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August 13, 2026
 

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IDOLS

Social media, streaming platforms and online communities have become major drivers of how Japanese slang spreads among young people.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 27, 2026
J-pop idols are behind much of Â鶹´«Ã½ Gen Z slang
Â鶹´«Ã½ newest slang isn¡¯t new at all ¡ª it¡¯s a remix fueled by TikTok, fandoms and boy bands.
Products at the Oshikatsu Expo in Tokyo
BUSINESS
Jul 3, 2026
Inside Â鶹´«Ã½ $25 billion consumer market built on fan devotion
From collecting Hello Kitty goods to manga figurines, what was once considered a niche hobby has evolved into a fan-merchandising economy estimated to be worth ?4.1 trillion.
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
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.
Staff and older adults of an adult daycare facility in Tokyo's Katsushika Ward enjoy a livestream of singer Ryo Nakada, known for his repertoire of 550 golden oldies of the Showa Era (1926-1989), on April 8.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 10, 2026
Oshikatsu activities to support favorite idols spread to older generations
Experts say such activities help older people find purpose in life, adding that the popularity is likely to grow even more with the spread of livestreaming.
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
For millions of fans, the final concert was more than the end of one of Â鶹´«Ã½ most beloved boy bands ¡ª it was the closing of a chapter that began in childhood.
J-pop boy band Arashi has launched its final tour, prompting businesses across Japan to make unusual adjustments to meet surging demand near concert venues.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 2026
J-pop legends Arashi¡¯s final tour drives intense demand for hotels and transport
Businesses are making unusual adjustments to accommodate the band¡¯s overwhelming popularity and the impact of fans¡¯ demand near venues across the country.
In Koji Fukada¡¯s ¡°Love on Trial,¡± a pop idol (Kyoko Saito) is sued by her management agency for violating the no-dating clause in her contract.
CULTURE / Film
Jan 22, 2026
¡®Love on Trial¡¯: When romance becomes a legal risk
Koji Fukada¡¯s drama gets the details right about idol culture, but softens its moral punch.
A car carrying Naoya Yamaguchi, the suspect in a recent stabbing incident, leaves a police station in Fukuoka on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 19, 2025
Suspect says he targeted idol group members in Fukuoka stabbings
Two people ¡ª the staff member and a woman ¡ª were wounded in the incident near the dome in Fukuoka¡¯s Chuo Ward.
This year's "Kohaku Uta Gassen" will be broadcast on NHK from 7:20 p.m. on Dec. 31.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Nov 14, 2025
Chanmina and aespa among 10 acts to debut on NHK¡¯s ¡®Kohaku Uta Gassen¡¯
The New Year¡¯s Eve music spectacle on NHK will feature first-time acts such as idol group Fruits Zipper and long-awaited returns from bands like Okinawa¡¯s Orange Range.
Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department headquarters
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 6, 2025
Member of boy band Ae! Group arrested on public indecency charge
Keita Richard Kusama is suspected of exposing his lower body around the entrance of a building in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
In 2019, the Japan Fair Trade Commission issued a warning to what was then Johnny & Associates for allegedly pressuring broadcasters to not offer work to three former members of now-disbanded boy band SMAP after they left the agency to pursue independent careers.
JAPAN
Oct 1, 2025
Â鶹´«Ã½ antitrust watchdog issues new rules urging agencies to treat talent fairly
The Japan Fair Trade Commission¡¯s new guidelines come after a survey last year found that some agencies were mistreating their performers.
Sakurazaka46, the idol pop outfit formerly known as Keyakizaka46, wrapped up an an 11-night nationwide tour this month.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 29, 2025
Sakurazaka46 wants the world to dance along
The 33-member idol group takes its spectacle-heavy performances on the road ¡ª and abroad.
J-pop idol Kenshin Kamimura leaves the West Kowloon Law Courts on bail in Hong Kong on Wednesday, after he was found guilty of indecent assault of a woman who worked as his interpreter at a restaurant in Mong Kok district in March this year.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 14, 2025
Japanese star convicted of indecent assault in Hong Kong
Kenshin Kamimura, a former member of the boy band ONE N¡¯ ONLY, harassed a woman who worked as his interpreter at a restaurant earlier this year.
Wakana, a Japanese fan of Thai BL, visits a temple in Thon Buri, Bangkok featured in the Thai adaptation of the Japanese series ¡°Cherry Magic.¡± Her media consumption kindled an interest in Thai culture and language, and ultimately led her to relocate to Thailand. ¡°I fell in love with the whole country,¡± she says.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Jul 28, 2025
Boys¡¯ love dramas from Thailand make waves in Japan
Thailand has become a top producer of BL (boys¡¯ love) dramas ¡ª and audiences in Japan are among the most ardent consumers.
Misa Kimura is the main producer for Kawaii Lab, a project by entertainment agency Asobisystem whose groups have found success by pairing a social media-first strategy with a fresh perspective on traditional idol-pop tropes.
CULTURE
Jul 17, 2025
Kawaii Lab redefines idol pop for the TikTok generation
The idol-pop project¡¯s main producer, Misa Kimura ¡ª a former idol herself ¡ª is giving her performers more control over their image and sound.
Businesses who cater to fandoms gathered at Tokyo Lifestyle Week for the second annual Oshikatsu ¡ª Merch Collection Expo, a trade show devoted to fandom goods.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Jul 12, 2025
Music idol and anime fandom merch is big business
Over 100 booths showed off the latest in acrylic stands, binoculars and cheering items such as glow sticks and flags at the second Oshikatsu ¡ª Merch Expo.
A clip of fans getting rowdy to see J-pop outfit Fruits Zipper prompted criticism about the idol fandom¡¯s dark side.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Jun 26, 2025
Why are idol fans throwing hands at the racetrack?
A recent Fruits Zipper fan frenzy stirred online criticism, raising questions about the line between passion and obsession in J-pop idol culture.
The year so far is only proving that Mrs. Green Apple is the biggest band in Japan. Their success also seems to be hinting at a change in the musical landscape more broadly.
CULTURE / Music
Jun 5, 2025
Six months into 2025, J-pop is having a full-on identity crisis (and a great time)
Halfway through 2025, J-pop is in flux ¡ª swinging between AI absurdity, idol nostalgia and viral sugar highs.
Director Koji Fukada and actor Kyoko Saito pose during a photocall for Fukada's new film, "Love on Trial," in Cannes, France.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
May 25, 2025
At Cannes, Fukada spotlights J-pop¡¯s ban on idol romance
Director Koji Fukada¡¯s new film, ¡°Love on Trial,¡± explores Â鶹´«Ã½ idol industry and the contracts that ban young women from dating.
Arashi is known for massive hit songs such as ¡°A?RA?SHI,¡± ¡°Love So Sweet¡± and ¡°Happiness.¡±
CULTURE / Entertainment news
May 7, 2025
J-pop group Arashi to disband after going on tour next spring
Current fan club members will be given priority to purchase tickets for the last concert tour.
Gut bacteria may be behind many of Â鶹´«Ã½ colorectal cancer cases
A Japanese research team found that a toxin produced by certain E. coli strains, colibactin, caused genetic mutations in nearly half of colorectal cancer cases studied
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
She is Russia¡¯s richest woman. Her business empire is going up in flames.
Tatyana Kim, the head and co-founder of Wildberries, speaks about Ukrainian drone attacks on the company's warehouses in the course of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, at an unidentified location, in this still image from a handout video released on July 31.
Severe tropical storm Chan-hom makes landfall near Tokyo
Severe Tropical Storm Chan-hom made landfall around Ibaraki Prefecture, near Tokyo, on Tuesday night.
What Â鶹´«Ã½ language rules for permanent residency should look like
Potential health care workers hoping to find work in Japan take Japanese language instruction in Jakarta. Not all applicants for permanent residency should be expected to reach this level of proficiency.
Where do foreign residents in Japan want to die?
The Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery is one of the few cemeteries in Japan that allows burials, albeit with conditions for the deceased, including foreign nationality and permanent residency in Kanagawa Prefecture.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
As Â鶹´«Ã½ concrete jungles sizzle, urban forestry offers an all-natural fix
People and birds find relief from the sun in Tokyo's Nakano Ward earlier this month. While experts agree that urban greening is crucial to mitigating the impact of climate change, trees are becoming even more scarce in Japanese cities.
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.

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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