JapanUp! magazine

For sixty years, one silver giant has been saving Earth on Japanese television, decades before superhero universes became Hollywood’s favorite formula. However, most American fans who discovered Ultraman through Netflix’s “Ultraman: Rising” have no idea that in Japan, July 10 is an official holiday for the character, and this year’s is the biggest one ever. The Ultraman 60th anniversary is officially here, and Japan is going all in. Quick Answer: In Japan, July 10 is Ultraman Day, officially recognized by the Japan Anniversary Association. It marks July 10, 1966, when Ultraman first appeared on Japanese TV. In 2026, the franchise…

For decades, Japan has been known as one of the safest countries in the world, a place where political violence felt like a relic of another century. However, July 8 marks the day that assumption was shattered: four years ago today, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated during a campaign speech in Nara, an event that shocked Japan and made headlines around the globe. The Shinzo Abe assassination remains one of the most consequential events in Japan’s modern political history. Quick Answer: July 8, 2026 marks four years since former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot while giving…

Every July 7, something magical happens across Japan: train stations, shopping malls, and schools fill with bamboo branches covered in colorful paper strips, each one carrying someone’s handwritten wish. However, here is what most visitors never learn: according to the original legend, today is the only day of the year when two star-crossed lovers in the sky are allowed to meet, and all of Japan is celebrating their reunion at the Tanabata festival. Quick Answer: Tanabata (July 7) is Japan’s “Star Festival,” celebrating the once-a-year reunion of Orihime and Hikoboshi, two lovers separated by the Milky Way. People write wishes…