Sony AI's autonomous robot Ace beat elite table tennis players and made the cover of Nature. From its Gran Turismo Sophy roots to the fast-ball wall that stumped DeepMind and a 20.2-millisecond reaction loop, here's how Sony's robot reached elite-competitive level in a real, physical sport.
Japan-born global group XG will throw the first pitch at Dodger Stadium on May 31. We break down the newly announced seven North American dates of the XG WORLD TOUR: THE CORE, from venues and tickets to the TikTok-and-Billboard fanbase that made an arena tour possible.
Kenshi Yonezu has written 'Karasu' (Crow) as NHK's 2026 World Cup soccer theme. Combined with Ado's 'Kira' (adidas Japan uniform song), ORANGE RANGE's DAZN anthem, and JI BLUE's 'Keshiki' (JFA official theme), Japan's top J-pop artists are forming an unprecedented multi-platform soundtrack for FIFA World Cup 2026.
While the world watches Inoue vs Nakatani and Daigo vs MenaRD, Japan's Golden Week 2026 packs 8 more events into the same eight days—including a single Saturday (May 2) where Tokyo Dome, Ryogoku Kokugikan, and Tokyo Big Sight all run major events at once. From EVO Japan to centuries-old folk festivals, here's what else is happening.
ONE PIECE characters suit up in NBA team jerseys for a landmark crossover. From Luffy in Lakers purple to Enel defending for the Thunder, here's everything you need to know about the collab T-shirts, towels, stickers, posters, and figures, plus how overseas fans might get their hands on them.
Japanese esports powerhouse REJECT has signed an MOU with RTS Management, operator of the world's largest fighting game tournament EVO. The partnership targets event co-creation, player development, and content collaboration. Plus: CAG OSAKA's SFL withdrawal, EVO Japan 2026, and more.
JESU's 'Japan Esports White Paper 2025' reveals the domestic market reached an estimated $105M in 2024, projected to surpass $130M by 2026. With back-to-back Japanese winners at Capcom Cup and a fighting game-centric ecosystem, Japan's esports scene charts its own course.
Mongolian-born Tamawashi tied the all-time makuuchi appearance record at 1,470 on March 10, 2026, took it outright the next day, and pushed it to 1,497. Then a 2-13 in May dropped him to juryo for the first time in 13 years, ending his 1,152 consecutive top-division streak. His 1,793 streak from debut is still alive.
The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics deploys over 810 cameras to broadcast the Games, with FPV drones chasing alpine skiers at 100mph. At the heart of this revolution? Japanese technology from Sony, Canon, and Panasonic. From cinema-grade cameras to AI-powered replays and ultra-low-latency transmission, here's how Japan's imaging expertise is redefining how the world watches winter sports.
Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto and Tatsuya Imai all crossed the Pacific for the 2026 MLB season. Japan's most passionate and fickle online baseball community, "NanJ," made bold pre-season predictions for all three. Here they are, side by side with the actual numbers as of July 2026.
The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics has introduced FPV drone cameras for the first time in Olympic history. These 100mph first-person-view drones deliver breathtaking footage that makes viewers feel like they're racing alongside athletes, but the high-pitched buzzing has drawn comparisons to the 2010 World Cup vuvuzelas. Here's how Japan and the world are reacting to this broadcasting revolution.