Frighteningly historically low birthrates among the Japanese have caused local governments to offer greater incentives for child-rearing. Anxiety over economic security, lack of nursing facilities, and enjoyment of urban life are commonly cited reasons for this decline.  However, this doesn’t stop the Japanese from practicing safe sex.  Although seen as a marketing gimmick, many Japanese condom manufactures hope their innovative ideas will revitalize the image of condoms.

Continuing last month’s trend of suggestively themed posts; today we focus on prophylactics. Whether it be your code of ethics, lack of options, or religious values holding you back; when the time comes make sure you have one of these in your hand. Not will you be protecting yourself, you’ll be showing personal style like with anime inspired designs by manga artist Junko Mizuno.

Stay Real…Respect!

[InventorSpot via WeirdAsianNews]

If you are a fan Japanese fashion and have always dreamed of getting yourself dressed in the latest of J-fashion (and looking like a complete freak everywhere else in the world) you surely have found yourself facing the horrible prices the stuff runs overseas, the excessive cost of importing and the wait that comes with it (and fashion deprecates faster than hardware). Its always been a drag but Japanese businesses seem to be catching on. The see the money overseas and someone’s finally stood up and done something about it.

How FABULOUS are these?!

Maruione.jp is not the typical Japanese clothing outlet, its completely geared towards the international market, featuring the most prominent styles so you can bet you’ll find that gothic and lolita clothing you’d been craving for as well as everything else coming out of places like Harajuku. The prices are pretty fair and their inventory grows every other day.

Good news for the ladies, right now most of the merchandise is for you. As for us men, unless you are comfortable wearing a skirt (which you should if you like J-fashion) you will have to wait and see how things go.

There are also anime goodies such as animation cells, tshirts and a couple of cosplay outfits, all under the watchful eye of master-otaku Patrick Macias.  Go give it a browse!

[Maruione.jp]

Patrick Macias, our favorite Otaku conossieur, has been posting some really kickass old school console ads on his blog An Eternal Thought in the Mind of Godzilla, most of these are consoles you most likely dont even know existed! Its a great way to look back into our roots and see how much we’ve changed and yet how much has stayed the same.

I still wear my supper puffy blue sweater when I play a baseball videogame, why its the core of the genre!

[Patrick Macias]

Book and Schoolgirl lovers rejoice! Patrick Macias’ new book Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno: Tokyo Teen Fashion Subculture Handbook goes on sale today. Its filled with subculture intelligence from Japan and a lot of historic background on the whole phenomenon. From the Amazon description:

Japanese schoolgirl fashions and subcultures have sprung up, burned out, mutated, and evolved into a pop culture phenomenon gone global from Gwen Stefani’s “Harajuku Girls” to Gothic Lolita-fueled manga and the deadly schoolgirl in Kill Bill, it’s no wonder that international fashion designers look to the streets of Tokyo for fresh inspiration. This playful and thoroughly researched handbook examines the key styles and subcultures past and present: sailor-suited gangsters, Pippi Longstockings risen from the dead, girls in blackface, teens sporting giant hamster costumes, and more. Each fashion profile is packed with photos and illustrations, history, ideal boyfriends, and must-have items. Also included are a gatefold evolutionary fashion chart, resources, and makeup tips. At last, an in-depth guide to what the girls are wearing and why on earth they’re wearing it.

Most importantly, its filled with pretty pictures all over! And its cheap to boot, yours for a measly $12 dollars. If schoolgirls are your thing or Japanese fashion insanity makes your day then head out to Amazon and get it while its still unknown. You know, so you can say you’re so hardcore because you had it before it was cool.

WOW This turns out to be our 1000th post as well, yay!
[Amazon / Patrick's Announcement]

Its been a while since we last saw anything from Otaku connoisseur Patrick Macias so I though we’d post something we never got around to posting for a little dose of Otaku culture. Last month the NHK show Tokyo Eye had Patrick document Wonderfest, the biggest figure convention in the world.

As we can see there are some truly exceptional sculptors who elevate figures from toys and collectors items into the realm of art. Also, Rei rocking out, awesome!

[Patrick Macias]

Patrick Macias, of Tokyo Eye fame, author of several otaku books and recurring subject of our admiration here at DDN, is embarking on a new adventure of magical informative adventure and tree slaughtering.

Sovereign Media Inc. is launching a new magazine called Otaku USA and Patrick Macias will be taking the job of Editor in Chief. He’ll overviewing and pretty much structuring the new bi-monthly publication which Patrick describes as:

Each issue of Otaku USA will be oversized 9 x 10 7/8, with a poster bound in the center spread, and a DVD inserted onto the front cover, with full- length Anime features and game demos. In addition, each issue of Otaku USA will include a full manga feature, printed as a pull-out section. My aim is to make Otaku USA the best, most comprehensive Japanese pop culture magazine in the marketplace.

The magazine will cost $9.99 in the US and you can stark looking for it in June when the first issue hits the stands. Sounds like a good read anyone who likes Dark Diamond would enjoy, if you still go for the paper media, that is.

Oh, yeah, about that image? Dont ask.

[Patrick Macias]

Patrick Macias attended Wonderfest a couple of days ago and he’s posted a load of pictures on the expo on his blog. For those who dont know its the biggest expo for model builders and figure otaku. There was even the appearance of a little friend we say a while ago.

But the best part was this short video of the doors opening for the first time and otaku rushing in like crazy!

Its like someone told them there was a girl willing to date them inside! Run, find her!

Check out the rest of the awesome coverage at Patrick’s blog.

[Patrick Macias]

Stop that train! This is a public service announcement. The Viz Media edition of the movie Densha Otoko: Train Man comes out next Thursday and while this might not mean much to those who downloaded the movie way back when it was subbed, you should be excited, there are spiffy extras inside. Patrick Macias doing the commentary track being the best of these.

Patrick, the otaku about otaku, comments the film along with a couple of other field experts (read: higher echelon otaku) discuss many delicious topics as he tells on his website:

We talk about Akihabara and the usual otaku poisons, how the whole Densha Otoko phenomenon could merely be a massive conspiracy on the part of the eeeevil Dentsu ad agecy, and even reveal the shocking truth about the Adult Video-only sequel to the film: The Kissing and Sex of Densha Otoko!

Oh lord, have mercy on us, awkward live action otaku porn, a must see!

While the movie has nothing on the Densha Otoko TV series, this would see me shelling out my cash before any other DVD this season. Kita!~

[Patrick Macias]

Patrick Macias, who we frequently feature with his awesome TV appearances, is getting ready to write his new book. Titled Fierce Legend of American Otaku People (yeah, dont ask), its a quest to give credit where credit is due to the many Americans that through their endless geekdom transformed foreign Japanese cartoons into the gargantuan industry it is today. But beyond that Patrick is also looking to tell the story of other huge otaku who’s life’s where forever changed by anime and manga in a drastic way, he calls them “Legendary Otaku”.

Here’s where you come in, if you think you’ve got what it takes to be a legendary otaku and be featured in this book or you know of someone who has gone beyond the call of duty in the name of true otaku-spirit, Patrick wants to hear from you. He’s even agreed to give a free book to whoever reffers him to an appropriate subject. You can reach him at otackers@gmail.com and leave your info. This is shaping up to be a great historical text on western otaku and Uncle Macias wants YOU to be a part of history! This is the part where if i had photoshop available a mash-up of him on an uncle sam’s poster would appear.

[Patrick Macias]

Patrick Macias is back once again to show us around Kabukicho, Japan’s sleepless town. Kabukicho is a huge entertainment district, and as such it has heavy Yakuza activity so Patrick’s crew had to shoot in stealth.

Someone get that man some Wii sports, perhaps he’ll get better at bowling.

[Patrick Macias]