Up until 2000, Halloween was only something the Japanese heard about in English classes. That changed when Tokyo Disneyland started decorating for the holiday. The first event was held back in 1997, and it was a hit. Over time it became an annual autumn event. Universal Studios Japan joined the act in 2002 with “Hollywood…
Author: Chris Kincaid
Anime Review Tool
As many of you know, I don’t mess with review scores. But I know how popular assigning scores are for many anime bloggers. Well, I dusted off some of the things I learned in my statistics classes and put together a tool that might help you. It can be hard to quantify a feeling about…
Capsule Hotels
Space is precious and expensive in Japan’s dense cities. Enter the capsule hotel. These sleeping coffins maximize space. The idea came to Kurokaw Kisho back in the 1970s with a shipping container. Capsule hotels can stuff about 40 people into a single room. Each space tend to measure 2 meters long by 1 meter wide…
Babymetal, the Future of American Metal?
What happens when you take American heavy metal and infuse it with the kawaii saccharine of j-pop? Kawaii metal. At least, that is what the metal group Babymetal wants to create. Babymetal is a j-pop idol schoolgirl trio set against the demonic riffs and imaginary that defines metal. The outlandish whiplash mix reminds me of…
Shockwaves of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Rise of Manga and Monsters
August 6, 1945 marked a turning point in human history. August 9, 1945 left no doubt. Humanity had entered the Atomic Age. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagaska burned itself into the memories of the Japanese and the Americans. In many regards, the rise of the atomic bomb, and later the hydrogen bomb, gave…