Not only does the new anime Ash look different, he's also a weakling!

For decades now, Japanese vending machines have served up an array of interesting, mundane, and useful things. Things like manga. Or bread in a can. Or illicit substances. Or video game piracy cartridges.

In the past, there was a tradition in the US military to paint pin-ups on aircrafts. Today, that tradition lives on in Japan. But there's an important difference: They're not cheesecake pin-ups. They're anime girls, and they're not only on aircrafts, but also recruitment posters.

The flowers are blooming and the weather is warming up. You can smell it in the air. It's spring. And you know what the means? New anime.

Are you handsome? If not, you should get a Final Fantasy XV mask. Because then, you will be quite dashing.

Lupin is returning to the big screen, with a new animated film opening in Japan next February.

Don't be surprised if Naruto's son gets his own anime TV series. I won't be.

Previous Yakuza games let players talk with virtual hostesses in bars and clubs. As a sign of the times, the upcoming entry in the long-running series features cam girls. Yep.

If folks are apparently reviewing and unboxing the unannounced PS4 Slim, you can bet they are taking the console apart and looking inside it.

Hatsune Miku might be virtual, but that isn't stopping her and her blue-green hair from appearing in a shampoo spot with the very real Scarlett Johansson.

As Kotaku first reported, Final Fantasy XV was delayed earlier this month. It will now be released in late November. (Fingers crossed!) If you were wondering why, director Hajime Tabata recently shed some light on the situation.

After participating in a local neighbourhood square dance, a man in China apparently became worried that photos would end up online.

In the Japanese city of Kasugai, a 29-year-old woman was fatally hit by a car as she crossed the street on her bicycle. The driver had been playing Pokemon GO.

Last night at around 7:25PM in the Japanese city Tokushima, two women were hit while crossing the street, fatally injuring one of them. The driver, 39 year-old Keiji Goh, admitted that he wasn't watching the road ahead, because he was playing Pokemon GO.

Curious? A recent poll of nearly two thousand Japanese game developers reveals the average salaries for various jobs within the industry.

This is Mumei from the anime Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress. OK, it's not actually Mumei, but a life-sized statue. An extremely expensive one, at that.

In the latest episode of Pokémon XYZ, Ash faced off against Alain for the Kalos League Championship. Since Ash has been doing so well this season and since he's become somewhat of a cooler character, victory seemed possible.

This is Hiroaki Tanaka. He likes to do martial arts with umbrellas while wearing a suit. I think he's badarse.

OK, let's get this straight. California-based Niantic develops Pokemon GO. Tokyo-based Game Freak makes the Pokemon video games. Got it? Because that's probably why Game Freak co-founder Junichi Masuda can't help you with your Pokemon GO problems!