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August 11, 2026
 

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J POP

Kaze Fujii, seen here performing in Kuala Lumpur in 2024 during his Asia Tour, is one of the domestic acts set to perform at this year's Fuji Rock Festival.
CULTURE / Music
Feb 20, 2026
Kaze Fujii, Massive Attack among Fuji Rock Festival 2026 performers announced
Among the 66 acts unveiled, are also Khruangbin, The xx, Asian Kung-Fu Generation and more.
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.
Summer Sonic¡¯s 2025 lineup demonstrated its strength, showcasing the latest in J-pop, including ¡°new kawaii¡± act Fruits Zipper.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 22, 2025
Alicia Keys closed Summer Sonic, but J-pop owned it
Summer Sonic 2025 showcased Â鶹´«Ã½ pop power: Mrs. Green Apple, Hikaru Utada and rising stars outshone the festival¡¯s headliners.
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.
Metal-meets-idol trio Babymetal is sure to bring spectacle to this weekend's Summer Sonic.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 13, 2025
The early bird gets the bangers at this year¡¯s Summer Sonic
This year¡¯s festival makes its biggest moves before noon, with Â鶹´«Ã½ top acts and K-pop stars commanding early slots.
A musical genius (Takeru Satoh, second from right) recruits an unknown rookie drummer to play with Â鶹´«Ã½ hottest band in ¡°Glass Heart.¡±
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Aug 7, 2025
¡®Glass Heart¡¯: A flashy rock fairytale scrubbed of grit
Netflix¡¯s drama series about a musical genius forming Â鶹´«Ã½ hottest new band is glossy, shallow and strangely sanitized.
Radwimps lead singer Yojiro Noda threw himself into the rock band¡¯s Green Stage performance ahead of headliner Vampire Weekend.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 4, 2025
Fuji Rock¡¯s weekend of surprises was one of its best yet
Thousands braved crowds and slow-moving lines, but unexpected guest appearances by Mariya Takeuchi and Atarashii Gakko! made this year¡¯s event one of the all-time greats.
In recent years, Fuji Rock has had fewer blockbuster performers and showcased more top-selling Japanese acts and international musicians' first-time performances in Japan.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 24, 2025
Behind the scenes: Inside Fuji Rock¡¯s strategy for staying on top
With younger fans, more diverse acts and rising global interest, Fuji Rock ¡ª one of Asia¡¯s biggest music festivals ¡ª is seeing its strongest turnout in years.
Fuji Rock Festival turns the green slopes of Niigata Prefecture¡¯s Naeba Ski Resort into a summer escape that offers soundtracks for every mood.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 22, 2025
JT picks: What not to miss at Fuji Rock 2025
Ready for Fuji Rock? Here are The Japan Times crew¡¯s recommendations for must-see artists at next weekend¡¯s three-day music festival.
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.
¡°Fani Mani¡± marks Kom_I¡¯s return to music, after leaving the genre-bending J-pop outfit Suiyoubi no Campanella in 2021.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 4, 2025
¡®Try first, figure it out later¡¯: Kom_I and Foodman¡¯s beautiful mess
Part philosophy and part performance, the musicians¡¯ ¡°Fani Mani¡± is all party.
Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Mei Semones incorporates Japanese lyrics into her music, which blends jazz and indie rock with bossa nova, math rock and a dash of early-1990s grunge, among other genres.
CULTURE / Music
Jun 26, 2025
Mei Semones is the rookie to remember at Fuji Rock
The singer-songwriter delivers her bilingual lyrics and artful blend of jazz and indie pop with quiet confidence.
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.
Okinawan rapper Awich ruled the summer music festival circuit last year. Which act will prove to be the most memorable in 2025?
CULTURE / Music
Jun 23, 2025
Stage dive into summer: Â鶹´«Ã½ best music festivals, month by month
The weather will be hot, but the concert calendar is looking even hotter.
Shion Tsurubo, a member of boy band JO1, allegedly engaged in illegal gambling on an online casino website.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 16, 2025
Boy band member referred to prosecutors over illegal gambling
Shion Tsurubo, a member of JO1, allegedly engaged in illegal gambling on an online casino website.
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.
Rock band Mrs. Green Apple performed an emotional rendition of hit song ¡°Darling¡± on the final night of the Music Awards Japan.
CULTURE / Music
May 29, 2025
Songs, stars and strategy: Japan debuts its newest awards ceremony
From viral hits to legacy tributes, Â鶹´«Ã½ ¡®answer to the Grammys¡¯ delivers a celebration of J-pop¡¯s past and present at its inaugural event in Kyoto.
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.
Apple Music personalities (from left) Ebro Darden, Kentaro Ochiai, Zane Lowe and Mino came together for a special recording in late April to discuss music and celebrate the newly opened Apple Music studio in Tokyo.
CULTURE / Music
May 8, 2025
With a new Shibuya studio, Apple Music bets big on Japan
Streaming numbers are up, world tours are growing, and now, Tokyo has a new studio aimed at amplifying Â鶹´«Ã½ voice.
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.
¡®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.
¡®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.
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.

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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