Tourism by Matt S. When I look at how the media is reporting on virtual reality, one of the things that I keep seeing is that, because VR technology missed those early predicated sales figures set down by PR outfits looking to build hype, then the technology itself must therefore…
Read MoreTourism by Matt S. The first major thing I did on my trip in Japan this year was attend the annual Hatsune Miku Expo and concert that is held at this time of year. It’s a special year, as it’s the tenth anniversary since Miku herself was unleashed on the…
Read MoreMatt’s in Japan now, so this podcast was actually recorded a little ahead of time. Nonetheless, we did find some great stuff to talk about. First up we talk about Japan itself; some of the things to get up to while you’re there (it’s not just about anime and games,…
Read MoreTravel by Matt S. Let me tell you something about coffee and summer in Japan. Japanese summers are brutal. They’re hot, and the rare cooler day is still humid. It’s the kind of weather that makes me so incredibly uncomfortable, and I wish that all the good stuff that happens…
Read MoreInterview by Matt S. The next Warriors game from Koei Tecmo is another Samurai Warriors game, but it’s a very different one from what we’re used to from the developer. With most Warriors games, the story of dozens of different characters is told at once. For the upcoming Samurai Warriors:…
Read MoreJapanese history by Matt S. In my series of Japanese history pieces, I’ve looked at the three generals who became the effective rulers of Japan through the Sengoku period; Nobunaga Oda, Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Ieyasu Tokugawa. These three men were, by far, the most powerful and important generals through the…
Read MoreBooks by Matt S. We talk a lot about Japanese games, films, anime and manga in western culture, but we talk about Japanese literature far less frequently, and that’s a pity, because as with all those other mediums, Japan has produced many of the world’s finest writers, and literature gives…
Read MoreArticle by Matt S. Over recent months I’ve had a number of people ask me to write more about Japanese history and its personalities. Games from Japan, unsurprisingly, often feature references or depictions of Japan’s past, and it’s an unfortunate reality that, at least in the West, learning about Japanese…
Read MoreArticle by Matt S. Over recent months I’ve had a number of people ask me to write more about Japanese history and its personalities. Games from Japan, unsurprisingly, often feature references or depictions of Japan’s past, and it’s an unfortunate reality that, at least in the West, learning about Japanese…
Read MoreNews by Matt S. It might be a few years before Hatsune Miku runs for Prime Minster herself (mind you, I’d vote for her), but if you needed yet more proof that Miku is a serious phenomenon that needs to be taken seriously, look no further than the Prime Minister…
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