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July 24, 2026
 

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CULTURE

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¡®Hush!¡¯ and ¡®All Around Us¡¯: Masterpieces from a pioneering gay director
CULTURE / Film
¡®Hush!¡¯ and ¡®All Around Us¡¯: Masterpieces from a pioneering gay director
New 4K restorations of two films from the 2000s by Ryosuke Hashiguchi bring his masterful storytelling back to the silver screen.
CULTURE / Film
Zainichi drama ¡®Trophy¡¯ is a sweet, if slight, coming-of-age tale
Son Myong A¡¯s debut feature centers on a Tokyo teen grappling with her Korean heritage, both at home and in the classroom.
CULTURE / Film
¡®Sana: Play With Me¡¯ can¡¯t recapture the simple scares of J-horror¡¯s glory days
The latest film by J-horror director Takashi Shimizu (best known for ¡°Juon: The Grudge¡°) starts with an intriguing premise but becomes overblown by its third act.
After an office temp worker is found dead in suspicious circumstances, Eiko Watarai (the single-named Nao, right) sets out in search of answers in Junichi Kanai¡¯s ¡°Why Wait, Just Die.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Jul 10, 2026
¡®Why Wait, Just Die¡¯: A dead-eyed investigator takes on an unsolved murder
By James Hadfield
The single-named Nao offers a steamroller of a performance in Junichi Kanai¡¯s film, which unfolds as an unconventional murder mystery with stylized flourishes.
Shota Sometani stars as the assistant manager of a fictional convenience store chain in Yusuke Iwasaki¡¯s ¡°AnyMart.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Jul 10, 2026
¡®AnyMart¡¯: A surreal parable about the dark side of convenience stores
By Mark Schilling
Yusuke Iwasaki¡¯s debut feature starts off as an observational comedy before being subsumed by creeping dread and shock horror.
Yutaka Mizutani directs and stars in his fourth feature film, an omnibus about love, loneliness and everything in between.
CULTURE / Film
Jul 3, 2026
¡®Piccola Felicita¡¯: From formulaic drama to fever dream
By Mark Schilling
Directed by Yutaka Mizutani, the four-part omnibus looks at love and loneliness in the big city, with some unexpected twists and turns.
After premiering in July 1966, the original ¡°Ultraman¡± series gained a peak viewership of nearly half of all TV-owning households in Japan.
CULTURE / Film
Jul 2, 2026
The heroism and humanity of ¡®Ultraman¡¯: Documentary looks back on 60 years
By Sebastien Raineri
The iconic sci-fi franchise is the focus of a documentary, co-helmed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, that examines its cultural impact on generations of Japanese and international viewers.
A trio of women in need of cash (from left: Sara Minami, Kasumi Arimura and Haru Kuroki) starts smuggling gold from Singapore in Chihiro Amano¡¯s ¡°Magical Secret Tour.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Jun 26, 2026
An implausible but engaging crime drama unfolds in ¡®Magical Secret Tour¡¯
By James Hadfield
In Chihiro Amano¡¯s ¡°Magical Secret Tour,¡± a trio of Japanese women becomes embroiled in a scheme to smuggle gold from Singapore.
Hayato Kohsaka (right) plays a violent teenager whose potential for redemption is the core inquiry in Keisuke Yoshida¡¯s ¡°Unchained.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Jun 26, 2026
¡®Unchained¡¯ presents a grim portrait of a budding psychopath
By Mark Schilling
Keisuke Yoshida¡¯s gritty drama concerns the misdeeds of a violent teenager and an ex-con¡¯s efforts to rehabilitate him.
Director Yukiko Sode (center) poses with her lead actors Tadanobu Asano (left) and Yukino Kichii (right) at the 79th Cannes Film Festival.
CULTURE / Film
Jun 25, 2026
¡®All the Lovers in the Night¡¯ film adaptation brings ¡®unstable beauty¡¯ to the screen
By Blake Simons
During the Cannes Film Festival, director Yukiko Sode and actors Yukino Kishii and Tadanobu Asano reflected on the process of bringing Mieko Kawakami¡¯s novel to life.

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.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
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.

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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