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July 24, 2026
 

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CULTURE

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A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
CULTURE / Music
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
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.
CULTURE / Music
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
The members discuss artistic trust, existential questions and the creative process behind their immersive third album, ¡°Sepia.¡±
CULTURE / Music
Maya Ongaku¡¯s DIY dream is getting bigger
Ahead of its second album release and a show at Fuji Rock, the psychedelic rock trio from the Shonan Coast is looking back and paying it forward.
Sonau Okamoto poses inside the Beatles Art & Culture Museum he founded in Ako, Hyogo Prefecture, after spending decades collecting memorabilia and promoting the band's legacy in Japan.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 17, 2026
It was 60 years ago today: Japan¡¯s top Beatles fan keeps the Budokan flame burning
By Tim Hornyak
A lifelong collector turned one unforgettable concert into a museum celebrating the Fab Four¡¯s enduring impact in Japan.
Veteran improvisers Kazuo Imai and Atsuhiro Ito brought some unruly energy to NU Festival, a three-day multimedia event held at the Takanawa Gateway City complex. ?
CULTURE / Music
Jul 4, 2026
NU Festival tests Takanawa Gateway City complex¡¯s culture cred
By James Hadfield
JR East has been positioning the sprawling new Takanawa Gateway City as a cultural hub since before it even opened. The music, art and tech NU Festival put that claim to the test.
Tujiko Noriko¡¯s album ¡°PON¡± is dedicated to Ponpon, her late cat, and includes field recordings of her family life in France.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 3, 2026
Tujiko Noriko¡¯s new album is a feline tour de force
By James Hadfield
On tour in Japan this month, the France-based artist talks about channeling her ¡°crazy cat woman¡± energy into musical creation and finding harmony in dissonance.
Anime thumbnails adorn the sonic creations on YouTube channel Norinori Core, like this one from the Norinori Remix of Iruka's 1976 track "Nagoriyuki."
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Jul 2, 2026
Japan¡¯s first great AI music trend is gloriously wrong
By Patrick St. Michel
Norinori Core turns old J-pop into dopamine-fueled divisive dance music.
The quintet from Nagoya ¡ª comprising (from left) Sangen Ron, Junsei Iwai, Musashi, Hayato Komiya and Kion Umemura ¡ª released their debut album ¡°Tomogachi Ga Imashita¡± on June 17.
CULTURE / Music
Jun 27, 2026
Trooper Salute marches to its own beat on dazzling debut album
By Patrick St. Michel
The quintet¡¯s debut album ¡°Tomogachi Ga Imashita,¡± released on June 17, features an impressive array of styles drawn from the band members¡¯ wide-ranging influences.
Kaze Fujii received a second consecutive album of the year award for ¡°Prema,¡± his English-language debut, at the Music Awards Japan ceremony.
CULTURE / Music
Jun 17, 2026
Music Awards Japan levels up and looks ahead
By Alyssa I. Smith
Japan¡¯s largest music award ceremony moved to Tokyo for its second year, with a night of electric performances and artists honored in 78 categories.
The members of TV Tairiku Ondo ¡ª (from left) Harea Togari, Ryuji Chiyotani, Kotaro Suzuki and Hiroto Yanagawa ¡ª met as high school students in Sapporo and went viral in 2024 with an energetic 90-second track.
CULTURE / Music
Jun 12, 2026
TV Tairiku Ondo channels the chaotic creativity of youth
By Patrick St. Michel
After going viral with a 90-second track in 2024, the rock quartet from Hokkaido has been hitting stages big and small and working hard on a debut album.

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.
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.
Intervention is the word after yen moves beyond ?163 and sits there
The government could prop up the yen at any moment, though its signaling is hard to read.
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.

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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