Osaka Tower Hosts Traditional Bean Toss

Feb 03, 2026 | News On Japan

OSAKA - A traditional “fukumame” bean-tossing event was held on February 1st at Tsutenkaku Tower in Osaka’s Naniwa Ward, ahead of the Setsubun festival, drawing crowds eager to invite good fortune a little early.

Marking its 70th year, the event saw television personality Yukino Saito and others scatter around 1,000 bags of roasted soybeans, known as “fukumame,” from the tower.

One visitor said, “I stretched my arms out and grabbed them with energy. I want everything to go well this year.”

Those who attended welcomed an early taste of “fuku,” or good fortune, as they took part in the seasonal tradition.

Source: YOMIURI

'Most Dangerous Storm of the Year' Approaches Kanto

Typhoon No. 25 was closing in on the Kanto region on September 21 while maintaining strong intensity, with the large storm estimated at 2 p.m. to be passing through the southern Izu Islands between Hachijojima and Miyakejima and moving northeast at 25 kilometers per hour, raising the risk of record rainfall and disaster-level winds across Kanto and the Izu Islands as leisure and commercial facilities temporarily closed in preparation for worsening conditions.

Typhoon Causes Widespread Transport Disruption Across Kanto

Transport disruption across eastern Japan intensified through the afternoon of September 21 as large and strong Typhoon No. 25 approached Kanto, with at least 275 ANA and Japan Airlines flights canceled, more than 100 cancellations at Narita Airport, conventional rail services suspended across parts of Kanagawa and Chiba prefectures, and extensive expressway closures affecting routes around Tokyo and the Boso Peninsula.

Japan's Elderly Population Hits Record 29.6%

People aged 65 and older accounted for a record 29.6% of Japan's population in 2026, the highest proportion among major countries worldwide, while the number of elderly people in employment also reached an all-time high as Japan marked Respect for the Aged Day on September 21.

Emperor and Empress Watch Asian Games Basketball

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako watched Japan defeat Kazakhstan in a women’s basketball preliminary-round game at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya.

Drone Hits Nagoya City Hall During Asian Games Light-Up

A drone filming the illuminated Nagoya City Hall headquarters crashed into a building across the road shortly before 9 p.m. on September 17, with police investigating whether the flight may have violated Japan's Civil Aeronautics Act.

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 >