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February 13, 2026
 

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CULTURE

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A French pediatric transplant coordinator (Vicky Krieps, left, with Ojiro Nakamura) working at a Japanese hospital grapples with cultural differences and heartbreak in Naomi Kawase¡¯s ¡°Yakushima¡¯s Illusion.¡±
CULTURE / Film
¡®Yakushima¡¯s Illusion¡¯: Medical reality with a mystic twist
Naomi Kawase¡¯s spiritual musings aren¡¯t as compelling as her depiction of lives hanging in the balance at a hospital transplant ward.
CULTURE / Film
¡®Sai: Disaster¡¯: Evil has no clear shape or meaning
Directed by Yutaro Seki and Kentaro Hirase, the chilling thriller centered on a shapeshifting killer is more interested in mood than motive.
CULTURE / Film
¡®Michiyuki ¡ª Voices of Time¡¯ preserves a disappearing world in black and white
With the texture of a lost era, Hiromichi Nakao¡¯s bittersweet film resembles a docudrama about what happens to the physical world as memories and people fade.
"Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe" doubles down on the complex universe of the ¡°Gundam¡± franchise.
CULTURE / Film
Feb 5, 2026
¡®Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway¡¯ follow-up is a treat for fans who know their lore
By Matt Schley
Packed with politics, callbacks and deep-cut franchise history, the latest ¡°Gundam¡± film trusts its audience to keep up.
A young man living on the edge of society is taken in by his newfound aunt in the supernatural coming-of-age tale ¡°The Keeper of the Camphor Tree.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Jan 30, 2026
¡®The Keeper of the Camphor Tree¡¯: Healing takes root one wish at a time
By Matt Schley
In Tomohiko Ito¡¯s visually dynamic coming-of-age tale, sometimes the greatest wish isn¡¯t for success or escape but for somewhere to belong.
The Toho group earned ?160.5 billion at the box office in 2025, accounting for more than half of the overall box-office revenues in the country.
CULTURE / Film
Jan 29, 2026
Japan box-office revenues mark record high in 2025
The number of movie theater goers increased 30.7% to 188,756,000, the second highest on record.
A couple (from left: Ayaka Onishi and Katsuya Maiguma) see their dream of starting a family derailed when he is diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson¡¯s disease and given only six months to live in "Euthanasia Special Zone."
CULTURE / Film
Jan 29, 2026
¡®Euthanasia Special Zone¡¯: Near-future drama confronts human cost of assisted dying
By Mark Schilling
Based on a novel by physician and writer Kazuhiro Nagao, the film is a straightforward social drama, though its division between right and wrong is not clear-cut.
¡°Black Ox¡± is based on ¡°Ten Oxherding Pictures,¡± a Zen Buddhist series of illustrations and verses that represent the process toward enlightenment.
CULTURE / Film
Jan 23, 2026
Tetsuichiro Tsuta's 'Black Ox' rewards patience with daring cinema
By James Hadfield
For director Tetsuichiro Tsuta, the Zen parable turned luminous mood piece is the story of a man who has ¡°lost his connection with nature.¡±
In ¡°Black Ox,¡± the spiritual awakening of a lowly villager (Lee Kang-sheng) doesn¡¯t come from sermons but from mud, labor and an unruly animal.
CULTURE / Film
Jan 22, 2026
¡®Black Ox¡¯: A Zen riddle beautifully depicted in 10 chapters
By Mark Schilling
Shot in black and white, Tetsuichiro Tsuta¡¯s hypnotic mood piece turns Buddhist philosophy into striking cinema.
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
By James Hadfield
Koji Fukada¡¯s drama gets the details right about idol culture, but softens its moral punch.

Germany considers joining GCAP fighter project with Japan, U.K. and Italy
A concept model of the Global Air Combat Program fighter jet on display at the Defense and Security Equipment International Japan conference in Chiba last May
Struggling Nissan forecasts $4.2 billion full-year net loss
Nissan intends to reduce the number of its vehicle production plants from 17 to 10 by March 2028, and is targeting 20,000 job cuts worldwide by that date.
Why Asia can¡¯t undo decades of falling fertility rates
Singapore¡¯s stalled birthrate reflects a broader pattern across wealthy Asian economies where higher living standards, shifting values and gender imbalances have made low fertility persistent and resistant to quick policy fixes.
Why we¡¯ll never see a yokozuna in the Super Bowl
Wrestlers from Onoe stable with Fujitsu Frontiers cornerback Al-Rilwan Adeyemi (front) at the Rice Bowl at Tokyo Dome on Jan. 3, 2017
Yen strengthens decisively after strong showing by LDP boosts confidence
The yen has strengthened decisively since the Liberal Democratic Party gained a supermajority in the Lower House.
Japanese skier hits back at trolls and brings attention to online abuse at Olympics
Freestyle skier Kokone Kondo skis during a training session in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 4.
Inside Yokohama¡¯s ¡®quit your job¡¯ bar, where drinks and advice are free
At the new Tenshoku Sodan Bar, owner Shota Umemoto (right) and recruiting staff from Yokohama-based LIA Group serve up cocktails and career advice in equal measure.
Landslide election victory lets Takaichi confront China on her terms
The resounding victory by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party in Sunday's general election has sent a strong signal that Takaichi is likely to be around for some time, giving her the bandwidth to adhere to her strategy of putting the onus on Chinese President Xi Jinping to reengage with Japan.
Is Takaichi on course for a long-term reign?
Sanae Takaichi, prime minister and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, at the party¡¯s headquarters in Tokyo on Sunday
Against the grain: Japanese wine aged in local barrels
At Buryu Winery, owner Keiji Yamaguchi (left) and assistant winemaker Kaede Narita created a cedar-infused red wine by fermenting it in a 1,000 liter "kioke" cedar tub.

Podcast

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

Longform

Experts say emotional bonds with AI are often shaped by prior experiences ¡ª or disappointments ¡ª in human relationships.
Love, engineered in the age of AI
By Elizabeth Beattie

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