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April 13, 2026
 

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Entertainment news
Company Grande¡¯s inaugural performance, ¡°The Rite of Spring,¡± took place Feb. 7 at Saitama Arts Theater.
CULTURE / Stage
100 ways to belong: The radical inclusivity of Company Grande
Company Grande includes members from all ages, walks of life and abilities, showing the stage can also be an arena for amateurs, persons with disabilities and the elderly.
CULTURE / Stage
From clicks to claps: Online comics seek the stage
Ricchaado, a comic from a generation that builds its humor in cyberspace, is the latest to try a transition to classic stand-up on stage.
CULTURE / Stage
Kishida Prize crowns wordsmiths in the theater world
The 70th iteration of the annual Kunio Kishida Prize for Playwriting announces two winners.
Nakamura Takanosuke performs as an "onnagata," the term for male kabuki actors who portray women, in "The Wisteria Maiden."
CULTURE / Stage
Feb 24, 2026
After ¡®Kokuho¡¯: Nakamura Takanosuke to take kabuki¡¯s ¡®onnagata¡¯ tradition to Europe
By Kris Kosaka
Following renewed interest, a young actor offers overseas audiences a rare look behind the scenes.
Actor Izumi Aoyagi plays all the characters in ¡°Wisteria and the Three Women,¡± a play based on a story by Mieko Kawakami.
CULTURE / Stage
Feb 14, 2026
'Wisteria': Mieko Kawakami¡¯s story of female longing adapted for stage
By Grace En-yi Ting
Theater company Mum&Gypsy and author Kawakami are collaborating on a stage adaptation of her work for the fourth time.
Actor Tatsuya Fujiwara plays the protagonist Calcutec in "The End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland.¡±
CULTURE / Stage
Feb 7, 2026
Can Japanese theater travel? A Murakami adaptation tries.
By Alicia Haddick
"The End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland¡± adaptation is part of a rising wave of contemporary Japanese theater productions that tour internationally with original casts.
The TechNoh fusion performance at Suigian combines classic noh theater with a live DJ set and digital projections to retell centuries-old stories.
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 24, 2026
Late-night noh theater finds new groove in techno and jazz
By Zoria Petkoska
A Tokyo restaurant and bar formalizes its after-dark experiments with a new Friday-night series.
Cyber NamuNamu focuses on live performances that blend Buddhist chanting with electronic dance music and immersive visuals.
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 14, 2026
Cyber NamuNamu puts a techno spin on Buddhism
By Victoria Bennett
Cyber NamuNamu is injecting new life into Buddhism with its electronic performances accompanied by Buddhist priestesses reading sutras.
After working as a sitcom writer, Sheng Wang rose to prominence as a stand-up with his first hour-long Netflix special ¡°Sweet and Juicy¡± in 2022.
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 10, 2026
Sheng Wang is very good at noticing things
By Adam Davidson
The Taiwanese American comedian sits down with The Japan Times to discuss his style, themes and his upcoming show in Tokyo.
Gianmarco Soresi is known online for his crowd work, asking audiences to dish out family drama, and sharing his love of musical theater.
CULTURE / Stage
Dec 30, 2025
Comedian Gianmarco counts on naughty 'Dragon Ball' words to help him in Tokyo
By Zoria Petkoska
The New York-based Gianmarco Soresi is hyped to see how his style of crowd work plays with audiences in Asia on his first tour to this side of the world.

Japanese researchers look at 800-year-old books and trees for signs of extreme solar events
A drawing of Fujiwara no Teika, known as a courtier, <i>waka</i> poet and scholar of the late Heian and early Kamakura periods
Debt-laden Japan should review spending on gender equality, survey finds
A woman holds a handheld fan bearing the image of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi&#039;s wedding photo, during an election campaign event in Tokyo on Feb. 7.
Jehovah's Witnesses followers sue Japanese government
According to court records, the plaintiffs include the Japanese branch of Jehovah&#039;s Witnesses in Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Chinese payment apps raise questions in Japan
Alipay has been mentioned by legislators in discussions about the use of foreign payment apps in Japan.
At Ueno Station, ¡®Freedom¡¯ restored
¡°Freedom,¡± a mural in JR Ueno Station, created in 1951, has been repaired three times, most recently in 2025.
Where Tokyo goes to sweat and soak
As Tokyo&#039;s public bathhouses age, many are embracing more contemporary aesthetics to stay relevant for a younger class of customer.
At Ueno Station, ¡®Freedom¡¯ restored
¡°Freedom,¡± a mural in JR Ueno Station, created in 1951, has been repaired three times, most recently in 2025.
Inside Iizukatei, a 200-year-old home turned boutique hotel in Tochigi
Recognized as a tangible cultural property in 2003, the former residence of the Iizuka family is now a boutique hotel in Nakagawa, Tochigi Prefecture.
Tokyo¡¯s sake calendar is filled to the brim
The recently concluded Sake Park invited younger brewers to make sake more approachable for attendees in their 20s and 30s.
Japan¡¯s tighter immigration controls yielding results
An immigration control passport stamp issued in Japan. A surge in arrivals from overseas has coincided with a tightening of immigration controls under a government initiative aimed at reducing overstayers.

Podcast

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

Longform

Projects like the BuddhaBot aim to re-create dialogue once lost to time, raising questions about whether AI can extend the teachings of Buddha or merely simulate them.
Can AI replace a priest? Japan¡¯s temples and shrines are testing the limits.
By Alex K.T. Martin

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