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August 11, 2026
 

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CULTURE

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The bittersweet nostalgia of the first season of ¡®Vivant¡¯
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle
The bittersweet nostalgia of the first season of ¡®Vivant¡¯
Taking place in a version of Japan that espouses tolerance and acceptance, the espionage drama¡¯s first season feels increasingly at odds with today¡¯s reality.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
How ¡®The Solitary Gourmet¡¯ became one of Â鶹´«Ã½ most enduring TV hits
The understated TV series has won devoted fans by celebrating Â鶹´«Ã½ neighborhood eateries and the quiet pleasures of dining alone.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
The beating heart inside ¡®Human Vapor¡¯
Director Shinzo Katayama and actor Shun Oguri discuss the cross-cultural collaboration behind Netflix¡¯s ¡°Human Vapor.¡±
The actor known as Uta stars as the eponymous antagonist in Netflix¡¯s ¡°Human Vapor¡± limited series, adapted from a classic 1960 sci-fi film.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jul 3, 2026
¡®Human Vapor¡¯ brings blockbuster energy to the small screen
By James Hadfield
Striking visuals and solid performances make the Netflix limited-series adaptation of a classic 1960 sci-fi movie well worth a watch.
Shota Sometani (left) and Masaki Okada play brothers on a quest for vengeance in the TBS detective drama ¡°Tagusari Bros.¡±
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jun 20, 2026
¡®Tagusari Bros.¡¯ searches for the meaning of justice
By Gabriella Geisinger
Themes of vengeance and closure are nothing new in the world of crime dramas, but few tackle them with the emotional nuance of TBS¡¯ ¡°Tagusari Bros.¡±
Detective Aki Suzumiya (Anne Watanabe) teams up with Finnish counterpart Jon Laine (Jasper Paakkonen) in a gritty drama that spans geography and time.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
May 23, 2026
Nordic noir meets Japanese occult in ¡®Blood and Sweat¡¯
By Gabriella Geisinger
The Finnish-Japanese coproduction evolves from a classic detective drama into a fun, pulpy thriller, blending Â鶹´«Ã½ folklore with sharp plotting.
Netflix limited series ¡°Soul Mate¡± stars Hayato Isomura (right) and Ok Taec-yeon as two men whose friendship unfolds from a chance encounter in Berlin.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
May 21, 2026
¡®Soul Mate¡¯ reaches for pathos but remains hollow
By Mike Fu
With a globe-spanning story and plenty of melodrama, Netflix¡¯s queer-themed limited series ultimately falters under the weight of its own ambiguity.
Season Two of ¡°Monarch: Legacy of Monsters¡± raises the stakes with bigger creature battles and expanding Monsterverse lore.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
May 7, 2026
¡®Monarch: Legacy of Monsters¡¯ loses its human touch in sprawling second season
By Gabriella Geisinger
The Apple TV series lets bloated and unwieldy storytelling overwhelm the sharp character work that once set it apart.
Erika Toda brings force but limited nuance to her portrayal of Kazuko Hosoki in "Straight to Hell."
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Apr 28, 2026
¡®Straight to Hell¡¯ gets stuck in purgatory
By James Hadfield
Lies and lurid twists stack up in Netflix¡¯s take on fortune teller Kazuko Hosoki, but when it reaches her empire and influence, the story feels rushed and insight runs thin.
Fans gather at a Netflix-sponsored World Baseball Classic event at Tokyo Skytree on March 6.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Mar 26, 2026
The WBC was a hit in Japan. Watching it wasn¡¯t.
By Gabriella Geisinger
Netflix¡¯s WBC streaming push included ¡°Hometown Hero¡± viewings, but many fans in Japan still lacked easy access to games.

America¡¯s cyberforces grapple with cluster of deaths by suicide
The U.S. Cyber Command building (center) stands on the National Security Agency campus at Fort Meade, Maryland.
Many Indonesians named after Japanese anime characters
Some people in Indonesia are named Doraemon, the name of a lead character of the blockbuster anime series with the same title.
Yasukuni Shrine introduces ban on military attire and cosplay
People gather in front of thousands of lanterns on display at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on July 15 during the Mitama Matsuri, one of the capital's largest summer o-Bon festivals.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
Â鶹´«Ã½ brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music
At Smoke Craft, a craft beer brewery in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, music isn't just a background to the brewing process ¡ª it's an ingredient.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
J. League enters new era as league kicks off first fall-spring campaign
Players from each J. League club pose during a kickoff event on Monday ahead of the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
Speaking Japanese at the movies with ¡®Chiikawa¡¯
A "Chiikawa The Movie" poster is seen at Toho Cinemas in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo.
How Â鶹´«Ã½ racehorses find second careers away from the track
TCC Therapy Park is supported financially by racing organizations as well as donations from members of the public.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Disaster relief workers Taichi Kato (left) and Seiji Yoshimura enter the collapsed living quarters at Kyuganji temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.
What Kumamoto revealed about Â鶹´«Ã½ earthquake readiness
By Alex K.T. Martin

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