Bikoo’s blog covers digital publishing, software tools, Japanese art and artists, and generally all things fantastic. Bikoo Japan is a translation, branding, and distribution platform connecting Japanese artists to a global audience.
Our very own Jonathan Lloyd-Davies, translator for the excellent Psyche Diver Series, is now also recipient of the Shirley Jackson Award for best novel of 2012. The Shirley Jackson Award is presented for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic. Koji Suzuki’s (The Ring, Spiral, et al.) Edge represents the …Read on
It took a few years, but Apple has finally begun selling Japanese eBooks through it’s iBookstore. It looks like vertical, right to left language support is included in the release. I’m hoping that the language support is included for Western book stores as well. Bikoo is currently in the process of translating and preparing a …Read on
Shifteast posted a great roundup of the Design Ah! Exhibit in Tokyo. Lot’s of incredibly cool things going on there, but most impressive was the forward looking animated packaging concept: I think we’re much closer to something like this being a reality than it might appear. There are only a few things holding it back, …Read on
We’re a little late to this party, but a great invention deserves coverage no matter how late. Japan has officially become the world leader in awesome real world products that exploit biometrics in freaky ways: Time to setup a booth at the next local furry convention.
Facebook has flatlined at around 19 million active users per month in Japan. 20 million monthly active users is the level at which every social network seems to get stuck. Asiajin.com suggests that there was a significant drop last week, some 13%, of active users. The data is a little questionable, but undisputedly Line is …Read on
Line boasts 40 million monthly active users, or two times the number of active Facebook users in Japan. They’re the best modern example of a Japanese (Actually the company is Korean, but Line was developed in Japan) company making a product that is not just a hit at home, but also a viable product abroad. …Read on
Japanese wooden, high quality custom candy cases are designed to protect and dole out individual servings of candy. I never put much thought into it, but it makes a ton of sense that almost all Japanese candy is either individually wrapped in smaller portions or easy to segment. I have a soft spot for beautiful …Read on
Kobo Daishi, also known as Kukai, was the founder of esoteric buddhism (Shingon Buddhism) in Japan. He stands as a singularly important figure in the history of Buddhist development. Birth The official record shows that Kukai’s mother became pregnant after dreaming of an old Indian sage entering into her womb. He was born in the …Read on
…All it takes to defend against demons and devils is a strong will, a few strands of hair, and our handy step-by-step guide to creating the Sacrosanct Barrier pulled directly from The Psyche Diver Series – Demon Hunters: Desires of the Flesh! What in Japan’s Name is a Sacrosanct Barrier? He sat in the center …Read on
Psyche Diver is chock full of insanity that seems pure fiction. It’s real though. For readers outside of Japan, it’s easy to think the series is pure fantasy–the work of a guy obsessed with sex and violence. But the book is a virtual introductory course on the craziest elements of Japan’s past. Time to countdown …Read on