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July 24, 2026
 

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Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
CULTURE / Stage
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
A zany weekly comedy show in Tokyo and Osaka aimed at non-Japanese speakers tries to jump over language barriers.
CULTURE / Stage
¡®Princess Mononoke¡¯ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
Kabuki, one of Japan¡¯s oldest performing art forms, and Studio Ghibli seek modern resonance in an everchanging landscape for arts.
CULTURE / Stage
¡®Demon Slayer¡¯ musical is for fans who¡¯ve done the homework
The record-breaking anime ¡°Demon Slayer¡± has been reimagined as a musical and its sixth installment premiered June 13.
Riyo, a former hitman portrayed by actress Sena, particularly stood out in her performance.
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 2, 2026
New anime adapted for stage expands what 2.5D theater can be
By Alicia Haddick
¡°Gachiakuta,¡± a new, award-winning anime adapted for the stage, dazzled with dynamic multilevel fight and dance choreography with cues from martial arts and breakdance.
¡°Noli Timere,¡± a free open-air performance at SIFA's Festival Village, combines aerial acrobatics, contemporary dance and art sculpture.?
CULTURE / Stage
May 22, 2026
At Singapore International Festival of Arts, theater spills into everyday life
By Zoria Petkoska
Tze Chien Chong, the new director of Singapore International Festival of Arts, strives to attract a broader audience to Singapore¡¯s oldest festival for performing arts.
In 2019, Saitama Arts Theater started permitting children under 3 to some of its shows. Previously, children under 4 were not permitted.
CULTURE / Stage
May 3, 2026
No longer shushed: Japan¡¯s cultural venues make room for children
By Kris Kosaka
From ballet to museums, cultural institutions are adapting to the needs of families with young children.
Nakamura Tanenosuke adjusts himself before hitting the stage. Every actor in kabuki relies on one final, essential element to fully inhabit their role: the wig.
CULTURE / Stage
May 1, 2026
Japan¡¯s wig masters bring the kabuki stage to life
By Natsuko Fukue
In kabuki, transformation begins with the wig, as master artisans shape identity, status and emotion strand by strand.
Company Grande¡¯s inaugural performance, ¡°The Rite of Spring,¡± took place Feb. 7 at Saitama Arts Theater.
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 8, 2026
100 ways to belong: The radical inclusivity of Company Grande
By Kris Kosaka
Company Grande includes members from all ages, walks of life and abilities, showing the stage can also be an arena for amateurs, persons with disabilities and the elderly.
Richard Tomic, better known as ¡°Ricchaado¡± to his Instagram followers, debuted his stand-up set at Tokyo Comedy Bar in Shibuya Ward in December.
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 1, 2026
From clicks to claps: Online comics seek the stage
By Laura Pollacco
Ricchaado, a comic from a generation that builds its humor in cyberspace, is the latest to try a transition to classic stand-up on stage.
The winners of the 70th Kunio Kishida Prize for Playwriting are Sho Hasumi (left) with ¡°Romance¡± and Emi Oishi with ¡°Drool Ferris Wheel.¡±
CULTURE / Stage
Feb 26, 2026
Kishida Prize crowns wordsmiths in the theater world
By Kris Kosaka
The 70th iteration of the annual Kunio Kishida Prize for Playwriting announces two winners.

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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