The 13th Gunpla Builders World Cup Finals, held at Gundam Base Tokyo on February 7, 2026, saw builders from China and Taiwan claim all three championship titles. Asian builders took 7 of 9 podium spots across U-14, U-20, and OVER-21 categories. Multiple entries featured themes from the latest anime "Gundam GQuuuuuuX," and the next tournament was announced for 2027.
"Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Witch of Circe" reached ¥2.5 billion and 1.48 million admissions in 48 days, passing the first film's ¥2.23 billion lifetime total in under a month. SZA and Guns N' Roses on the theme songs, a May 15 North American opening, and a Gundam IP now worth ¥254.3 billion a year.
Sanrio announces Hello Kitty's first designer change in 46 years. The iconic character's 3rd designer Yuko Yamaguchi passes the baton to 4th designer "Aya" in 2026. Explore the legacy of character succession and fan reactions from Japan.
Mizuno and Kaneka's co-developed biodegradable artificial turf "Re Green Grass 9" has been installed at Vantelin Dome Nagoya — a world first for professional sports facilities. Using Kaneka's "Green Planet" biopolymer that decomposes even in seawater, this innovation tackles the growing microplastics crisis in sports infrastructure.
Toho has acquired UK anime distributor Anime Limited and formed a strategic alliance with Germany's Plaion Pictures, establishing its European headquarters in London. With Europe's anime market projected to reach $9 billion by 2030, discover how Japan's biggest entertainment company plans to bring Godzilla, Jujutsu Kaisen, and more to audiences across the continent — and what this means for anime fans worldwide.
A compact snow-removal drone developed in Hokkaido went viral during Tokyo's February 2026 snowstorm, racking up 240,000 views on social media. Startup everblue technologies adapted 6 years of water drone expertise to create a $6,500 unmanned snow plow designed to clear snow before it accumulates. Could this "tiny giant" revolutionize winter life in Japan's aging snow country?
BE:FIRST's third documentary film "BE:the ONE -START BEYOND DREAMS-" chronicles their first-ever world tour across 12 cities. From backstage moments to candid interviews, discover how Japan's rising boy group is navigating a new chapter as a six-member unit with their first stadium show on the horizon.
A special music video combining milet's "The Story of Us" with anime footage from Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2 debuted on February 6, 2026. This report covers the MV's emotional portrayal of Frieren, Fern, and Stark's journey, milet's Prague-filmed original MV, and fan reactions from Japan and around the world.
Japanese boy group ONE OR EIGHT held a surprise live at Shibuya Stream, debuting "TOKYO DRIFT" — a track sampling the iconic Fast & Furious theme — in Japan for the first time. With 30 million TikTok plays in one week, No.1 on iTunes in 4 countries, and chart entries in 21 nations, here's how this avex group is taking J-pop global.
Travis Japan member Shizuya Yoshizawa will appear as a guest on the Japanese live stream of the 2026 NBA All-Star Saturday. Once a basketball kid who dreamed of playing in the NBA, Yoshizawa now bridges Japanese pop culture and American sports. Here's how Japan and the world are reacting.
Anime Dorohedoro Season 2 will stream worldwide starting April 1, 2026. After a six-year wait, MAPPA and director Yuichiro Hayashi return to adapt more of Q Hayashida's legendary 23-volume dark fantasy manga. Explore why this chaotic blend of body horror, slapstick comedy, and gyoza became a global cult favorite, with fan reactions from Japan and around the world.
