Akihabara Map ver1.10

An interactive map of Akihabara, eden for all otaku, has been created by the guys from Akihabara Channel, and in english no less! For anyone who knows a little about Akihabara, a map is essential for finding all the goodies the city has to offer. And most, if not all, are in japanese. AkibaCh's Akihabara Map ver1.10 lets you browse stores by categories. These categories include books, consumer games, PC games, visual/audio, hobby/figures, doujin, idol, cosplay, retro, trading cards, arcades, recreation, and transportation.

As the site warns, Akiba is constantly changing and growing, so you won't be able to find every single venue currently available. But nevertheless, this map is impressive. No doubt we will see its features continue to expand. Check out the map for yourself at http://akiba-ch.com/map.

Yahoo! Japan and eBay Team Up

I'm trembling with utter joy and surprise as I type this. Every anime fan has at least one been blocked from getting that special item available only in Japan. We've developed different tactics to overcome this restraint -- from hoping your favorite importer(s) will get a hold of the item to paying extra money using a proxy service. But for Americans and the Japanese, this stops now. Yahoo! Japan and eBay have announced that the two companies would link up their services in 2008. This in turn will allow American bidders easier access to Japanese auctions, and vice versa.

Starting in March next year, Japanese consumers will be able to directly bid on international eBay items within Yahoo Auction Japan. And sometime in the middle of ‘08, similarly, a site will be set up that will allow Americans to bid and buy Yahoo Japan auction items through the eBay site. Thus eBay will be your one and only proxy service for Yahoo! Japan.

Today the two companies have already launched the website Sekaimon (”gateway to the world”) that translates international eBay auctions into Japanese in order to help Japanese speakers deal with payment and shipping. [Source: Moetron.com]

Hotel Tomo

A new hotel is set to open in the Japantown neighborhood of San Francisco on June 1. Hotel Tomo, formerly known as the Best Western Miyako Inn, is said to derive its architecture and environment from anime, manga, and Japanese street fashion. Some of the features within the guest rooms will include 26-inch LCD flat panel TVs and iPod docking stations, as well as "gaming suites" equipped with beanbag chairs, 6-foot TV screens, and Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii consoles.

The hotel opening is part of a larger neighborhood revival that also includes Shogakukan's J-Pop Center which will house an art-house theatre, a "J-Pop bookstore," a cafe, and girls' fashion stores a block away from the hotel.

For more information, check out their official site at: www.Bestwestern.com/miyakoinn.

Ani-Monday

The Sci Fi Channel has announced their new weekly anime programming block called "Ani-Monday," joining to ranks of the Action Channel's "AniMidnight," for example. "Ani-Monday" will start on June 11 and will air on Mondays from 11:00 pm to 1:00 am. The features include exclusive premieres of "Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society," "Tokko," "Noein," and "Street Fighter II V." According to their website, other titles on the horizon include "Ninja Scroll," "Blood: The Last Vampire," "Read or Die," "Blackjack," and "Macross Plus." It is not stated if these will be the original japanese version with english subtitles, but I'm betting it will be english dubbed. However, "GitS:SSS" premiering on June 11 will only be released on DVD in the U.S. July 3rd. Perhaps "Ani-Monday" may show subtitled anime after all.

Anime/Gaming Downloads Resource

I've been asked countless of times for any good websites to download anime/video game trailers, episodes, and music. Yesterday was no different. Rather than spewing the same answer every time, I've decided to list some of these resources here.




Central Park Media (www.centralparkmedia.com/ipod) has a nice collection of full anime episode downloads and trailers for free. It's format-friendly for iPods and PSPs.

Google Video (http://video.google.com) uses the power of the Google search engine to search for videos on the web. The save feature makes it easy to download to your computer, iPod, PSP, Blogger, MySpace, and more.

Galbadia Hotel (http://gh.ffshrine.org) is your one-stop source for soundtracks galore. Their collection of video game and anime OSTs continues to grow almost daily. You're sure to find what you've been looking for and it doesn't hurt that it's all free!

Keiichi Anime Forever (www.keiichianimeforever.com) is another one of those all-in-one anime resources. You can watch full anime episodes and movies in dubs (english, spanish, french, portuguese, etc.) and subtitles (japanese). Online manga and a collection of anime MP3s are also available.

Blue Laguna (http://bluelaguna.net/pages/selectmp3.php) can't be forgotten -- a great collection of video game OSTs.

YouTube (www.youtube.com) and other streaming video sites carry a lot of anime and video game clips and episodes. There are some software available that allows you to save these clips to upload on your iPod, for example.

iTunes - U.S. (www.itunes.com) is beginning to broaden its anime section. Trailers and related podcasts are available. A decent collection of the Final Fantasy series OSTs are available to buy as well.

This list is by far not expansive, but should point you in the right direction. There are more sites popping up every time, it's just a matter of finding it. If you know any good sites worth visiting, let me know.

Manga Cafe - Paris

Of all the greatest finds during my trip to Paris, the Manga Cafe sits at the top of my list. When my cousin first told me about the Manga Cafe, my immediate thoughts centered on scenes from "Comic Party" and those you can find all over Japan, but I knew that would be too good to be true.

Much to my surprise, the Manga Cafe reached beyond any of my expectations. A warm sense of hospitality and a sense of belonging is not without presence. Shelves upon shelves of manga are available at your fingertips for 3 euros for the first hour (4 euros during peak hours). The air and environment of it all is hard to explain, but you really get a sense of an atmosphere that's full of other manga-loving fans. The manager is super nice and even remembered us when we came back for a second visit.

A soiree just happened to be the main event that night as fans learned how to play Go (Japanese Checkers - recall "Hikaru no Go"). Coffee is obviously available (part of your 3 or 4 euro bill) andsecond hand mangas (bound to have some rare titles) are available for purchase, as well as DVDs. Video games (PS2 Naruto that night) and free internet access is also available. The seating arrangements allow maximum lounging capacity. The words and pictures really tell only half the story. If you're ever in the Paris area, the Manga Cafe should definitely be one of your stops.

For more information, check out www.mangacafe.fr (in french only) and be sure to check out their gallery.

Anime 101

The University of California's Irvine Extension will offer a course entitled, "Manga & Anime Explosion: What, Why, How & Wow!" The course will examine the historical and cultural significance of anime and manga and how they have shaped the look and feel of many of today's Hollywood productions. In addition, students will apply methods of story and character development found in manga to screenwriting, advertising, information publishing and other creative endeavors. The course is aimed at both screenwriters seeking to expand their writing skills and add a new technique to their existing portfolio, and the growing number of passionate fans who seek greater knowledge of these art forms and how they've grown to become a phenomenon. Professional screenwriter, commercial director, and manga expert Northrop Davis will teach the course.The five-week UC Irvine Extension course is open to the public and begins September 26 on the UC Irvine campus. For more information, visit www.unex.uci.edu. [Source: AnimeNation]