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 …

Perfect for those who want to game after they sightsee… or just game instead of sightsee. Preparing for a trip overseas can be stressful. Just finding lodging that is both convenient and won’t break the bank can be a long and frustrating process. This task gets even more challenging when you’re picky about certain amenities. For example, if you want …

On This Episode On this episode of the Japan Station podcast we’re digging deep into the world of Japanese Buddhist statues and iconography. About Michael VanHartingsveldt Michael VanHartingsveldt is an expert on Buddhist art and iconography. In 2016, Michael obtained a Master’s degree in East Asian Art Business through a joint program offered by the Sotheby’s Institute of Art and …

Gaijin Goombah is the guest today on this episode of the Japan Station podcast. Gaijin Goombah is a YouTuber who has made a successful career out of teaching people about the real world culture and history that is present in many of today’s most popular video games and anime. Gaijin Goombah’s interest in Japan is one that goes quite far …

Who knew you could play Mario with drums? The soundtracks from the 8-bit Super Mario Bros. games contain within them some of the most iconic and instantly-recognizable video game songs ever. As such, countless people have produced all kinds of covers of these songs, so of course, it takes quite a bit to produce a cover that manages to stand out from …

This guy gives Nyango Star a run for his money The masked Japanese YouTuber/drummer dainashi has released an epic and absolutely amazing video in which he shows off his impressive drumming skills by covering the entire soundtrack of that classic fighting game Street Fighter II. Although he may look like some sort of bizarre scrawny lucha libre wrestler, dainashi is …

All about the Japanese idol group Denpagumi.inc. With so many idol groups it can be quite difficult to actually get noticed and catch people’s interest. Because of this groups tend to adopt all kinds of interesting and sometimes strange backstories and gimmicks. In the case of the idol group Denpagumi.inc (でんぱ組.inc) they have chosen to market themselves as the otaku …