'Yu-Gi-Oh!' creator Kazuki Takahashi found dead

Jul 08, 2022 | News On Japan

Jul 08, 2022 (npr.org) - Kazuki Takahashi, creator of the popular Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, was found dead on Wednesday, according to Japan public broadcaster NHK and other media sources. He was 60 years old.

Takahashi's body was reportedly found floating off the coast of Nago in Okinawa, wearing snorkeling gear.

Takahashi, a comic book artist, started his career in the 80s. But his big success came in 1996, when he first published the Yu-Gi-Oh! in the popular comic magazine Weekly Shonen Jump. The series focused on a spiky haired precocious boy named Yugi who, after solving an ancient puzzle, gets possessed by an ancient spirit that helps Yugi challenge various bullies and bad guys to mystic games.

The comic ran for 8 years and became a worldwide sensation, inspiring a trading card game that's sold billions of cards, a popular anime series that ran in the U.S. for 6 years, and various other spin-off series, movies, and video games.

Source: 日テレNEWS

Typhoon No. 25 Threatens Kanto and Izu Islands

Large Typhoon No. 25 was moving northwest over waters south of Japan at 3 p.m. on September 19 and is forecast to strengthen as it approaches Kanto and the Izu Islands from September 20 through September 21, bringing the risk of torrential rain, violent winds and further damage in areas still recovering from last year's typhoon.

Bear Sighting Raises Alarm at Popular Tokyo Hiking Spot

A black bear has been spotted near one of the most popular hiking trails on Mount Takao in western Tokyo, prompting authorities to urge visitors to take precautions ahead of the five-day Silver Week holiday and the approaching autumn foliage season.

Starbucks Considers Selling Majority Stake in Japan Business

Starbucks is considering selling a majority stake in its Japanese business, potentially valued at as much as $3 billion, or about 470 billion yen, as the U.S. coffee chain seeks to concentrate management resources on its struggling North American operations.

Halloween Jumbo Lottery Goes on Sale With 400 Million Yen Top Prize

Japan's Halloween Jumbo Lottery went on sale nationwide on September 16, offering a combined top payout of 400 million yen for the first prize and its adjacent-number prizes.

Shinkansen Introduces New Luxury Private Compartment

A new top-tier "Supreme Class" offering fully private compartments above the level of Green Car service will debut on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen on October 1, with passengers able to experience the new seating at a demonstration booth at Shin-Osaka Station.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Entertainment NEWS

AI Enka Singer to Debut With Neo Kobushi

Japan's oldest record company is turning to artificial intelligence to reshape one of the country's most traditional musical genres, unveiling an AI-generated enka singer as part of a new label combining the technology with the distinctive vocal style of Japanese ballads.

Former Blue Comets Guitarist Tsunaki Mihara Dies at 80

Tsunaki Mihara, a guitarist who rose to fame in the 1960s with the Group Sounds band Jackey Yoshikawa and His Blue Comets and remained active in music for decades, died of kidney cancer at a Tokyo hospital at 9:02 a.m. on September 11. He was 80.

How to Top Up Pokémon GO Coins Across Different Devices Without Confusion

Switching from an iPhone to an Android device, or playing on both at different times, turns something as simple as buying PokéCoins into a surprisingly confusing errand.

The Grand 2026 Shūzansai Festival!

In this video, we cover the performances taking place this month at the Kabuki-za theatre in Tokyo!

Why Japanese Pop Culture Thrives on Social Media

Japanese pop culture has had fans around the world for decades, but social media has completely changed the way people discover it.

Koreeda's 'Look Back' Wins 12-Minute Venice Ovation

Hirokazu Koreeda's "Look Back" received more than 12 minutes of applause following its official screening at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in Italy.

Shinya Tsukamoto Film Draws Eight-Minute Standing Ovation in Venice

Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto's film Nelson, Did You Kill Anyone?, which is competing for the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival in Italy, received a standing ovation lasting about eight minutes following its official screening on September 4.

Two Ways to Portray a Warrior: Acting Traditions in Kumagai Jin'ya

In this video, we cover the main acting traditions or kata for the scene Kumagai Jin'ya ("Kumagai's Battle Camp") in the history drama Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki ("Chronicle of the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani").

< 2 3 4 5 >