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August 04, 2026
 

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The Rabbit Hole is helping redefine Okayama as a contemporary-art destination.
CULTURE / Art
Aug 4, 2026
Before the art islands, a reason to stop in Okayama
By Erik Augustin Palm
The Rabbit Hole and Fukuoka Shoyu Gallery make Okayama a contemporary-art destination before visitors reach the Seto Inland Sea.
Etc.books was named for those who appear as ¡°etc.¡± or footnotes in society.
CULTURE / Books
Aug 2, 2026
Etc.books: A lone bookstore in Tokyo pushes against sexism
By Kim Kahan
Etc.books helped redefine feminist publishing in Japan. Now its greatest challenge is staying open.
Stephanie Zaharis, who plays Misa in ¡°Death Note: The Musical,¡± performs at a media event in London to promote the show.
CULTURE / Stage
Aug 1, 2026
¡®Death Note¡¯ musical eyes a London breakthrough
By Alicia Haddick
Producers hope the hit adaptation opens the door for more Japanese original musicals overseas.
Sosuke Ikematsu (center) stars in Yuya Ishii¡¯s ¡°The Secret Battlefield,¡± a historical drama about the Japanese research institute that correctly predicted the country¡¯s defeat in the Pacific War.
CULTURE / Film
Aug 1, 2026
¡®The Secret Battlefield¡¯: An inside view of the machinery of war
By James Hadfield
Yuya Ishii¡¯s historical drama about the Japanese think tank that failed to avert the Pacific War can¡¯t shake its made-for-TV origins, but it¡¯s a valuable cautionary tale.
¡°Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Mermaid Island¡± is shaping up to be one of the summer¡¯s biggest hits while surprising some viewers with its dark thematic undercurrents.
CULTURE / Film
Jul 31, 2026
¡®Chiikawa¡¯ was always darker than it looked
By Patrick St. Michel
Cute characters, folk horror and lingering trauma: ¡°Chiikawa¡± makes an unexpectedly haunting leap to the big screen.
Newcomer Risa Sierra plays Elena Takahashi, a high school transfer student who gets targeted by a monster with a bandaged head, in ¡°The Invisible Half.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Jul 31, 2026
¡®The Invisible Half¡¯: Stylish J-horror anchored in a standout performance
By Mark Schilling
Masaki Nishiyama¡¯s debut feature is a polished, provocative take on horror tropes, with a riveting performance by newcomer Risa Sierra.
Suzu Hirose received the Cut Above Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film from New York¡¯s Japan Society this month.
CULTURE / Film
Jul 30, 2026
Suzu Hirose is ready to ¡®step into the unknown¡¯
By Blake Simons
The 28-year-old actor looks back on her formative experiences with some of the most acclaimed contemporary Japanese directors.
Keigo Higashino's meticulously constructed mysteries and memorable characters earned him readers across languages and cultures.
CULTURE / Books
Jul 30, 2026
Keigo Higashino¡¯s ¡®global afterlife¡¯
By Mike Fu
As tributes pour in for the prolific author who died at age 68 last week, his English translators reflect on his legacy and impact abroad.
Music fans gathered at Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture for the 2026 Fuji Rock Festival, held from July 24 to 26.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 29, 2026
This year, Fuji Rock rediscovered its nerve
By Erik Augustin Palm
From cult favorites to future stars, Fuji Rock rewarded listeners willing to wander beyond the biggest names.
A display featuring Keigo Higashino¡¯s work, with a range of his titles translated into multiple languages, at Books Kinokuniya Tokyo in the capital¡¯s Shinjuku Ward on Tuesday
CULTURE / Books
Jul 28, 2026
Japanese author Keigo Higashino, known for intricate mystery novels, dies at 68
By Elizabeth Beattie
Higashino, a prolific writer lauded for his creativity, died of cancer, his official X account said.
Kei Suzuki¡¯s feature-length debut is about Makoto Natsume, a high school boy who gets embroiled in both a time-travel plot and summer romance.
CULTURE / Film
Jul 26, 2026
Time-travel anime ¡®You, Fireworks, and Our Promise¡¯ is serviceable but lacks spark
By Matt Schley
Kei Suzuki¡¯s feature-length debut, adapted from a popular light novel, is a competent but ultimately uninspired take on an all-too-familiar premise.
Hayao Miyazaki lists books as direct sources for a number of his films including his latest, ¡°The Boy and the Heron.¡±
CULTURE / Books
Jul 25, 2026
How Hayao Miyazaki¡¯s love of books influenced Studio Ghibli¡¯s stories
By Kris Kosaka
Hayao Miyazaki lists books as direct sources for a number of his films including his latest, ¡°The Boy and the Heron.¡±
Beast of Reincarnation shows Game Freak has more to learn
Releasing on Aug. 4, Beast of Reincarnation is set in a far-future version of Japan ruined by a mysterious apocalypse.
Japan to announce Tokyo and Washington took joint action on yen
A notepad in front of U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent reads "To Do Buy Japanese Yen $5-10 bil" as he participates in a Cabinet meeting at Camp David, Maryland, on Friday.
Princess Aiko observes traditional rites at Mie¡¯s Grand Shrines of Ise
Princess Aiko observes a traditional rite for the reconstruction of the Grand Shrines of Ise in Mie Prefecture on Saturday
¡®Hey Siri, call 119¡¯: How three kids proved a smartphone can be a lifeline
Kobe Kita Police Station honors local heroes Yuito Kuroishi (left), Ruito Nagai (center) and Sakutaro Akutagawa during an award ceremony on July 24.
Bessent and the Fed help Japan reverse months of yen losses
The U.S. Treasury intervened to support the yen through outright purchases, joining ?Japan in its efforts ?to boost ?the currency from near 40-year ?lows.
A pressing question on the front lines in Kumamoto: Who cares for the caregivers?
Tomoko Sato, the chief of emergency medicine at Saiseikai Kumamoto Hospital, brought her two children to the hospital so she could continue treating patients following the Kumamoto earthquake.
This children¡¯s cafeteria in Shikoku serves up free meals and global perspectives
Volunteer Vicky Parthasarathy (right) believes that people from various cultures can understand each other better through food.
For Japan¡¯s aging homeless population, brutal summers are dangerously inescapable
A homeless person near Shinjuku Station in Tokyo. Authorities have warned the public to avoid unnecessary outings and advised people to stay in air-conditioned spaces, but for people who are homeless this is often not an option.
¡®Hey Siri, call 119¡¯: How three kids proved a smartphone can be a lifeline
Kobe Kita Police Station honors local heroes Yuito Kuroishi (left), Ruito Nagai (center) and Sakutaro Akutagawa during an award ceremony on July 24.
At Nonna Nietta, Italian magic in suburban Tsukuba
Chef Kenji Kawamura honed his craft in Italy for six years before returning to his hometown in Ibaraki Prefecture to open Nonna Nietta.

Podcast

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

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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