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September 14, 2024
 

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CULTURE

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J-pop superstar Hikaru Utada wore a resplendent rainbow dress while performing songs from their more recent albums “Hatsukoi” and “Bad Mode” during the second section of the Science Fiction tour.
CULTURE / Music
Hikaru Utada celebrates 25 years of hits with a sold-out finale
The J-pop superstar wrapped up their nostalgia-laden 18-show tour in front of 18,000 people at Yokohama’s K-Arena.
CULTURE / Music
Magical Mirai 2024 shows that the future is bright for Hatsune Miku
Thousands of visitors helped kick off the Tokyo leg of the gathering, which offers an immersive dive into every part of the aqua-haired anime avatar's world.
CULTURE / Music
Pasocom Music Club returns to the pure pleasures of the dance floor
For the Kansai-born duo, new album “Love Flutter” isn’t just an evolution of its sound — it’s the next step in pushing the boundaries of electronic music.
British hard rock outfit Bring Me the Horizon delivered a dramatic set that featured a surprise appearance from local metal-meets-idol group Babymetal.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 23, 2024
Summer Sonic: The heat doesn’t matter when the lineup works
By Patrick St. Michel
Where would you see a bill with Maneskin, Gen Hoshino, Christina Aguilera and Bring Me the Horizon in the prime slots? At a sold-out music festival, that’s where.
Produced by Toei Animation, “Girls Band Cry” follows five young women who form a band and navigate the Japanese rock landscape.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Aug 17, 2024
Prepare for a new wave of anime-born bands
By Patrick St. Michel
'Girls Band Cry' and its in-real-life band Togenashi Togeari offer the latest evolution of mixed-media music projects.
J-pop act Atarashii Gakko! is set to deliver a jubilant performance at Summer Sonic this weekend.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 14, 2024
Summer Sonic bets on a more local lineup
By Patrick St. Michel
The international music festival seeks to boost attendance figures with more domestic and Asian acts such as Atarashii Gakko!, Number_i and Creepy Nuts.
A fan poses for photos next to a poster of trot singer Lim Young-woong before attending his concert in Seoul in May.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 9, 2024
Trotting ahead of K-pop? South Korean crooner Lim Young-woong rivals BTS
By Hieun SHIN
The traditional South Korean music genre of trot includes elements of jazz, swing and enka.
A crowd gathers at the main Green Stage on Saturday to watch headline act Kraftwerk. It looked to be the pioneering electronic band's last performance in Japan, and included a tribute to Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto.
CULTURE / Music / Photo essay
Aug 5, 2024
A weekend in Naeba: What went on offstage at Fuji Rock '24
By Johan Brooks
The summer music festival has both its size and location going for it in building a communal experience off the stages.
What would the Fuji Rock Festival have looked like if it had been an urban festival? Not like this, that's for sure.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Aug 2, 2024
The Fuji Rock experience is as much about its natural setting as it is about music
By Philip Brasor
Having attended every edition of Fuji Rock except one, Philip Brasor believes the concert's natural setting is one of its best draws.
Hakushi Hasegawa places their emotive vocals and dexterous keyboard work at the center of the music on their latest album, “Mahogakko” – reminding listeners that there’s a very human presence at the controls.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 2, 2024
Electronic wiz Hakushi Hasegawa pulls back the curtain
By James Hadfield
The musician's latest album, “Mahogakko,” strikes a delicate balance between the dazzling and the downright baffling.

Japan jumps to No. 2, from sixth place, in Best Countries index
Pedestrians cross an intersection in the Shibuya district of Tokyo. Japan has experienced a postpandemic travel boom, with tourists pouring back in after restrictions closed the country’s borders to travelers.
Ishiba and Koizumi speed ahead as LDP presidential race kicks off
Nine candidates, including Toshimitsu Motegi at the podium, attend a kick off event on Thursday for their campaigning in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election.
iPhone 16 to land in Japan without Apple Intelligence 
Apple CEO Tim Cook unveils the iPhone 16 at the Steve Jobs Theater on the company's campus in Cupertino, California, on Monday.
Is Japan an attractive option for foreign talent from Asia?
Job-seekers take a Japanese class at an employment placement company in Hanoi in October 2022.
Daikanyama tops list of Tokyo neighborhoods in livability survey
In a survey conducted by rental housing operator Daito Trust Construction, residents praised the tranquility and safety of Daikanyama, a neighborhood in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, as well as its accessibility to public transportation.
Scientists win Ig Nobel for discovering anal breathing in mammals
Takanori Takebe (behind the lectern) speaks after his team of researchers and he were awarded the Ig Nobel Prize in physiology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Thursday.
iPhone 16 to land in Japan without Apple Intelligence 
Apple CEO Tim Cook unveils the iPhone 16 at the Steve Jobs Theater on the company's campus in Cupertino, California, on Monday.
Small Hokkaido town ranked most comfortable place to live in Japan
Asahidake in Daisetsuzan is located in the town of Higashikawa, Hokkaido, which ranked as the most comfortable municipality in 2024.
Updated Meiji Jingu Gaien redevelopment plan to keep more trees
Redevelopment of the Meiji Jingu Gaien district has trees in the area marked according to their status — trees marked in red were to be cut down in the original plan while those in blue were to be transplanted. In the updated plan, trees marked in red will no longer be felled, and those in blue will remain where they are.
U.K. envoy to Japan pushes back on Indo-Pacific disengagement concerns
U.K. Ambassador to Japan Julia Longbottom says the Indo-Pacific region offers a unique opportunity to not only tackle shared security concerns but also to generate new sources of economic growth.

Podcast

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

Longform

A store clerk tries to cool things down in front of their shop by spraying a hose.
Is extreme weather changing the way Japan shops?
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Sasakawa works for a sustainable blue economy
Sasakawa works for a sustainable blue economy

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