Japan Showbiz Latest News and Updates

? Experts say it's possible.It's an intriguing concept: Living long is something we all aspire to, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or geographical location. According to , only 25% to 30% of our life expectancy is determined by our genes.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Last May, after “Killers of the Flower Moon” premiered at Cannes Film Festival, Martin Scorsese traveled to Rome with his wife, Helen Morris, to attend a conference titled “The Global Aesthetics of the Catholic Imagination.” There, the director announced that he had responded to an appeal by Pope Francis to artists “in the only way I know how: by imagining and writing a screenplay for a film about Jesus.” The conference was organized by Jesuit publication “La Civiltà Cattolica.” It took place after the journal’s editor, Father Antonio Spadaro, held a series of one-on-one conversations with Scorsese that have just been published in Italy in book titled “Dialoghi sulla fede” (“Dialogues on Faith”). The final chapter of this book is titled, as translated from Italian, “Screenplay for a Possible Film on Jesus” by Scorsese.

Jeff Benjamin As with his long music career, Yoshiki’s eventual foray into fashion seemed inevitable.“I’m the oldest son, and, usually, the son takes over the family business,” Yoshiki, Variety’s International Achievement in Music honoree, says about the expectations for him to take over his parents’ kimono shop. “I was always surrounded by those flashy kimonos.

Jeff Benjamin Yoshiki’s involvement in philanthropy encompasses a diverse range of causes, with his family and upbringing being core influences. “I lost my father when I was young,” Yoshiki says. “He actually took his own life.

Jeff Benjamin Ahead of Milan Fashion Week 2024’s unveiling of the high-end line Maison Yoshiki, its designer and namesake, Japanese rock star Yoshiki, made a last-minute decision to perform on the runway. About 10 minutes into the Feb.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief In these culturally sensitive times, having an American director and showrunner on a quintessentially Japanese series is sure to raise the issue of cultural appropriation. But the Dave Boyle-directed “House of Ninjas,” which Netflix launched in February, stands out not only as a hit, but as a seemingly happy blend of East and West. An original story about the last living ninja family in modern times, the show ranked as the streamer’s top non-English show in 16 countries and regions, as well as reached the top ten list in 92 countries.In an interview with Variety, Boyle (“The Man From Reno,” “Big Dreams, Little Tokyo”) said that surprising career left-turns brought him to the series and helped him keep the show authentically Japanese.

XG have announced an upcoming new single titled ‘Woke Up’, due out in May.XG announced the new song via their social media channels earlier today (March 27), revealing its title, format, release date and cover art. Titled ‘Woke Up’, the new track will be released on May 21 both physically and on digital platforms.Meanwhile, the cover art features a close-up shot of someone’s lips with black lipstick, along with silver grills designed to look like the girl group’s official logo.

HYBE, home to K-pop juggernauts BTS, have inked a new 10-year “global alliance” with Universal Music Group (UMG).HYBE – also home to other K-pop groups such as SEVENTEEN, NewJeans and more – announced an expanded agreement with UMG. The new deal will give UMG “exclusive distribution rights” to HYBE releases for the next 10 years, while HYBE’s roster of artists will have access to the former’s “global network”.The new agreement will also see UMG further working with HYBE’s fan platform Weverse, in order to “[bring] more of a direct connection between UMG artists and their fandom[s]”.

NewJeans have made a surprise announcement of two new single albums and a 2025 world tour – find all details below.The K-pop girl group have been teasing new music since the beginning of this month, and have unveiled not one, but two new single albums. NewJeans shared the announcement via their app Phoning, where they revealed the first single album will drop on May 24, and then on June 21.The first single album will be called ‘How Sweet’ and will feature its title track and another song called ‘Bubble Gum’.

Acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi wowed international audiences and critics with his drama “Drive My Car,” which earned the Best International Feature Film Oscar in 2022. The venerated director is back with “Evil Does Not Exist,” an ecological fable with genre elements about a father and daughter living in the wilderness outside Tokyo.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Hybe, the Korean firm behind K-pop’s BTS, has struck an expanded 10-year deal with Universal Music Group (UMG), providing Hybe’s roster of artists and labels access to UMG’s leading global network. UMG will further collaborate with Hybe’s global superfan platform Weverse, bringing more of a direct connection between UMG artists and their fandom. Hybe and UMG will additionally collaborate on artist promotions and marketing activities in North America under the oversight of Scooter Braun – who, in his time as CEO of Hybe America, acquired QC Media Holdings and incorporated SB Projects as well as Big Machine Label Group into the existing roster. Hybe and UMG first teamed up in 2017 on BTS, through a distribution agreement in Japan. In 2021, the companies expanded their relationship with a global strategic agreement which saw collaborations across multiple projects and use of Weverse for fan communication.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Saudi Arabia, where popular anime characters such as “Captain Tsubasa” and “Dragon Ball” protagonist Son Goku have been engrained in the culture for decades, is taking its love affair with Japanese manga content to the next level. In late March, just a few weeks after the death of “Dragon Ball” creator Akira Toriyama, it was announced that the world’s first theme park dedicated to the megahit Japanese manga and animation franchise will be built in Qiddiya, the massive entertainment and tourism project outside the Saudi capital of Riyadh through a joint venture between Qiddiya and Japan’s Toei Animation.

Fletcher has denied having any involvement with the controversial group MMS (Modern Mystery School).In a post on X/Twitter yesterday (March 25), the New Jersey singer – full name Cari Elise Fletcher – wrote: “I am no longer involved with MMS.“I was listed on the website because I took a few introductory classes followed by a one week course out of curiosity. Further insight into the organization did not resonate with me in any way.”She added: “I do not support, subscribe or condone any mission or rhetoric that is anti- LGBTQ+ in any form, spiritually, politically or otherwise.”You can see the statement in the post below.pic.twitter.com/UnafxAYFTD— FLETCHER (@findingfletcher) March 25, 2024Fletcher joined Modern Mystery School?!? #fletcher #mileycyrus #shawnmendes #modernmysteryschool @No Culty Vibes @No Culty Vibes @No Culty Vibes ♬ original sound – No Culty Vibes Replying to @Mir_el26 okayyy Fletcher’s not in a cult.

mimiirose are set to make their return to music under new management later this year.Today (March 26), K-pop agency Pocket7 Entertainment announced that all five original members of mimiirose have signed a new exclusive contract with the company. This comes months after the quintet left YES IM Entertainment, following fraud allegations against its CEO Im Chang jung.“We are glad to welcome mimiirose, a group with a very unique and original music style, as the first new family members under the company,” Pocket7 Entertainment said in a statement to Korea JoongAng Daily.

Bring Me The Horizon frontman Oli Sykes has teamed up with Japanese horror manga artist Junji Ito for a new clothing collection.Sykes’ alternative apparel company Drop Dead is due to launch a range of shirts, hoodies, tops, jackets and accessories made in partnership with Ito at 7pm GMT this Friday (March 29).“Junji Ito is a genius. His style is only topped by his substance.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Universal’s “The Fall Guy” will open in mainland Chinese cinemas next month, ahead of its debut in the U.S. and star Ryan Gosling’s native Canada. The film is set to release officially in China on April 30.

Netflix unveiled its anime line-up for the year at the AnimeJapan event in Tokyo, including feature film Ultraman: Rising and TV series Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance and Rising Impact.

NCT Dream have released their brand-new mini-album ‘Dream( )scape’, which dropped alongside a music video for title track ‘Smoothie’.In the trippy music video for ‘Smoothie’, members of the boyband wield swords while slicing up giant fruits. Other scenes in the clip also feature various fruit-inspired visuals, alongside thrilling action scenes and more.“Smoothie Smoothie Smoothie, shake it all out and grind it / Smoothie Smoothie Smoothie, Smoothie Smoothie Smoothie / Dirty taste, take it,” the band rap on the new song’s chorus.‘Dream( )scape’ marks NCT Dream’s seventh mini-album and features six new tracks: ‘icantfeelanything’, ‘Smoothie’, ‘Box’, ‘Carat Cake’, ‘Unknown’ and ‘Breathing’.NCT Dream are set to embark on a world tour in support of their new mini-album.

Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4 had a rock ‘em sock ‘em weekend at the international box office, adding $55.3M from 69 markets for a $135M overseas running cume, and $268.2M global (there are several key markets still to release, including France, Australia, the UK and Korea). 

EXO singer D.O. – real name Doh Kyung-soo – has announced his upcoming 2024 ‘Bloom’ fan concert tour of Asia.Today (March 25), EXO’s D.O.

Prince George has already taken after his parents in many ways, whether its due to his looks, his interest in sports or the way he is learning what is future role will involve. As well as this, George has clearly inherited a passion for art from his mother - something which was seen when his parents shared a painting he had done of a reindeer and robins in a snowy scene to celebrate Christmas Day in 2022.The young royal's talent shocked and impressed those on social media - but he is certainly not the only member of his family with an artistic side.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Just a few weeks after the death of its creator Akira Toriyama, the world’s first theme park dedicated to the “Dragon Ball” universe of comics, movies, and games is set to be built in Saudi Arabia. The “Dragon Ball” park, centred around the world of Son Goku – the young boy with supernatural martial arts powers on a journey to collect seven magical orbs that elicit a wish-granting dragon – will be built in Qiddiya, the entertainment and tourism project outside the Saudi capital of Riyadh, the Qiddiya Investment Company and Toei Animation announced on Friday.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Warner Bros. Discovery is to significantly expand its investment and production of Japanese anime through its existing local studio in Japan. “We have a Japanese anime studio, which has been producing five or ten anime series per year, over the last few years,” said James Gibbons, WBD president of Asia-Pacific. “We’ve approved expansion to take that to more than ten series per year.” The studio has been operational since 2011 and delivered over 80 titles in that span, a mix of high-quality anime, live action series and movies.

Naman Ramachandran Prime Video is bullish about the large, diverse and volatile Asian streaming market, driven by growth in India and Japan, the streamer’s top executives responsible for the region have said. The region’s online video component, excluding China, where international streamers cannot be present, is projected to grow at 9.2%, to reach $46 billion by 2028, according to a study from research and consultancy firm Media Partners Asia.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Osaka-based Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation will launch ytv animation, a new brand that will leverage Yomiuri TV’s long history in animation, while also undertaking more challenging titles. The move comes a day ahead of the Anime Japan 2024 convention being held at Tokyo Big Sight. It also comes “ahead of the 60th anniversary in 2027 of Yomiuri TV’s airing of ‘Golden Bat’ in 1967,” the company said. “We will leverage our nearly 60 years of experience producing and broadcasting anime to bring exciting titles to our fans,” said ytv animation producer in a prepared statement.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Miyazaki Hayao’s “The Boy and the Heron,” which recently won the Oscar for best animated feature film, will head to global streaming giant Netflix later this year, excluding the U.S. and Japan. The hand-drawn, critically acclaimed fantasy adventure film is part of a renewed worldwide catalog deal between Netflix and the Japanese producer Studio Ghibli, sales agent Goodfellas and independent distributor GKids.

In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo attempts to sail through murky waters when discussing “Shogun.” The FX/Hulu series is based on the beloved book of the same name and is set in 17th-century Japan. It follows multiple characters in a struggle for power and freedom after a British vessel is found stranded in a small fishing village, leading to political unrest and potential war.

Katcy Stephan SPOILER ALERT: This review discusses minor plot details and gameplay elements from “Rise of the Ronin.” “Rise of the Ronin,” the latest release from “Nioh” developer Team Ninja, is one of the most highly-anticipated game releases of the year, promising a high-octane role-playing story combining eastern and western combat styles. From its announcement, “Rise of the Ronin” drew inevitable comparisons to Sucker Punch’s critically-acclaimed 2020 release “Ghost of Tsushima.” It’s understandable: although “Ronin” takes place about 600 years after “Ghost,” both follow samurai warriors in Japan as they swing their swords in an action-adventure open world.

Shōgun has become a talking point, for featuring a humorous moment with a traditional Japanese dish called natto.The historical drama series, which is available to watch on Disney+, is set in Japan in the year 1600. The story involves Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), who is fighting enemies united against him, when a European ship is found in a nearby village, introducing the character of John Blackthorne, played by Cosmo Jarvis.In episode four of the series, The Eightfold Fence, Blackthorne begins to assimilate into Japanese culture, by speaking the language, developing relationships, and experiencing traditional Japanese cuisine.During one scene, Blackthorne becomes curious about a dish being eaten by Lady Mariko and Usami Fuji.

It's the first international break of the year as Celtic's domestic season goes on ice until March 31.

Slovakian drama series Our People has won the Series Mania Co-Pro Pitch and taken home a €50,000 ($55,000) development prize.

Japanese director Takeshi Kitano has provided the artwork for the poster of the 2024 edition of Cannes parallel section Directors’ Fortnight, running alongside the main festival from May 15 to 26.

EXCLUSIVE: Tōko Miura, star of Oscar-winner Drive My Car, is leading Heart Attack, the live action anime series from Walking Dead maker Skybound‘s new Japanese hub.

Blink-182, Tyler, The Creator, Hozier, SZA, The Killers and more have been announced as headliners for this year’s Lollapalooza.Other acts set to headline this year’s edition of the annual Chicago Music Fest include Future x Metro Boomin, Stray Kids, Melanie Martinez, and Skrillex. Lollapalooza will be returning to its home of Grant Park from August 1 through 4.The likes of NME Cover alumnus Been Stellar, Geese, and The Last Dinner Party are also set to perform alongside Deftones, Tate McRae, Laufey (performing with the Chicago Philharmonic), Conan Grey, Reneé Rapp, Faye Webster, Victoria Monét, Sexyy Red, Teddy Swims, Benson Boone, Jungle, Two Door Cinema Club, Killer Mike, Vince Staples, Four Tet, Kevin Abstract, Ethel Cain, Chappell Roan, Teeze Touchdown, Kenny Beats, The Japanese House, Romy, Flo, Cults, Slow Pulp, Militarie Gun, Fleshwater, Wisp, and more.A festival pass pre-sale will be available for those who sign up for a pre-sale passcode via the Lollapalooza official website.

Shōgun depicts Japan in the year 1600, but why do the characters say that Cosmo Jarvis’ English character John Blackthorne is speaking Portuguese? Read on to find out.Some have labelled the series as the “new Game of Thrones”. In it, Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) is fighting for his life as his enemies unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby village, where the character of John Blackthorne (Jarvis) is introduced. The historical drama is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by James Clavell, which had previously been adapted into a 1980 American miniseries.

BM of K-pop group KARD has announced his upcoming 2024 ‘After the After Party’ tour.Today (March 19), KARD’s BM and tour organiser Konnect’d Entertainment revealed that the K-pop idol is set to go on his first solo tour of the US, titled ‘After the After Party’.According to the announcement the rapper will embark on his tour this May. Information about the tour, including cities, dates, venues, ticketing and more is expected in the coming weeks.