Ikuta Erika Performs at CLUB251

The annual “Kichirei Kaomise Kogyo” Kabuki program, a long-established event that signals the arrival of the year’s end in Kyoto, is set to begin shortly, and Minami-za in Kyoto’s Higashiyama Ward held its traditional “maneki-age” ritual on November 26th, raising wooden signboards bearing the names of the performers.

Arashi will hold the opening concerts of its final nationwide dome tour in Sapporo in March 2026, sending hotel bookings soaring across the city and raising concerns that the spike in accommodation prices will affect university entrance examinees arriving for crucial tests on March 12th.

In this week's video, we focus on the September production at the National Bunraku Theatre in Osaka! (Kabuki In-Depth)

A former gangster living as a fisherman, Miura encounters a young boy named Kōta who has lost his sight in an accident. Kōta, who also lost his parents in a traffic accident, had been taken in by an aunt and her family but suffered repeated abuse.

Kusama Richard Keita (29) has announced that he is leaving the idol group Aぇ! group. Kusama, who made his debut with the group in May 2024, decided to withdraw after being arrested in October in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward on suspicion of exposing his lower body, a case that later led to a summary indictment on charges of public indecency.

Universal Studios Japan in Osaka unveiled on November 18th the Christmas show it will present during this year’s holiday season, opening the performance to members of the press and invited guests, and marking a shift in direction after retiring its traditional 30-meter-plus Christmas tree in the previous event to focus instead on a show-driven program.

The animated film ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 – Akaza Returns’ has become the first Japanese production in history to surpass 100 billion yen in global box office revenue, while Bandai Namco Holdings has revised up its profit outlook on the back of strong performances from the ‘Mobile Suit Gundam’ series. With 46 years having passed since the first Gundam aired, the question now is why the franchise continues to grow.

Oda Yuji will headline the upcoming serial drama adaptation of Keizo Kitakata’s Suikoden, a sweeping ensemble story that portrays the struggles of outcasts who rise against a corrupt world and channel timeless themes of anger toward unjust authority and the unbreakable bonds of comrades.