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May 01, 2026
 

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Alongside the simplified management of a convenience store, Inkonbini asks players to help a small cast of regular shoppers with not only their shopping but problems in their personal lives.
LIFE / Digital
Inkonbini: Slice-of-life, cozy gaming from Japan¡¯s convenience stores
Inkonbini developer Dima Shen says convenience stores are like "safe rooms" from video games: familiar, friendly and always there when you need them.
LIFE / Digital
¡®Nuisance streamer¡¯ Johnny Somali sentenced to six months in prison
The 25-year-old American influencer received a prison sentence from a South Korean court for repeated acts of disturbing the public.
LIFE / Digital
For Suda51, punk in games isn¡¯t dead. It¡¯s reloading.
With irreverent humor, touches of Japanese culture and a clash of gameplay styles, Romeo is a Dead Man carries on Goichi Suda's trademark approach to games.
Resident Evil Requiem is a fantastic marriage of the long-running franchise's disparate halves marred (only in Japan) by the realities of censorship.
LIFE / Digital
Mar 21, 2026
Why Resident Evil Requiem bleeds less in Japan
By Owen Ziegler
The latest game in the long-running horror franchise is a blend of action and terror that suffers only from its approach to blood and gore.
While major gaming corporations will be able to afford higher font fees, smaller companies or lone developers are faced with only one solution: time-consuming work to switch over to new systems.
LIFE / Digital
Feb 21, 2026
5,200% price hike on fonts has Japan¡¯s indie game devs scrambling
By Gendel Gento
The new pricing structure from Tokyo-based Fontworks, which is owned by U.S.-based Monotype, also includes caps on users that would incur even more fees.
Sonic the Hedgehog, Castlevania's Alucard and the weak yet lovable Slime from Dragon Quest are just some of Japan's iconic gaming franchises celebrating midlife anniversaries in 2026.
LIFE / Digital / Longform
Feb 20, 2026
Japan¡¯s gaming icons are getting midlife makeovers as they hit their 40s
By Owen Ziegler
Zelda, Pokemon, Dragon Quest and more mark major anniversaries in 2026 ¡ª a milestone year for the industry they built.
Collecting Pokemon cards is an expensive hobby ¡ª especially if you're interested in owning one of the rarest cards ever printed.
LIFE / Digital
Feb 16, 2026
Rare Pokemon card sets record with $16.49 million sale
By Owen Ziegler
One of just 41 such cards in existence, the Pikachu Illustrator card is now the most expensive trading card in history.
Team Ninja's latest soulslike action RPG will put you through the ringer, but it also gives you more than enough assistance to feel as powerful as the demonic enemies you'll face.
LIFE / Digital
Feb 4, 2026
Nioh 3: Demons, death and an early contender for game of the year
By Owen Ziegler
Team Ninja¡¯s latest hardcore action RPG will hurt ¡ª but it gives players ample tools to hit back even harder.
Justin Scarpone, Sega's global head of transmedia, believes the gaming icon has all the right conditions to become a multimedia powerhouse.
LIFE / Digital
Jan 16, 2026
The American bringing a Disney flair to Sega¡¯s nongaming push
By Gendel Gento
As Sega¡¯s global head of transmedia, Justin Scarpone sees ¡®character, environments and stories¡¯ as key to success outside gaming.
This year, Asian countries' relatively lenient approach to nuisance streamers has been replaced by legal charges and potential jail time.
LIFE / Digital / 2025 IN REVIEW
Dec 27, 2025
In 2025, Asia got tough on nuisance streamers. Japan did not.
By Owen Ziegler
After years of leniency, Asian countries are imposing serious penalties on transgressive online personalities ¡ª with Japan lagging behind.

New Zealand officials reject statue remembering 91²Ö¿â comfort women
A statue symbolizing former South Korean comfort women in Seoul
Head of U.S. military in South Korea calls for ¡®kill web¡¯ linking Seoul, Tokyo and Manila
U.S. Army Gen. Xavier Brunson (center), commander of U.S. Forces Korea, walks on a pontoon bridge with U.S. and South Korean Army soldiers during a U.S.-South Korea joint river-crossing exercise, part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military training, near the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on March 14.
Japan considers making language programs a factor in residency screenings
The government is considering creating a Japanese language program for foreign people that would be a factor in residency screenings.
'RikuRyu' signs off in emotional farewell
Figure skating pair Riku Miura (left) and Ryuichi Kihara pose for photos at a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday. The pair have announced their retirement from competitive skating.
How the Iran crisis affects Japan
A tanker carrying U.S. crude oil sails in Tokyo Bay on Sunday.
Head of U.S. military in South Korea calls for ¡®kill web¡¯ linking Seoul, Tokyo and Manila
U.S. Army Gen. Xavier Brunson (center), commander of U.S. Forces Korea, walks on a pontoon bridge with U.S. and South Korean Army soldiers during a U.S.-South Korea joint river-crossing exercise, part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military training, near the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on March 14.
The Japanese dietitian who keeps the Blue Jays¡¯ engines running
Sports dietitian Yuka Sanui works behind the scenes to ensure Blue Jays players get the most out of their bodies when they step on the field.
The American chef reconnecting with Japan through a Kyoto restaurant
SoNoMa chef partner Kyle Connaughton (right) and chef de cuisine Keita Tominaga both have ties to Sonoma County in Northern California, the restaurant¡¯s namesake. Connaughton rose to prominence there with SingleThread, while Tominaga¡¯s father ran a Japanese restaurant in the region.
Inkonbini: Slice-of-life, cozy gaming from Japan¡¯s convenience stores
Alongside the simplified management of a convenience store, Inkonbini asks players to help a small cast of regular shoppers with not only their shopping but problems in their personal lives.
Japanese developers worry over construction supply shortages amid Iran war
Paul Nikel, President of West Canada Homes, with an increasingly rare supply of plastic foam

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Projects like the BuddhaBot aim to re-create dialogue once lost to time, raising questions about whether AI can extend the teachings of Buddha or merely simulate them.
Can AI replace a priest? Japan¡¯s temples and shrines are testing the limits.
By Alex K.T. Martin

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