What the hell is a PUFF PUFF? Perhaps you’ve come across it while playing one of the Dragon Quest/Dragon Warrior games. Or maybe you saw it in the Dragon Ball manga. Or perhaps it popped up in a conversation. Whatever the case, “puff puff” (pafupafu) is a quirky Japanese onomatopoeia that started as a silly gag in the original Dragon Ball manga (first seen in …

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Winston Chu, CEO & co-founder of Wayfarer, talks about his interest in Japan and how About Winston Chu Winston Chu is the CEO & co-founder of Wayfarer. Wayfarer currently operates three hotels in Kyoto with plans to expand other cities, including Osaka and Tokyo. Topics Discussed How Winston got interested in Japan …

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Japanese to English translator/localizer Mel Ok tells about localizing Japanese video games and how he got into the translation/localization industry. About Mel Ok Mel Ok is a translator/localizer of Japanese video games and heads the translation/localization company Ace Honyaku. Topics Discussed The Japanese population in Hawaii Studying Japanese linguistics About doing play …

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we’re talking about translation, learning Japanese and more with translator/podcaster Jenn O’Donnell. About Anna Lughezzani Jenn O’Donnell is a Japanese to English translator and podcaster. She lives in Osaka where she works as a Localization Director for a video game company. She also produces the podcasts The Translation Chat and Otafu Susume. Topics Discussed …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Should I go to Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan? Topics Discussed Whether we think it’s worth visiting Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan in Osaka About Ryan’s experience at Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan About Universal Studios Japan’s Cool Japan special event About the appointment system used …

“It’s like they wanted Eurobeat on kazoos.” Resetera.com member hwarang caused a stir when they shared what they described as “quite possibly one of the worst jrpg battle themes ever.” Hwarang’s ear-splitting discovery quickly rose to the most popular spot on the gaming forum, where it still enjoyed front page prominence at the time of writing. The video clip shared …

Proof that Mario and Luigi live painful lives. Released in 1985 Super Mario Bros. is one of the most influential and important games in the history of video games. As such it should come as no surprise that even more than 35 years after its release the game continues to inspire people to create all sorts of content based on …

Today’s Question On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What is a tsuchinoko? Topics Discussed What a tsuchinoko is How you say “cryptid” in Japanese Tsuchinoko’s status as a U.M.A. (Unidentified Mysterious Animal) What a tsuchinoko looks like Some of the abilities tsuchinoko are said to have The areas in Japan where tsuchinoko tend to live The sounds tsuchinoko …

On This Episode of Japan Station On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, localizer and author Matt Alt stops by to discuss the influence Japanese pop culture has had on the world. About Matt Alt Matt Alt is a localizer of Japanese games and manga. Together with Hiroko Yoda he founded the localization company AltJapan and has authored multiple …

Because politicians in Kagawa have nothing better to do. Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku is a relatively rural area of Japan that is primarily known for its delicious udon. However, recently the prefecture has also become known as that place in Japan that is stragely obsessed with preventing kids from playing video games and using smartphones. After several …

An overview of the information currently available on Universal Studios’ upcoming Nintendo-themed land: Super Nintendo World Almost five years ago a partnership was announced to bring the Japanese video game giant Nintendo to Universal Studios theme parks. The first iteration of Universal Studios Super Nintendo World is currently looking like it will open in Osaka, Japan in time for the …

 On This Episode of Japan Station On this episode of the Japan Station podcast we take a look at the fascinating intersection between Japanese culture, society, and video games. About Dr. Rachael Hutchinson Dr. Rachael Hutchinson is an associate professor of Japanese Studies at the University of Delaware. She has taught classes on Japanese language, film, anime, manga, and …