On 16 January 2026, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met Tetsuo Hara, the artist behind Fist of the North Star, in Tokyo during her official visit to Japan. She had turned 49 the day before, and Hara gave her a print of Kenshiro and Raoh. A look at Hara's Uffizi commission, the manga's role in Weekly Shonen Jump's rise, and why Italy never let go of Ken il Guerriero.
The November 2025 NHK Special "Isolados: Deep in the Last Forest" has sparked widespread discussion in Japan. This documentary captures the stunning footage of an uncontacted Amazon tribe that emerged after 10 years of silence, revealing the harsh reality of deforestation, illegal mining, and climate change threatening their existence. Explore the program's key highlights and diverse reactions from Japanese viewers.
Ski jumping legend Noriaki Kasai (53) misses the 2026 Milan Olympics but declares his intention to compete at the 2030 French Alps Olympics at age 57. With records including eight consecutive Olympic appearances and a silver medal at Sochi, Kasai's declaration that "It's not over yet" has drawn widespread admiration from fans worldwide.
Hideki Matsuyama showcased his resilience at the 2025 Sony Open in Hawaii, making two stunning eagles on the final day to finish T16. While the Japanese star couldn't secure back-to-back wins following his record-breaking 35-under victory at The Sentry, his performance on the par-5s demonstrated why he remains one of golf's elite players.
Discover why Japanese game centers have shifted from fighting games and rhythm games to crane games (UFO Catchers). Explore the business reasons behind this transformation, including the 364 billion yen prize game market, changing customer demographics, and profitability differences that reshaped Japan's arcade industry.
Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa discusses the company's response to rising memory prices and Switch 2 pricing in a Kyoto Shimbun interview. While short-term profitability remains unaffected due to medium-to-long-term procurement strategies, he acknowledges the delicate balance between passing tariff costs to consumers and promoting new hardware adoption.
CATL has taken sodium-ion cells into mass production. They can be shipped at 0V, which all but removes the fire risk in transit, they hold about 90 percent of their performance at -40°C, and they run past 10,000 charge cycles. Here is where the energy density problem still stands.
Discover Japan's unique "waifu" culture where fans call their favorite anime and game characters "my wife." Explore the latest hologram gadgets like Gatebox that bring 2D waifus into the real world, blending otaku devotion with cutting-edge technology.
Two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu returned to the ice with his solo show "REALIVE" on April 11 and 12, 2026. What the comeback meant, his legacy in Japanese figure skating, and what happened after the curtain came down.
Kei Nishikori (35) returned to the Australian Open main draw for the first time in four years, entering on a protected ranking. He beat qualifier Thiago Monteiro from two sets down in a four-hour epic to reach the second round for the first time since 2019. A look at a legend's comeback from repeated injuries.
Why rugby backgrounds carry weight in Japan's job market, from corporate teams under League One to what recruiters actually say. Includes how "no-side" became a distinctly Japanese idea, and the problems with athlete-first hiring.
