Sony has quietly removed Japan Studio from its official lineup

As the world’s athletes gather in Japan for the Summer Olympics the country is experiencing a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections. Country-wide, case numbers have risen 20% in the past week, with 4,204 new infections reported on Friday.

Pokémon as their official Water Ambassador for Water Day on August 1.The water-type Eevee evolution Vaporeon is now the official mascot for Water Day, a Japanese initiative run by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefU.S. First Lady Jill Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Tokyo on Friday, according to Japanese reports.

crowdfunding drive last Friday (July 16) requesting donations of at least 5,000 yen (approximately GBP33).Within the first 24 hours, the crowdfunding campaign met its goal of 10million yen, according to an Anime News Network report.

EXCLUSIVE: New York’s Japan Society has unveiled the full line-up for the 15th edition of Japan Cuts: Festival Of New Japanese Film, the largest celebration of Japanese cinema in North America.

EXCLUSIVE: In an intriguing partnership that signals the continuing trend of far-flung international collaborations in the film/TV biz, leading Japanese multiplatform entertainment company Nippon TV is teaming up with London-based premium media outfit Envision Entertainment to form a joint slate. First up will be a series inspired by hit Japanese show Double Booking, and a pair of manga adaptations.

South Korea’s Olympic committee said it has removed flags at its Olympic village in Tokyo after they raised bad memories about a past military conflict between Japan and Korea.

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild has landed a fan in police custody after attempting to sell them online.The 27-year-old was detained in Japan after illegally produced Breath Of The Wild save files listed on an auction site in April were found to belong to him.Tampering with save files is not always a criminal offence, but Japan has been implementing far stricter rules in recent years, leading to several incidents.

Demon Slayer, Ufotable, has reportedly been formally indicted for tax evasion.Per a report from The Japan Times, Ufotable was charged last year after it was accused of evading a total of ¥137million (approximately £895,777) in corporate and consumption tax between September 2014 and August 2018.

Genshin Impact fans, but miHoYo has announced that the much-anticipated region of Inazuma is coming to the game as the first major expansion for its world since launching last year.The free-to-play action RPG released with two of seven known regions in the world of Teyvat: the European-inspired city of Mondstadt and the Chinese-inspired Liyue Harbour.During this time, Genshin Impact has hinted at the nation of Inazuma as the next region, which players had long anticipated.

missing teacher Alice Hodgkinson after she vanished eight days ago in Japan. The Edinburgh University graduate had failed to make contact with her loved ones back in the UK since an email on June 30, her family confirmed.

EXCLUSIVE: FilmSharks, the Buenos Aires-based sales agency, is busy on the ground here in Cannes and has inked a series of significant deals on key titles from its slate.

Jamie Lang International sales agency M-Appeal has closed two deals at Cannes Marché du Film for Marcela Lordy’s feature “The Book of Delights,” licensing to Film Movement in North America and At Entertainment in Japan.Adapted from Clarice Lispector’s Brazilian novel “Uma Aprendizagem ou Livro dos Prazeres,” “The Book of Delights” is the erotic story of Lóri, a woman on the lookout for sexual satisfaction without sacrificing any of her own self-determination.

Olympic venues in Tokyo because of a new state of emergency imposed due to the spread of the coronavirus, Japan's Olympic minister said Thursday, meaning the Games will happen mostly behind closed doors.