TOKYO, Jan 04 (Kabuki In-Depth) - With the New Year comes to the kabuki world the season of the "early spring" performances, filled with auspicious and celebratory works and dances, and including four major shows in the capital (Kabuki-za, Shinbashi Enbujō, National Theatre and Asakusa Kōkaidō) and one Tamasaburō dance recital in Osaka. Happy New Year to everyone! 明けましておめでとう！
A fire broke out on the evening of April 25th on an electronic billboard attached to the Yodobashi Camera commercial complex in front of JR Osaka Station, prompting a large emergency response. No injuries were reported.
Organic fluorine compounds known as PFAS—suspected to be harmful to human health—have been detected at concentrations exceeding the national provisional target in rivers and groundwater at 242 sites across 22 prefectures, according to a government survey.
The Japanese government will begin issuing blue tickets for bicycle traffic violations in April 2026, with fines including 5,000 yen for ignoring stop signs and up to 12,000 yen for riding while using a smartphone.
A 26-year-old woman was arrested in the early hours of April 24th in Kasuya Town, Fukuoka Prefecture, on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. While admitting to the offense, she claimed, "I ate chocolate that contained alcohol."
A man found wandering naked in Saitama Prefecture has been arrested after a string of violent incidents, including a fatal hit-and-run and an attempted abduction, unfolded within roughly 90 minutes on April 21st.
Bullet Train Explosion is a high-octane thriller set aboard Hayabusa 60, an E5 Series Shinkansen racing from Shin-Aomori to Tokyo — and it can’t drop below 100 km/h, or a hidden bomb will detonate.
For the first time in his life, comedian Nagano—known for disliking romance reality shows—sat down to watch one with TV personality Chinatsu Wakasugi, a self-proclaimed romance reality show enthusiast. The pair viewed the premiere episode of the new series Offline Love together.
A growing number of Japanese gravure idols—models known for their swimsuit photo shoots—are entering the sauna world, fueling a new entertainment trend known as "nettobashi" (heatwave shows). These events feature the idols dressed in swimsuits, vigorously fanning heat across sauna-goers in steamy venues packed with excited fans.
Shonosuke, a 28-year-old rapper from Sapporo, once spent his teenage years in constant fights, arrests, and turmoil. Raised in a single-parent household, his playground was the nightlife district of Susukino, where he ran away from home, dropped out of high school, and was arrested several times for soliciting customers.
What began as a swirl of excitement quickly became a full-blown celebration of galactic proportions as Star Wars Celebration made its triumphant return to Japan, bringing together fans from more than 125 countries for a spectacular weekend of panels, premieres, and unforgettable moments.
This video focuses on the Yorozuya's kabuki performances at the Kanamura-za theatre in Konpira. (Kabuki In-Depth)
The World Expo 2025 in Osaka begins on April 13 and runs until October 13, 2025, on Yumeshima Island in Osaka Bay. With the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” it will showcase innovations in sustainability, technology, and cultural exchange.
It’s easy to dismiss paid followers as a shortcut — or worse, a scam. But here’s a smarter, more strategic way to look at it: paid followers are not the end goal. They’re just the start of a much bigger content-driven journey.
