Naomi Watanabe made history on February 11, 2026, becoming the first solo comedian to sell out Tokyo Dome with 45,000 fans. She also set a Guinness World Record for most tickets sold for a comedy show by a solo female comedian. A look at her spectacular 3-hour show celebrating 20 years in comedy.
Japan's iconic idol group Arashi has announced "Five," their first new song in five years, dropping digitally on March 4, 2026. Named after the unbroken bond of all five members, the farewell single arrives just before their final dome tour "We are ARASHI." Here's how Japanese and international fans are reacting to this emotional milestone.
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.
MISAMO—TWICE's Japanese trio of MINA, SANA, and MOMO—hosted a listening party in Harajuku for their debut full album 'PLAY,' a theatrical 12-track collection. From breaking Tokyo Dome speed records to TWICE's upcoming 3-night Japan National Stadium shows with 80,000 fans per night, explore how these three Japanese members are driving global K-pop history.
Number_i's new single "3XL," produced by member Sho Hirano, debuted at No.1 on Billboard Japan Hot 100 with 75,000+ downloads in its first week. The same week, XG's debut album topped the album chart—a landmark moment for Japan-based artists dominating the charts simultaneously.
XG's first full album 'THE CORE - 核' has topped the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart. With Apple Music chart entries in 68 countries, a Coachella appearance, and a 400,000-attendance world tour, this seven-member all-Japanese group is redefining global pop music. Here's the story behind their rise and what makes this album a landmark moment for "X-POP."
Kitani Tatsuya, known for Jujutsu Kaisen's "Ao no Sumika," teams up with BABYMETAL—the first Japanese act signed to Capitol Records—for a groundbreaking collaboration. "Kasuka na Hana," the opening theme for Hell's Paradise Season 2, gets a CD release on March 11, 2026. Discover how this unexpected fusion of J-Pop, metal, and anime is resonating with fans worldwide.
Japan's vinyl record production has surged from just 100,000 units in 2009 to 3.15 million in 2024, a 30x V-shaped recovery. In an age of streaming dominance, why are analog records thriving? Discover the "tactile experience" boom explained by Toyo Kasei, Japan's veteran record manufacturer, and how Gen Z is driving a global analog revival.
Number_i — the J-pop trio of Sho Hirano, Yuta Jinguji, and Yuta Kishi — has signed with WME, the powerhouse agency behind Bruno Mars and Billie Eilish. From their Coachella debut to this landmark deal, we explore what this means for Japanese artists carving a global path distinct from K-pop.