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Andrew Kane

Native of the middle-American rustbelt, full-time resident of Japan since 2013, Andrew has been bouncing back and forth between Japan and the US since the age of 17 when he spent a year attending high school in the icy hinterlands of Hokkaido. Now working as a full time writer/editor in Tokyo, he seldom makes use of his Master's Degree in Meiji Period Art History, preferring instead to spend his days engaged in grandfatherly pursuits including visits to public bathhouses and reflecting upon the virtues of his frugal, austere style of life —exciting! Other interests include old video games, pop cultural ephemera, and compulsively reading the news. Incidentally, Andrew has also attained an extremely marginal level of celebrity in Japan by appearing alongside his wife on a certain popular Japanese reality television show.

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Posted by Andrew Kane

Japanese designer creates beautiful VR map of his country, destroys it with laser beams【Video】

Andrew Kane
Dec 24, 2016
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VoxelKei has been working to create the ultimate VR map of Japan, allowing people the chance to explore an extremely detailed rendering of the entire country. Oh, and also fire massive death rays at it.

Japan
(kaiju • lasers • technology • video • virtual reality • VR)

7-Eleven convenience stores in South Korea offer an electrifying new Pokémon item!

Andrew Kane
Dec 20, 2016

Pokémon lovers rejoice! There’s now a whole new way to celebrate your fandom with these Pikachu-themed lunch boxes now on sale in South Korea!

Korea
(anime • bento • boxed lunches • cute • food • Pikachu • Pokemon • South Korea • video games)

Japanese game magazine from 1988 shows SNES as we never knew it

Andrew Kane
Dec 19, 2016

This cool mock-up shows that writers at Beep predicted a console very different from the one we would all come to know and love.

Japan
(nintendo • old school • Super Famicom • Super Nintendo • video games)

Japanese netizens create adorable, edible “cat bread” 【Pics】

Andrew Kane
Dec 18, 2016

Cat meets toast! Read more to learn all about this simple, yet creative internet craze that’s sweeping Japan.

Japan
(bread • cats • creative • cute • food • funny)

DBZ’s Frieza drums to “Attack on Titan” theme song【Video】

Andrew Kane
Dec 14, 2016

In a video as puzzling as it is impressive, a Japanese man in a Frieza costume and facial make-up skillfully drums to the hit anime theme song.

Japan
(Attack on Titan • Dragon Ball Z • drums • Frieza)

Nostalgia overload: Ninja Turtles theme song recreated frame by frame in Mario Paint! 【Video】

Andrew Kane
Dec 10, 2016

YouTube personality Mike Matei created this truly impressive tribute animation using nothing but this 16-bit era Super Nintendo game!

Internet, USA
(Mario Paint • Mike Matei • nintendo • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles • video games)

Should Japan become the next Vegas or Macao? 57% of Japanese people say “no thanks” in new survey

Andrew Kane
Dec 8, 2016

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democrats intensify their push for legalized casinos in Japan, but a majority of Japanese people are calling their bluff!

Japan
(casinos • gambling • politics • society)

Amateur filmmaker’s videos are a time capsule of Tokyo in the year 1990 【Video】

Andrew Kane
Dec 4, 2016

Take a trip back to the metropolis at the peak of the Bubble Era with this fascinating series of candid video montages.

Japan
(bubble era • culture • history • society • video camera • videos • Vintage)

Japanese Twitter user creates terrifying ‘fluorescent’ rice balls

Andrew Kane
Nov 29, 2016

Check out their recipe for creating these neon edibles and learn how to make your own!

Japan
(edible art • glow in the dark • onigiri • weird)

New live action Japanese comedy will star Jesus Christ and Buddha hanging out together

Andrew Kane
Nov 28, 2016

Saint Young Men, a popular manga series starring the two religious figures, will make the jump to live-action next year.

Japan
(Buddha • comedy • funny • Jesus • Saint Oniisan • video)

We take a tour through Japan’s largest prison

Andrew Kane
Nov 26, 2016

Our Japanese-language writer, Yuichiro Wasai, offers a rare look inside the country’s largest prison with a series of original drawings!

Japan
(Crime-prevention • Fuchu Prison • Japan tour • scary)

Domino’s Pizza is actually training reindeer for delivery in northern Japan

Andrew Kane
Nov 22, 2016

Domino’s Japan announces that they’re seriously considering this as an option for sending out pizzas this winter.

Japan
(dominos pizza • food • funny • Hokkaido • reindeer • winter)

Obscure characters become snacks in Doraemon-crazy Vietnam

Andrew Kane
Nov 19, 2016

Japanese netizens are puzzled by Vietnamese convenience stores using increasingly minor characters from Doraemon for their popular steamed buns.

Japan, S Asia
(Doraemon • Familymart • food • funny)

Up to 40 percent of Japanese men can’t sleep because of work

Andrew Kane
Nov 19, 2016

A new survey reveals that a startling number of Japanese workers are literally losing sleep over their stressful jobs.

Japan
(health • insomnia • overwork • salarymen)

Student trolls classmates, teachers for entire year with fake Japanese accent 【Video】

Andrew Kane
Nov 17, 2016

See this half-Japanese student reveal his prank in this surprising finale to a video series in which he documents an elaborate social experiment.

Japan, USA
(funny • high school • troll • vlog)

Japanese publisher Shueisha reveals plans to expand the Dragon Ball brand

Andrew Kane
Oct 18, 2016

Fans have a lot to look forward to, following the announcement that an intriguing new “Dragon Ball Room” was established earlier this year.

Japan
(Akira Toriyama • Dragon Ball • Dragon Ball Super • Shueisha)

Japanese company iJet 3-D prints Tokyo in 100 little pieces for Kickstarter campaign

Andrew Kane
Oct 18, 2016

Ever wanted to own a piece of Tokyo real estate? Now a tiny piece of the megalopolis can be yours, thanks to this Japanese company.

Japan
(3D printing • architecture • Kickstarter • Tokyo)

Game Boy-ify your pictures with this cool web app!

Andrew Kane
Oct 3, 2016

We take a look at a Japanese website that lets you transform your photos into 8-bit, Gameboy-style works of art!

Japan
(cool • filter • Game Boy • Gameboy • image • internet • web apps)

Japan’s most popular game console: PS4 sales to surpass Wii U

Andrew Kane
Sep 20, 2016

Big news in the gaming world as sales of Sony’s PlayStation 4 predicted to surpass those of Nintendo’s Wii U in Japan — despite the fact that Nintendo’s system had a full year head start.

Japan
(nintendo • Playstation 4 • Sony • video game • Wii U)

See how this Japanese player clears this demonically difficult Super Mario Maker level!

Andrew Kane
Sep 16, 2016

Just watching this video gives us serious anxiety, but luckily this player clears this stage with ease — and they were only one of a handful players to accomplish this feat!