The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has been keeping tabs on demographics since 1968, and this year’s survey shows that Japan’s population is decreasing while its foreign population is increasing. On January 1, 2025, there were 120,653,227 Japanese people living in Japan. Last year, …Read more »
Things keep shifting with President Trump’s tariffs, and yesterday afternoon the president put a 90-day pause on tariff hikes, but also raised China’s (which, as of this writing, is at 145%). For now, many countries have a baseline tariff of 10% during the pause. While …Read more »
Just in time for the official release of Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town on the Switch and Steam, we had a conversation with the game’s producer, Akira Nagashima. I recently wrote a preview of the first three days of the game and fell …Read more »
With a new album release and anime debut on the horizon, Japan’s leading virtual artist, KAF has been plenty busy lately. Debuting in 2018, KAF’s digital avatar is anime-inspired but her smooth vocals and emotional lyrics are real. Forging a path for virtual singers, the …Read more »
Anime fans around the World voted on their favorite anime songs and the results are in! Japanese media, Asahi TV surveyed 1,740 people residing outside of Japan to rank their top anisongs. The top 20 were presented by Asahi TV’s General Election team on X. …Read more »
Just in time for the April 19th United States premiere of SPY x FAMILY CODE: White, the series’ first feature film, the famous Japanese conveyor belt sushi chain, Kura Sushi USA, is offering exclusive Bikkura Pon prizes of anime’s favorite faux family! Kura Sushi is …Read more »
Get over here, friends! Japan will finally be lifting its restrictions on tourist travel starting October 11, said Prime Minister Fumio Kishida while visiting the UN in New York this week. Visitors from countries that were previously exempted from visas for travel, such as the …Read more »
Anyone who’s tried to travel to Japan since the COVID-19 pandemic hit knows it hasn’t been easy. Until very recently, tourism was a no-go, and even now, you have to buy into tour packages to get in. There’s also an entry cap of 50,000 people …Read more »
Every now and again, someone in Japan decides it’s a good idea to fetishize Nazi uniforms and make a fool of themselves. That’s the case with a new host club that recently opened in Osaka, which has hosts dressed up in Nazi-style uniforms emblazoned with …Read more »
It’s not that exciting, but it pays the bills. A recent survey of young Japanese people asked “what do you want to be when you grow up?” and the number one answer for most was “kaishain,” meaning “company employee” or “office worker.” Y’know, a good …Read more »
You may recall a story from last year about Kagawa prefecture—located in the south of Japan—implementing an ordinance that limits video game playtime for young folks to just 60 minutes a day during the week and 90 minutes a day on weekends and holidays. A …Read more »
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba continues to be a smash hit in Japan, where the theatrical film made huge amounts of money this past weekend. All well and good, but a certain sector of the population is suffering at the hands of Demon Slayer’s popularity. …Read more »
With the new Inuyasha spinoff on the way this October, fans are feeling nostalgic for the Rumiko Takahashi classic. Now a pop-up cafe celebrating the series is set for the major Japanese cities of Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. Like most of these anime-themed pop-up cafes, …Read more »
Theme parks are awesome, and they just keep getting awesomer. Besides the thrill rides, you can also take part in immersive experiences based on your favorite shows and movies — especially if you’re into Disney properties. But if you’re an anime fan, you’ll have to …Read more »
After the way 2020’s gone, we’re about ready for our convenience store robot overlords. Japanese store chains Lawson and FamilyMart have announced that they will be introducing simple robots to some locations. At present, the robots will simply be available for demonstration, but there are …Read more »
Danica Davidson
Brianna Fox-Priest
Matt Schley
Joseph Luster
Kara Dennison
