Music Apr 22, 2021

NiziU: Made in South Korea, totally Japanese

The nine-member pop act NiziU moved from a reality TV show competition to the top of the Japanese music charts with ease — and that was the strategy all along.

National / Media | Japan Pulse Apr 17, 2021

Weather forecaster Saya Hiyama's viral moments say a lot about fame in Japan

Weather forecaster Saya Hiyama is the latest media personality to garner an online following, but what does her popularity say about celebrity in the digital age?

Music Apr 14, 2021

Indonesian singer Rainych Ran goes viral amid an online city pop renaissance

Rainych Ran's take in Japanese on American singer Doja Cat’s chart-topping “Say So” became a hit partially because music from the 1980s is currently enjoying a YouTube-powered revival.

Food & Drink | KONBINI WATCH Mar 27, 2021

Ministop goes all-in on the fruit flavor with its Hokkaido Raiden Melon soft-serve

The chain has been offering melon-flavored desserts featuring fruits grown around the country all year, and it’s finally reached Hokkaido.

Food & Drink | DESSERT WATCH Mar 14, 2021

Dessert gets an upgrade at two fast-food joints

Pie and ice cream makes for a classic combination, but a new pie at McDonald's and a new ice cream at Baskin-Robbins stand on their own.

Music Mar 11, 2021

How TikTok resurrected a Japanese pop star's defining hit

Miki Matsubara's 1979 hit song "Mayonaka no Door: Stay With Me" has been discovered by a new generation of digitally savvy teens. The Japanese music industry has taken notice.

Culture | Remembering 3/11 Mar 10, 2021

From AC Japan ads to 'Your Name.': The impact of 3/11 on pop culture

The triple disaster of 2011 still looms large in the collective memory of those who were in Japan at the time. How society remembers it, though, has been influenced by films, music and art.