Categories
Games

Yoko Taro

The latest episode of Toco Toco TV is definitely the weirdest one I’ve watched yet, featuring game creator Yoko Taro (Drakengard, Nier). It’s a fantastic episode, and fits Taro’s personality perfectly — from the strange scenes at home (pictured) to him typing nonsense on a computer at the studio (“I can’t see the cursor,” over and over again). I’d also love to visit that pinball place in Osaka. Anne has outdone herself on this one, and I can’t wait for the next episode, which will focus on Editmode, the company behind The King of Games clothing line.

Categories
Anime Manga Nightlife

JoJo’s Bizarre Drinking Adventure in Osaka

I know next to nothing about JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure — despite it celebrating a 30th anniversary this year, I’ve never been particularly interested in checking out the series, although I have a few friends who seem to enjoy it quite a bit. One of these friends is Daniel Feit, who has written a really fun piece for Anime Now about a night on the town in Osaka, checking out three JoJo-themed bars. Even if I’m not a fan of JoJo‘s adventures, Daniel’s guide has made me want to check out these spots if ever I’m in Osaka again.

Categories
Film

Chicano

Chicano” is a short documentary by Louis Ellison and Jacob Hodgkinson that looks at the similarities and differences between Chicano (Mexican American) culture in America and in Japan. It was shot in Tokyo and Osaka.

Categories
Architecture

The Tree of Kayashima Station

This is a pretty amazing story, of a train station in the Osaka suburbs that was built around — yes, surrounding — a tree. Read the whole story over at Spoon & Tamago.

Categories
Books Games

White Owls

Some great news today with the announcement that lovable game dev Swery65 (Hidetaka Suehiro) has launched his own development studio, White Owls, with the slogan “From Osaka to all of YOU around the World.” It looks like he’ll be using White Owls to produce more than just games — he mentions a mystery novel here — and that makes me happy.

Categories
Art Books Events Tokyo Walking

100 Views of Tokyo

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100 Views of Tokyo looks like a beautiful book featuring lovely illustrations of the megapolis by Shinji Tsuchimochi. The bilingual book also includes maps of the various areas — take a look at this page for more details. They’re also having an exhibition of works from the book at Shikaku gallery/select shop in Osaka (the book also includes 5 views of Osaka), November 3-20.

Update: You can purchase the book directly from the Spoon & Tamago shop.

Categories
Cafes Food

Bird Coffee

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If I find myself in Osaka, I’m definitely going to make a point of checking out Bird Coffee. Produced by Truck Furniture, it’s a beautiful cafe, and I recommend you take time going through the videos on their site — those donuts look delicious.

Categories
Photography Web

Fresh Eyes on Osaka

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I point to yet another great piece about Japan from Said, this time this short guide of his favorite spots in Osaka, done for VSCO. The video montage made up of his photos is fun to watch.

Categories
Architecture Events

Bamboo Forest and Huts with Water

Designboom takes a look at the Ryuichi Ashizawa Architects‘ “Bamboo Forest and Huts with Water” installation, presented earlier this year as part of the “Aqua Metropolis” event in Osaka.

Categories
Design Fashion Stores

Rroomm

A fun idea, if possibly a maddening one: Rroomm is a clothing shop in Osaka that was recently renovated by architects Ninkipen, and the main feature is a series of eleven doors, six of which are fake. Via Dezeen.