It looks like you're using an ad blocker.

To enjoy our content, please include The Japan Times on your ad-blocker's list of approved sites.

Thank you for supporting our journalism.

  • PRINT SUBSCRIBERS |
  • SUBSCRIBE |
  • Login
  • My Account
weather icon

18

RAIN

TOKYO (3 a.m.)

TODAY'S PRINT EDITION

The Japan Times The Japan Times

idols

  • Login
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • My Account
  • PRINT SUBSCRIBERS ≫
  • (FREE ARTICLE)
  • MENU
  • Search
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Life
  • Community
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • City Guide
  • Support
  • Search
  • News
    • National
    • World
    • Business
    • Asia Pacific
    • Reference
    • Columns
    • Multimedia
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Commentary
    • Cartoons
  • Life
    • Travel
    • Digital
    • Food & Drink
    • Environment
    • Style & Design
    • Language
    • Lifestyle
    • People
    • Columns
    • Multimedia
  • Community
    • Voices
    • Issues
    • Our Lives
    • Event listings
    • How-tos
    • Columns
  • Culture
    • Film
    • Music
    • Art
    • Stage
    • Events
    • Festivals
    • Books
    • TV
    • Columns
    • Multimedia
  • Sports
    • Rugby
    • Baseball
    • Soccer
    • Basketball
    • Sumo
    • Figure Skating
    • Tennis
    • More Sports
    • Columns
    • Multimedia
  • City Guide
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • Support
    • About us
    • Faqs
China cracks down on showbiz for 'polluting' society and youth

Asia Pacific Sep 3, 2021

China cracks down on showbiz for 'polluting' society and youth

Beijing's latest moves come in the wake of celebrity scandals, but also targets entertainment portraying "effeminate" behavior and other content deemed "warped."

Japanese all-male idol group V6 to disband on Nov. 1

Entertainment News Mar 13, 2021

Japanese all-male idol group V6 to disband on Nov. 1

The decision came after Go Morita told the other members that he wishes to leave the agency and pursue his acting career in a new environment, the statement said.

K-pop for the planet: Fans of South Korean stars take on climate change

Asia Pacific / Social Issues Feb 4, 2021

K-pop for the planet: Fans of South Korean stars take on climate change

by Beh Lih Yi

From petitioning to save forests to raising cash for disaster victims, a growing army of K-pop fans worldwide has emerged as the latest force in the global fight against climate change.

‘33⅓ Japan’ has nerdy but accessible tales of albums and artists

Books Feb 22, 2020

‘33⅓ Japan’ has nerdy but accessible tales of albums and artists

by Jordan Allen

With the "33⅓ Japan" series, music aficionados bring classic Japanese albums and artists to life in nerdy, but accessible, prose.

Japanese students take idol worship to a whole new level

Stage Feb 13, 2020

Japanese students take idol worship to a whole new level

by Marco Christian

Take a look at the world of Unidol, in which teams of Japanese university students emulate the moves of pop groups in a battle to be the greatest idol copy dance club.

How virtual streamers like Kizuna Ai became Japan's biggest YouTube attraction

National / Media Sep 22, 2019

How virtual streamers like Kizuna Ai became Japan's biggest YouTube attraction

by Yuki Furukawa

Kizuna Ai, the most popular streamer in Japan, is an anatomically exaggerated, perpetually adolescent girl in frilly thigh-high socks and a pink hair ribbon. She's also an entirely virtual character, given life by the actions and voice of an invisible actress. In the home of ...

Former Kat-tun idol Junnosuke Taguchi, facing marijuana charge, falls to knees and apologizes after release on bail

National / Crime & Legal Jun 7, 2019

Former Kat-tun idol Junnosuke Taguchi, facing marijuana charge, falls to knees and apologizes after release on bail

Junnosuke Taguchi, a former member of Japanese all-male idol group Kat-tun, was released on bail Friday after he was charged with possessing marijuana. Taguchi, 33, and his partner Rena Komine, 38, who faces the same charge, each posted bail of ¥3 million the same day ...

Man arrested for allegedly threatening to kill member of AKB48 spin-off group

National / Crime & Legal May 21, 2019

Man arrested for allegedly threatening to kill member of AKB48 spin-off group

A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of threatening to kill a member of a sister group of the popular AKB48 girl band, police said. Kazuki Domoto was arrested Monday for threatening Yuka Ogino, a member of NGT48 based in the city of Niigata, by ...

Ex-AKB48 idol Minami Takahashi gets married on Day One of Japan's Reiwa Era

Entertainment News May 2, 2019

Ex-AKB48 idol Minami Takahashi gets married on Day One of Japan's Reiwa Era

Singer and TV personality Minami Takahashi, a former member of Japanese all-girl pop group AKB48, ushered in the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito and the Reiwa Era by getting married on Wednesday, her agency said. "I decided to move forward with a new family at the ...

Idols and agencies in Japan navigate a brand new landscape

National / Media | MEDIA MIX Mar 23, 2019

Idols and agencies in Japan navigate a brand new landscape

by Philip Brasor

Television personality Masahiro Nakai made an appearance as a "surprise guest" on the March 10 installment of Nippon TV's law-related variety show, "Gyoretsu no Dekiru Horitsu Sodanjo" (“Line-up Law Office”). Earlier, guest Koji Kato had related an anecdote featuring Shingo Katori, Nakai's former associate ...

William Gibson's 'Idoru': Tokyo sci-fi becomes full-blown reality

Books / Reviews | ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES Mar 23, 2019

William Gibson's 'Idoru': Tokyo sci-fi becomes full-blown reality

by Stephen Mansfield

Satirical yet eerily plausible, William Gibson's "Idoru" is a complex sci-fi novel set in post-quake Tokyo that addresses the often negative impacts technology has on our lives.

Former AKB48 star Atsuko Maeda gives birth to baby boy

Entertainment News Mar 4, 2019

Former AKB48 star Atsuko Maeda gives birth to baby boy

Atsuko Maeda, an original member of all-girl pop group AKB48, has given birth to a baby boy, her first child, her husband said Monday. "I'd like to report that a baby boy was safely born the other day," 32-year-old actor Ryo Katsuji, Maeda's husband, posted ...

VIEW OLDER ARTICLES

  • WHAT’S TRENDING
  • EDITORS’ PICKS
  • Japanese political parties agree on outline of bill to protect porn victims
    Major Japanese ruling and opposition parties have agreed on an outline of a planned bill to protect people who appear in pornographic videos against their will.
  • Foreign tourists to be allowed to enter Japan on trial basis this month
    Businesses in Asakusa area of Tokyo, a popular tourist spot, are hoping for a revival in inbound tourism.
  • Japan scraps airport COVID-19 tests for arrivals from low-risk nations
    Antigen test kits at Kansai Airport's arrival lobby for international flights in December
  • How omicron infection turbocharges vaccinated people’s immunity
    A pharmacist prepares a COVID-19 booster shot at Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown, Maryland, in February.
  • English proficiency of Japanese students is improving, government says
    The English proficiency of students in public junior and senior high schools in Japan has improved, a survey shows.
  • New evidence shows how Russian soldiers executed men in Bucha

    Thumbnail image
  • In Xi's big year, political price of China's pandemic policy climbs

    Thumbnail image
  • Approaching tea like you would wine, Zach Mangan gives Japan's main drink its due

    Thumbnail image
  • The enduring influence of mingei design

    Thumbnail image
  • Biden struggles to woo Asian nations wary of upsetting China

    Thumbnail image

PODCAST

  • DEEP DIVE

    When will Japan open to tourists?

Return to The Japan Times top page
JT Digital Archives The Japan Times Alpha Study in Japan JT for Women JT Bookclub Japanese School Directory The Japan Times Jobs
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • NEWSLETTERS
  • ePaper Edition
  • News
    • National
    • World
    • Business
    • Asia Pacific
    • Reference
    • Columns
    • Multimedia
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Commentary
    • Cartoons
  • Life
    • Travel
    • Digital
    • Food & Drink
    • Environment
    • Style & Design
    • Language
    • Lifestyle
    • People
    • Columns
    • Multimedia
  • Community
    • Voices
    • Issues
    • Our Lives
    • Event listings
    • How-tos
    • Columns
  • Culture
    • Film
    • Music
    • Art
    • Stage
    • Events
    • Festivals
    • Books
    • TV
    • Columns
    • Multimedia
  • Sports
    • Rugby
    • Baseball
    • Soccer
    • Basketball
    • Sumo
    • Figure Skating
    • Tennis
    • More Sports
    • Columns
    • Multimedia
  • City Guide
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • Support
    • About us
    • Faqs
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Link Policy
  • Reprints
  • FAQs
  • Support
  • Announcements
  • Press
  • Sitemap
  • Advertise

The Japan Times LTD. All rights reserved.

The Japan Times