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July 24, 2026
 

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CULTURE

Film
Books
Art
Music
TV & Streaming
Stage
Entertainment news
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
CULTURE / Music
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
By Patrick St. Michel
The members discuss artistic trust, existential questions and the creative process behind their immersive third album, ¡°Sepia.¡±
The goal of restoration is not to artificially upscale but to return the film to the condition it was in ¡°the very first day it appeared in the world,¡± says Nobushige Toshima, president and sales division manager of Toho Archive.
CULTURE
Inside Toho Archive¡¯s mission to save Japan¡¯s cinematic memory
By Sebastien Raineri
Formed in 2023 as the direct successor to a film processing lab, Toho Archive is at the forefront of preserving Japan¡¯s cinematic heritage.
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
CULTURE / Music
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
By Alyssa I. Smith
Fuji Rock Festival has long been known for its international headliners, but Kaze Fujii is poised to make a big splash on the Green Stage.

Film

The goal of restoration is not to artificially upscale but to return the film to the condition it was in ¡°the very first day it appeared in the world,¡± says Nobushige Toshima, president and sales division manager of Toho Archive.
Inside Toho Archive¡¯s mission to save Japan¡¯s cinematic memory
By Sebastien Raineri
Formed in 2023 as the direct successor to a film processing lab, Toho Archive is at the forefront of preserving Japan¡¯s cinematic heritage.
Film
Zainichi drama ¡®Trophy¡¯ is a sweet, if slight, coming-of-age tale
By James Hadfield
Film
¡®Sana: Play With Me¡¯ can¡¯t recapture the simple scares of J-horror¡¯s glory days
By Mark Schilling
Film
¡®Why Wait, Just Die¡¯: A dead-eyed investigator takes on an unsolved murder
By James Hadfield
Film
¡®AnyMart¡¯: A surreal parable about the dark side of convenience stores
By Mark Schilling
Film
¡®Piccola Felicita¡¯: From formulaic drama to fever dream
By Mark Schilling
Film
The heroism and humanity of ¡®Ultraman¡¯: Documentary looks back on 60 years
By Sebastien Raineri

Books

Shinichiro Watanabe, creator of ¡°Cowboy Bebop¡± and ¡°Lazarus,¡± is known for a stylish aesthetic that one American academic describes as ¡°jagged.¡±
Books
The creator of ¡®Cowboy Bebop¡¯ has advice for the anime industry
By Eric Margolis
In his latest publication from Kadokawa, Shinichiro Watanabe looks back on his 30-year career and the collaborators that have helped bring his vision to life.
Books
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Books
Chito Kosagawa and Kasumi Asakura win Japan¡¯s top literary prizes
By Mike Fu
Books
Murakami says his novels are ¡®different¡¯ from AI literature
Books
Manga and lesbian sex-work agencies team up to tell untold stories
By Marta Fanasca
Books
How a private collection of queer books became a cultural hot spot
By Mike Fu
Books
Tidying guru Marie Kondo and ¡®Exit 8¡¯ director team up for a cozy fiction book
By Eric Margolis

Music

Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Music
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
By Alyssa I. Smith
Fuji Rock Festival has long been known for its international headliners, but Kaze Fujii is poised to make a big splash on the Green Stage.
Music
Maya Ongaku¡¯s DIY dream is getting bigger
By James Hadfield
Music
It was 60 years ago today: Japan¡¯s top Beatles fan keeps the Budokan flame burning
By Tim Hornyak
Music
NU Festival tests Takanawa Gateway City complex¡¯s culture cred
By James Hadfield
Music
Tujiko Noriko¡¯s new album is a feline tour de force
By James Hadfield
Music / Sound Off
Japan¡¯s first great AI music trend is gloriously wrong
By Patrick St. Michel
Music
Trooper Salute marches to its own beat on dazzling debut album
By Patrick St. Michel

TV & Streaming

Actor Yutaka Matsushige performs a dining scene during the filming of an episode of the TV drama series "Solitary Gourmet" at a tuna restaurant in Chiba Prefecture.
TV & Streaming
How ¡®The Solitary Gourmet¡¯ became one of Japan¡¯s most enduring TV hits
By Mathias Cena
The understated TV series has won devoted fans by celebrating Japan¡¯s neighborhood eateries and the quiet pleasures of dining alone.
TV & Streaming
The beating heart inside ¡®Human Vapor¡¯
By Gabriella Geisinger
TV & Streaming
¡®Human Vapor¡¯ brings blockbuster energy to the small screen
By James Hadfield
TV & Streaming
¡®Tagusari Bros.¡¯ searches for the meaning of justice
By Gabriella Geisinger
TV & Streaming
Nordic noir meets Japanese occult in ¡®Blood and Sweat¡¯
By Gabriella Geisinger
TV & Streaming
¡®Soul Mate¡¯ reaches for pathos but remains hollow
By Mike Fu
TV & Streaming
¡®Monarch: Legacy of Monsters¡¯ loses its human touch in sprawling second season
By Gabriella Geisinger

Art

Miwa Yanagi¡¯s ¡°Elevator Girl House¡± series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Art
Japan¡¯s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
By Jennifer Pastore
An international exhibition for a book about Japanese women in the photographic arts has its homecoming in Tokyo.
Art
Sachiko Kazama¡¯s art bites back at a cruel society
By Jennifer Pastore
Art
This is not AI. It¡¯s intentionally, painstakingly human-made art.
By Zoria Petkoska
Art
What is the ¡®Mona Lisa¡¯ of Japan?
By Thu-Huong Ha
Art
David Hockney, the British artist who went in search of Californian color, dies at 88
By William Schomberg
Art
Emerging Kansai artists to watch
By Jennifer Pastore
Art / Greater Shinagawa Area
Takanawa Gateway¡¯s latest landmark is still working on its own story
By Zoria Petkoska

Stage

Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
Stage
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
By Alicia Haddick
A zany weekly comedy show in Tokyo and Osaka aimed at non-Japanese speakers tries to jump over language barriers.
Stage
¡®Princess Mononoke¡¯ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
By Alicia Haddick
Stage
¡®Demon Slayer¡¯ musical is for fans who¡¯ve done the homework
By Alicia Haddick
Stage
New anime adapted for stage expands what 2.5D theater can be
By Alicia Haddick
Stage
At Singapore International Festival of Arts, theater spills into everyday life
By Zoria Petkoska
Stage
No longer shushed: Japan¡¯s cultural venues make room for children
By Kris Kosaka
Stage
Japan¡¯s wig masters bring the kabuki stage to life
By Natsuko Fukue

Entertainment news

People take selfies next to a screen displays a message referencing singer Taylor Swift and National Football League player Travis Kelce outside Madison Square Garden, the venue for their wedding celebrations, in New York on Friday.
Entertainment news
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are married, as pair hosts New York celebration
¡°JUST&T MARRIED,¡± flashed on giant screens on the exterior of the Manhattan sports arena.
Entertainment news
Japanese dancers win ballet prizes in Moscow
Entertainment news
Singer and actor Kazuya Kamenashi to marry Minami Tanaka
Entertainment news
Buzzcut backlash: AKB48 member¡¯s termination stirs online furor
By Patrick St. Michel
Entertainment news
Grammys to add best Asian pop music performance category in 2027
By Patrick St. Michel
Entertainment news / CULTURE SMASH
As his centennial nears, Osamu Tezuka gets a global reintroduction
By Roland Kelts
Entertainment news
J-pop group Arashi takes its final bow at Tokyo Dome
By Alyssa I. Smith
Read more CULTURE stories
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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