For cars, Japan has itasha, which literally means "painmobile". These automobiles are covered in anime, manga and video game imagery. Not everyone in Japan has a car. Many people have bicycles. This post is for them.

At recent otaku gathering Moe Haku 2010, itachari ("paincycle") were on display featuring designs from Namco Bandai's idol simulator game THE iDOLM@STER to fighter plane girl franchise Strike Witches.

狭い面積にデコレーションを山ほど乗せた「萌え博」の痛チャリ [GIGAZINE via alafista]

Microsoft's virtual space, Game Room, for hanging out and gaming has gone live.

Some like Kotaku reader Chris are having issues with Game Room, which hangs when they try to load.

Microsoft's virtual space, Game Room, for hanging out and gaming has gone live for both Xbox 360 and Games for Windows. The early morning Game Room launch is fraught with tech issues.

After downloading the two game packets in Xbox Live's Marketplace, Game Room is not loading properly. When players attempt to load games on the Xbox 360 version, Game Room's loading screen hangs on the Xbox 360 version.

The Games for Windows version of Game Room is likewise broken. Attempts to install Game Room produced an error message that read, "Install of item failed".

When working properly, Game Room offers players the chance to check out classic retro titles from the 1970s and 1980s from game companies like Atari, Konami and Intellivision.

For the equivalent of US$.50 players can play a game once or purchase the title for the equivalent of $3 for either the PC or Xbox 360. For $5, players can purchase it for both.

Game Room will feature "over 1,000" classic arcade games.

Update: The Game Room is now up. Check out our video tour here.

Let's say someone built a replica of Modern Warfare 2's training level, "The Pit". And then felt like challenging a real soldier to go through it, while they played the level on computer. Fancy watching?

Oh yeah. We featured this level a few weeks ago, built for a challenge on a British TV show. Well, it's done, the challenge has been thrown down, and now you can see how it went down.

It's not the fairest fight you'll ever see, but damned if it doesn't make good TV.

Nintendo is releasing a 3D, glasses-free portable game console called the Nintendo 3DS, to be "enjoyed with 3D effects without the need for any special glasses". Sony, your move.

"Our focus on 3D right now is on the console," Sony Computer Entertainment of America's John Koller told website IGN. "There's a tremendous amount of opportunity on PlayStation 3 with 3D. The amount of interest in 3D from the retail side and game publishers is off the charts. We know we have a hit with 3D on PS3 and we're going to concentrate our efforts there."

Sony will wait and see how the Nintendo 3DS does.

"I think it remains to be seen where Nintendo goes with 3D on a portable," he continued. "Having been in the portable space for quite awhile, I think it's an interesting move but one I'd like to see where they go from a demographic standpoint. Eight and nine year-olds playing 3D is a little bit of a stretch given where some of our research is right now."

But eight and nine year-olds seem to like watching movies in 3D, so why wouldn't they enjoy playing video games in 3D?

Sony Responds To Nintendo 3DS Announcement [IGN via Eurogamer] [Pic]

As seen on Tee Fury.

Ooohh, politics! Well, not really. More like humorous insight, with a Facebook group springing up based on the premise that the health care afforded to Pokémons trumps that offered to real, breathing Americans.

"Universal Health Care: Good enough for Pokémon, Good enough for America" is the name of the group, and it has a point. In Pokémon, you have sick Pokémon, you take them to the doctor. Or, a Pokémon Center. And there, they are healed, completely, for free. It's like Canada! Or France! Only for Pokémon

But in the US? Even with recent changes made to the nation's health insurance, things still aren't too rosy. What gives, America? Are you going to let Snorlax get free health care while you work two jobs to pay for your kid's braces?

As the group's motto puts it: "All Pokémon everywhere are healthy. America is not. Wtf."

You can join it at the link below. And try not to take it too seriously, eh?

Universal Health Care: Good enough for Pokémon, Good enough for America [Facebook]

Shocking, huh? The series, however, could have some interesting tweaks in store.

Katsura Hashino's last two previous credits were as director and producer of PS2 role-playing games Persona 3 and Persona 4. In a recent interview with Japanese magazine Dengeki PlayStation, Hashino stated, "We are preparing to start work on the next Persona."

"I want to add things that are being expected of the series," Hashino added. "I also want to change things that can be changed within those boundaries."

In August 2009, Sony's cell phone site listed Atlus staffer Shoji Meguro as the producer of Persona 5. There have been rumors for some time that the game is coming to the PS3. Persona 4 was released on the PlayStation 2.

[Pic]

Let's imagine, for a moment, that the original Legend of Zelda was not developed in Japan, but Israel (or Hollywood). And that it does not tell the tale of Hyrule, but the tale of the Jewish exodus from Egypt.

The resulting game, The Exodus Of Zelda, which comes complete with unleavened croissants, worrying Jewish grandmothers and dreidels, is what Mel Brooks might have come up with in the 1980's, were he not so busy making poignant quotes about video games. Oh, and making Spaceballs.

When Nintendo launched Mario Kart Wii in Japan, it roped in some of the country's biggest celebrities for the ad campaign. Among them, was Aki Hoshino.

In a country obsessed with youth, the 33 year-old Hoshino is older than most pin-up models. She's noted for her bubbly personality and her hourglass figure. Rumor has it that she has had her chest enhanced — however, she denies she has ever gotten implants. A "doctor" once did a full body scan of Hoshino and verified this on television. Some woman also squeezed her breasts and said they were real. Experts!

This is an early modeling photo of Hoshino. Yes, something is obviously different. Rather, somethings.

Even when she was appearing in Nintendo ads, at PSP sudoku game promotions or in a Capcom bikini game, Hoshino has always been thin with a small waist as evident by this pin-up photo (above) from a few years back.

Or even a little too thin as this stock photo shows.

But her most recent pin-ups (below) show that the model has gotten worryingly thin — by which we mean bones and skin collapsing onto nothingness.

This comes as Hoshino's mainstream career appears to be slowing. She appeared on popular daily variety show Waratte Iitomo until late 2008. Many of her regular TV gigs on major networks like Fuji TV ended last year.

Also, she entered in a relationship with a 19 year-old horse jockey. The two met during a horse racing shows Hoshino hosts — rather, hosted. According to website Japan Today, the relationship caused the young jockey's trainer to become outraged about unwanted media attention and publicly criticize Hoshino. The relationship also apparently caused either the show's producers or the network itself to pressure Hoshino out of the show.

This isn't to say Hoshino isn't getting any work or that her career is over by any stretch. She continues to do public appearances to promote, say, Hollywood films as well as releasing pin-up photos.

Her push to drop weight could be connected with her appearance at the Spring Tokyo Girls Collection fashion event earlier this March.

This could be part of a larger national trend in Japan the Washington Post covered in which young Japanese women aim to become skinnier and skinnier than ever before.

ほしのあきのくびれがやばいｗｗｗｗｗ [すくいぬ] [Pic, Pic, Pic, Pic via Jean Snow]