On November 5, the 30 candidates for Japan’s word or phrase of the year were announced. See the full list of terms that described 2026 for the Japanese-speaking population.

Babies born via in vitro fertilization reached a record 86,473 in Japan in 2024, representing approximately one in every eight births nationwide.

A new exhibition offers a sweeping overview of Ainu culture, from nineteenth-century crafts to dance performances at last year’s Expo in Osaka.

Studio Ghibli’s iconic early work My Neighbor Totoro marked a turning point for Miyazaki Hayao, who had previously steered clear of Japanese settings, in which he expressed his newfound appreciation for his native land through the film’s lush, sacred forest.

The 2023 Godzilla Minus One was the first Japanese film to win an Oscar for best visual effects. Three years later, Godzilla Minus Zero follows up with even more thrilling action in the form of a kaijū battle certain to thrill monster movie fans.