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July 12, 2026
 

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CULTURE

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Entertainment news
Japanese dancers win ballet prizes in Moscow
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Japanese dancers win ballet prizes in Moscow
Ryoma Hudzeleu won gold in the senior men’s solo category at the International Ballet Competition. Sakura Nagai received the bronze medal in the girls’ solo category.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are married, as pair hosts New York celebration
“JUST&T MARRIED,” flashed on giant screens on the exterior of the Manhattan sports arena.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Singer and actor Kazuya Kamenashi to marry Minami Tanaka
The pair added that Tanaka is pregnant with their first child.
Mei Hanada, a former member of the idol group AKB48, posted a video to X in response to her recent termination by the management.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jun 26, 2026
Buzzcut backlash: AKB48 member’s termination stirs online furor
By Patrick St. Michel
Mei Hanada’s response video to her termination from idol group AKB48 echoes a scandal involving a different member of the pop outfit from 2013.
Yuhan, 24, Ejae and Mark Sonnenblick pose with the best song written for visual media award for "Golden" from “KPop Demon Hunters” during the 68th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 1.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jun 17, 2026
Grammys to add best Asian pop music performance category in 2027
By Patrick St. Michel
The new Grammy category gives J-pop, K-pop and C-pop acts greater opportunities for international recognition.
Seen here in an archival shot, Osamu Tezuka's influence on Japanese anime has been monumental.
CULTURE / Entertainment news / CULTURE SMASH
Jun 17, 2026
As his centennial nears, Osamu Tezuka gets a global reintroduction
By Roland Kelts
Japan reveres Osamu Tezuka. As his centennial approaches, a slew of events hope to show why the rest of the world should, too.
J-pop group Arashi ended its long career with a final nationwide tour and the last concert took place in Tokyo on May 31.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jun 5, 2026
J-pop group Arashi takes its final bow at Tokyo Dome
By Alyssa I. Smith
For millions of fans, the final concert was more than the end of one of Japan’s most beloved boy bands — it was the closing of a chapter that began in childhood.
Yo Kitamura won the fifth prize in the cello division of the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels on Sunday.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
May 31, 2026
Japanese cellist Kitamura wins fifth prize in Brussels contest
Kitamura, 22, played Russian composer Sergey Prokofiev’s Symphony-Concerto and other works with the Belgian National Orchestra.
"Nagi Notes" director Koji Fukada attends a press conference at the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
May 15, 2026
At Cannes, director Koji Fukada says AI undermines the creative process
By Hanna Rantala
Speaking at Cannes, the “Nagi Notes” director warned that AI-generated art may come at the expense of human expression and discovery.
The Venice Biennale dates back to 1895, when the first International Art Exhibition was organized.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
May 1, 2026
Jury of Italy’s Venice Biennale resigns en masse
By Ella IDE
Following the resignations, the Biennale said it has decided that the award ceremony, previously scheduled for May 9, will take place on Nov. 22.

China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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