News On Japan

AKB48's Megu Taniguchi Announces Graduation from Group

TOKYO - During the "Boku no Taiyou" performance on March 19th, AKB48 member Megu Taniguchi announced her graduation from the group.

AKB48's Megu Taniguchi Announces Graduation from Group

The following is a statement from her:

"To all the fans who have always supported me, the time has finally come for me to say these words...! I, Megu Taniguchi, will graduate from AKB48. This April marks my 10th year since joining AKB48. During these 10 years, I've had the opportunity to experience various jobs, been selected as a featured member appearing on the cover of singles, received a center song thanks to the fans during the general elections, and even published a photobook. I've achieved all the dreams I had while being a part of AKB48, so now I'm ready to take a step forward to pursue new dreams. I will continue my activities in the entertainment industry even after graduation, so I hope you will keep supporting me as always. I will give my all as an idol until the end! Thank you!"

Regarding her future schedule, Taniguchi plans to graduate in the middle of May 2024. Details such as her final day of activity will be announced once decided.

Source: MDPR

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

A very strong Typhoon No. 29 is moving north over the Pacific southeast of Japan and is expected to make its closest approach to the Ogasawara Islands around October 12, bringing dangerous waves and powerful swells to a wide stretch of the Pacific coast during the three-day holiday weekend, according to the latest forecast issued at 4 p.m. on October 10.

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Entertainment NEWS

Entertainer Tamori and two other prominent figures were named Honorary Citizens of Tokyo on October 1 in recognition of their contributions to the capital's development and the lives of its residents, with an award ceremony held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government headquarters on Tokyo Citizens' Day.

Japanese director Tomoki Misato's stop-motion animation Candy Caries has won the Grand Prize in the children's category for ages 7 and up at the Ottawa International Animation Festival in Canada, one of the world's three major animation festivals.

Makoto Usui, the composer of "Shiawase Hakoberu Yoni," a song written in the aftermath of the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake that has become a symbol of hope for disaster survivors across Japan and overseas, died in July at the age of 65, leaving behind a musical legacy that his former students are determined to carry forward.

While millions of people across Japan enjoyed this year's five-day Silver Week holiday, workers at Kyoto's Toei Uzumasa Eigamura film studio theme park and a 24-hour smartphone repair service faced packed schedules, with some working late into the night to keep holidaymakers entertained and respond to emergencies.

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.

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.

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.

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