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July 16, 2025
 

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CULTURE

Film
Books
Art
Music
TV & Streaming
Stage
Entertainment news
Businesses who cater to fandoms gathered at Tokyo Lifestyle Week for the second annual Oshikatsu — Merch Collection Expo, a trade show devoted to fandom goods.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Music idol and anime fandom merch is big business
By Patrick St. Michel
Over 100 booths showed off the latest in acrylic stands, binoculars and cheering items such as glow sticks and flags at the second Oshikatsu — Merch Expo.
The museum's curators selected a wide array of works from the archives for the milestone exhibitions. Among other photos, Nobuyoshi Araki's work from the series "Winter Journey" (1990) was included in the "Continuity and Change" exhibition that concluded in June.
CULTURE / Art
Rare vintage shots and first-time shows at TOP’s 30th anniversary
By John L. Tran
The 2025 schedule includes two exhibitions showcasing the museum’s permanent collection and three solo shows that focus on the work of Takano Ryudai, Luigi Ghirri and Pedro Costa.
Nakagin Capsule Tower architect Kisho Kurokawa in front of the structure two years after its completion in 1972.
CULTURE / Art
The many lives of Nakagin Capsule Tower on display at New York’s MoMA
By Zoria Petkoska
“The Many Lives of the Nakagin Capsule Tower” showcases the 50-year history of the building through nearly 45 pieces of contextual material and one of the capsules on display.

Film

A high school senior (Taisuke Niihara, center), his girlfriend (Yuki Araho, left) and their alcoholic teacher (Yuka Kouri, right) find themselves in a lopsided love triangle in Toshiya Kominami’s “Young & Fine.”
Film
‘Young & Fine’: Teenage horndog tale balances heart and hormones
By James Hadfield
The oddball sensibility of Toshiya Kominami’s coming-of-age film, paired with Yuka Kouri’s winning performance, elevates a questionable setup into something surprisingly human.
Film
‘Harbin’: Somber historical drama sees act of mercy lead to bloodshed
By Mark Schilling
Film
‘Virgin Punk: Clockwork Girl’: Beautiful, brutal and bringing back ’90s anime energy
By Matt Schley
Film
‘I Am Kirishima’ peels back the mystery of a fugitive radical
By Mark Schilling
Film
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
By Thu-Huong Ha
Film
From stage to screen, a story of quiet connection in the still heat of Nagasaki
By Matt Schley
Film
‘Renoir’: An impressionistic portrait of grief and girlhood
By Mark Schilling

Books

Author Minae Mizumura strolls through the garden of her cottage in Oiwake, Karuizawa, in a photograph taken by her friend and collaborator Toyota Horiguchi.
Books / Perspectives
Between reality and fiction: A summer’s day in Karuizawa with Minae Mizumura
By Hanako Lowry
The author speaks on the Nagano Prefecture town's unique positioning between Japan and the West, literary tradition and artificial intelligence.
Books
A buzzing zine scene across Japan packs passion in multiple formats
By Kim Kahan
Books
Pride and prose: Novels that illuminate queer lives in Japan
By Mike Fu
Books
Truth is slippery in ‘Suspicion,’ a detective story based on a true crime
By Kris Kosaka
Books
AI fiction is already here. Are humans ready?
By Thu-Huong Ha
Books
A window into the mind of Esperantist and political activist Teru Hasegawa
By Martin Laflamme
Books
‘Wildcat Dome’ challenges Japan's historical narratives
By Kris Kosaka

Music

“Fani Mani” marks Kom_I’s return to music, after leaving the genre-bending J-pop outfit Suiyoubi no Campanella in 2021.
Music
‘Try first, figure it out later’: Kom_I and Foodman’s beautiful mess
By Patrick St. Michel
Part philosophy and part performance, the musicians' “Fani Mani” is all party.
Music
Mei Semones is the rookie to remember at Fuji Rock
By James Hadfield
Music / Sound Off
Why are idol fans throwing hands at the racetrack?
By Patrick St. Michel
Music
Stage dive into summer: Japan’s best music festivals, month by month
By Alyssa I. Smith
Music
Sober clubbing brews fresh beat for Singapore's Gen Z
By Satish Cheney
Music
Six months into 2025, J-pop is having a full-on identity crisis (and a great time)
By Patrick St. Michel
Music
Songs, stars and strategy: Japan debuts its newest awards ceremony
By Alyssa I. Smith

TV & Streaming

Though Haruki Murakami's trademark whiff of offbeat existentialism is threaded throughout NHK's "After the Quake," the final episode — conceived as a sequel to the story "Super-Frog Saves Tokyo" — is the most stylized, featuring an anthropomorphic talking frog (voiced by Non) and his erstwhile associate Katagiri (Koichi Sato).
TV & Streaming
Haruki Murakami TV adaptation revisits 30 years of watershed moments
By Mike Fu
NHK's new four-episode miniseries, “After the Quake,” probes the ripple effects of past major disasters across Japanese society.
TV & Streaming
Rise and shine with ‘The Wakey Show’
By Patrick St. Michel
TV & Streaming
Can a meal make you besties? ‘K-foodie meets J-foodie’ says yes.
By Patrick St. Michel
TV & Streaming
‘Offline Love’ ditches digital dating and puts old-school romance to the test
By Patrick St. Michel
TV & Streaming
The different faces of ‘Asura’ through the generations
By James Hadfield
TV & Streaming / Wide Angle
‘The Hot Spot’: Close encounters of the mundane kind
By Patrick St. Michel
TV & Streaming
Taiwan's 'Meteor Garden' star Barbie Hsu dies at 48

Art

Nakagin Capsule Tower architect Kisho Kurokawa in front of the structure two years after its completion in 1972.
Art
The many lives of Nakagin Capsule Tower on display at New York’s MoMA
By Zoria Petkoska
“The Many Lives of the Nakagin Capsule Tower” showcases the 50-year history of the building through nearly 45 pieces of contextual material and one of the capsules on display.
Art
Rare vintage shots and first-time shows at TOP’s 30th anniversary
By John L. Tran
Art
The future is bright inside the visionary mind of architect Sou Fujimoto
By Zoria Petkoska
Art
A multisensory exhibition of washi paper unfolds at London Design Biennale
By Yuki Sumner
Art
Osaka wants to show off its artistic talents
By Zoria Petkoska
Art
At Tokyo Pride’s first queer art exhibition, intimacy and resistance share the wall
By Erik Augustin Palm
Art
What can Kenji Yanobe’s cosmic cats teach us about humanity?
By Jennifer Pastore

Stage

“Giselle” lead Yuriko Kajiya (center), performing with Connor Walsh as Albrecht, is one of six Japanese dancers at Houston Ballet.
Stage
Japanese dancers find a home abroad at Houston Ballet
By Alyssa I. Smith
Returning to Japan for the American ballet company's first international tour since 2022, several dancers speak about why they moved overseas.
Stage
Diva of dualities: Maria Seiren sings opera and noh in both a female and male voice
By Kat Joplin
Stage
Atsuko Okatsuka brings big 'dad' energy to new special
By Zoria Petkoska
Stage
Traditional performing arts are plugging into modern audiences
By Phoebe Amoroso
Stage
Japan’s slam poetry scene is all about raw vulnerability
By Eric Margolis
Stage
National Ballet of Japan takes its 'Giselle' to Royal Opera House in London
By Kris Kosaka
Stage
K-Ballet Tokyo marks 25 years of passion and perseverance
By Kris Kosaka

Entertainment news

Businesses who cater to fandoms gathered at Tokyo Lifestyle Week for the second annual Oshikatsu — Merch Collection Expo, a trade show devoted to fandom goods.
Music / Sound Off
Music idol and anime fandom merch is big business
By Patrick St. Michel
Over 100 booths showed off the latest in acrylic stands, binoculars and cheering items such as glow sticks and flags at the second Oshikatsu — Merch Expo.
Entertainment news
Queer-coded yakuza story wins prestigious U.K. crime writing award
By Thu-Huong Ha
Entertainment news
Japanese pop-rock band Tokio announces disbandment after 31 years
By Jessica Speed
Entertainment news
Japanese director Yasuhiro Aoki wins French animation award for 'ChaO'
Entertainment news
Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson dies at age 82
By Mary Milliken and Bill Trott
Entertainment news
Two BTS megastars released from South Korea military
By Sue Han Kim and Hieun SHIN
Entertainment news
South Korean musical 'Maybe Happy Ending' tops Broadway's Tony Awards
By Maggy Donaldson
Read more CULTURE stories
Students in Japan struggle with Japanese language and math sections on national exam
The correct answer rate for the Japanese language section on a national test dropped to 67.0% from 67.8% the previous year among elementary school sixth-graders.
Japan team finds ancient ocean full of squids
The ancient ocean was full of squids, whose population exceeded that of fish or ammonites, a Japanese research team mainly from Hokkaido University has found through a new method using technology.
Japan researchers identify gut bacteria strain that boosts anticancer drugs
Researchers at the National Cancer Center Japan say a new type of gut bacteria named YB328 could help unlock the potential of cancer immunotherapy.
Tourists in Japan have telemedicine options before calling 119
Foreign tourists at Tsukiji Outer Market in Tokyo. More than 1 million international visitors have a medical issue in Japan every year.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan
After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
Japanese scientists discover clue to why women burn more fat than men
Scientists say a recently-published study could help explain why women are typically less prone to weight-related conditions and may lead to new therapies that target calorie-burning mechanisms.
Music idol and anime fandom merch is big business
Businesses who cater to fandoms gathered at Tokyo Lifestyle Week for the second annual Oshikatsu — Merch Collection Expo, a trade show devoted to fandom goods.
U.S. urges clarity on Japan’s role in potential war over Taiwan, report says
A Ground Self-Defense Force member conducts a military drill with an anti-ship missiles unit, at the GSDF's base on Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture in April 2022.
Tourists in Japan have telemedicine options before calling 119
Foreign tourists at Tsukiji Outer Market in Tokyo. More than 1 million international visitors have a medical issue in Japan every year.
Is Japanese skin really ‘too smooth’ for Hideo Kojima’s games?
Hideo Kojima, the leading auteur in Japanese video games, has skirted controversy in the wake of the release of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan
By Megha Wadhwa

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after
Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after

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