Sep 22 (News On Japan) - Climb on the rooftop of the Golden Pavilion to find out the mystery of the Full Circle.
Listen now on you favorite streaming platform:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1eDeX9sQcHdZk9ZKoMs9eQ?si=kYi5C4CkSA-rh9UU5iupRg
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/full-circle/1841101114
YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lrgYpL2CqsYgetF8-Pxse-o4IVLLYTj4o
Tokyo announced on November 26th that it will overhaul its lodging tax system by replacing the current fixed-rate structure with a uniform tax equivalent to 3% of accommodation fees, a move intended to respond to sharply rising hotel prices.
Onagawa in Miyagi Prefecture issued a warning on social media after receiving what was believed to be a photo of a bear spotted in town, but the image was later revealed to be a fake created with generative AI.
A powerful earthquake struck the Aso region of Kumamoto at around 6:01 p.m. on November 25th, toppling a residential gate in Aso City and scattering roof tiles across the road, while rockfalls and damage were reported in nearby areas.
A Ferris wheel at the Expocity commercial complex in Suita, Osaka, known as the tallest in Japan at 123 meters, came to an abrupt stop on November 25th after a lightning strike disabled its operating system, leaving 20 passengers trapped in nine gondolas until the early hours of the following morning.
A large-scale water outage continued across parts of Okinawa on November 25th after a damaged pipeline caused significant leakage the previous day, with local authorities reporting ongoing disruptions as of 11:35 a.m.
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.
