News On Japan

Nintendo Adds Adults-Only N64 App For Switch In Japan

The new 18+ Switch Online app will house GoldenEye 007 and Jet Force Gemini for now

Nov 23 (kotaku.com) - When you think of Nintendo, you tend to think of family-friendly gaming. You think of Link and Mario and sunshine and smiley stars. The word “adult” doesn’t likely come up when you ponder games on Switch, but that’s seemingly about to change.

The company is adding a new 18+ app to its subscription service, Nintendo Switch Online, although only in Japan.

According to an official video released by Nintendo Japan (via VGC) the company is launching an adults-only NSO app to release Nintendo 64 games. Not every game, mind you, just two specific ones for now: the 1997 spy-shooter GoldenEye 007 and the 1999 space-shooter Jet Force Gemini, the latter announced for international NSO release on November 21. Random, I know, but there’s a reason for Nintendo making this decision. While the two games are rated “T” here in the U.S., over in Japan, the shooters carry a “Z” rating. The Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO), the Japanese government’s rating board, classifies “Z” as being for “18-year-olds and above only,” and bans Z-rated games from being sold to anyone younger. ...continue reading

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Rain affected parts of Japan on Tuesday morning as a low-pressure system and front moved through, bringing heavier downpours in some areas. Skies are expected to clear across much of the country this afternoon. However, yellow sand drifting in from the Asian continent is forecast to spread over a wide area, raising concerns over reduced visibility and worsening health conditions.

Japan's weather agency and the Cabinet Office issued a 'Hokkaido-Sanriku Offshore Subsequent Earthquake Advisory' after an earthquake measuring upper 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale struck off Sanriku.

JR East has launched a preview version of its new online Shinkansen booking platform, JRE GO, promising reservations in as little as one minute and easier handling of sudden schedule changes.

A bear that had remained in a residential area in central Sendai since early Sunday morning was euthanized last night in an emergency cull. No injuries were reported.

Police investigating the death of an 11-year-old boy whose body was found in a forest in Kyoto Prefecture believe his father moved the remains between several locations over a number of days in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Entertainment NEWS

In today's video, we explore the April performances at the Kabuki-za theatre in Tokyo! (Kabuki In-Depth)

A man accused of violating copyright law by publishing so-called spoiler articles summarizing films on the internet was handed a suspended prison sentence after the Tokyo District Court ruled that the posts infringed copyright.

A theater directly connected to Tokyo Station is set to open in May inside a large-scale redevelopment complex scheduled to fully launch in autumn, marking a new step in efforts to strengthen the area’s cultural and artistic presence.

A farewell performance titled "Farewell April Grand Kabuki" is being staged at Osaka Shochikuza in Chuo Ward, Osaka, which is set to close in May due to the aging of the building, marking the beginning of a two-month run of kabuki performances that have drawn audiences with comedies and dances featuring a colorful cast of characters, continuing through April 26th.

Today we have a look at the kabuki performances taking this April at the Shochiku-za theatre in Osaka! (Kabuki In-Depth)

A talk event was held at a bookstore in New York on March 9th to commemorate the publication of the English translation "SAKURA" of the bestselling novel "Sakura" by Naoki Prize-winning author Kanae Nishi, who appeared alongside American translator Allison Powell to discuss the book’s central theme of family love.

The winner of the 2026 Japan Booksellers Award, in which bookstore staff across the country vote for the book they most want to sell, was announced on April 9th, with Ryo Asai, 36, receiving the top prize for the novel "In the Megachurch," published by Nikkei Publishing.

Athletes from across Japan boasting finely trained physiques are set to gather in Okinawa for a major fitness competition, as more than 300 participants prepare to compete in the "Muscle Gate" body make contest, marking the event’s first-ever staging in the prefecture.