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June 07, 2026
 

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CULTURE

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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
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 91²Ö¿â most beloved boy bands ¡ª it was the closing of a chapter that began in childhood.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
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.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
At Cannes, director Koji Fukada says AI undermines the creative process
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.
Director Hirokazu Kore-eda's ¡°Sheep in the Box" is up for a Palme d¡¯Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Films by Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Koji Fukada are also in the running for the festival's top prize.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Apr 14, 2026
Three Japanese directors vie for top prize at Cannes, a first since 2001
By Alyssa I. Smith
Hirokazu Kore-eda, Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Koji Fukada bring a strong Japanese presence to the Cannes Film Festival's competition section this year.
Awich performs with fellow rappers Ai, Nene and MaRi at last year's Music Awards Japan in Kyoto. This year's edition will take place in Tokyo.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Mar 27, 2026
Music Awards Japan sets June return in Tokyo
By Alyssa I. Smith
A week of events will precede the June 13 ceremony, which has expanded entries and categories for year two.
BTS performs in Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on Saturday.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Mar 22, 2026
K-pop supergroup BTS shuts down central Seoul for comeback concert
The hourlong outdoor concert in Gwanghwamun Square was the official comeback for the group.
Director Paul Thomas Anderson (fourth from right), producer Sara Murphy and cast members celebrate after winning the Oscar for best picture for "One Battle after Another" during the Oscars show at the 98th Academy Awards in Hollywood.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Mar 16, 2026
Paul Thomas Anderson finally wins Oscars as ¡¯One Battle After Another¡¯ takes best picture
By Paula Ramon
After 11 nominations and decades of acclaim, Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film wins six awards, including best picture and best director.
Hairstylist and makeup artist Kyoko Toyokawa (center) and other creative staff members of the film ¡°Kokuho¡± face reporters in Los Angeles on Saturday.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Mar 16, 2026
¡®Kokuho¡¯ misses out on Oscar for makeup and hairstyling
The kabuki-focused film¡¯s hair and makeup artists were the first Japanese nationals from a Japanese movie to be nominated in the category.
An Oscar statue stands at the bottom of the staircase leading into Dolby theater the night prior to the 98th Academy Awards in Los Angeles.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Mar 16, 2026
It¡¯s ¡¯Sinners¡¯ vs. ¡¯One Battle¡¯ as Oscars day arrives
By Paula Ramon
Experts say the only "sure thing" at this year's awards will be a best actress win for "Hamnet" star Jessie Buckley.

A bleak prognosis for Japan¡¯s demographic future
Japan¡¯s population decline continues to accelerate despite some modest positive signs, highlighting the need for broader social, economic and cultural changes to raise the birth rate.
How Japan created its naphtha supply bottleneck
Japan received 93% of its oil via the Strait of Hormuz prior to the Feb. 28 start of the Iran war.
Japan likely sold Treasurys to fund yen intervention
Vice Finance Minister for International Affairs Atsushi Mimura speaks to reporters in Tokyo on May 1 following reports of Japan's possible intervention in the currency market.
Is an honorable U.S. surrender to Iran inevitable?
An F/A-18E Super Hornet launches from the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on Feb. 15, shortly before the start of hostilities on Feb. 28.
J-pop group Arashi takes its final bow at Tokyo Dome
J-pop group Arashi ended its long career with a final nationwide tour and the last concert took place in Tokyo on May 31.
How Japan created its naphtha supply bottleneck
Japan received 93% of its oil via the Strait of Hormuz prior to the Feb. 28 start of the Iran war.
¡®Fujiko¡¯ transforms a mother¡¯s resilience into festival gold
¡°Fujiko¡± stars Yuki Katayama (left) as a scrappy single mother who fights for her autonomy in 1970s and ¡¯80s Japan.
Japan should prepare for an intense typhoon season this year, experts say
Elevated water levels are seen along the Tama River in Kawasaki's Tama Ward as Tropical Storm Jangmi brought heavy rain and strong winds to the Kanto region Wednesday.
The LDP wants another coalition partner. Will it happen?
Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People (DPP), delivers a question during a House of Representatives plenary session on May 25. Making the DPP a coalition member would make it easier for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (above left) to drive forward her legislative agenda.
Japan¡¯s Cannes moment signals a new global push
Tao Okamoto (left) and Virginie Efira (right) shared the Cannes Film Festival¡¯s best actress honor for their roles in Ryusuke Hamaguchi¡¯s ¡°All of a Sudden,¡± a coproduction between Japan, France, Belgium and Germany.

Podcast

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

Longform

Community programs and tracking systems are expanding across Japan as local governments search for ways to prevent dementia-related disappearances.
He told his wife he was ¡®coming home.¡¯ Then he disappeared.
By Alex K.T. Martin

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