TOKYO, Japan – An object suspected of being a surveillance balloon originating from China was reported to have crash landed on top of a commercial building in the neighborhood of...
Mar 12, 2023 • Subscribe
More like this


“Pilot” Balloon
Are dragons back in vogue again? Were they ever out of vogue? Or even in “Vogue”? It’s just that I am seeing an uptick in dragon shows, or…
Building in the Metaverse
Today’s update is entirely Build-themed, so here’s a look at what’s new regarding Gundam Build Metaverse: Episodes 2-3 reviews Burke’s-style expanded profiles for the these units: Build Strike Exceed Galaxy…
Modern Villainess: It’s Not Easy Building a Corporate Empire Before the Crash, Vol. 1
By Tofuro Futsukaichi and Kei. Released in Japan as “Gendai Shakai de Otome Game no Akuyaku Reijou wo Suru no wa Chotto Taihen” by Overlap Novels. Released in…
Modern Villainess: It’s Not Easy Building a Corporate Empire Before the Crash, Vol. 3
By Tofuro Futsukaichi and Kei. Released in Japan as “Gendai Shakai de Otome Game no Akuyaku Reijou wo Suru no wa Chotto Taihen” by Overlap Novels. Released in…
Modern Villainess: It’s Not Easy Building a Corporate Empire Before the Crash, Vol. 2
By Tofuro Futsukaichi and Kei. Released in Japan as “Gendai Shakai de Otome Game no Akuyaku Reijou wo Suru no wa Chotto Taihen” by Overlap Novels. Released in…


Balloon Fight: Playing in Tribute to Mr.Iwata
The unfortunate news broke late Sunday evening in my timezone and hit me quite unexpectedly. I have so much respect and admiration for Mr.Iwata. It was obvious in…
World Building in Log Horizon
Since the appearance of Log Horizon Season 3 is coming, I finally watched the second season of Log Horizon recently. Finally, after who knows how long since I’ve…


Divination in Ancient Chinese Culture
Ancient Chinese culture embraced divination methods like oracle bone reading and the I Ching for predicting the future and gaining insight. Could these ancient practices continue to provide…
Cosplay Beats: Balloon Miku
Our cosplayer Paris is back, this time with something you may not have seen before—balloon cosplay! Wut?? Check out the shots below of this surprisingly cool and accurate…


Trapped Balloon (2023) review
A touching and visually pleasing narrative about the importance of finding an address for one’s signifiers of suffering


Cosplay Beats! Balloon Bakugou
Just in time for a brand new season of My Hero Academia, our cosplayer Paris returns with another cosplay by Neverland Balloons. This time, she gathers all her…


Square Enix Cafe in Akihabara to Close
Bad news for Square Enix fans: The company has announced its cafe in Akihabara will shutter as of March 31st, 2025.


Skill-Building In Japan Through Extracurriculars
A quick guide to choosing your young child’s after-school activities in Japan.


Bad Lands (2023) review
The incredibly well-crafted narrative structure, fuelled by Sakura Ando’s extremely satisfying performance, ensures that the spectator remains engaged from start and finish
Building Bravely
Today’s update shifts gears a bit from the previous string of updates, but not entirely. I have plenty of reviews to catch up on in my backlog, and…


“Son Goku” vs. “Sun Wukong”: The Challenge of Translating Chinese Names in Japanese Media into English
Let’s say you’re watching an episode of Raven of the Inner Palace in Japanese. Or maybe it’s Thunderbolt Fantasy. A new character appears and introduces themselves, but the…


Issue #85: Seventh Jet Balloon
Discussing the new 7th Jet Balloon album, J Soul Brothers's "R.Y.U.S.E.I." and Sasuke Haraguchi's brain-sizzling DJ sets


Balloon Knots and Patron Saints
The Japanese trade in beer for balloons on Saint Patrick's Day


The 10 Best Things to Do in Akihabara
Planning a trip to Akihabara, Tokyo? Here are our picks for the best 10 things to do in Japan’s otaku and pop-culture capital.
#92 - Akihabara Geeks (2005)
In the first part of our new mini series on "otakumentaries," we review the 2005 documentary from NHK (and in the US by Anime Works/Media Blasters), Akihabara Geeks. Akihabara…
Akihabara is Burning… Again?
By looking at this blog in its current state, you’d probably easily forget that the original intent of the Otastorian project was to document and research the history…


Crash Course in Fandom- Season 1 Episode 4: Fanfictions
AUs, Self-Inserts, Omegaverse. Luna welcomes Star into the wonderful world of fan fictions as we go over what we know about the increasingly popular writing form. From our…


Crash Course in Romance: A Heartfelt K-Drama Review
Crash Course in Romance surprises by blending humor with deeper topics like mental health, societal pressure, and family. It features relatable characters, a slow-burning romance, and some minor…


Spy x Family – 08 – Into the Briar Patch
Anya’s adventures at Eden are placed on hold this week as the adults navigate various difficulties. Miss Handler warns Twilight that the enemy is stepping up their game,…
Boy Idols And Dostoevsky Come Together in Bad Lands
Neri has a room in one of the labyrinthine apartments in the notorious Nishinari district of Osaka. This is where homeless and day laborers co-exist in precarious harmony…


This Week in Games - Directly To The Lands Between
Return to the world of Elden Ring and all the gaming lands in between, and Jean-Karlo breaks down the Nintendo Direct and Shadow of the Erdtree DLC!


Holocaust Joke Lands Olympics Opening Director in Hot Water
An old Holocaust joke comes back to haunt the famed comedian acting as the director of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies.


I’ve fallen in love with Chinese Dramas.
This blog recounts the writer's journey into Chinese dramas, specifically enjoying shorter episodes and heartwarming romances such as "Amidst a Snowstorm of Love" and "Fireworks of My Heart."…


MAID Massage in AKIHABARA: My Review | Japan Station 117
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmisCTblS08
JapanKyo – Interesting news on Japan, podcasts about Japan & more
MAID Massage in AKIHABARA: My Review | Japan Station 117
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmisCTblS08
JapanKyo – Interesting news on Japan, podcasts about Japan & more


MAID Massage in AKIHABARA: My Review | Japan Station 117
On this episode of Japan Station, I talk about what it was like getting a massage by a maid in Akihabara. Topics Discussed About Akihabara Maid Reflexology…


MAID Massage in AKIHABARA: My Review | Japan Station 117
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4bXg5q6AV0
JapanKyo – Interesting news on Japan, podcasts about Japan & more


The Guiding Lands | Monster Hunter
Want to see ALL videos early? Support me on patreon for exclusive access! https://www.patreon.com/oceaniz Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Oceaniz96


SKRYU takes flight with his Balloon
I’ve gotta give it to SKRYU, he likes to lay on the levity in his music videos. In the case of his newest track Balloon, he’s gone for…


Lessons in Team Building with Tokyo Mirage Session
Recently, I finished playing Tokyo Mirage Sessions (or TMS), the hybrid love child born from Nintendo’s Fire Emblem and Atlus’ Megami Tensei. Atlus is mostly known nowadays for…


YOSHIKI — Immortalized In Cement At TCL Chinese Theatre
X Japan founder, Yoshiki became the first Japanese person ever to receive the honor of having his handprints at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood, a well-deserved recognition!…


New Scam Target Chinese Nationals Living In Japan
A disgusting new scam in Japan is explicitly targeting Chinese nationals. The threat? Pay up - or get deported.


#110 Hand’s (Ft. YouTuber Manga Crash)
Manga by Itakura, Yuuichi Is this manga ever going to be balling? We and our guest YouTuber Manga Crash discuss Shonen Jump manga Hand’s. Show Notes:…
Bubblegum Crash: The Return of Boomers
It’s that time again. Time to dip back into the universe of the original Bubblegum Crisis once again. I didn’t have any major lead ups to this point,…


Huge Crash of The Old Site.
This is what I looked like when realizing that the old page was down ( Snapshot from the 1990´s OVA Majuu Sensen )


futekiya Permanently Lands on Manga Planet
futekiya is now merging with Manga Planet, amongst a host of new moves that Krystallina covers in this week's Please Save My Money column.


Crash Course in Fandom- Season 1 Episode 3: Live Acton Adaptions
From disappointingly angsty teenage Light to blown-out-of-the-water adorable Luffy; Star and Luna spend today’s episode talking about all the good and all the (incredibly) bad live-action ada…
Attack on Titan, Cowboy Bebop, Dragon Ball, Boys Over Flowers, Kamisama Kiss


Oni: Thunder God’s Tale is Baby’s First Crash Course in Shinto
I’ve known about Netflix and Tonko House’s project, Oni: Thunder God’s Tale, since its initial announcement in November 2019. Over the course of the three years it took…


Crash Course in Fandom- Season 1 Episode 2: Roast & Toast (2024)
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards. A fancy event filled with celebs, streamers, and fans–and a COMPLETELY twisted popularity contest that we disagree with. As bloggers, we host our own…


Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (Episode 11) – Winter in the Northern Lands
Having defeated Aura the Guillotine, Frieren and the others stay as Graf Granat’s guests, but their journey must continue. However, they will need to get Frieren a certificate…


Building a Better Goku
Overpowered Protagonists are one of the best AND worst things about Anime. Here's how some of the best do it right - and the rest... don't. Watch The Eminence…


Building up anime experience.
This is just a thought I had recently after doing some reading, so figured I’d articulate it here. It’s about building up experience watching anime and how that…


Gyarados: The Chinese Dragon?
On right: Flag of the Qing dynasty Gyarados is a Water/Flying type in the Pokemon video games, yet it is often thought of as a dragon-like Pokemon. This…
Review: Chinese Doctors (2021)
Chinese Doctors 中国医生 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 127 mins. Director: Liu Weiqiang 刘伟强 [Andrew Lau]. Rating: 6/10. Wuhan-set Covid drama has a propulsive, convincing first half but slacker,…