Two animated features dropped in Japanese theaters this past Saturday: Miyazaki Hayao’s Kaze Tachinu, and Ootomo Katsuhiro’s Short Peace. While normal members of society flocked to theaters nation-wide to see Miyazaki’s latest masterpiece, I found myself in a tiny, half-filled theater in Shibuya waiting for Ootomo Katsuhiro’s Short Peace...

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve found myself doing otaku-related stuff in Tokyo’s west side, the more laid back part of the city. That being the case, these spots are more chilled out than otaku establishments on the city’s east side. Kuroneco The system: All you can drink...

In theory, idol music should be My Thing. It’s a magical union of two things I love: beautiful women, and music. However, as is usually the case, reality is far more grim than the ideal. While idols typically are cute, the music they sing on top of typically isn’t...