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July 24, 2026
 

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51³Ô¹ÏÍøESE 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.
CULTURE
Jul 24, 2026
Inside Toho Archive¡¯s mission to save Japan¡¯s cinematic memory
Formed in 2023 as the direct successor to a film processing lab, Toho Archive is at the forefront of preserving Japan¡¯s cinematic heritage.
So-hee (played by the single-named Hanna), a 14-year-old ethnic Korean living in Tokyo, learns some valuable life lessons in Son Myong A¡¯s ¡°Trophy.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Jul 17, 2026
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.
Suzuka Chinzei (right) plays a school counselor dealing with a string of deaths in horrormeister Takashi Shimizu¡¯s ¡°Sana: Play With Me.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Jul 17, 2026
¡®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
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
Yusuke Iwasaki¡¯s debut feature starts off as an observational comedy before being subsumed by creeping dread and shock horror.
Takashi Nishihara, the director of "Now and Then," in Tokyo on Wednesday. The director has spent 10 years traversing politically charged terrain while exploring youth-driven grassroots political movements that scrutinize the status quo.
COMMUNITY / Issues
Jul 5, 2026
Filmmaker explores history of discrimination against foreign nationals in Japan
Takashi Nishihara¡¯s latest work, ¡°Now and Then,¡± bridges a historical atrocity with the present-day treatment of asylum-seekers.
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
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
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¡¯
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
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
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.
Ryusuke Hamaguchi spent two months in Paris conducting research for ¡°All of a Sudden,¡± which centers primarily on a conversation between two women that unfolds over the course of a single evening.
CULTURE / Film
Jun 19, 2026
Ryusuke Hamaguchi wants to make the impossible possible
An ethos of idealism is pervasive in the director¡¯s first French-language film, which came with the challenge and exhilaration of shooting in Paris.
Provincial lord Araki Murashige (Masahiro Motoki, right) finds himself under siege and with a series of mysteries to solve in Kiyoshi Kurosawa¡¯s ¡°The Samurai and the Prisoner.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Jun 19, 2026
¡®The Samurai and the Prisoner¡¯: A cerebral whodunnit in feudal Japan
Kiyoshi Kurosawa¡¯s historical drama is a murder mystery in the Agatha Christie mold and driven by conversation rather than combat.
Budding artists Madoka (Mariko Ito, left) and Kazuma (Kai Inowaki) find themselves tangled up in a multiverse while at the movies in ¡°You Are the Film.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Jun 19, 2026
¡®You Are the Film¡¯ offers a multiverse on a microbudget
Set in a real-life corner of Tokyo¡¯s Shimokitazawa neighborhood, Makoto Ueda¡¯s debut feature takes a refreshingly analog approach to a familiar concept.
High-school students Ai (Anna Yamada, left) and Yu (Yuzu Aoki, right) fight back against a hive mind in Yuta Shimotsu¡¯s ¡°New Group.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Jun 12, 2026
¡®New Group¡¯ has big ideas but wobbly foundations
Human pyramids and other gymnastic formations become an ominous metaphor in Yuta Shimotsu¡¯s sophomore feature, but the film¡¯s reach exceeds its grasp.
Before Meiko Kaji¡¯s hyperviolent action movies in the 1970s attracted a cult following, she made great efforts to learn the ropes of the entertainment industry.
CULTURE / Film
Jun 12, 2026
Meiko Kaji studied hard to smolder on screen
The star of ¡°Lady Snowblood¡± and other 1970s action films looks back on the serendipities that shaped her early career ¡ª and her dogged determination to hone her craft.
Virginie Efira (left) and Tao Okamoto play two women in crisis drawn together by happenstance in Ryusuke Hamaguchi¡¯s ¡°All of a Sudden.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Jun 11, 2026
¡®All of a Sudden¡¯: A tender triumph from Ryusuke Hamaguchi
The director¡¯s award-winning film is a poignant study of the human condition built around the chemistry of its two leads, Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto.
¡°Fujiko¡± stars Yuki Katayama (left) as a scrappy single mother who fights for her autonomy in 1970s and ¡¯80s Japan.
CULTURE / Film
Jun 5, 2026
¡®Fujiko¡¯ transforms a mother¡¯s resilience into festival gold
Fresh off a major festival win and new international distribution deals, Taichi Kimura reflects on the deeply personal project that honors his mother¡¯s perseverance.
Tao Okamoto (left) and Virginie Efira (right) shared the Cannes Film Festival¡¯s best actress honor for their roles in Ryusuke Hamaguchi¡¯s ¡°All of a Sudden,¡± a coproduction between Japan, France, Belgium and Germany.
CULTURE / Film
Jun 4, 2026
Japan¡¯s Cannes moment signals a new global push
Tao Okamoto made history at Cannes, while Japanese filmmakers and producers looked ahead, embracing collaboration as the future of the industry.
Bereaved parents Kensuke (the mononymous Daigo, right) and Otone (Haruka Ayase, left) have their late son resurrected as a humanoid robot in Hirokazu Kore-eda¡¯s ¡°Sheep in the Box.¡±
CULTURE / Film
May 29, 2026
Kore-eda¡¯s sci-fi film ¡®Sheep in the Box¡¯ fuzzy at edges
Despite familiar themes, the acclaimed director¡¯s latest film is ambivalent in its exploration of a futuristic premise.
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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