Tokyo International News Agency

A serious problem has emerged in the ongoing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election, with some party members not receiving their ballots. In Kanagawa Prefecture, in particular, over 800 party members were temporarily stripped of their eligibility, preventing ballots from being sent to them. This issue is not confined to Kanagawa; similar cases have been reported nationwide, including in Hiroshima, Chiba, and Aichi prefectures, raising widespread doubts about the fairness of the presidential election. Disenfranchisement in Kanagawa and Suspicions of "Targeting Takaichi Supporters" The LDP Kanagawa Prefectural Federation reportedly corrected its membership numbers in June this year, resulting in an increase of over 800 members. However, trouble arose during the subsequent presidential election when these members did not receive their ballots. House of Councillors member Hiroshi Yamada questioned the explanation of "discrepancies," pointing out that ...

The Major League Baseball Postseason has officially begun, and Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani immediately made his presence felt in the opening game, leading his team to victory with an explosive two-homer performance. His spectacular play has generated a flurry of astonished reactions on social media, with comments like "unbelievable" and "speechless" pouring in. In the game, Ohtani first blasted a powerful solo home run as the leadoff hitter, achieving the remarkable feat of hitting a leadoff homer in his postseason opener for the second consecutive year. Later in the game, he hammered an enormous two-run shot to right-center field, significantly extending the Dodgers' lead. These two home runs helped his team build an 8-0 advantage, proving why Ohtani is truly called "the superstar." On social media, excited comments abounded, such as "Shohei Ohtani, another home run today?! I'm speechless, he's just too amazing!" and ...

Idol group Sakurazaka46's 13th single, "Unhappy birthday kōbun," is generating significant buzz, especially on social media, due to its unique title. Ahead of its release on Wednesday, October 29, solo artist photos have been unveiled, and the announcement of the selected members for the single is set to take place on TV Tokyo's "Soko Magattara, Sakurazaka?" on Sunday, October 5, at 25:50 (1:50 AM JST), raising anticipation and excitement among fans. The unconventional title "Unhappy birthday kōbun" immediately trended on X (formerly Twitter) upon its announcement and climbed high on Yahoo! News' trend rankings, showcasing its high level of attention. Many users expressed surprise with comments like "What is that?!", "A net meme generator," and "A rather ominous title." Some even started a comedic "oogiri" (a Japanese form of improvisational comedy) by mimicking the title with "Unhappy ○○ kōbun,...

Bathclin Co., Ltd. has released a new web commercial for its bath additive brand "Kiki-yu Fine Heat," generating significant buzz on social media. The recently launched web commercial features popular talent Yugo Kochi as the bartender "Kiki-yu~go." Its unique concept, which involves empathizing with the diverse lifestyle-induced fatigue of modern people and listening to their concerns as "Kiki-yu~go" (a clever play on words based on the brand name and the Japanese word for 'to listen'), has garnered considerable attention. Following the announcement from the official account, fans flooded in with delighted comments such as "Congratulations on the new commercial!" and "Kiki-yu~go powers up to Kiki-yu~go (listener~go)!!" Many praised Yugo Kochi's portrayal of the bartender "Kiki-yu~go," saying things like "I'm completely captivated by his mature, soothing voice" and "The concept of him gently lis...

The Nijisanji-affiliated unit "Eburi" has reached its half-anniversary, marking six months since their debut, and has announced the sale of commemorative merchandise. This announcement has generated significant buzz within the fan community, with particularly enthusiastic reactions to the newly released visuals. According to the official announcement, the "Eburi Half Anniversary" merchandise will go on sale at "Niji Store" starting October 2nd (Thursday) at 6:00 PM JST. Members Ayato Hitohashi and Sakyo Itsuki appear in special visuals drawn specifically for these commemorative goods, showcasing a different charm as they hold bouquets of flowers. On social media, numerous posts express surprise and sentimentality at the rapid passage of time, with comments like "Has it already been half a year for Eburi? Time flies!" and "Eburi's half-anniversary...? Already...?" The new visuals have also garnered a flood of praise, with fans exclai...

The highly anticipated "MAD TOWN" project, which has been garnering significant attention within the gaming community, finally commenced today, October 1st, at 6 PM JST. Organized by the professional gaming team "Crazy Raccoon," this event is scheduled to run for approximately one month, and social media is already abuzz with enthusiastic comments from fans. Following the announcement of the event's start, a flurry of excited posts appeared, such as "Mad Town is back!", "I'm dancing like crazy after getting a LINE from a friend post-live show!", and "MAD TOWN is hereeeee!". Many fans found the previous "MAD TOWN" "too much fun," and there are high expectations for what new developments and "drama" will unfold this time. However, with a duration of about one month, viewers have also expressed "happy cries" such as "A whole month is insane lol," "It's tough for an old man ...

Harusaki Nodoka, known affectionately as Hololive Production's rookie announcer and staff member, announced her retirement today after approximately four years of activity. Social media has since been flooded with heartfelt farewells and good wishes from countless fans for her new chapter. Since 2022, Harusaki Nodoka has served as an official announcer for Hololive, demonstrating diverse talents by sometimes supporting Hololive members and at other times hosting events as an MC. Her bright personality, stable emceeing skills, and deep affection for the Hololive talents have endeared her to many fans. On her X account, she posted her final message: "There are still many wonderful streams from Hololive members coming up! Let's continue to enjoy our Holo-activities together from now on! This has been Harusaki Nodoka, Hololive Production's rookie announcer and rookie staff member ✨📝 I'm off! See you later." Immediately, fans responded with numerous messages of gr...

Sakura Minamoto, the protagonist of the popular anime series Zombieland Saga , has become the subject of a major SNS trend thanks to a special collaboration with the equally acclaimed series Girls Band Cry . This unique project involved the two protagonists, Sakura Minamoto and Nina Iseri, re-dubbing the opening scenes of each other's anime, with the 'dialect swap' generating significant buzz. In the collaboration video, the opening scene of Girls Band Cry was dubbed by Sakura Minamoto (voiced by Rina), while the opening scene of Zombieland Saga was handled by Nina Iseri (voiced by Kaede Hondo). This unconventional attempt, where the Karatsu dialect typically spoken by Sakura Minamoto and the Kumamoto dialect typically spoken by Nina Iseri were swapped, prompted an outpouring of surprise and praise on social media. Comments included: “This collab is too much of a mystery!” and “I feel a strong will that says, 'I’ll show you in 5 seconds what happens when a crazy one t...

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba recently visited South Korea and laid flowers at the grave of Lee Soo-hyun, a South Korean exchange student who tragically lost his life in 2001 while attempting to rescue a Japanese man who had fallen onto the tracks at Tokyo's Shin-Okubo Station. This marks the first time a sitting Japanese prime minister has visited Lee Soo-hyun's grave, and the act has garnered significant attention in both Japan and South Korea. On January 26, 2001, a drunken man fell onto the tracks at Shin-Okubo Station. Lee Soo-hyun, attempting to rescue him, along with Shiro Sekine, a Japanese photographer who also rushed to help, were struck and killed by an approaching train. This tragedy evoked deep sorrow and emotion in the people of both nations, becoming a symbol of cross-border humanism. Prime Minister Ishiba was welcomed by Lee Soo-hyun's mother, Shin Yoon-chan, and proceeded to lay flowers. Shin Yoon-chan has carried on her son's legacy, dedicating many ye...

Sony Sonpo has announced that Nao Kosaka, Yoko Shogenji, and Kaho Fujishima, three members of the popular idol group Hinatazaka46, will star as the "three sisters" in their new car insurance TV commercial, which is set to air this autumn. The new CMs are scheduled to be broadcast nationwide starting sequentially from mid-October, and fans are already expressing immense anticipation and joy. Following the announcement from Hinatazaka46's official X account (September 30, 2025), "Sony Sonpo" quickly became the number one trending topic on Yahoo!, indicating the high level of public interest. Social media was flooded with comments such as, "The best and strongest three sisters! So cute, I'm really looking forward to the CM release!" and "Thank you, Sony Sonpo-sama." Regarding Nao Kosaka's continued appearance and the first-time CM appearances of Yoko Shogenji and Kaho Fujishima, many exclamations of delight were seen, like, "Shogeka...

It has been revealed that "KMR" (real name: Yuito Kimura), known as the producer of popular social games developed by Cygames, has resigned. Social media platforms have been flooded with messages of farewell and gratitude from users. The term "KMR" trended, once again demonstrating his significant influence. Many posts included messages of appreciation such as "KMR, thank you for your hard work!" and "Thank you for all these years," indicating that KMR has been a beloved figure among users for a long time. In particular, users playing major Cygames titles like "Granblue Fantasy (GBF)", "Princess Connect! Re:Dive (Priconne)", and "Shadowverse (Shadoba)" shared numerous comments mixing fondness and sadness, such as "Who are we going to make fun of at Cygames without KMR?!" and "It's sad we won't see KMR on live streams anymore..." As Cygames' Content Director and Producer, KMR has been i...

Cygames, a prominent game development and operation company, announced on the 30th that Executive Director Yuito Kimura resigned as of the same date. The reason for his resignation is cited as ongoing poor health, which has made it difficult for him to fully carry out his previous responsibilities. Kimura explained on his SNS (formerly X) that while "it's not a serious condition that endangers my life," he confirmed his persistent poor health. He also stated that systems are already in place to ensure business operations are not affected for the titles and duties he was responsible for. Furthermore, he expressed a strong desire to return to game development once his health fully recovers. Kimura was deeply involved as a producer in numerous hit titles representing Cygames, such as "Granblue Fantasy," "Shadowverse," and "Princess Connect! Re:Dive." His accomplishments are widely recognized, and he was affectionately known as "KMR" by...

Motorola Mobility Japan has announced the domestic release of its latest AI-equipped foldable smartphones, the "motorola razr 60" and the flagship model "motorola razr 60 ultra." These devices are expected to bring a fresh impetus to the smartphone market. The "motorola razr 60" will be released on October 10th and will be available through major carriers and MVNOs such as SoftBank, NTT Docomo, IIJmio, and HIS. The "motorola razr 60 ultra," on the other hand, is scheduled to be released by au from mid-December 2025 onwards. Key features of these new models include the advanced "moto ai," a large external display, enhanced durability with a titanium hinge plate, dust resistance, and support for the highly anticipated Osaifu-Keitai mobile payment function for Japanese users. Coinciding with this announcement, a new TV commercial titled "Goodbye Traffic Jam" featuring Ren Meguro of Snow Man was also released. On social media, the...

Bandai Spirits' Collectors Division has announced the commercialization of the popular mecha "Ryukouoh/Kouryuuoh" from the "Super Robot Wars OG" series as part of its "Chogokin Damashii" line, generating significant buzz on social media. Scheduled for release in April 2026, pre-orders will open on October 1st, leading to an outpouring of anticipation from long-time fans. The biggest highlight is the faithful reproduction of the in-game transformation and combination gimmick, where Ryukouoh and Kouryuuoh combine by "swapping their upper and lower halves," realized through mechanisms like die-cast joints. This gimmick, previously considered challenging to miniaturize, has finally been achieved in the Chogokin Damashii line, leading to numerous expressions of surprise and excitement such as, "The era where a Ryukouoh with transformation and combination mechanisms exists has finally arrived!" and "How did they manage to sculpt a c...

A correction to the number of party members in Kanagawa Prefecture, in connection with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election, is causing a significant stir. Following the party's election committee's announcement of an increase of over 800 party members, suspicions of 'illegitimacy' have erupted on social media, raising numerous questions about fairness. On September 27, the party's election committee announced that the number of eligible party members in Kanagawa Prefecture had increased by 826, from an initial 57,344 to 58,170. The committee explained this by stating there was 'a discrepancy regarding the continuation of some party members.' However, this announcement has been met with a barrage of critical comments from many users on social media. Particularly because Shinjiro Koizumi, one of the candidates, hails from Kanagawa Prefecture, comments such as 'Do they want Koizumi to win that badly?', 'This is too blatant,'...

The song "Battamann," performed by popular group Cho Tokkyu (Bullet Train) on the recently aired "CDTV Live! Live!," has become a major topic of discussion on social media. After the broadcast, "Battamann" ranked high on X (formerly Twitter) trends, with many fans expressing their delight with comments like, "It was the best!" and "I can't believe it was on terrestrial TV!" Viewers Awestruck by Unpredictable Performance On that day, Cho Tokkyu performed "Battamann" as part of their "One-Night-Only Rapid-Fire Song Medley." Many fans were ecstatic about its unique lyrics and the members' intense performance, described as "going wild." Member Haru, in particular, was lauded for his passionate performance with phrases like "rampage monster" and "screaming like crazy," leaving a strong impact on viewers. On social media, while surprised comments like "Was it okay for Battamann to...

The Noble Phantasm animation for Isami Kondo, a new Servant implemented in the latest "Gudaguda Event" of the popular smartphone RPG "Fate/Grand Order (FGO)," has become a major topic of discussion on the social media platform "X (formerly Twitter)." Many users have been deeply moved by the "emotional depth" and "cleverness" of the animation, with an outpouring of praise such as "I cried" and "I have no choice but to summon him." Shinsengumi Gathers Under the "Flag of Sincerity"! An Emotional Animation Exceeding Expectations Even before this event began, fans speculated, "Will all of the Shinsengumi appear in Kondo-san's Noble Phantasm?" The revealed animation not only met those expectations but surpassed them. Isami Kondo's Noble Phantasm, "Flag of Sincerity," features previously implemented Shinsengumi comrades, including Toshizo Hijikata and Souji Okita, appearing one after ...

On September 29, 2025, popular boy group JO1 performed their song "Love seeker" on the music program "CDTV Live! Live!", causing a massive reaction on X (formerly Twitter) where "Love seeker" trended. While many fans (JAMs) were eagerly anticipating a performance of their new song "Handz In My Pocket," the sudden appearance of "Love seeker" on the show was a delightful surprise. X was immediately flooded with ecstatic comments like "Energetically trending!! A sudden Love seeker, pure bliss ✨" and "Love seeker, so happy~🥰 What a surprise 🥹." Many fans expressed their excitement over the unexpected event, exclaiming, "Never thought I’d see a performance today, absolutely thrilled!!" Regarding the "Love seeker" performance, fans reaffirmed the song's positive charm and the members' adorable appearance, with comments such as "Love seeker is the best! Love seeker always brings happines...

HoYoverse's urban fantasy action RPG *Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ)* has announced the arrival of a new S-rank Agent, Lucia, in its Ver. 2.3 update, generating significant buzz on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). It was simultaneously revealed that Rio Tsuchiya will be providing Lucia's voice. Many Proxies (players) have been eagerly awaiting Lucia's debut, with numerous comments like "I want her" and "I must pull her." Expectations for her support capabilities are particularly high, driven by keywords such as "healing-focused" and "support," leading some to even declare, "It's no exaggeration to say that HoYoverse's limited support characters are infrastructure." Posts speculating on new party compositions by combining Lucia with existing characters like Idoly, Furfur, and Komano-kun have also been observed. However, Lucia's character design has sparked some debate. Compared to pre-release information...

Kabaya Foods' hard gummy "Tough Gummy" is drawing significant attention on social media, not only for its inherent popularity but also for a unique collaboration with "Bachi Niku," a unit from the popular VTuber group "Nijisanji." On X (formerly Twitter), "Tough Gummy" became a trending topic, eliciting numerous expressions of surprise and delight from users. As many users posted comments like, "Tough Gummy is trending, but it looks different than usual, and I'm the most confused," it appears there's a special PR campaign behind this trend, beyond just product popularity. Specifically, the buzz centers around a unique presentation where members of "Bachi Niku" appear to be "summoned" surrounded by "Tough Gummy" products. This led to a flurry of unique expressions such as "Tough Gummy Bachi Niku...?", "Tough Gummy magic circle," and "Bachi Niku is being summoned by Tough ...

The popular VTuber unit "Togabito" has surprised fans with the announcement of their first collaborative stream in approximately seven months, revealed via Fushimi Gaku's X (formerly Twitter) account, sending their fanbase into a frenzy. Immediately after the announcement, social media was flooded with excited comments, and "#TogabitoCollab" quickly shot up to second place on Yahoo! Japan's trending topics, demonstrating the high level of anticipation. Fushimi Gaku announced the stream would take place from 24:00 on September 29th (midnight on September 30th), posting, "It's actually happening this month!!!!!!!! It's been a while." This sudden announcement was met with an outpouring of surprise and joy from fans, with comments like, "Togabito, collab...!? Today!?" and "Togabito collab!!!! I'm looking forward to the revival of Togabito time ✌️⚔️." Many comments expressed the long-awaited nature of the event, such as ...

It has been announced that Mad Cool, the short-distance champion known as the winner of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, will retire from racing and begin his new career as a breeding stallion at Yushun Stallion Station in Hokkaido. This news spread rapidly, primarily on the social media platform 'X' (formerly Twitter), drawing a wide range of reactions from numerous horse racing fans. While many fans expressed regret over his retirement with comments like 'Mad Cool, seriously...? 😢' and 'It's sad to see him go...', there was also a flood of grateful messages for his magnificent victory in last year's Takamatsunomiya Kinen, such as 'Glad he could win a G1!' and 'The Takamatsunomiya Kinen was truly moving! Thank you.' Some posts also hinted at an injury-related retirement, leading to wishes for Mad Cool's recovery, like 'First, heal your injury, take care' and 'Hope you get well soon.' Fans are also expressing great anticipa...

On May 29, the Maebashi District Court handed down a verdict of two years in prison, suspended for five years, to former town councilor Shoko Arai in the case of a false sexual assault accusation set in Kusatsu Town, Gunma Prefecture. Arai was accused of making false allegations in an e-book and other materials, and filing a criminal complaint, claiming to have had a sexual relationship with Kusatsu Mayor Nobutada Kuroiwa in his office, despite no such incident occurring. These accusations severely damaged the town's reputation, leading it to be derided as a "rape town." Following the verdict, Mayor Kuroiwa held a press conference, expressing his strong indignation at the incident, describing it as "tantamount to terrorism or a random attack." He spoke of the suffering caused by being falsely accused and the entire town's honor being defamed, and expressed hope that the current verdict would help clear the town's name. On social media (X), a variety of o...

Square Enix's popular mobile game, Schoolgirl Strikers 2 (hereinafter referred to as Sukusuto 2 ), ceased service on Monday, September 29, 2025, at 3:00 PM JST. After a long history spanning approximately 11 years since its launch in 2014, many fans have posted messages of gratitude and farewell on the social media platform "X." The official account, "Moshune @ Schoolgirl Strikers 2," announced the service termination and expressed gratitude, stating: "To all commanders, thank you so much for your long-standing support and patronage!" In response, fans shared heartbroken cries like "😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭," "Ah, it's over," and "Thank you for everything so far." These were accompanied by numerous messages of appreciation for years of loyalty, such as "Thank you so much, Schoolgirl Strikers. I thoroughly enjoyed it for 10 years," and "Congratulations on 11 years." News of the service termination q...

Former All-Japan Women's Figure Skating Champion Rika Kihira (Toyota Motor Corp.) has made a surprise announcement that she will be taking on the challenge of ice dance. Her partner is Shingo Nishiyama (Oriental Bio), and she reported the formation of their partnership via her Instagram. Their nickname, "Rikashin," is already gaining popularity among fans. Kihira announced, "I am pleased to announce that I have formed an ice dance partnership with Shingo Nishiyama. I will be challenging myself in ice dance." She continued, "I am grateful to my family, my affiliated company, my sponsors, and to Shingo Nishiyama for giving me this opportunity for another skating life and for supporting this new endeavor." Nishiyama also commented on his SNS, "I am delighted to announce that I have formed an ice dance partnership with Rika Kihira. I am happy to be able to work on ice dance with Ms. Kihira." He added that with the understanding of his family and ...

The highly anticipated manga and anime festival, "Jump Festa 2026," has announced its dates, already generating significant buzz on social media. With this major event set to take place at Makuhari Messe on Saturday, December 20, 2025, many fans are eagerly posting comments like "I want to go!" and "I'm going to apply!" Particular attention is being drawn to the unveiled details of the Jump Super Stages. The popular anime "Bōkyaku Battery" (Oblivion Battery) has confirmed the appearance of an impressive lineup of voice actors, including Toshiki Masuda, Mamoru Miyano, Yohei Azakami, Nobunaga Shimazaki, and Yuki Kaji, delighting fans. The official account announced that their stage will be held on Saturday, December 20, 2025, from 1:40 PM. According to MANTANWEB, popular works such as "ONE PIECE," "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba," "Jujutsu Kaisen," "Chainsaw Man," and "Gintama" are also slated...

Sanae Takaichi, former Minister of Economic Security, who is considering a bid in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership election, has shown a positive stance toward policy discussions with the Sanseito (Political Party of the People) and the Japan Conservative Party, sparking a significant wave of reactions on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). During her appearance on a Fuji TV program, when asked about potential cooperation with Sanseito, Takaichi clearly stated, "It is only natural for us to combine our efforts on policies that the LDP wishes to implement." She further expressed her eagerness for policy discussions with other parties, including the Japan Conservative Party, saying, "It is the overall responsibility of the legislature to cooperate on policies that we can work on together." At the same time, she added, "It would be absolutely rude to pre-emptively state that we will form a coalition with any specific party," indicati...

It has been announced that "Tomo o Mamoru," the new song by popular rock band Spitz, will be the opening theme song for TV anime 'SPY×FAMILY' Season 3, which is scheduled to begin airing on TV Tokyo and other networks from 11:00 PM on Saturday, October 4, 2025. The news has garnered a massive response, especially on social media. A non-credit opening video has already been released on the anime's official X (formerly Twitter) account, allowing fans to enjoy a portion of the song. This marks Spitz's first attempt at writing a song specifically for a TV anime, which has also drawn significant attention. Previous 'SPY×FAMILY' series have featured renowned artists like Official Hige Dandism, BUMP OF CHICKEN, and Ado for their opening themes, leading to high expectations for what kind of world Spitz would create. Regarding the new song "Tomo o Mamoru," a flood of praise has appeared on social media, with comments such as "Isn't it too goo...

The popular smartphone game "Monster Strike" (Monst) has announced the "Beast Form" evolution of its long-loved character, "Izanami," generating a massive buzz on the SNS platform X (formerly Twitter). Many users expressed surprise and joy at the phrase "Izanami Beast Form Evolution," garnering enough attention to become a trending topic. Izanami was one of the first characters introduced in the 'Extreme' series, one of Monster Strike's earliest and most challenging quests. Her Beast Form evolution thus holds special significance for veteran players. Posts like "Even I, who haven't played Monster Strike in a while, did a double-take at Izanami's Beast Form evolution" and "Seriously, the last bit about Izanami completely took me by surprise" indicate the announcement's impact on many users. Users are now buzzing with anticipation for Izanami's performance post-evolution, wondering if she will "r...