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July 24, 2026
 

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Roland Kelts
Seen here in an archival shot, Osamu Tezuka's influence on Japanese anime has been monumental.
CULTURE / Entertainment news / CULTURE SMASH
Jun 17, 2026
As his centennial nears, Osamu Tezuka gets a global reintroduction
Japan reveres Osamu Tezuka. As his centennial approaches, a slew of events hope to show why the rest of the world should, too.
Author Haruki Murakami (right) joins Roland Kelts on stage for the Murakami Mixtape event. Murakami is the contemporary Japanese novelist most emblematic of the country¡¯s love of jazz.
CULTURE / Music / CULTURE SMASH
Mar 29, 2026
How the Japanese made jazz their own
Through Haruki Murakami and a Tokyo-to-New York performance, hints of how Japan reinterpreted jazz.
¡°Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman¡± incorporates six Murakami short stories from three books into a single intertwined narrative that centers on a trio of lonely Tokyoites.
CULTURE / Film / CULTURE SMASH
Jul 20, 2024
¡®Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman¡¯ is an immersive journey into Murakami¡¯s world
Pierre Foldes¡¯ beautiful adaptation of six Haruki Murakami stories features one of the author¡¯s most memorable characters, who injects the film with self-aware humor.
From behind his desk in a Tokyo office, Hideki (Arata Iura) yearns for something more in life, but he is not prepared for the culture shock of life on a Montana ranch in ¡°Tokyo Cowboy.¡±
CULTURE / Film / CULTURE SMASH
Jun 13, 2024
¡®Tokyo Cowboy¡¯ strikes balance between cross-cultural comedy and fish-out-of-water tale
From behind his desk in a Tokyo office, Hideki yearns for something more in life, but he is not prepared for the culture shock of life on a Montana ranch.
Andy Summers¡¯ exhibition ¡°A Series of Glances,¡± currently on view in Tokyo and Kyoto simultaneously, features photographs taken in a wide range of locations around the world, including ¡°Centaur,¡± which was snapped in Montserrat in July 1981.
CULTURE / Art
May 9, 2024
Andy Summers captures life on and off stage in moody monochrome
The guitarist for The Police, who cites Akira Kurosawa as an important influence, puts his passion for photography on display in Japan.
Joel Vaudreuil's "When Adam Changes" won the grand prix at this year's Niigata International Animation Film Festival, the largest festival devoted to feature-length animation in Asia.
CULTURE / Film / CULTURE SMASH
Mar 28, 2024
Niigata film festival showcases cutting-edge overseas talent
The six-day event dedicated to feature-length animation presented a lineup of stories that were psychologically rich and emotionally dark.
¡°Blue Giant,¡± a feature-length anime movie that centers on young men in Tokyo who aspire to become jazz stars, was so successful in Japan and overseas that director Yuzuru Tachikawa was given an even bigger budget to re-edit the film for a second screening in theaters across Japan.
CULTURE / Film / CULTURE SMASH
Nov 23, 2023
Sleeper hit anime ¡®Blue Giant¡¯ gets an encore
The surprise success of the big-budget feature about jazz warranted a re-edited version and a second life in theaters.
Korean writer-director Kim Sung Hwan's "Iron Mask" took one of the two top awards at this year's Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan) in South Korea.
CULTURE / Film / CULTURE SMASH
Aug 30, 2023
Does South Korea now have the edge over Japan when it comes to film?
While Korean cinema tackles universal topics, Japanese studios are content to navel-gaze.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / CULTURE SMASH
Apr 20, 2023
New Niigata film festival brings out the big names in anime
Mamoru Oshii, Katsuhiro Otomo and Shinichiro Watanabe all attended last month¡¯s Niigata International Animation Film Festival, which showcased 50 films from 16 countries.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / 2022 in Review
Dec 22, 2022
Anime continued its dominance in 2022
Anime proved to be bankable content in chaotic times, with ¡®One Piece¡¯ and ¡®Dragon Ball¡¯ scoring big at the box office, while major streaming services expanded their anime offerings.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CULTURE SMASH
Oct 28, 2022
Indie studio Tonko House¡¯s coming-of-age story portrays a multiethnic Japan
Limited series ¡®Oni: Thunder God¡¯s Tale¡¯ combines stunning visuals and folklore with a rare depiction of a diverse society.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CULTURE SMASH
Nov 5, 2021
¡®Blade Runner: Black Lotus¡¯ reinvents neo-noir nods to Japan
The new anime series expands upon the dystopian world of Ridley Scott¡¯s 1982 live-action film, ¡®Black Runner.¡¯
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Apr 28, 2021
African samurai earns hero status in new anime ¡®Yasuke¡¯
Director LeSean Thomas brings the story of Yasuke, a real-life black samurai, to Netflix as ¡®a new kind of anime action hero.¡±
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / 2020 in review
Dec 31, 2020
Virtual and victorious: Anime came out on top in 2020
In a year marred by industry-wide delays and cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, anime still managed to become more popular than ever thanks in part to streaming platforms.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / CULTURE SMASH
Dec 10, 2020
Sibling duo Lastlings finds its musical muse in Japan
The half-Japanese, half-Australian siblings, who experienced relentless teasing while growing up in Australia, took refuge in music and created their own blend of electro-pop.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Sep 17, 2020
From the battlefield to manga to Zoom: A Kyushu samurai clan and its legendary warrior get an online outing
Sengan-en, the estate of a samurai clan, is going virtual in honor of the family¡¯s legendary warrior, Shimazu Toyohisa, and the manga modeled on him.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Sep 12, 2020
COVID-19 pandemic, and local politics, threaten the future of anime conventions
The coronavirus outbreak has altered the reality of mass gatherings worldwide, but canceling an event isn¡¯t something all organizers are in a position to do.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Jul 31, 2020
Soundtrack to Ghost of Tsushima stands out for its seamless blend of musical influences
The process of creating the perfect alchemy for Ghost of Tsushima¡¯s score took over two years and spanned three cities: Tokyo, Los Angeles and London.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Apr 4, 2020
Anime cons ¡®will never be the same¡¯ after the coronavirus
The spread of COVID-19 has caused many large-scale events to be cancelled, including a lot of anime fan conventions. The question now is, will these events survive to cosplay another day?
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Mar 2, 2020
Anime¡¯s evolution in lands down under
For the past quarter century, fans of Japanese pop culture in Australia and New Zealand have been served almost exclusively by a single distributor: Madman.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.
Maya Ongaku¡¯s DIY dream is getting bigger
The members of Maya Ongaku ¡ª (from left) Tsutomu Sonoda, Shoei Ikeda and Ryota Takano ¡ª grew up on the Shonan Coast south of Tokyo and have been friends since their school days.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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