Discover the Owari Tsushima Wisteria Festival at Tennogawa Park in Aichi Prefecture. Walk beneath a 275-meter canopy of cascading purple blooms across 12 varieties of wisteria. Just 25 minutes from Nagoya by train, this post-cherry blossom spring destination features stunning water reflections and magical nighttime illuminations. Plus: the cultural significance of wisteria in Demon Slayer and Japanese tradition.
Street Fighter 6's Alex DLC revealed his marriage to Patricia, sparking massive backlash from Western fans who see it as an incestuous relationship. The controversy stems largely from translating Japanese 'sodate no oya' (a person who raised you) as 'adoptive father,' making Patricia his legal sister in English. Meanwhile, Japanese fans largely celebrate the union. We break down the cultural gap behind the divide.
16-time Grammy winner Bruno Mars has signed a global music publishing partnership with Avex Music Group. After selling out seven consecutive Tokyo Dome shows and breaking streaming records in Japan, Mars will move his publishing administration to the Tokyo- and LA-based company once his BMG/Warner Chappell deal expires. With 'The Romantic' debuting at No. 1 on Billboard 200 and 2.1 million Romantic Tour tickets sold in a single day, here's the full story.
At GDC 2026, Sucker Punch Productions revealed a unique development ritual behind Ghost of Yotei: a weekly 'Cut Ceremony' where every scrapped idea was met with applause from the entire team. Learn how this roughly 160-person studio used positive reinforcement to stay lean while building one of 2025's biggest open-world games.
To celebrate the PC launch of DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH, director Hideo Kojima and Dollman voice actor Tomokazu Sugita sat down for their first-ever joint interview. From their 18-year partnership to the 2,000 lines recorded over 27 days, discover the behind-the-scenes story of Dollman and what 'just be Sugita' really means — plus PC-exclusive features and the new 'to the wilder' mode.
At the Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards 2025, FromSoftware's Switch 2 exclusive 'The Duskbloods' won Most Anticipated Title of 2026, beating GTA VI and Fire Emblem. Directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, this 8-player PvPvE action game reflects Japan's deep trust in the studio and Nintendo's bold exclusive strategy.
Ado debuted her new song 'Ai Ai A' on YouTube's THE FIRST TAKE on March 16, 2026, with a simultaneous surprise digital release. Written by renowned Vocaloid producer Kikuo, the chaotic carnival-like track features backup vocals from Phantom Siita, the idol group Ado herself produces. With a world tour of 500,000+ fans and a sold-out stadium show ahead, Ado continues her global dominance.
The Sony MSF-1, the earliest known development unit for the SNES CD-ROM add-on once called 'PlayStation,' has been acquired by the National Videogame Museum in Texas. As the only known surviving unit, this historic artifact sheds new light on the Nintendo-Sony partnership that reshaped gaming history.
BABYMETAL's historic sold-out show at LA's Intuit Dome — the first solo performance by a Japanese artist at the venue — is coming to Blu-ray and DVD on June 17, 2026. Featuring 15 tracks including surprise guest Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox and a spectacular center-stage production. Pre-order details and THE ONE exclusive edition info included.
Japanese fans are dissecting hidden symbolism in Frieren Season 2's OP and ED sequences. Flower petals in Mrs. GREEN APPLE's 'lulu.' opening represent layered memories, while the blue flame in milet's 'The Story of Us' ending symbolizes Himmel's undying feelings. We report on the fan analysis debate, the controversy over the OP artist choice, and the stunning hand-drawn colored pencil ED animation.
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Episode 10 features Takaba's full debut in his iconic 'Center Man' costume, complete with intentional animation 'collapse' and perfectly timed comedic silences. We break down his reality-warping cursed technique 'Comedian' and the classic Japanese comedy references international fans need to know.
Saint Seiya: Tenkai-hen (The Heavens Arc) launches May 14, 2026, in Weekly Shonen Champion. Creator Masami Kurumada's full-color short 'THEN III: Ketsui' bridges the gap to this official sequel following both the original manga and Next Dimension. After 40 years, the saga finally confronts the gods of Olympus.
Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami has founded Unbound Games, a fully independent studio developing an original AAA title for PC, PS5, and Xbox using Unreal Engine 5. With around 50 staff from major franchises like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Hi-Fi Rush, the studio's debut project is one of the most anticipated reveals in gaming. Here's everything we know about Mikami's bold new chapter.
A pop-up convenience store in Tokyo where everything is free — if you can grab it without making a sound. The third edition of TOH, created by rapper TaiTan and partnered with Red Bull, fills a store with BMX bikes, skateboards, frozen ramen, and apparel. You have 60 seconds. One noise and you're out. Here's what happened at Japan's craziest experiential event.
STARGLOW — RUI, TAIKI, KANON, GOICHI, and ADAM — has debuted as BMSG's third boy group following BE:FIRST and MAZZEL. Born from SKY-HI's audition project THE LAST PIECE, their pre-debut single hit #7 on Billboard Japan Hot 100. With NME naming them one of 2026's Essential Emerging Artists and a 17-city tour ahead, STARGLOW is poised for global impact.
Kim Mijon, the former HYBE casting director who helped discover BTS and TXT, has launched VIBY — an all-Japanese boys group trained in Korea's K-pop system. Their pre-debut with a Crystal Kay cover marks a new model for global artist development.
Hi-STANDARD's iconic punk rock festival AIR JAM returns on November 7, 2026 at ZOZO Marine Stadium after an 8-year hiatus. Announced in Sendai on the 15th anniversary of the 2011 earthquake, the festival marks the band's triumphant comeback after losing drummer Tsuneoka Akira — with new member ZAX carrying the torch forward.
In 2026, Japanese anime films are increasingly publishing full staff credits on their official websites. Major titles like Gundam: Hathaway and Gintama are leading this movement, earning praise from both industry professionals and fans. Why the web? Here's what's driving this new trend and how people are reacting.
Before selling out 33 cities worldwide and drawing over 500,000 fans, Ado was a nervous 17-year-old stepping into a recording studio for the first time. Her debut-era cover of EGO-WRAPPIN's jazz classic 'Kuchibashi ni Cherry' has just been released on YouTube — and it reveals the extraordinary talent that was already there before the world knew her name.
SANTOS BRAVOS, HYBE's first Latin boy group, discussed their KAWASAKI remix with Japan-based &TEAM. Explore HYBE's multi-home strategy connecting K-pop, J-pop, and Latin pop across Korea, Japan, the US, and Latin America.
