Some of the coolest things I picked up in Tokyo were a trio of Katsuhiro Otomo art books – although sadly they weren’t for me, intended instead for my favourite Otomo-san obsessive Al T. Shame, as I would have liked ...Read More
Shibuya was the only place in Tokyo that I felt slightly disappointed with. Initially anyway. After paying our respects to wonder-dog Hachiko at the stations exit (if you don't know the heart-wrenching story, it really is essential reading), we headed into ...Read More
I'm always surprised when people moan that no-one talks on the tube in London – I mean, exactly what the fuck are we meant to say? It's pretty much the same on the Tokyo JR lines – no-ones chatting, too ...Read More
Mandarake – a chain of otaku shops dotted around Tokyo and Japan – opened it's Akihabara superstore earlier this year, and it's clear why it's become it's flagship. Spanning eight levels, it's the first place to go for any sci-fi, ...Read More
Where do I start? Again, everything you've most probably heard is quite possibly true. It's a living, breathing Bladerunner set, part futuristic shopping district, part tacky tourist attraction, where funky dressed hipsters and short skirted schoolgirls mix with suited Hiro Nakamura ...Read More
Just like all the stories you hear, manga is everywhere in Japan. There's racks of it in every supermarket and convenience store you pass, and at lunch times gangs of salary-men and students gather around to silently read it. Today we ...Read More
Actually, there's nothing funny about this. Nothing at all. Miyagi Prefectural Police officials in northeastern Japan have announced on Monday that they discovered a man dead in his apartment underneath several hundred manga volumes and magazines. They are investigating the cause ...Read More
To cash in coincide with the release of the Speed Racer live action flick, publishers DMP have released a beautiful looking hardcover box set of the original 1960s manga. That I want. Badly. In the meantime, I'll just have to ...Read More
According to Variety today, Steven Speilberg's Dreamworks studio has acquired the rights to produce a live action version of Ghost in the Shell. It's not clear at this point whether the plan is to make an adaptation of Oshii's 1995 ...Read More
