Tag - anime

 
Menu
Search
 
July 12, 2026
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

ANIME

The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 9, 2026
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
Kabuki, one of Japan’s oldest performing art forms, and Studio Ghibli seek modern resonance in an everchanging landscape for arts.
A Pikachu balloon on display at Noto Airport, nicknamed “Noto Satoyama Pokemon with You Airport,” in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2026
Noto Peninsula airport struck by earthquake gets Pokemon-themed rebrand
Over 100 Pokemon characters are painted on walls and other parts of the airport, and limited-edition merchandise and meals are available at shops and restaurants.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has arrested a 15-year-old boy for allegedly creating a malicious program and canceling subscription accounts on the Bandai Channel.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 6, 2026
Japanese teen arrested for booting users off streaming service
The teen identified a vulnerability in the Bandai Channel system and used an artificial intelligence chatbot to create a malicious program to cancel the accounts.
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 6, 2026
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Hard-working Japanese businesses and creators are banding together to drive what is now one of Japan’s most valuable assets.
Products at the Oshikatsu Expo in Tokyo
BUSINESS
Jul 3, 2026
Inside Japan’s $25 billion consumer market built on fan devotion
From collecting Hello Kitty goods to manga figurines, what was once considered a niche hobby has evolved into a fan-merchandising economy estimated to be worth ¥4.1 trillion.
Visitors at a park in Budapest watch a traditional Japanese fencing demonstration by a classical samurai sword school during Japanese Cultural Program Day in July 2021.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 22, 2026
Is Cool Japan really the secret to soft-power success?
The part of Europe where Japanese culture is growing fastest is also where Japan has invested least.
Tanjiro Kamado is a likeable protagonist in the stage show, even though he sometimes takes a backseat to the stories of other characters in this installment.
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 19, 2026
‘Demon Slayer’ musical is for fans who’ve done the homework
The record-breaking anime “Demon Slayer” has been reimagined as a musical and its sixth installment premiered June 13.
Seen here in an archival shot, Osamu Tezuka's influence on Japanese anime has been monumental.
CULTURE / Entertainment news / CULTURE SMASH
Jun 17, 2026
As his centennial nears, Osamu Tezuka gets a global reintroduction
Japan reveres Osamu Tezuka. As his centennial approaches, a slew of events hope to show why the rest of the world should, too.
A Studio Ghibli store in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture. Studio Ghibli will open a pop-up store in Los Angeles later this month, bringing a wide selection of merchandise to the U.S. for the first time.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 17, 2026
Studio Ghibli to open its first U.S. pop-up store in Los Angeles
Called “Donguri Republic in Los Angeles,” the store will be opened for six months from June. 23 to Dec. 31.
Japan’s global soft power through anime and video games has grown in recent years in part because it largely remains more attuned to fans than investors.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 17, 2026
Don’t let Wall Street crush Japan’s soft power
Gamers fear that big money, foreign or otherwise, is going to ruin what might be one of the least-touched bastions of nerd entertainment.
U.S. President Donald Trump posted an apparently AI-generated video on his digital platform Truth Social last Saturday that included a short segment depicting himself dressed as the protagonist from the popular anime franchise "Naruto.”
JAPAN
Jun 13, 2026
Japan pushes back on Trump’s anime posts
President Donald Trump’s use of Japanese anime-style imagery on his social media account has not gone over well in Japan.
Trials are being held to see whether anime could be used as a method of therapy, particularly for people who would otherwise struggle to ask for help.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 11, 2026
‘Filter of fantasy’: Psychiatrist trials anime therapy for depression
Francesco Panto’s team gave participants online counseling delivered by a psychologist who appeared on the screen as an anime avatar with a digitally altered voice.
A video posted by U.S. President Donald Trump on his social media account shows him portraying himself as the protagonist of the Japanese anime series “Naruto.”
JAPAN
Jun 9, 2026
Trump faces backlash over Naruto-style hero video
The president has repeatedly used Japanese anime and other cultural references for political purposes.
A child looks at a selection of comics by Osamu Tezuka at Tokyo International Anime Fair 2007 in Tokyo in March 2007.
JAPAN
Jun 7, 2026
Unpublished anime documents created by Osamu Tezuka found
Tezuka laid the foundation for Japan’s anime industry by producing numerous popular anime series. He continued to work energetically until the end of his life.
Yoko Takahashi performs the theme song to “Neon Genesis Evangelion” at the 10th annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards, which drew an international crowd of entertainers from around the world.
CULTURE / Film
Jun 4, 2026
10th Anime Awards spotlight industry’s international reach
Celebrity guests from Canada, India and other countries attended Crunchyroll’s annual awards ceremony, a testament to anime’s growing cultural footprint around the world.
Riyo, a former hitman portrayed by actress Sena, particularly stood out in her performance.
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 2, 2026
New anime adapted for stage expands what 2.5D theater can be
“Gachiakuta,” a new, award-winning anime adapted for the stage, dazzled with dynamic multilevel fight and dance choreography with cues from martial arts and breakdance.
"Kōsen" technical colleges are five-year institutions offering higher education to students who have graduated from junior high school, with the aim of nurturing practical and creative engineers.
JAPAN
May 24, 2026
Japan may add farming and anime courses to technical colleges
In response to many local governments aiming to establish new “kōsen” technical colleges, the ministry hopes to develop talent in a wide range of areas.
“Patlabor EZY” follows a new generation of officers in Special Vehicles Section 2 as they pilot patrol labors in near-future Japan.
CULTURE / Film
May 22, 2026
‘Patlabor EZY’ turns everyday mecha bureaucracy into a delight
The new “Patlabor” series proves giant robots and police officers don’t need world-ending stakes to be entertaining. Sometimes, office ennui is enough.
Visitors can explore a life-size version of Carl Fredricksen’s house in the “Mundo Pixar Experience” exhibition’s “Up” area.
CULTURE / Film
May 15, 2026
‘Mundo Pixar Experience’ feels like a homecoming in Tokyo
Packed crowds and long queues aside, the sprawling exhibition succeeds by transforming animated nostalgia into a tactile experience.
Itochu and other Japanese trading houses are making investments to solve the supply chain bottleneck for official toys, apparel and collectibles of anime and manga in overseas markets.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 15, 2026
Itochu invests in San Francisco venture to chase anime merchandise demand
Following Itochu’s investment, startup Octas will license Japanese characters and work with North American manufacturers and retailers to develop products.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

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

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Sompo looks beyond insurance to focus on well-being
Sompo looks beyond insurance to focus on well-being

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER