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October 02, 2024
 

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CULTURE

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Masayoshi Fujita moved to a quiet mountain village in Hyogo Prefecture after 13 years of living in Berlin, the hub of uber cool. His homecoming inspired his latest album, “Migratory.”
CULTURE / Music
Masayoshi Fujita’s ‘Migratory’ is an ode to nature and nurture
The musician’s new environmental music album, created after his return to Japan after 13 years in Berlin, represents more than a physical homecoming.
CULTURE / Music
NewJeans’ ultimatum casts K-pop’s displays of labor in a new light
A YouTube live broadcast from the girl group raises age-old questions about labor practices in the Korean pop industry.
CULTURE / Music
NHK furthers global reach with Tiny Desk Concerts Japan
Musician Koshi Inaba delivered a rollicking set for the stripped-down music series that brings cherry-picked Japanese acts you likely wouldn’t see stateside to new ears.
Oasis band members Liam and Noel Gallagher are the subjects of a mural by artist Pic.One.Art in the Burnage area of Manchester, England.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Sep 14, 2024
A potential reunited Oasis gig in Japan should have promoters salivating
By Patrick St. Michel
The British rock act has a huge Japanese following, one that could provide a much-needed shot in the arm for the country's summer festivals.
J-pop superstar Hikaru Utada wore a resplendent rainbow dress while performing songs from their more recent albums “Hatsukoi” and “Bad Mode” during the second section of the Science Fiction tour.
CULTURE / Music
Sep 11, 2024
Hikaru Utada celebrates 25 years of hits with a sold-out finale
By Alyssa I. Smith
The J-pop superstar wrapped up their nostalgia-laden 18-show tour in front of 18,000 people at Yokohama’s K-Arena.
The Tokyo leg of Magical Mirai 2024, a gathering centered on a concert starring the aqua-haired Hatsune Miku and other avatars created by Sapporo-based company Crypton Future Media, kicked off on Aug. 30.
CULTURE / Music
Sep 9, 2024
Magical Mirai 2024 shows that the future is bright for Hatsune Miku
By Patrick St. Michel
Thousands of visitors helped kick off the Tokyo leg of the gathering, which offers an immersive dive into every part of the aqua-haired anime avatar's world.
Pasocom Music Club’s “Love Flutter” marks an important moment for Japan’s electronic community as project members Aoi Shibata (left) and Masato Nishiyama step into a role other artists once held for them — scene veterans who are inspiring the next generation.
CULTURE / Music
Sep 5, 2024
Pasocom Music Club returns to the pure pleasures of the dance floor
By Patrick St. Michel
For the Kansai-born duo, new album “Love Flutter” isn’t just an evolution of its sound — it’s the next step in pushing the boundaries of electronic music.
British hard rock outfit Bring Me the Horizon delivered a dramatic set that featured a surprise appearance from local metal-meets-idol group Babymetal.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 23, 2024
Summer Sonic: The heat doesn’t matter when the lineup works
By Patrick St. Michel
Where would you see a bill with Maneskin, Gen Hoshino, Christina Aguilera and Bring Me the Horizon in the prime slots? At a sold-out music festival, that’s where.
Produced by Toei Animation, “Girls Band Cry” follows five young women who form a band and navigate the Japanese rock landscape.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Aug 17, 2024
Prepare for a new wave of anime-born bands
By Patrick St. Michel
'Girls Band Cry' and its in-real-life band Togenashi Togeari offer the latest evolution of mixed-media music projects.
J-pop act Atarashii Gakko! is set to deliver a jubilant performance at Summer Sonic this weekend.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 14, 2024
Summer Sonic bets on a more local lineup
By Patrick St. Michel
The international music festival seeks to boost attendance figures with more domestic and Asian acts such as Atarashii Gakko!, Number_i and Creepy Nuts.

Pair of powerful storms to approach Japan this week
A satellite image taken early on Monday morning shows Typhoon Krathon over the northern waters of the Philippines and Tropical Storm Jebi over the waters around the Ogasawara Islands.
New Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba unveils Cabinet as LDP divide emerges
New Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (front center) and other Cabinet ministers pose for a commemorative photo after an appointment and certification ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Ishiba announces new leadership lineup ahead of general election
LDP policy chief Itsunori Onodera, Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama, Vice President Yoshihide Suga, Shunichi Suzuki, chairman of the general affairs council, and Shinjiro Koizumi, chairman of the election committee, at the party's headquarters on Monday
China’s silence on U.S. Tiktok ban speaks volumes
U.S. lawmakers and others speak at a news conference in Washington in March to voice their opposition to legislation cracking down on TikTok.
Food price hikes in Japan in October to be largest so far in 2024
Prices of nearly 3,000 food and beverage products will rise in October, due to the soaring costs of ingredients.
How far will Japanese players go in this year’s MLB playoffs?
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani on deck in the ninth inning against the Rockies in Denver on Sept. 28.
Shigeru Ishiba’s tenure as prime minister could be short-lived
Shigeru Ishiba (center) celebrates in Tokyo on Friday after he was elected president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. He defeated economic security minister Sanae Takaichi (second from left) in a runoff vote.
What’s a mother to do when your non-Japanese child is bullied in school?
Helping your child through their first experience with a school bully can be a difficult situation to navigate — doubly so if you're trying to do so as a non-Japanese resident in Japan.
Ishiba's foreign policy vision to face immediate tests as he takes helm
Shigeru Ishiba, newly elected leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, speaks at a news conference after winning the party's leadership election in Tokyo on Friday.
Researchers in Japan look to art to mold the scientific process
The “Fragment Shadow” exhibition by Shunichi Kasahara and Satoru Higa, in which people’s shadows were digitally re-created and manipulated.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Wozme, founded by dancer and choreographer Wakaba Kohei, is composed of Kana Kitty, Ami Ishii, Akane Watanabe and Natsuki. Its aim is to inject elegance and beauty, traits traditionally associated with femininity, into the sometimes grotesque art form of butoh dance.
Wozme, an all-women dance troupe, wants to move the needle in butoh
By Zoria Petkoska

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