For decades, Shibuya has been shorthand for everything new in Japan: the scramble crossing, youth fashion, neon-soaked nightlife. However, on the evening of August 8, the district will do something radically old. The streets around SHIBUYA109 will close to traffic, a wooden yagura tower will rise in the middle of the road, and thousands of people in yukata will dance in circles to songs their great-grandparents knew. This is Bon Odori, and it is one of Japan’s oldest living traditions. Quick Answer: Bon Odori is the traditional circle dance of Obon, Japan’s midsummer festival honoring ancestral spirits. Shibuya Bon Odori…
View More Japan Now! Bon Odori Takes Over Shibuya! The 600-Year-Old Dance in Japan’s Trendiest District (7/13)Category: Fun Facts
Japan Now! Japan Is Building Its Own Santa Monica, and It Opens August 1 (7/10)
For years, Japanese pop culture fans in America have recreated a little piece of Japan at home, from ramen nights to anime conventions. However, this summer the tables have turned completely: Japan is building a full-scale replica of Santa Monica, palm trees, pier, white sand and all, right on the Yokohama waterfront. It is called Red Brick Sunset 2026, and it might be Japan’s most American event ever. Quick Answer: Red Brick Sunset 2026 runs August 1 to 30 at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse, one of Japan’s most popular waterfront venues. This year’s theme is Santa Monica, complete with a…
View More Japan Now! Japan Is Building Its Own Santa Monica, and It Opens August 1 (7/10)Japan Now! Ultraman Turns 60! Japan Celebrates Ultraman Day (7/10)
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…
View More Japan Now! Ultraman Turns 60! Japan Celebrates Ultraman Day (7/10)Japan Now! 4 Years Since the Shinzo Abe Assassination, Japan Remembers(7/8)
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…
View More Japan Now! 4 Years Since the Shinzo Abe Assassination, Japan Remembers(7/8)Japan Now! It’s Tanabata! Why All of Japan Is Wishing on Stars Today(7/7)
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…
View More Japan Now! It’s Tanabata! Why All of Japan Is Wishing on Stars Today(7/7)Japan Now! New Sword Art Online Movie “Integral Domain” Announced for 2028 (7/6)
For over a decade, Sword Art Online has been the gateway anime that introduced millions of Western fans to the idea of living inside a video game. However, ever since the epic Alicization arc concluded in 2020, one question has haunted the fandom: what happens to Kirito and Asuna next? Japan just answered with the reveal of Sword Art Online Integral Domain. Quick Answer: A brand-new original Sword Art Online movie, titled Sword Art Online the Movie -Integral Domain-, will hit Japanese theaters in 2028. It tells a completely original story set after the Alicization arc, with a story concept…
View More Japan Now! New Sword Art Online Movie “Integral Domain” Announced for 2028 (7/6)Japan Now! A “Once in a Decade” Heatwave Is Coming(7/2)
Summer in Japan is always hot, and most travelers plan for it. However, on July 2, 2026, Japan’s weather agency issued a rare official warning: a “once in a decade” level of extreme heat is expected to hit large parts of the country starting July 8. If you are traveling in Japan this month, this Japan heatwave 2026 alert is one you should not ignore. Quick Answer: The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued Early Warning Information on Extreme Weather on July 2, 2026. From around July 8 (July 9 in the Tokai region), temperatures in Hokkaido, Tohoku, Hokuriku, Kinki, and…
View More Japan Now! A “Once in a Decade” Heatwave Is Coming(7/2)Japan Now! BE:FIRST Drop New Song “Missing” at FNS 2026 (6/30)
For years, BE:FIRST has been one of the most talked-about boy groups to come out of Japan’s BMSG label. However, on July 1, 2026, they did something that pushed them into an entirely new spotlight: they performed the brand-new song “Missing” on national television for the very first time, on the same night they covered a beloved Japanese summer classic.This BE:FIRST Missing performance instantly became one of the night’s biggest talking points. Quick Answer: At the 2026 FNS Music Festival Summer (FNS Kayousai), the BE:FIRST Missing premiere came at the 2026 FNS Music Festival Summer, where they also performed Keisuke…
View More Japan Now! BE:FIRST Drop New Song “Missing” at FNS 2026 (6/30)Japan Now! Samurai Blue Stun Brazil with an Early Lead, Then Fall to a Last-Gasp Goal (6/29)
For 90 minutes in Houston, it looked like Japan might pull off the upset of the World Cup. Facing five-time champions Brazil in the Round of 32, the Samurai Blue did not just defend. They struck first, led for nearly half the match, and pushed the favorites to the very last seconds. In the end, it took six minutes of stoppage time for Brazil to escape with a 2-1 win. Quick Answer: On June 29, 2026, Brazil beat Japan 2-1 in the World Cup Round of 32 in Houston. Japan’s Kaishu Sano scored first in the 29th minute, but Casemiro…
View More Japan Now! Samurai Blue Stun Brazil with an Early Lead, Then Fall to a Last-Gasp Goal (6/29)Japan Now! Why Are Japanese Teens Obsessed with “Setlog,” the No-Filter Vlog App? (6/26)
If you have spent any time around Japanese or Korean social media lately, you may have noticed a smiley-face icon popping up everywhere. It is called Setlog, and over the past few months it has gone from unknown to the No. 1 free app in Japan. What makes it strange is that it does the opposite of what most social media promises. No filters, no editing, no looking your best. Here is why young people cannot get enough of it. Quick Answer: Setlog is a Korean-made social Vlog app where you film a 2-second clip once an hour, share it…
View More Japan Now! Why Are Japanese Teens Obsessed with “Setlog,” the No-Filter Vlog App? (6/26)Japan Now! What Is Typhoon Season in Japan, and Should Travelers Worry? (6/25)
If you are planning a summer trip to Japan, you have probably pictured warm evenings, festivals, and clear skies over Mt. Fuji. Here is something that does not always make the travel brochures. Summer is also typhoon season, and right now two of them are spinning near Japan at the same time. If you are visiting between roughly June and October, this is worth understanding before you go. Quick Answer: Japan’s typhoon season runs from about June through October, with the peak in August and September. Typhoons are powerful tropical storms (the Pacific cousin of hurricanes) that can bring extreme…
View More Japan Now! What Is Typhoon Season in Japan, and Should Travelers Worry? (6/25)Japan Now! Why Did Male Artists Just Sweep ALL 10 of Japan’s Mid-Year Music Charts? (6/24)
Japan’s Oricon 2026 Mid-Year Ranking is out, and all 10 sales charts went to male artists. See why BTS, Kenshi Yonezu, Arashi, Snow Man and more topped the list.
View More Japan Now! Why Did Male Artists Just Sweep ALL 10 of Japan’s Mid-Year Music Charts? (6/24)