Tokyo International News Agency

With the arrival of the large-scale summer event season, the phrase 'Booth Setup Complete' (Setsuei Kanryo) has trended on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Creators and circle leaders participating in various events nationwide—such as Japan's largest dōjinshi convention, Comic Market (Comiket), as well as model exhibitions like KCF and the Hokkaido Model Exchange Meeting—have been successively reporting the safe completion of their booth setups. The timeline has been flooded with photos of elaborately designed circle booths, announcements for new publications, and merchandise, enveloping users in a festive mood that heralds the opening of these events. Many users commented that 'just seeing the setup complete posts on the timeline raises the excitement of participating in the event' and that 'it is good for the soul,' showing how fans who cannot attend in person also enjoy this as a seasonal tradition of the time of year. On the other ...

In the ongoing special event "Hyakki Yako Interception Operation" of the popular sword-training simulation game "Touken Ranbu ONLINE," the durability of the raid boss "Shuten Doji" has dropped to 70%, triggering its weakening phase. As a result, the game temporarily entered a state where "all sword types have an advantage" and "enemies do not counterattack," causing a massive surge of excitement primarily on social media. According to the official announcement by the management, the combined efforts of players worldwide successfully whittled down the boss's durability, leading to a bonus time where all sword types, regardless of specific categories, gain a combat advantage. Furthermore, because the boss no longer attacks, an environment has been created where it is much easier to consistently secure high battle results (S-rank victories). Following this announcement, the term "All Sword Types" trended on social media (form...

In the early hours of the 15th Japan time, a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck near Flores Island in eastern Indonesia. Local authorities temporarily issued a tsunami warning, and tsunami waves of less than one meter were observed in several coastal areas. Strong aftershocks have continued intermittently in the region, prompting residents to evacuate to high ground and other safe locations. According to announcements by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), the earthquake occurred in the early morning local time. Following the main shock, strong aftershocks, including one of magnitude 6, were recorded in rapid succession within 30 minutes, causing widespread disruption locally, such as patients being evacuated outside of hospitals. The context The waters off Flores Island, the epicenter of this earthquake, are in a region that suffered catastrophic damage from a massive earthquake and tsunami back ...

At the Comic Market dōjinshi convention currently being held at Tokyo Big Sight, a record-breaking waiting line formed at a booth related to the popular franchise "Chou-Kagu," drawing massive attention on social media. Immediately after the venue opened, fans rushed to the area, with numerous reports indicating that the size of the queue exceeded 3,000 people. Unusual measures were taken, such as setting up dedicated guidance routes in front of the booth, and the overwhelming turnout prompted astonished comments calling it "a singularity within the venue." The Battle for Staff Books and Related Items Particular attention was focused on limited-distribution items such as "staff books" and "post-completion books" created by individuals involved in the project. Amid limited stock, unverified information flew back and forth—ranging from "it's sold out" to "there is still stock left"—triggering an intense information battle on ...

As Comic Market 108 (C108), one of the world's largest dōjinshi conventions, takes place at Tokyo Big Sight, the phrase 'Kaguya sold out' has rapidly emerged on social media, trending and generating massive excitement. This phenomenon appears to have been triggered by the quick sell-out of merchandise at a booth related to the popular content 'Super Kaguya-hime'. Right after the venue opened, posts such as 'Kaguya is sold out!' flooded social media, spreading rapidly along with discussions regarding the authenticity of the claims. Many users online were immediately reminded of 'Nanoha sold out,' a legendary meme from the Heisei era of Comiket that symbolized the rapid sell-out of merchandise and the associated online maneuvering. Numerous comments embraced this as a new tradition of otaku culture passed down across eras, with remarks like 'The Heisei 'Nanoha sold out' has become the Reiwa 'Kaguya sold out'' and 'An advance...

It has been announced that Hama Okamoto, the bassist of the four-piece Japanese rock band OKAMOTO'S, is officially leaving the group. Hama Okamoto had been on a hiatus since April of this year to focus on his medical treatment and recovery due to poor health. According to the official announcement, the decision was reached after extensive discussions among the four band members. He is expected to continue his rest and recovery for the foreseeable future. Known as a prominent face of the band through his exceptional bass technique and frequent appearances across various media platforms, the sudden news of his departure has sent shockwaves across social media. Fans have expressed disbelief and sorrow with comments like "I can't believe this" and "The shock is just too much." At the same time, many fans expressed deep concern for his prolonged health struggles, sending warm messages of support such as "Please put your health first and take your time to rec...

With localized torrential downpours and typhoons causing frequent road flooding in recent years, incidents of drivers becoming trapped inside submerged vehicles continue to occur. Amid these dangers, an emergency escape technique utilizing car headrests has been garnering widespread attention on social media. When a vehicle is submerged in water, external water pressure makes it extremely difficult to open the doors. Online, videos and posts have gone viral demonstrating how to remove a seat's headrest, insert its metal prongs into the gap between the window glass and the door frame, and use leverage to shatter the glass. Netizens have responded enthusiastically, sharing comments like, "This is life-saving knowledge everyone should remember," and "The key is not to bash the window, but to pry it open by sliding the prongs into the gap." However, many are also pointing out the limitations and caveats of relying solely on this escape method. Drivers of sports cars...