capitalized on.

However, shark cinema scholars believe the true absurdity of the genre was discovered in 1987’s Jaws: The Revenge. This film, the fourth installment in the series, suggests that killer sharks are purposefully stalking the Brody family, and in this instance chases them as they fly all the way from the Northeastern US to the Caribbean Sea. Apparently moving to the midwest never dawned on them.

▼ Jaws: The Revenge also stars Michael Caine, who I firmly believe had a gun pointed at him just off camera at all times

From there it was just a hop skip and a jump to the current crop of Sharknadoes, Megasharks, Swamp Sharks, and Sand Sharks that have thrived during much of the 21st century. Finally, its time for us to come together as one and honor these works of art at the Tokyo International Shark Film Festival (TISFF).

The next festival will be held on 29 May in Shinjuku, Tokyo and will show some of the great moments in ridiculous shark-themed cinema. There will also be talks by actual B-movie writers on how to craft your own shark screenplay.

Exclusive merchandise will also be on hand such as TISFF mugs, Sky Shark T-Shirts, and a picture book featuring some great moments from shark flicks, all done in a kawaii style similar to that of Hello Kitty. I hope we can expect a picture of a cute Samuel L. Jackson getting eaten by a genetically modified shark done in the style of Dick Bruna.

There’s no mention of a jury prize at this film festival, but if there is, hopefully it will go to that LL Cool J video from back in the day where he morphs into a shark.

Even if LL is snubbed for his shark awareness raising efforts yet again, it still promises to be a fun evening of blood and violence. So, why not grab a ticket? If enough people do so…they’re gonna need a bigger venue.

Event Information
Tokyo International Shark Film Festival / 東京国際サメ映画祭
Tokyo-to, Shinjuku-ku, Kabuki-cho 1-14-7 Hiyashi Bldg. B2
新宿区歌舞伎町1-14-7林ビルB2
Date: 29 May, 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: 1,000 yen in advance, 1,500 yen at the door

Source: TISFF Official Site, Horror Entertainment News
Top Image: TISFF Official Site

Almost as soon as Nintendo released the NES Classic Edition, the miniaturized stand-alone console preloaded with iconic video games from the company’s 8-bit era became impossible to find. The mixture of nostalgia and genuinely still fun-to-play titles was too strong for anyone with even a passing interest in the hobby to resist, and retailers sold out immediately.

Since then, fans have been pleading for Nintendo to make another batch, and the company promised that it will sometime this summer. Aside from that, it was quiet on details, but the list of games that will be included in the new mini Famicom for Japan, as well as when it’ll go on sale and how much it’ll cost, have finally been revealed.

While flipping through the most recent edition of manga anthology Weekly Shonen Jump. Japanese Twitter user @zaregoto_od3 came to a page boldly proclaiming “The legend returns to life in the palm of your hand!” But rather than just re-release the same Nintendo Classic Mini: Famicom that it did in 2016, Nintendo is instead loading it up with 20 completely different games, all of which are based on Shonen Jump manga (yes, there was a long-running manga adaptation of Dragon Quest).

The new retro console goes on sale July 7, priced at 7,980 yen (US$74), and the complete list of games, originally released between 1985 and 1993, consists of:

Kinnikuman Muscle Tag Match
Dragon Quest
Fist of the North Star
Dragon Ball-Mystery of Shenron
Kinnikuman-Battle for the Star Throne
Saint Seiya Golden Legend
Captain Tsubasa
Saint Seiya Golden Legend Conclusion
Sekiryou
Famicom Jump Heroes
Sakigake!! Otokojuku
Dark Myth-Legend of Yamato Takeru
Tenchi wo Kurau
Fist of the North Star 3-Creation of the New Century
Dragon Ball 3- Goku Legend
Captain Tsubasa 2-Super Striker
Dragon Ball Z-Saiyan Assault
Magical Taruruto-kun
Famicom Jump II-The Strongest Seven
Rokudenashi Blues

Aside from the anime/manga connection, a couple of things stand out about the list. First, while the game rosters of previous Nintendo mini consoles have been heavy on first-party titles, the Famicom Mini Weekly Shonen Jump 50th Anniversary Version (to use its full name) doesn’t include any games made by Nintendo itself.

What’s more, while some of the games had renamed and/or graphically reworked releases in North America (such as Kinnikuman Muscle Tag Match as Tag Team Match: M.U.S.C.L.E., Dragon Quest as Dragon Warrior, Captain Tsubasa as Tecmo Cup, and Tenchi wo Kurau as Destiny of an Emperor), many of them were exclusive to Japan, and even those that did cross the Pacific are remembered by few American gamers, and remembered fondly by even fewer.

▼ Dragon Warrior was so unpopular that Nintendo, the game’s North American publisher, eventually resorted to giving away free copies of it with subscriptions to its Nintendo Powermagazine.

Because of that, it’s likely that there will be little, or perhaps no, overlap between the game lineups of the second-round Japanese mini Famicom and North American NES Classic. Sure, Dragon Quest might make have a spot in both, thanks to its historical significance, but the Famicom’s Magical Taruruto-kun and Rokudenashi Blues aren’t really remembered for their gameplay, and with their American fanbases small enough to be virtually nonexistent, there’s no nostalgia boost for them or many of the other franchises represented in the Famicom Mini Weekly Shonen Jump 50th Anniversary Version.

So now the question becomes if few to none of these games will be in the new mini NES, what will? Nintendo titles seem like they’re out of the running, especially since the company is using access to them sweeten the deal for its Switch Online service, which launches in September, which makes another “themed” collection seem likely.

Just what would that theme be? “Sports” could be a candidate, since games like Tecmo Bowl and Blades of Steel were big hits with America’s sizable football and ice hockey fandoms.

▼ Bo knows football, but Japan never really knew Bo.

But the far more horrifying possibility is that Nintendo will come to the conclusion that if Japan is getting a bundle of anime/manga games, then North America should get an NES Classic with a collection of licensed games based on Hollywood movies. Just imagine a new mini NES that forces you relive the sloppy, obtuse, and repetitive game mechanics of Back to the Future, Jaws, and Predator!

But hey, at least when you get fed up and angry with them, smashing the hypothetical “NES Classic Hollywood Edition” would let you destroy them all at once.

Source: Twitter/@zaregoto_od3 via Jin
Top image: Wikipedia/Solomon203

Heralding a fresh generation of popular games like Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, and perhaps a hotly anticipated Pokémon RPG, Nintendo’s newest console is the culmination of decades of innovation coupled with unbridled ambition.

Yet the company’s goal wasn’t always as clearly defined as it is today, particularly when it was first founded back in 1889. Nintendo started off producing hanafuda, which were traditional Japanese playing cards printed on mulberry tree bark.

It was remarkably profitable thanks to the yakuza, who used hanafuda in their numerous gambling parlours, eventually providing the firm with enough resources to branch out into other businesses.

▼ Here’s a short clip explaining Nintendo’s colorful history.

▼ Nintendo sure dealt with some shady customers back in the day.

Steering away from the limited potential of playing cards, the company tried its hand in other fields to find its true calling. It wasn’t until the arrival of Gunpei Yoko’s extendable claw toy that Nintendo began pouring all its efforts into innovative entertainment.

Gunpei’s key inventions such as the Game & Watch handheld system and iconic plus-shaped control pad were the turning point for not only Nintendo, but for our entire gaming industry today. The rest, as they say, is history.

▼ We have a lot to thank Gunpei Yoko for.

It would be hard to deny that Gunpei single-handedly changed our world, but if it weren’t for the fact that Nintendo once profited off of selling playing cards to crime organizations, the squeaky-clean family-friendly Nintendo that we know today would probably not exist.

Although to be fair Nintendo may have recently dipped their toe back into their seedy roots with the recently-released adult game featuring sexy cosplayers. But we’ll go out on a limb and say that’s probably not something that they’re going to pursue.

Source: YouTube/Polygon via My Game News Flash
Images: YouTube/Polygon

A few years ago, Japanese actor, director, and inventor Shota Mori achieved his ambition of creating a device so he could pop a concealed smartphone out of his sleeve like a secret agent. Having turned that dream into a reality at just 30 years old, however, Mori realized he still had plenty of time to turn his eyes to a new goals.

One of those goals, awesomely, was to stage mid-air jet pack samurai sword duels. Well, technically, we should say that was one of his goals, because he’s done it.

The two swordsmen begin their fight with their blades crossed and their feet on the ground. But then smoke billows from the canisters strapped to their backs, and they float into the air before they start slashing at one another.

It stands to reason that you don’t bother to add jet packs to your bladed vendetta unless you’re really serious about settling the score, and eventually the samurai clad in the darker kimono and hakama cuts down his rival. Since he’s still got some juice left in his flying apparatus, after the victor sheathes his blade he flies off, literally looking down on his fallen opponent.

Source: IT Media
Images: Twitter/@SoftBank

As Japan’s mecca for all things anime and video game-related, it might seem like Tokyo’s Akihabara neighborhood has always had its eyes on the future, with youthful energy pushing today’s science fiction towards tomorrow’s reality. But in fact, for a long time Akihabara’s vibe was arguably as old as it was new, with just-released technological gadgets and video games being sold out of dusty, decades-old shops.

A lot of that has changed in the past 10 years or so, though. The otaku culture boom brings huge crowds into Akihabara daily, made up of Tokyoites, day-trippers from neighboring cities and prefectures, and even international travelers. It’s led to a major revitalization of the area and a vibrant carnival-like atmosphere, but it’s also bringing changes to the urban landscape as familiar icons get torn down for newer, shinier replacements, and the latest local landmark on the chopping block is the Kanda Shokudo restaurant, which has been a part of the neighborhood for almost 60 years.

To give you an idea of how long Kanda Shokudo’s history stretches back, when it served its first teishoku set meal back in 1958, there was no anime at all being shown on Japanese television (the Three Tales anime TV special wouldn’t air until 1960, and Otogi Manga Calendar, the first anime TV series, wouldn’t debut until one year after that). So instead of otaku with anime merch in their backpacks and rumbles in their stomachs, Kanda Shokudo’s first customers were hungry workers from the Kanda Fruit and Vegetable Market located across the street, which has now been replaced by the Akihabara UDX entertainment/office/anime itasha garage high-rise.

But after 59 years of providing generous portions of tasty pork cutlets, curry rice, grilled fish, and karaage fried chicken, the restaurant is closing down. On March 5, passersby noticed a hand-written notice posted next to the entrance, saying that the restaurant will close permanently on March 24, and including the message:

“Thank you for supporting us since our opening in 1958. We apologize for the suddenness of this announcement, but due to various factors we have decided to close our restaurant. From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to express our deep appreciation for the patronage our customers have bestowed upon us over so many years.”

View image on Twitter

 ▼ So long, saba (mackerel) set meal.

So why is the restaurant shutting down? It turns out that Kanda Shokudo merely rents the first floor of the building it’s housed in. The building’s owner has decided to sell the structure, and the new owner plans to tear it down and put up a new building on the lot. That means the tenants need to clear out, and it seems Kanda Shokudo isn’t part of the plans for the new building.

ssible that Kanda Shokudo’s owners were looking to retire soon anyway, and the building’s sale is simply affecting the exact timing of a decision that was at least partially pre-existing. On the other hand, it could also be the case that rising rent in the neighborhood means that the humble teishoku specialist can’t afford a spot in the new building. Either way, a piece of Akihabara’s past is about to fade away, and it’s not likely to be the last, so if you want to see the neighborhood as it was, now is the time.

Restaurant information
Kanda Shokudo / かんだ食堂
Address: Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Soto Kanda 4-49, Maekawa Building 1st floor
東京都千代田区外神田４丁目４９ 前川ビル１F
Open 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m., 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m. (weekdays), 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (Saturday)
Closed Sundays

Source: 1up Johokyoku via Otakomu
Featured image: Twitter/@nonNoise

Now you can enjoy your coffee with a side of Edo-style charm in this old castle town.

As one of the world’s leading global coffeehouse chains, Starbucks knows how to adapt their brand for international markets, with exclusive local products, limited-edition beverages and modern outlets that blend perfectly into exotic surroundings.

Now it’s time for Kawagoe in Saitama Prefecture to get the Starbucks treatment, with a brand new outlet that pays homage to the town’s carefully preserved heritage. Kawagoe, which sits northwest of Tokyo, is a short 30-minute train ride from Tokyo, but when you step off at the station, you feel like you’ve travelled back in time to the Edo period (1603-1868), with old merchant stores lining the historic streets, and a stunning wooden bell tower that rings out the time across town.

▼ “Toki no Kane” (“Bell Of Time“) is the symbol of the city,
and has been telling time to the city’s residents for 350 years.

▼ Kawagoe is known locally as Koedo (“Little Edo”), due to its many historic buildings.
Japan’s capital of Tokyo was known as “Edo” during the Edo period.

The new Starbucks outlet set to open up in Kawagoe aims to blend seamlessly into the historic townscape with a building that uses the same rooftop style as the traditional “kura” clay warehouses that exist in the area.

With an exterior made from locally sourced cedar, the new Starbucks aims to maintain a modern aesthetic while blending into the traditional architecture of the town. Inside the store, customers will be able to enjoy a courtyard-like feel, in keeping with the historic warehouse style, and a bar area that uses the black-and-white stucco grid pattern seen on traditional storehouses.ng where customers will be able to enjoy “the scenery of the changing seasons” throughout the year, and the seats and benches will be covered in Kawagoe Tozan, a locally made fabric that was first created towards the end of the Edo period.

The 77-seater coffeehouse, which is due to open on 19 March, will be located on the same street as Kawagoe’s historic bell tower, giving customers the chance to enjoy drinking coffee with the sound of old Edo ringing in their ears. According to the company, this is just the latest offering from the popular coffeehouse chain, which aims to provide a “third place” for customers, in addition to their homes and office or school spaces.

If their “third places” continue to look like this one, as well as their stunning teahouse branch in Kyoto, then we’ll be more than happy to shack up there with a limited-edition Frappuccino in the future!

Coffeehouse information
Starbucks Coffee Kawagoe Kanetsuki-dori / スターバックス コーヒー 川越鐘つき通り店
Address: Saitama-ken, Kawagoe-shi, Saiwaicho 15-18
埼玉県川越市幸町15-18
Hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

You might know there’s different kinds of forks used for eating different kinds of food: salad forks, fish forks, fruit forks, dessert forks, and of course your standard table fork. If you’re fancy, you might even have sets that include all of these and more, with enough forks to impress even The Little Mermaid. But does your dinglehopper collection include a fork specifically designed for eating pasta? Mhm, I didn’t think so.

One-stop-shop and 100-yen store Daiso can help you out with that. And even though you’ll only be spending 100 yen (94 U.S. cents) to add one to your collection, you won’t be sacrificing on looks with this fork: in keeping with its place as part of the “Crafstman’s Art” collection, this fork, which is designed to “make pasta more delicious”, looks sleek and classy, like it should cost a lot more than a dollar. Maybe even two.

Our Japanese-language correspondent Go Hattori fell in love with this fork at first sight. The more he read about it and the more he looked at it, the more he wanted to eat spaghetti with it. “It just looks like a really nice fork,” he said, turning the unopened package in his hand.

After he brought it home, something drew his eye to packaging: the design on the bottom right hand corner that says, “Made in Tsubame”. “Tsubame?” he thought, “That reminds me of that paradise island, Tuvalu!” Carried away by his already romantic impression of the fork, he began to imagine it being molded by hand by a skilled island craftsman somewhere in the Pacific.

But then his eyes were drawn to the top of the packaging, “Made in Japan”. Oh. Nevermind.

The full title of the collection is “Craftsman’s Art: From the Artisan Village of Tsubame”, and after some Googling, Go learned that Tsubame is a city in Niigata Prefecture that specializes in metalworking. The city has been known as the “Artisan Village” for many years, and is the proud producer of about 90 percent of silverware that’s made in Japan.

In spite of not being crafted by a native Oceanic tribe as he originally thought, with this discovery the Tsubame Pasta Fork sparkled even more brightly in Go’s eyes. A fork of such impressive origins, for only 100 yen? This can’t be anything like your ordinary 100-yen fork, he thought. He couldn’t wait to try it on some pasta.

Aside from its origins and its apparent high quality, what makes this fork especially good for pasta are the ribbed outer edges of its tines, which catch the pasta and allow it to twirl easily. Go found this design appealing, but needed to make sure it was practical. After all, if it didn’t work, there was no purpose to it, however pretty it may be.

Eager to test out his new fork (and now hungry from thinking about all the pasta he planned to eat with it), Go set about preparing one of his favorite childhood meals: Pasta Coco Corn Cream Soup Spaghetti, with toast. Sprinkle a little bit of parmesan, a drop or two of tabasco, mix it up, and dip a crunchy slice of toast in the soup, and voila! You have heaven in a bowl!

But Go was prepared to put aside his toast for now. The fork was waiting. It was time. He picked up his new pasta fork and prepared to twirl his pasta…

Look at that form!

How perfectly it twirls!

It makes such a satisfying ball of pasta that holds perfectly in the grooves, and it doesn’t slide off easily, either. Twirl twirl twirl…chomp! Twirl twirl twirl…chomp! Easy and delicious!

Go’s conclusion: it works! It’s not a gag, and it’s not a hoax. It brings the deliciousness of pasta more easily to your mouth, stress free. And somehow, he said, his beloved corn cream soup pasta is even more delicious, when eaten with his equally beloved pasta fork. It lives up to its name!

Now before you rush to Daiso to get your very own Craftsman’s Art Pasta Fork, allow us to suggest that while you’re there you pick up some of Daiso’s 100-yen wine to pair with your pasta dinner, so you can pretend to have a nice fancy meal, without breaking the bank.

Images ©SoraNews24
[ Read in Japanese ] ]]>