Japan Central!

Anisong Band fhána Cancels Nagoya Leg of Tour Due to Two Members Catching COVID-19

July 30, 2022 6:51am CDT
Frontmen towana and kevin mitsunaga have tested positive

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Yokohama’s “Manhole Actress” becomes spokesperson for city’s sewage system

2022-07-30T07:00:00Z
Popular Kamen Rider villain takes on a new fight.

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Actresses Akari Kitō, Nana Mori Diagnosed With COVID-19

posted on 2022-07-30 11:03 EDT by Alex Mateo
Kitō plays Demon Slayer’s Nezuko; Mori plays Weathering With You’s Hina

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T.M. Revolution Shows Off His Midriff in New Commercial

posted on 2022-07-30 11:45 EDT by Richard Eisenbeis

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China Airlines Jet to be Covered in Pokémon

posted on 2022-07-30 13:45 EDT by Richard Eisenbeis
This jet, named the “Pikachu Jet CI” will operate mainly in the Asia region, including flights between Tokyo and Taipei.

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Lonesome_Blue’s ‘First Utterance’ Ready to Roar Overseas

Jul 30th 2022

2 Likes

Pokémon Lights Up the Skies of Hokkaido in Drone Light Show

July 31, 2022 10:02am CDT
Drones recreate the 3D models in the sky

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VTuber Houshou Marine Shows Her Wild Side in New NFSW Music Video

July 31, 2022 12:08pm CDT
Marine claims “I’m Your Treasure Box”

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Anisong Singer LiSA Spends A Blissful Time in New Music Video “Shifuku no Toki”

July 31, 2022 7:40pm CDT
She performed with her own dog, Koromo, for the first time

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Listen to Mamoru Miyano’s Unconstrained Singing Voice in Fullmetal Alchemist MOBILE Theme Song MV

July 31, 2022 8:40pm CDT
His much-awaited 7th album “THE ENTERTAINMENT” hits stores November 2

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Haruhi Illustrator Noiji Ito’s Shakugan no Shana Art Exhibition to be Held in Akihabara

July 31, 2022 9:25pm CDT
You can see the creative process of a single illustration at a glance

2 Likes

SPY x FAMILY Yor Voice Actor Saori Hayami Tests Positive for COVID-19

August 01, 2022 4:44am CDT
Hayami is currently following the guidance of health professionals

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Ghibli Park Attendees Board the Cat Train in New Trailer Animated by Hayao Miyazaki

August 01, 2022 5:00am CDT
The short trailer is narrated by producer Toshio Suzuki

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Major telecom company to give 200-yen apology payouts to 35M people

2022-08-01T13:00:00Z
Now, don’t go spending it all in one place, folks.

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Introducing the Week of hololive!

August 01, 2022 10:00am CDT
Starting today, we will be releasing an exclusive set of interviews and articles featuring members of hololive English!

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INTERVIEW: hololive’s IRyS Talks About Hope, Despair, and Her Solo Debut

August 01, 2022 11:00am CDT
What does the embodiment of hope itself think about her time with hololive?

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Want to become a swordsmith? Apprenticeship opens in Japan, but the fine print might shock you

2022-08-01T15:00:00Z
Katana-making apprenticeship sparks debate on controversial conditions.

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Rock a baby goat to sleep, admission is free: Cute challenge goes viral online 【Videos】

2022-08-01T16:00:00Z
Everyone’s a winner at this Japanese farm.

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Instead of working from home, let’s find out what it’s like to work from a Japanese “beach house”

2022-08-02T01:00:00Z
Can the Shonan summertime party place work as an office?

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The twin joys and dual sadnesses of eating ramen in the U.S.

2022-08-02T03:00:00Z
The food tasted great on our trip to this Seattle ramen restaurant, but some things were very different from what our reporter is used to in Japan.

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Deadly brain-shrinking fungus is popping up in parks, several prefectures throughout Japan

2022-07-31T15:00:00Z

2 Likes

List of Voice Actors Diagnosed With COVID-19 in July

posted on 2022-08-02 02:48 EDT by Rafael Antonio Pineda

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Overlord Theme Song Artist Masayoshi Oishi Tests Positive for COVID-19

August 02, 2022 1:48am CDT
Appearance at August 5 event was cancelled as a result

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JR Central and Kyoto temple team up for the coolest temple tourism experiences you’ll ever see

2022-08-02T15:00:00Z
Crafts, private art viewings, private lectures, exclusive tea tastings…you’ll want to do it all!

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INTERVIEW: Mori Calliope and the Power of Perseverance

August 02, 2022 11:00am CDT
The grim reaper herself on reaching for your goals

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Stunning photo shows the beautiful power of Japan’s biggest fireworks shell

2022-08-01T15:00:00Z

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Train conductor’s unusual announcement has commuters in Japan touched to tears

2022-08-01T15:00:00Z

Photographer captures glorious return of Yokohama’s too beautiful fireworks after 3 years

2022-08-02T15:00:00Z

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Manga artist reveals her most embarrassing situation at a theater

2022-08-02T15:00:00Z

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Studio Ghibli Composer Joe Hisaishi Postpones London Concert Due to Contracting COVID-19

August 03, 2022 6:49am CDT
Hisaishi sent a comment to the attendees of the concert

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Love Live! Superstar!! Voice Actor Liyuu Slowly Returns to Work After Car Accident

August 03, 2022 7:54am CDT
Liyuu: “I’m still a little bandaged up, but hopefully I can get them off”

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Kyoto in summer: A special trip to Kifune shrine recharges the soul

2022-08-03T13:00:00Z
Itinerary includes a sightseeing train, shrine visit, and a meal to remember!

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Foreign Lawson employees claim unfair treatment such as forced sushi and Christmas cake purchases

2022-08-03T15:00:00Z
Ehomaki are great, but it’s important to buy them on our own terms.

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INTERVIEW: hololive’s Takanashi Kiara on Bridging Languages and Countries Through VTubing

August 03, 2022 11:00am CDT
The phoenix idol sat down for an interview for our hololive series

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Saitama man’s 7M-yen Rolex stolen after leaving it alone with “potential buyer” for two minutes

2022-08-03T17:45:00Z
Watch out!

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Watch Sumire Uesaka’s Live Performance Clip from Her Latest LiVe Concert Blu-ray

August 03, 2022 8:30pm CDT
“Live Tour 2022 Cho Kakumei Densetsu” hits stores August 24

2 Likes

Giant wearable baby head, huge randoseru backpack part of empathy-boosting art exhibit in Japan

2022-08-04T11:00:00Z
Would you appreciate being told “Go outside and play!” after carrying an 18.9-kilogram (41,7-pound) backpack on your commute?

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Payphones look like they’re in a giant plastic model sprue in toy-famous Japanese city

2022-08-03T15:00:00Z

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Thinking of taking a float to the beach? Japan Coast Guard warns about dangers in PSA videos

2022-08-03T15:00:00Z

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IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS Producer Voice Actor Shunsuke Takeuchi Contracts COVID-19

August 04, 2022 8:02am CDT
Takeuchi tested positive after having a fever

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Man who took entire town’s COVID-19 money now out of jail and turning life around

2022-08-04T13:30:00Z
A rags-to-riches-to-rags-to-Internet-fame story.

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Giant puppies frolic, play with frisbees in the Tokyo skyline in new 3-D billboard display【Video】

2022-08-04T15:00:00Z
Akitas appear in an appropriate part of town.

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INTERVIEW: Ninomae Ina’nis Discusses Becoming a Meme, Puns, and How It Feels to Be in hololive

August 04, 2022 11:00am CDT
WAH it’s time for Ina to take the stage

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JAL system makes air travel easier and lets you keep laptops, liquids in bag for security check

2022-08-04T17:30:00Z
Passengers can keep computers and liquids inside their carry-on until they actually want to use them, thanks to new system.

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Arthur Lounsbery, Aguri Ōnishi, Sayuri Date, JUNNA Diagnosed with COVID-19

posted on 2022-08-04 14:36 EDT by Rafael Antonio Pineda
Voice actors, singers test positive in late July, early August

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Locals Hold Obon Festival in the Shadow of Life-Size VOTOMS Robot

posted on 2022-08-04 14:45 EDT by Richard Eisenbeis
The nearly 12-and-a-half-foot statue was erected back in March 2020, by the Inagi City Tourism Bureau.

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Love Live! Superstar!! Liella Singer Liyuu Returns to Work After Accident

posted on 2022-08-04 15:00 EDT by Rafael Antonio Pineda
Liyuu was involved in taxi accident with fellow Liella members Sayuri Date, Naomi Payton last month

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HIME AMBIENCE: Cozy Up to the Campfire with Crunchyroll-Hime

August 04, 2022 3:00pm CDT
Get lost in the ambient m o o d

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My Dress-Up Darling Gojo VA Shoya Ishige Tests Positive for COVID-19

August 04, 2022 9:45pm CDT
Ishige has had to cancel his appearance at Smile Fest this weekend

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And now, a traditional Japanese bon dance, performed next to a life-size anime robot statue【Vid】

2022-08-05T03:00:00Z
Classic anime opening theme song provides the musical accompaniment for old-school summertime celebration in Tokyo.

2 Likes

One photo that shows why the pros outweigh the cons in the Japanese countryside

2022-08-04T15:00:00Z

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Woman’s fried chicken shopping mistake has Twitter in sympathetic stitches

2022-08-04T15:00:00Z

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Celebrity couple delights fans with awesome Kiki’s Delivery Service maternity photo cosplay

2022-08-04T15:00:00Z

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New digital art exhibition in Nagoya promises “a paradise of bugs” in a colorful forest

2022-08-05T13:00:00Z
A beautiful world of insects awaits in Japan’s fourth largest city this summer!

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“My employees were killed.” Japanese pond owner breaks into tears after 3,000 fish die in robbery

2022-08-05T15:00:00Z
Monetary damages “don’t matter at all” compared to the loss of life, owner says in heartbreaking video.

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INTERVIEW: A Deep-Sea Dive Into the Life of Gawr Gura

August 05, 2022 11:00am CDT
Setting sail with Gawr Gura! Just in time for Shark Week.

3 Likes

Japan Weather Association creates new words to describe merciless summer heat

2022-08-06T13:00:00Z
Sometimes “Atsui!” just isn’t enough.

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Hut Day is just around the corner in Japan…or is it Hat Day?

2022-08-06T16:15:00Z
Huppy Hut Duy!

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INTERVIEW: Amelia Watson Talks About the Ways VTubing Connects Us All

August 06, 2022 11:00am CDT

2 Likes

Matcha improves sleep quality, social cognition, researchers say, and you don’t need to drink it

2022-08-07T13:00:00Z
Results of year-long clinical trial give us more reasons than ever to drink, or eat, matcha.

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Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. Virtual Talent Management Agency PRISM Project Announces 2022 Auditions

Aug 7th 2022

3 Likes

I should start drinking more matcha then… But it’s so expensive…

3 Likes

If you have a tj maxx, home goods, or Marshals. Check in there they sometimes get some decent Macha powder or bags for a good price.

3 Likes

Attack on Titan Levi VA Hiroshi Kamiya Tests Positive For COVID-19

August 08, 2022 5:38am CDT
Kamiya “is currently in a stable condition”

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Cat Pokémon appear in the Tokyo skyline with new 3-D billboard animated sequence【Video】

2022-08-08T05:00:00Z
Meowth, Litten, and their fellow Pokémon felines appear on International Cat Day.

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A senbero with deer in Nara Park turns into a weird fever dream

2022-08-08T15:15:00Z
We should’ve known better than to attempt a 200-yen senbero in a park during a heatwave.

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Voice Actor Natsuki Hanae Shares a Wholesome Moment With His Daughter

posted on 2022-08-08 19:45 EDT by Kim Morrissy
The popular voice actor sings “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” with one of his toddler daughters

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Rimuru Tempest VA Miho Okasaki Posts New Lyric Video “Mirror,” Written/Composed by DECO*27

August 08, 2022 7:56pm CDT
Her first full album “BLOOMING” will be available on August 17

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Madoka Kaname VA Aoi Yuuki Reports Her Full Recovery from COVID-19

August 08, 2022 11:03pm CDT
“I was able to recuperate well and came back as Aoi Yuuki EX!”

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A visit to Japan’s wasp nest art museum stings us with respect for the industrious insects【Pics】

2022-08-09T03:00:00Z
Gigantic Wasp Mt. Fuji is just one of the amazing pieces on display at Hachi Tengoku.

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Go shopping with our Japanese reporter as he experiences Costco in the U.S. for the first time

2022-08-09T03:30:00Z
Feeling like a large child with king-sized candy bar dreams, he entered a whole new world of delight with a few big surprises.

2 Likes

Mother shows how easily Japanese fox masks turn a summer festival into a survival horror game

2022-08-08T15:00:00Z

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“Best burger shop lady” in Japan gives calorie-conscious customer a quotable response

2022-08-08T15:00:00Z

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Japan’s spectacular nebuta lantern floats make long-awaited return to festival under brilliant fireworks show

2022-08-08T15:00:00Z

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Japanese nail artist’s mouthwatering uni nails will give you the urge for sea urchin

2022-08-08T15:00:00Z

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Tokyo Girls’ Style Release Long-awaited New Album ‘Nocturnal’ – Their First in Seven Years

Aug 9th 2022

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Japan’s “station closest to the sea” lives up to its name【Photos】

2022-08-09T17:30:00Z
”Blue ocean” is part of this station’s name, and they’re not kidding.

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Love Live! Superstar!! Ren Hazuki VA Nagisa Aoyama Tests Positive For COVID-19

August 09, 2022 11:51pm CDT
Aoyama has canceled her appearance at an event this weekend

1 Like

Tokyo’s Nakano adds rock and disco to its annual summer bon dance【Videos】

2022-08-10T13:00:00Z
The neighborhood that invented the Obon Jovi dance is back with a new set list of rock and disco hits.

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Man with homemade firebomb detained by police outside U.S. embassy in Tokyo

2022-08-10T15:15:00Z
Shokumu shitsumon stop uncovers incendiary device.

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Yuzuru Hanyu launches own YouTube channel, fans flock to subscribe

2022-08-10T17:30:00Z
He totally landed that debut video.

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BanG Dream! Franchise’s New Band MyGO!!! to Release Their 1st Single on November 9

August 10, 2022 11:40pm CDT
The song’s preview and live-performance clips are now streamed

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Travis Japan, the hot Japanese boy band winning hearts through America’s Got Talent【Video】

2022-08-11T03:00:00Z
We spotlight the J-Pop group that’s now based in the U.S. and is taking over with their charismatic performances on America’s Got Talent and more.

1 Like

Gigantic geyser erupts from Shinto shrine’s forest on the night before its summer festival【Video】

2022-08-11T13:00:00Z
The way it looks, sounds, and smells all have people paying attention to this amazing display of the force of nature.

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Crowdfunded Super Cub Exhibit Opens in Yamanashi Prefectural Library - Interest - Anime News Network

posted on 2022-08-11 14:45 EDT by Kim Morrissy
Campaign reached its 500,000 yen goal within 24 hours

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Japanese street fashion magazine Men’s Knuckle throws last punch, ends crazy photo caption legacy | SoraNews24 -Japan News-

2022-08-12T01:10:00Z
So long, Men’s Knuckle!

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4-year-old girl’s reaction eating her first bowl of Iekei ramen has Twitter in stitches

2022-08-10T15:00:00Z

Hunter x Hunter Creator Yoshihiro Togashi Gives an Update on His Health

August 12, 2022 2:06am CDT
Togashi is currently sharing teases of his manga drafts on his Twitter account

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Sega’s old arcade right outside Akihabara Station is closing, taking takeout cafe stand with it

2022-08-12T13:00:00Z
Another summer, another closure announcement for a landmark Tokyo arcade.

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Sony Music Entertainment's English-Speaking VTuber PRISM Project Opens Auditions To All Genders - Interest - Anime News Network

posted on 2022-08-12 10:45 EDT by Kim Morrissy

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Gravure model NFT series wants to attract online investors, real-world visitors for hot springs

2022-08-12T17:30:00Z
Series pairs gravure models with onsen ryokan.

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Strawberry Prince Member Jel Goes on Indefinite Hiatus - News - Anime News Network

posted on 2022-08-12 14:47 EDT by Alex Mateo
Group member reveals struggles with mental illness

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Yuki Kajiura’s Solo Project FictionJunction to Release Its 1st Album in 9 Years in April 2023

August 12, 2022 8:32pm CDT
The album will include the “Sword Art Online” 10th anniversary song

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Manga pro’s sixth-grade son floors the Internet with his amazing manga art

2022-08-13T01:30:00Z
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in the Furuya household.

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Winner of the 32nd International Illustration Contest Announced - Anime News Network

Aug 12th 2022
Eye-catching “Under the Water” Illustration Stunned Judges

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Mobile VTuber Creation App Customcast Now Available in Europe - Anime News Network

Aug 12th 2022
Nekopara Collaboration Announced – Create your very own 3D avatars and start mobile VTubing with just your phone

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Studio Chizu in Concert 2022 - One-Year Anniversary of the Release of “Belle” - - Anime News Network

Aug 12th 2022

1 Like

Monster Hunter Orchestra Concert 2022 Worldwide Stream Concert - Anime News Network

Aug 13th 2022
AA greatest hits performance from the multi-million selling action game series Monster Hunter - “MONSTER HUNTER ORCHESTRA CONCERT” ONLINE!!

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Hatsune Miku Magical Mirai 10th Anniversary Concert Gets Japanese Blu-ray Release in January

August 13, 2022 6:50am CDT
Regular and limited edition releases will feature recordings from upcoming live performances in Tokyo

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Visit the birthplace of the Japanese daruma in Gunma Prefecture | SoraNews24 -Japan News-

2022-08-13T17:30:00Z
Home to some unusual rotund inhabitants.

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My Neighbor Totoro Fan Recreates an Iconic Akira Scene in Stop-Motion

2022-08-13T23:45:00Z
My Neighbor Totoro’s Mei does her best impression of Akira’s Shōtarō Kaneda in a new fan-made stop-motion animation that is both epic and adorable.

Image-generating AI’s picture of “Final Fantasy VII Cloud” is so wrong, yet so right

2022-08-14T05:00:00Z
Simultaneously looks exactly and nothing like the Final Fantasy hero.

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Biannual running of the otaku fails to take place for second time in a row

2022-08-14T13:00:00Z
Some fear the tradition may never return, but most just hope so.

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Japanese elementary school student teaches us all how to pronounce English like a native speaker

2022-08-14T13:00:00Z
Sometimes the youngest students can be the smartest learners.

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Rent-a-Girlfriend Ruka VA Nao Toyama Contracts COVID-19

August 14, 2022 10:14pm CDT
Toyama had to cancel an appearance at a Walküre event on Sunday

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Check Out Photos from Anisong Duo ClariS’ 1st Concert with Audience in 2 Years and 10 Months

August 14, 2022 10:28pm CDT
“It was a warm time that made us feel really happy with what we take for granted.”

1 Like

Twitter user crafts awesome Studio Ghibli spirit animals to carry ancestor’s spirits during Japan’s obon festival

2022-08-14T15:00:00Z

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Mother’s fruit punch character bento is just too cute to eat or drink

2022-08-14T15:00:00Z

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Honda carves impressive veggie vehicles to transport spirits of ancestors during Obon season

2022-08-14T15:00:00Z

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Japanese student’s flowers with eyes that follow you are nightmare fuel

2022-08-14T15:00:00Z

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Japan’s most surprising highway has people fantasizing of a dangerous game of Mario Kart

2022-08-14T15:00:00Z

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Yakuza-themed love hotel rooms! Great for couples, friends, and business meetings, owners say

2022-08-15T05:00:00Z
Prison cell, interrogation room, and crime lord office all available.

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Voice Actress Yui Ogura Changes Her Singer Activity’s Record Label to Nippon Columbia

August 15, 2022 12:35am CDT
Her first single from the new label will be released this winter

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Voice Actress Kanon Shizaki Steps Down From D4DJ Franchise’s Rei Togetsu Role

posted on 2022-08-15 02:41 EDT by Rafael Antonio Pineda
Shizaki also plays BanG Dream!'s Rinko Shirokane

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Voice Actress Mariya Ise Announces Divorce

posted on 2022-08-15 09:45 EDT by Kim Morrissy
She vowed to continue working as a voice actress and single mother

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JUJUTSU KAISEN Panda VA Tomokazu Seki Tests Positive For COVID-19

August 15, 2022 9:28am CDT
Seki came down with a fever on August 13

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Nijisanji EN Launches VTuber Auditions

Aug 15th 2022

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Hazuki to Release Debut Solo Album EGØIST with JPU Records; New Music Video Released

Aug 15th 2022

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Gifu pond where 3,000 fish were murdered gets back on its feet thanks to donations, volunteers

2022-08-16T01:00:00Z
Touching outpouring of support comes from across the country as owner calls for burglars to apologize, but not to him.

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Amazing My Hero Academia cosplayer has surprising source for his Katsuki Bakugo weaponry

2022-08-14T15:00:00Z

1 Like

Epic Studio Ghibli monster crafted from veggies is the ultimate steed for Japan’s festival for the departed

2022-08-15T15:00:00Z

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Solid Snake voice actor Akio Otsuka’s reaction to unreasonable toilet sign has netizens in stitches

2022-08-15T15:00:00Z

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Former AKB48 idol Minami Minegishi who famously shaved her head announces marriage

2022-08-15T15:00:00Z

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Ten most popular Vtubers in Japan among Gen Z revealed in survey

2022-08-15T15:00:00Z

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How to make Japanese incense, the traditional way

2022-08-16T05:00:00Z
Tokyo store teaches customers how to “listen” to scents instead of smelling them.

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Yoshiyuki Tomino Wants To Go Traveling the World After G-Reco Films

posted on 2022-08-16 09:45 EDT by Kim Morrissy
Unfortunately, the 80-year-old director said that his current health is not up to the task

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Delta adding more flights between Japan and U.S. in “anticipation of relaxed travel restrictions”

2022-08-16T14:15:00Z
More flights and new routes being added at Tokyo’s most convenient airport.

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Japanese government worried young adults aren’t drinking enough alcohol

2022-08-16T17:30:00Z
This calls for a contest!

1 Like