Sony reportedly discontinues multiple PS4 models in Japan

Refresh for latest…: Disney/Pixar’s Soul got off to a jazzy start in Korea this weekend, debuting at No. 1 and seeing the second best bow for a non-local title since the Covid pandemic began. The Pete Docter-directed original also launched in Russia, at No. 1, and came in ahead of several pre-Covid animation openings. In total, Soul led the international box office with a $10.4M weekend from 13 markets. See more on Soul below.

Gunning for the gold! The Tokyo Olympics faced delays amid the coronavirus pandemic, but Team USA athletes are ready to take home big wins this summer.

Ryuichi Sakamoto has announced that he has been diagnosed with rectal cancer. In a statement posted on his website, the beloved Japanese composer confirmed that a recent surgery was successful and that he's currently undergoing treatment.

EXCLUSIVE: Vice has picked up all rights to documentary The Toxic Pigs of Fukushima by The Eagle Huntress filmmaker Otto Bell.

Jamie Lang Germany’s ZDF Enterprises (ZDFE) has scored international distribution rights to “Inside Japan’s War,” a new four-part docu-series from Wildbear Entertainment.“Inside Japan’s War” combines archive material, first-person accounts, interviews with historical and cultural experts, modern graphics and contemporary images to lift the veil on why it was that Japan went to war in the first place.Having built one of the world’s largest empires, Japan’s political structure at the time stoked

Nintendo Switch dominated the Japanese market in 2020, selling over six million units and accounting for 87 per cent of all consoles sales in the country, according to a new report.New data from Famitsu/Kadokawa (via gamesindustry.biz) shows that the popular hybrid console maintained a strong lead over its competitors in the Japanese market, despite the release of next-gen consoles in Q4 2020.It sold over six million units in Japan in 2020, well ahead of its closest rival the PS4 with 542,000

J Dilla's seminal album Welcome 2 Detroit dropped in 2001, and on February 5 the project gets a massive 20th anniversary reissue treatment. The 12-vinyl box comes with outtakes, alternative mixes, a whole-ass book about the album's creation, and two new remixes.

Mark Schilling Japan Correspondent“Crazy Samurai: 400 vs. 1,” a period swashbuckler starring Tak Sakaguchi (“Versus”) as the legendary warrior Miyamoto Musashi, is wowing fans outside Japan as it moves from the international festival circuit to streaming.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterBenoît Jutras, the composer behind many Cirque du Soleil productions, is developing a slate of original musicals for the stage and screen.The first project will be a rock opera that traces Japan’s Imperial Family through the final days of World War II.

A “soft” state of emergency has been declared in Tokyo and three surrounding districts as authorities tackle rising Covid-19 cases.

Mark Schilling Japan CorrespondentAs anticipated, the Japanese government on Thursday declared a state of emergency for Tokyo and the three neighboring prefectures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa for a period of one month starting on Jan. 8.

Mark Schilling Japan CorrespondentAnticipating that the Japanese government may again call for movie theaters to temporarily close in Greater Tokyo due to an upsurge of coronavirus cases, Toho Cinemas and other leading exhibitors are halting sales of advance tickets for cinemas in the areas.

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment CEO Bill Rouhana teased a potent role for Sony in the company’s streaming plans, a “surprise” development given its decision in 2019 to surrender operational control of Crackle.

Hayao Miyazaki's nearly two-decade reign atop Japan's all-time box office rankings has come to an end. Runaway anime blockbuster Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train became Japan's biggest box-office hit of all time over the weekend, pushing Miyazaki's beloved classic Spirited Away (2001) into second place.

Mark Schilling Japan Correspondent“Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train,” the animated film that has become the Japanese entertainment world tsunami of 2020, pushed its cumulative earnings to $313.7 million (JPY32.5 billion) over the Dec. 26-27 weekend.

Refresh for latest…: There was a bit more varied action at the international box office this weekend, including the continued rollout of Warner Bros/DC’s Wonder Woman 1984, a sizable start for China’s Shock Wave 2, the debut of Disney/Pixar’s Soul, The Croods: A New Age nearing $100M global, and a brand new milestone for Japan’s Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train which, according to estimates, has overtaken Spirited Away to become the highest-grossing film ever in the market.