News On Japan

Kabuki Underdogs: The Rise of the Shōroku Family

Dec 01 (Kabuki In-Depth) - Today we cover some happy news from the kabuki world, and look back at the history of an important modern kabuki family!

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Police have arrested a man in his 30s after he allegedly entered a banquet hall at Hotel MiraCosta inside Tokyo DisneySea on December 1st while carrying what appeared to be a knife before fleeing the scene, with authorities locating him the following day in Kawasaki City.

A bear was caught on camera intruding into a residential property in Yamagata on November 30th, underscoring how reports of bear damage continue even as the winter season takes hold and conditions grow colder.

As Matcha’s popularity continues to climb, with overseas shipments expanding sharply and exports increasing more than tenfold over the past 15 years as global demand strengthens. Japan is encouraging tea growers to shift production to tencha, the raw material used to make matcha. While it may seem logical that farmers should simply increase production if matcha is selling so well, growers say the reality is far more complex.

Princess Aiko, the eldest daughter of the Emperor and Empress, celebrated her 24th birthday on December 1st after a year marked by a series of first-time imperial events, public duties and her inaugural overseas official visit, according to the Imperial Household Agency.

A fire broke out on the night of November 29th in Kyoto’s busy Pontocho entertainment district, prompting a large-scale evacuation as flames spread from one restaurant to neighboring buildings.

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Universal Studios Japan launched its annual Christmas event on November 19th, offering visitors a lineup of character greetings, seasonal foods, and a large-scale nighttime show designed to highlight the spirit of the holiday season.

Today we cover some happy news from the kabuki world, and look back at the history of an important modern kabuki family! (Kabuki In-Depth)

With the release of his second studio single, Space Race, we get another glimpse into the shining star of Little Mick, and what makes him tick.

Christmas stalls and German winter dishes have filled Odori Park since November 21st, as the annual “Munich Christmas Market in Sapporo” opened in celebration of the long-standing sister-city relationship between Sapporo and Munich.

A new local production in Kitanakagusuku Village is shining a light on the little-known life of Taro Higa, the Nisei from Hawaii who led efforts after the war to send pigs to Okinawa, even as his contributions have long remained overshadowed and largely forgotten.

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)