In 2019, pachinko made ¥21 trillion. That was 3.7% of Japan’s GDP for that year (Higuchi, 2020). Historically, pachinko, when combined with Japan’s lottery and legal sports betting, mak…
Jun 30, 2024 • Subscribe
More like this


Little Things: Casino Kid and Casino Games
I’ve recently come to appreciate casino video games. For a long time I considered them routine, disposable pieces of a game system’s librar...


Japan’s Year-End Jumbo Lottery
Have you ever heard of the Japan's Year-end Jumbo Lottery? Here's a general overview of one of the most popular lotteries in Asia.


Casino, The (1972)
Director: Chang Tseng-chai Starring: Yueh Hua, Lily Ho, Shih Kien, Fan Mui-shang, Chiang Nan Entering a casino and casually cleaning out the House, Luo (Hua) demonstrates his gambling…


In Airsoft Game, Civilians Fight Japan’s Self Defense Forces to Draw
What happens when you pit highly-trained soldiers against civilians who play army on the weekends? Turns out you get a tough fight.


Namahage: In Japan’s Akita, Demons Ring in the New Year
The namahage are wild, Krampus-like New Year's mountain gods of Akita Prefecture. But what's the story behind the horns and straw coats?


Shinkalion and Japan’s Railway Museum
On my winter 2023 trip to Japan, I happened to do a good deal involving trains and train accessories. This is Part 1 of my experience, focused on…


Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – 20 – Impure Imagination
Stern Ritter “V” Gwenael Lee interrupts Isane’s healing of Muguruma and Rose, and Yachiru’s slash-first, ask-questions-later approach seems to be ill-advised, as Gwnael is a…


Solo Leveling Just had the Biggest Anime Fight of the Year
Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows S2 EP 12 PRAISING SESSION Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone who identifies as neither, this is the episode that we all waited to…


Akiba Maid War Episode 2: Casino Maid Zone
Now that we have an idea of what to expect we can openly discuss episodes going forward.
“Shojo FIGHT” – Sex And The Court
Shojo FIGHT! lives up to its name. Neri and her friends fight for love, victory, and freedom—on and off court. They take on each other and their senpai…


2021 Anime Year in Review Part II: #11-20
It's a bit of a left-handed compliment, but this was the strongest part of anime 2021. Read more


2023 Anime Year in Review Part II: #11-20
Unmistakably this past year was a very good one in anime (especially romance), with strength both in quantity and quality.


2022 Anime Year in Review Part II: #11-20
I really needed a Top 12 this year. Read more
2019 Anime Year in Review Part II: #11-20
The quality gap between the top and bottom of this list sure feels like more than 10 spots. Read more The post 2019 Anime Year in Review Part…


2020 Anime Year in Review Part II: #11-20
The second ten is, as is so often the case, a very revealing list. Read more


2024 Anime Year in Review Part II: #11-20
In historical terms this list is probably 2024's strongest group.


Gundam SEED FREEDOM Rewards Fans After 20-Year Hiatus
I've never experienced a collection of fans so passionate about an anime movie as I had during the premiere of Gundam SEED FREEDOM.


Hiroshima, Japan’s Best Cafes and Restaurants
Favorite restaurants and cafes in Hiroshima, Japan. Hiroshima cuisine features oysters, soupless tantan-men, and Hiroshima style okonomiyaki.


The Kojiki and Japan’s Earliest Literature
Kobayashi Eitaku, Izanagi and Izanami, c. 1885Via Wikimedia Check out the Read Japanese Literature podcast. Episode 1: The Kojiki—Gods having sex, founding of the imperial dynasty, and some of…


Re: Zero – 54 – Get Up and Fight
Garfiel and Mimi face off against two hooded members of the Witch’s Cult, but the result is that Mimi is gravely wounded trying to protect Garfiel. Thanks to…


Fight! Iczer-1: Lovecraft and Moe Girls
Introduction to Hirano Halloween There are some gaps in my own mecha history that I need to still fill out. Those being some of the works by director…
Beastars and the Fight Against Behavioral Absolutism
Exploring the tension of anthropomorphic animal society from the perspective of high school students, Itagaki Paru’s Beastars can at times feel like it’s encouraging a very dangerous view…
Bleach - Thousand-Year Blood War - Episode 20 - Kenpachi Slices Meteor
Zaraki is happiest when he enjoys the boyish glee of slicing something he's never before cut. Bleach - Thousand-Year Blood War - Episode 20
Anime Director Masaaki Yuasa Reflects on His 20 Year Career
With time to reflect on his past work and an upcoming five-film box set from GKIDS, we talked with Yuasa about staying true to his artistic outlook and…


The Asterisk War Episode 17: Saya and Kirin Fight the Good Fight; Where’s Flora?
The Asterisk War Episode 17: Saya and Kirin bring their A game. So does RM-C and AR-D. Then RM-C and AR-D bring their A+ game...


Evangelion, alienation, and Japan’s 1990s economic crisis
In a time wracked by despair, paranoia, and economic devastation, Evangelion captured the nihilistic zeitgeist of a nation and its citizenry.


Anime and Poison: Japan’s love of Strawberries!
Why does poison have to taste so good? I still remember the day I tasted the most delicious poison in the world. I was still in preschool and…


Sexism and Culture: Japan’s Obsession With Kawaii
Where did the word "kawaii" come from, and is the sexism that can come with cuteness really all that innocent?


Japan’s Word of the Year for 2024 is One Few Have Heard Of
Is a word of the year the Word of the Year if most of the people who hear it don't know what it means? That's the debate happening…


A Big 1st Year and a Little 2nd Year
大きい1年生と 小さな2年生 (ookii ichinensei to chiisana ninensei, A Big 1st Year and a Little 2nd Year, 1970) is a children's book by FURUTA Taruhi ( 古...
Spiraken Motion Picture Review: James Bond 007-Casino Royale (2006)
In this Twenty second Installment of Spiraken's James Bond Marathon/Bond-o-thon, Xan and Gretta talk about a new, grittier James Bond is his film Debut. Is he a worthy…


New Year and new stuff?
A very very very long time no see, isn’t it? I don’t even know how many people I used to read are still active. Well, I might be…


Fisticuffs: Tips for animating action and fight scenes
Let's look at some of the scenes I animated on Deca-Dence and Dr. Stone. Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/lastanimator Check out my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c.dong98 Support me on Patreon: http://patreon.com/dongchang


MHAP 39- Chapter 219 and Traitor, Fight, Love!
Welcome to episode 39 of the My Hero Academia Podcast! This week Gary joins us as we go over the news (0:42), review manga chapter 219 (4:19) and…


With a lot of Heart – 20-Year-Old Soul (movie review)
This is one of my most highly anticipated films of the year. The true story of an incredibly talented, but gone too soon trombonist and composer Asano Taigi.…


Episode 20 – Fans And Slander
Wow. For some reason there were jet engines next to our mics during the entire recording and we somehow didn’t notice. I hope you won’t mind the audio…
Dick Fight Island
Warrior representatives from Pulau Yong'unda's eight islands battle in a sexual endurance tournament to decide the next king of the islands. Continue reading →
Dick Fight Island!!
Thoughts The manga starts off with introductions to the characters, and I really love how we get a panel showcasing all of them by their weapons. So as…
Dick Fight Island
A cursed episode about... well... the title really says it all. 5:32 - Dick Fight Island 13:51 - My Hero Academia 363 24:23 - Undead Unluck 123 32:05 - Boruto: Naruto Next…
One Piece, Black Clover, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Dororo, Dororo


On Azabudai Hills and Japan’s New Tallest Building
The major Azabudai Hills development, home to Japan's new tallest building, opened late last year. What's it like - and what does it mean for Tokyo?


How to Play Japan’s Lotto: LOTO7 and LOTO6
Here's how to play Japan’s Lotto! Learn about LOTO7 and LOTO6, jackpot prizes and odds and where to buy tickets.


Japan’s Best-Paying Hourly Jobs? Costco and IKEA
Real wages in Japan have remained pathetically low for several decades. Unless, that is, you work at Costco or IKEA.
As Celebrity Online Casino Scandals Mount, Japan Considers Blocking Sites Entirely
Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs confirms it's looking to stem the growing tide of online casino use by throwing up a firewall.


Japan’s Deadliest Animal
When summer nears, Japan’s most dangerous animal starts appearing in many places. We are not talking about bears, who roam Hokkaido and the northern part of Honshu. We…


Two Year Anniversary!(and a game)
As the title says, I am celebrating two years of blogging! I want to thank everyone who reads my work. You are why I blog. I take so…


1 year later… and some change
I had another kid! Gotta love the madness of life, change ever constant, stability and control fleeting if ever achieved in the first place. Suffice to say, I…


7 Year Anniversary and… Now What?
It’s been 7 years since I started this anime blog. It originally began as a challenge for me: a way to force me to think deeply and critically…


Society Without Honor And Humanity: Japan’s 1970s Yakuza Films
Kinji Fukasaku’s 1970s gangster movies upended decades of depictions of the yakuza and held up a mirror to Japanese society at the same time.


Japan’s Pioneering Women Doctors: Ogino Ginko and Kusumoto Ine
Who was Japan's first female doctor of Western medicine? Both Ogino Ginko and Kusumoto Ine can validly lay claim to that title.