JAKOPS, CEO and lead producer of Japan-born global group XG, reveals plans to spend up to six months in the U.S. from spring 2026 in a Hollywood Reporter interview. Following the release of debut album 'THE CORE,' he discusses XGALX's next phase — from new artist projects to breaking idol conventions.
In May 2026, "Zipangu" — the largest Japanese-only music festival ever held on U.S. soil — will bring Ado, Atarashii Gakko!, Chanmina, HANA, MAN WITH A MISSION, Yuki Chiba, and 10-FEET to a 35,000-capacity venue near the Rose Bowl in LA. Following K-pop's KCON model, J-pop is now building its own global showcase infrastructure. We explore what this historic event means for J-pop's international expansion.
15 shows across five domes. About 490,000 fans. A new song called "Five", once a candidate for the group's name. The Kōhaku farewell that never was. And on May 31, 2026, at Tokyo Dome, ARASHI will close their 27-year story with their own hands. What they leave behind, what lives on, and the question they ask every fan. The final part of a 5-part series.
After the hiatus, five men walked separate paths — marriage, fatherhood, a samurai epic, an art-filled island retreat. Then came a company called "ARASHI Inc.," eighteen months of secret talks, and one video on May 6, 2025, where Ohno Satoshi showed his face for the first time in 1,587 days. Part 4 of a 5-part series.
Billboard Japan's "2025 Global Data Digest" analyzes Japanese music streaming data across 200+ countries. With J-POP holding a 2.52% global share (ranked 9th), the 71-page report examines how artists like Kenshi Yonezu and Creepy Nuts are breaking through internationally, the impact of anime tie-ups, and how world tours drive streaming numbers in different regions.
In June 2017, Ohno Satoshi told his four bandmates he wanted to leave. What followed was a year of talks, a 2.37-million-person farewell tour, a pandemic that stole their final year with fans, and one last night on December 31, 2020. Part 3 of a 5-part series on ARASHI's 27-year journey.
tuki., a Japanese high school singer-songwriter who keeps her face and real name hidden, held her very first live concert at Nippon Budokan — and set a Guinness World Record. All 8,503 tickets sold out instantly, earning the record for most tickets sold by a solo J-Pop artist at their debut public performance. From TikTok covers to over 1 billion streams, here's the story of the 16-year-old phenomenon who moved an arena to tears.
Charlie Puth's 4th album 'Whatever's Clever!' features a first-ever collaboration with Japan's Utada Hikaru on a track called "Home." Revealed right after his Super Bowl national anthem performance, the US-Japan dream pairing has fans buzzing worldwide. Here's the story behind this historic collab and how people are reacting.
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.