Yoshitaka Amano, the legendary illustrator behind Final Fantasy's iconic art, has donated fusuma (sliding door) paintings to Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Shrine. From April 25 to May 10, 2026, visitors can see these never-before-shown works themed around 'Light and Darkness.' Admission about $6.30. A rare opportunity for fans and art lovers alike.
Tokyo-based Minyo Crusaders' third album 'From Japan with Love' arrives June 26, and remarkably, North American release comes via the legendary Blue Note Records. Featuring guest vocalists Chitose Hajime, Saya Asakura, and Colombia's Frente Cumbiero, the album reimagines Japanese folk songs through cumbia, Afrobeat, and salsa. Here's why the world is finally discovering Japan's roots music.
The 8.5-million-copy biblio-mystery series Biblia Koshodou no Jiken Techou finally gets a TV anime for 2027, produced by CloverWorks with director Mamoru Kanbe (Elfen Lied). Nearly a decade after an anime film was announced but never materialized, fans' long wait is over. Teaser PV and main cast revealed.
On April 22, 2026, the world's first global matcha industry body launched in Tokyo. Led by 28-year-old tea master Ryo Iwamoto, the International Matcha Association (IMA) brings together the CEO of the Specialty Coffee Association, UC Davis tea scholars, and Future Food Institute to tackle counterfeiting and the absence of international standards in a $4.4 billion global market.
Ainoshima, a tiny island off Fukuoka, is home to roughly 200 cats that outnumber its 270 human residents. Named one of CNN's top 6 cat spots worldwide, this heart-shaped island is going viral again on TikTok and Instagram in spring 2026. Discover the fishing village coexistence, TNR efforts, and how to visit.
Kunio Okawara, the legendary mechanical designer who created Gundam's Mobile Suits, will design Seibu Railway's new tourist limited express debuting in 2028. Running from Shinjuku to Kawagoe, aka 'Little Edo', the train pairs Japanese anime heritage with access to Edo-period streetscapes and the scenic Chichibu region.
Studio Ghibli's first-ever original short made specifically for Ghibli Park, A Night in the Valley of Witches, premieres July 8, 2026 at Cinema Orion in Aichi. Complete guide for international fans: director backgrounds, ticket strategy, and overseas screening prospects.
Otafuku Holdings subsidiary Nakagawa has completed a new tenkasu (tempura crumb) factory in Omura, Nagasaki, boosting output from 4,200 to 6,300 tons annually, a 1.5x jump aimed at Europe and beyond. A deep dive into what tenkasu is, how it powers okonomiyaki and udon culture, the rise of tempura crumbs in sushi rolls overseas, and how it compares to Britain's beloved chip-shop 'scraps'.
"Your broth is jet-black like motor oil!" "Yours is so pale you can see the bottom!" Japan's centuries-long East vs West udon war explained, soy sauce science, water chemistry, and a taste boundary discovered at Sekigahara.
SNK and PLAION REPLAI have surprise-announced the NEOGEO AES+, a modern revival of the legendary 1990 home arcade console. Launching November 12, 2026 at 249.99 USD, the system uses ASIC chips rather than emulation and offers full backward compatibility with original NEOGEO AES cartridges. Ten classic titles launch alongside it, including Metal Slug, KOF 2002, and Garou: Mark of the Wolves.
Japan welcomed a record 42.68 million visitors in 2025 with tourism spending hitting 9.5 trillion yen. Yet many ultra-wealthy foreigners bypass Japan's celebrated ryokan and pick global brands like Aman, Bulgari, and Marriott. Here's why the gap between Japanese hospitality and global luxury standards matters — and why the rest of us travel differently.
Tokyo District Court sentenced a website operator to 18 months suspended prison plus 1 million yen fine for posting spoiler articles about Godzilla Minus One. We examine the landmark ruling that text alone can constitute film adaptation, Japan's key copyright precedents including the Esashi Oiwake case and Fast Movie lawsuits, and Japan's overall stance on creator protection.
In April 2026, a rusting steam locomotive on the tiny Pacific island of Nauru is heading to Japan for restoration. The plan began when Nauru's tourism office tweeted 'Can anyone identify this steam engine?' and Japanese rail preservation groups recognized it as a German-built Orenstein & Koppel locomotive from the phosphate-mining era. Now Japan's legendary SL restoration craftsmen will bring it back to life, with plans to eventually run it as a tourism train in Nauru itself.
Two people have been injured on the 'grand staircase' at Tokyo's Takanawa Gateway City, which opened in March 2026. The station building next door, designed by world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma, is part of a broader pattern where Kuma's wood-heavy creations rot, mold, and crack within years. Behind the problem: Japan's domestic timber policy, elite university networks, and a philosophy that treats buildings as photographic objects.
Chuya Koyama's Space Brothers manga concludes June 11, 2026 in Morning issue 28 after 18 years and 432 chapters. We break down the 2-week cover treatment, 35 million copies sold, Crunchyroll anime streaming, and how fans worldwide are saying goodbye.
JR Central reveals 'Doctor S', the successor to the beloved Doctor Yellow inspection train. Based on the N700S Shinkansen, it will start service in October 2026 and take over track-testing duties from January 2027. Here's why Japan runs dedicated inspection trains and how you might still spot the new yellow logo.
A brilliant YouTube analysis explores why Katsuhiro Otomo — the genius who split manga history into 'before Otomo' and 'after Otomo' — hasn't drawn manga for over 30 years since finishing AKIRA. Three reasons: collaborative creation, pushing beyond limits, and fleeing an industrialized industry.
Gifu Prefecture's first Shiba Inu police dog, 2-year-old Tsubu, passed a rigorous scent test to join the K-9 force alongside German Shepherds. Explore her story, the rise of small-breed police dogs in Japan, Japanese dog breeds, and where to meet Shibas. What unconventional working dogs exist in your country?
A 1,740m zipline across Japan's Kanmon Strait stalled for 2 years over funding, but Shimonoseki has restarted with a new feasibility study. The mayor declared he won't give up on this $9.4M project to fly riders at 110 km/h over samurai battlegrounds.
JR East, Japan's largest railway group, opened onigiri shop TOKYO ONIGIRI in London's Leicester Square in December 2025. Behind this unusual move, a railway company entering overseas food retail, lies the government's GOHAN Project strategy to boost Japanese rice exports. From Onigiri Summit 2026 to convenience store packaging innovations, we explore how the humble rice ball could become Japan's next global food hit after sushi and ramen.