OSAKA -- Today's video games can leave parents feeling frightened. Is it really a good idea to buy a game for your child in which bloodthirsty aliens beat up little old ladies or the hero shoots, stabs, bombs and judo chops all manner of opponents? Whatever happened to the nonviolent, intellectually stimulating games you grew up with?
Now, thanks to Charles Rogers, an American who lives in Osaka, those who not only remember the fun of classic board games like Risk, Clue and Monopoly, but also have an interest in Japan, can enjoy the most innovative combination since Reese's Peanut Butter Cup combined chocolate and peanut butter.
Rogers is the father of JAPAN: The Game, an old-fashioned board game whose purpose is not to create virtual mayhem but to encourage players to learn about Japan in a friendly atmosphere.