At its first global showcase, Amazon Prime Video announced worldwide exclusives on three Japanese anime titles: a 40th-anniversary Fist of the North Star reboot, a new Ghost in the Shell TV series, and a fantasy sequel. What the deals say about Japanese IP in the streaming era.
In May 2026, "Zipangu," the largest Japanese-only music festival ever held on U.S. soil, brought 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.
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.
Netflix's live-action ONE PIECE Season 2 drops its official trailer. Creator Eiichiro Oda promises to "destroy expectations," as the full Straw Hat crew makes their first-ever official visit to Japan. Season 2 premieres March 10, 2026 with fan events across 13 global cities.
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 fourth album *Whatever's Clever!* includes "Home," his first collaboration with Hikaru Utada. The pairing surfaced in the tracklist he posted right after singing the Super Bowl LX anthem; the single arrived on March 9, 2026 and the album on March 27. Two artists rooted in R&B take on the idea of where you belong.
Toho has acquired UK anime distributor Anime Limited and formed a strategic alliance with Germany's Plaion Pictures, establishing its European headquarters in London. With Europe's anime market projected to reach $9 billion by 2030, discover how Japan's biggest entertainment company plans to bring Godzilla, Jujutsu Kaisen, and more to audiences across the continent — and what this means for anime fans worldwide.
Learners of Japanese abroad have grown 31.5-fold, from 127,167 when the Japan Foundation's survey began in fiscal 1974 to 4,000,750 today across 143 countries and territories. Manga and anime drive much of it: Demon Slayer's Infinity Castle chapter closed at 117.9 billion yen worldwide, the top gross for any Japanese film. Meanwhile about half of Japan's Japanese teachers are volunteers.
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.
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.
Snow Man's Ren Meguro has joined the cast of FX's Emmy-winning drama Shōgun Season 2 as Kazutada, a new character. After winning his role through audition, the J-pop star embarks on year-long filming in Vancouver, Canada. We explore what this means for Japanese actors in Hollywood and the global impact of Shōgun.
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."
JETRO hosted its first-ever pop culture-focused event "Super Japan in Cairo" in Egypt's capital, bringing 16 Japanese companies including Bandai Namco and Yamaha to showcase anime, matcha, and stationery to 3,000 young Egyptian fans. With a population exceeding 108 million and a median age of 24, Egypt is emerging as a major untapped market for Japanese content in Africa.
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.
After 55 years as Japan's beloved Sunday evening tradition, "Sazae-san" finally makes its overseas debut in Taiwan in January 2026. Discover the strategy behind the Guinness World Record-holding anime's first international broadcast, which characters experts predict will go viral overseas, and what this means for Japanese anime's global expansion.