On July 25, 2026, Toei Animation announced a new Galaxy Express 999 theatrical anime, with Rintaro (director of the 1979 film) drafting the story. Toei named no title, no release date and no director. Here is what the announcement actually says, and where fans outside Japan can watch the 1979 original in the meantime.
Rubbing a sore spot really does help. Kyushu University researchers have identified the touch neurons behind it in mice, a subpopulation called Npy2r-Cre that dampens pain signals in the spinal cord. The PNAS study puts specific cells behind the 1965 gate control theory.
Five classic Japanese picture books, including one written by Empress Emerita Michiko, have been translated into Ukrainian and donated to schools and libraries. Behind the project is Shikosha, a small Japanese publisher founded by a war widow in 1948.
Steps from Nikko's World Heritage shrines stands a vending machine selling antique kimono jackets for a flat 1,000 yen, with the catch that you never know which one you'll get. Here's the story behind Japan's kimono gacha and the small theater that created it.
Pepperoni pizza and parmesan are loaded with umami. Everyone tastes it, yet a Japanese chemist named it in 1908. The story of Kikunae Ikeda, the century the West shrugged, and the receptor that finally proved him right.
Kobe Beef and Miyazaki are on menus worldwide, yet Mishima and Iga beef never leave Japan. As wagyu exports hit record highs, here is why some brands cross the ocean and others stay home, from breeds and slaughterhouses to the stalled China resumption.
A Chiba startup has rebuilt yokan into an energy bar now test-selling in Japan and Australia. Here is why this centuries-old confection is one of the smartest survival foods ever made.
Corn and mayonnaise on pizza, bread and salad is everyday food in Japan but baffles the world. A look at Hokkaido's corn history and what makes Japanese mayo so different.
Printer and sewing-machine maker Brother opened BROTHER JOYFACTORY TOKYO in Kyobashi on June 30, 2026. Become a samurai, record a song, or do calligraphy, then walk out with a printed T-shirt or record. Prices, access, booking and what this maker-led tourism experiment means.
X JAPAN has released never-before-seen 1989 Hibiya footage of Kurenai and X. Here's why fans treasure this exact show — from the famous +YOUR VOICE live single to the original TAIJI-era lineup.
JAL, JALUX and ispace have unveiled ARGO PROJECT, the first lunar transport service run by an airline. A box called Möbius Ark will carry cultural items to the Moon on ispace's Mission 3 in 2028. Here is why a 75-year-old airline is moving into space logistics.
While matcha sells out worldwide, the kyusu, the side-handled teapot once found in every Japanese home, is quietly disappearing. What a kyusu is, where its odd shape came from, why it fell out of use, and why you should try a cup brewed in one when you visit Japan.
Japanese izakaya group Watami has acquired a 51% stake in Onigilly, a San Francisco onigiri chain, a bet on America's rice-ball boom. But the buyer is also a company long known in Japan as a symbol of 'black company' overwork culture. We unpack the deal, why onigiri became a healthy, photogenic US lunch, and who Watami really is.
A baby red-shanked douc langur named Mee, from a species called the world's most beautiful monkey, has gone on display at Yokohama Zoorasia. We look at what this critically endangered birth means, and at Japan's habit of naming zoo animals by public vote and following each individual's life story.
Takara Tomy's Licca-chan is back in the US after 40-plus years. We unpack why it lost to Barbie as LISA in 1980, why the rival is now Labubu's kidult collectible market, and whether the anime-led comeback can work.
Warabi mochi is a Japanese sweet famous for its jiggly, melt-in-your-mouth texture. We dig into its surprising origin (it is not made from rice), its thousand-year history, the rise of matcha warabi mochi, and why it keeps going viral on TikTok.
At a major Japanese pet expo, a homegrown technology called Livnight grows a sparkling gem from a dog's ashes. It costs far less than an ash-diamond, actually out-sparkles one, and never leaves Japan. A clear look at why Livnight, plus the country's pet farewell culture.
GAIA RESORT ACURA, a new rental villa in Zao, Miyagi, preserves the workshop and stained-glass art of the late Honda engineer Akira Ishizuya, who worked on the CVCC engine. A stay built around Japan's craftsmanship for car and motorsport fans.
A new private tour called NINJA ORIGINS lets travelers train as real ninja in Iga and Koka, the birthplace of ninjutsu. From 200,000 yen (about $1,260) per person per night, guests sleep in restored historic buildings and join shrine rituals and a museum infiltration mission, as part of a model that funnels tourism revenue back into heritage conservation.
NHK opens its drama vault to Netflix worldwide on June 22, 2026, with 19 titles rolling out through NHK’s 2026 fiscal year, ending March 2027. The first wave includes Taiga epic Strategist KANBE, instant-noodle origin story Mampuku, and Rakugo-themed Descending Stories. Here is why this Japan-only treasure trove is finally going global, and what is conspicuously missing.