Tokyo International News Agency

On May 29, YouTube Japan announced the return of its highly popular project, “YouTube Music Weekend,” where live concert footage and music videos from various artists are premiered back-to-back. Scheduled to run for three days from Friday, June 5 to Sunday, June 7, 2026, this special installment—titled “YouTube Music Weekend: MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2026 Edition”—celebrates the upcoming “MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2026,” one of the country's largest international music award shows. A stellar lineup of 48 artists will participate in the event. According to the newly released timetable, the event kicks off on Friday, June 5, with anime song icon LiSA at 7:15 PM (presenting “LiVE COLLECTiON”) followed by boy band BE:FIRST at 8:05 PM (featuring footage from “BMSG FES'25”). BE:FIRST has already generated immense buzz on social media, with fans praising their teaser trailer as “absolutely amazing” and “packed with hi...

The official live stream program "Tsukisuta" for the popular idol training game "Ensemble Stars!!" is being broadcast live today from 6 PM JST from the 10th Fes event stage, generating significant buzz among fans. This installment of "Tsukisuta" is set to reveal details about the popular unit "Knights'" fan appreciation festival and unveil a highly anticipated music video (MV) for an event song. On social media, anticipation for the MV's release is immense, with numerous passionate comments like "I'm so incredibly excited to see the MV!" and "My emotions are running so high, I love it so much, I feel like I'll only be able to speak in terms like 'annihilation' and 'explosive love!'" pouring in. Various speculations are also circulating regarding the show's guests. Particular attention is being paid to the possibility of Suou Tsukasa, the leader of Knights, appearing, with comments like ...

Popular virtual liver Tamaki Fumino celebrated her 8th debut anniversary on March 15th, hosting a special live stream. She captivated viewers with her unique worldview, which fans often describe as "chaotic" and a "demonic realm." The 8th-anniversary live stream, which began at 9 PM on the same day, was highly anticipated by many fans. A particular highlight was the unexpected turn of events during the "Totsumachi" (call-in) segment, where all five scheduled guest livers were unable to participate. In this unprecedented situation, only Belmond Banderas dared to enter this "chaotic" space, enduring for approximately 50 minutes. Fans exclaimed, "Tamaki Fumino is terrifying!" and "Bel-san is amazing!", while also expressing sympathy for Belmond, with comments like "Bel-san looks like he's about to lose it." Regarding the seemingly endless "Bunbunbun" song, some commented, "I've heard enough for a ...

On March 4, 2026, Arashi members Satoshi Ohno and Sho Sakurai were suddenly announced as surprise guests for Jun Matsumoto's fan club exclusive live stream, "Jun Matsumoto Live Stream PART 8," sending fans into a frenzy. Ohno and Sakurai are scheduled to appear around 10:30 PM, with the stream starting at 10:00 PM. This sudden announcement led to an outpouring of surprise and joy on social media (formerly X), with comments like "This is too sudden!" and "Is this the first live Satoshi Ohno since the hiatus...?" Anticipation is high for Ohno's "live" appearance, his first in about a year, with fans exclaiming, "We get to see a living Satoshi Ohno!" Excited comments from fans also included, "Leader and Sho-chan, I'm so excited," "It's almost like Arashi-o," and "For Jii-Mago, Oh-Yama, and Sho-Jun to gather in one place!" Many comments touched upon the relationships between the members. This su...

On February 6, 2026, Tamanoi Nana, a popular VTuber affiliated with the prominent agency Nijisanji, celebrated a major milestone with her highly anticipated 3D debut stream. Broadcast live on YouTube at 9 PM JST, the event, titled 'What? 3D Nana is here!!!!!!!', was an overwhelming success, drawing over 70,000 concurrent viewers. Anticipation for the stream had been building for days, with official Nijisanji accounts and fellow Livers posting excited tweets. The hashtag '#TamanoiNana3D' quickly trended on X (formerly Twitter) leading up to the broadcast. As the start time arrived, a massive number of fans eagerly awaited, and once the stream began, Tamanoi Nana's powerful singing voice and adorable new 3D avatar immediately became the focus of widespread discussion. Throughout the broadcast, Tamanoi Nana mesmerized her audience with her exceptional vocal talent. The comment section was flooded with praise, including remarks like 'Her singing is too good' and...

Sho Sakurai, a member of the popular group Arashi, has announced an exclusive audio live stream for fan club members, titled "Sho Sakurai Audio Live Stream #6." This announcement has generated a huge buzz, especially across social media platforms. The event, distributed via "FAMILY CLUB online," is scheduled to begin on January 30, 2026 (Friday) at 9 PM JST. Arashi fan club members can watch for free. As soon as ticket registration opened, numerous fans swiftly reported "Purchase Complete (Free)," and expressions of joy poured in. On X (formerly Twitter), comments like "So generous!", "I'll finish work super fast to listen!", and "I never expected this, so I'm incredibly happy!" came one after another, clearly indicating how eagerly fans had awaited this live stream. Some even exclaimed, "An otaku driven crazy by three consecutive days of content," delighting in the recent continuous updates from Sakurai. Com...

Popular idol group SixTONES greatly excited their fans with a live stream titled "New Year Early... Emergency Live Broadcast" on their official YouTube channel around 9 PM on January 2nd. This event, which served as the culmination of a series of live streams spanning the New Year holidays, had built up anticipation for a major announcement due to the word "emergency." However, the members humorously revealed during the broadcast that "there are no particular announcements," initially surprising fans. But when it was revealed that the true reason for the "emergency" was simply "because all six members were present" and their heartfelt desire to share SixTONES' presence with their fans, numerous joyous comments like "Their love is immense" and "This is too luxurious" poured in on social media. During the stream, the members looked back on events from New Year's Eve to New Year's Day, engaging in relaxed an...

Snow Man's New Year's Eve live stream, "Snow Man Special Live: Everyone Enjoying New Year's Eve! 2025 ~Request ♡ Grand Operation?!~," affectionately known as "Suno-Misoka," held on New Year's Eve, became a massive talking point as the song "Bakkyun" garnered passionate support from fans. The highlight of this live stream, the "Real-time Request Grand Operation," saw "Bakkyun" crowned number one through viewer votes. As the official account announced the results, social media instantly exploded with joyous comments like "So happy to hear Bakkyun!", "Precious Bakkyun!", and "Thank you for granting my Bakkyun wish!" Fans were captivated by its cute choreography and adorable interactions among members. Many comments praised the "Bakkyun choreography for being too cute," and performances by specific member pairings such as "MemeNabe" (Ren Meguro, Shota Watanabe), "MemeKoj...

Details have been announced for popular group Snow Man's special New Year's Eve live performance, "Snow Man Special Live Minna to Tanoshimu Omisoka! 2025 ~Request ♡ Daisakusen?!~" (Snow Man Special Live Let's All Enjoy New Year's Eve! 2025 ~Request ♡ Grand Strategy?!~), affectionately known as "Sunomisoka." This announcement has led to an outpouring of joy and anticipation from fans on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). On this day, the official Snow Man / MENT RECORDING account unveiled a program titled "Sunomisoka Omishoka" (Sunomisoka Menu). This truly fan-participatory special live will feature Snow Man fulfilling fan wishes by selecting songs and performances from requests submitted by fans in advance. The stream is set to begin on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, at 7:00 PM JST. Following this announcement, fans enthusiastically posted comments such as "I'm so incredibly happy, it's too amazing, my brain can't p...

Popular idol group Snow Man has announced that they will hold a live stream again on New Year's Eve this year, and social media is overflowing with messages of joy and gratitude from fans. This announcement will undoubtedly be a major source of excitement for many fans during the year-end and New Year holidays. 'New Year's Eve Live Stream' has become an annual event for Snow Man in recent years, drawing numerous comments such as 'Thank you again this year' and 'It's nothing but love.' Fans have expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to interact with them despite their busy schedule, which includes an ongoing dome tour and year-end countdown concerts, and warm wishes for the members' health. For fans who cannot watch in real-time due to work or other commitments, the availability of archive streaming appears to be a major source of relief. Posts like 'I was about to cry because I couldn't watch due to work, but there's an archive...

The popular quiz show "Niji-Qui" from the VTuber group Nijisanji has announced its return this winter as "Niji-Qui Winter Battle," set for a 2D live stream on December 10th (Wednesday) at 8 PM JST. This news has created a significant buzz across social media. The announcement post from Nijisanji's official account was flooded with joyful exclamations such as "Niji-Qui, really!?!?!?" and "Can't wait for Niji-Qui!!!!" For this "Winter Battle," 15 Livers will reportedly split into three teams to tackle various quizzes. Fans are already expressing hopes for future seasonal installments, with comments like, "It feels like a big special with so many people. If it's the Winter Battle, does that mean there will be one for each season from now on?" Particularly drawing attention is the lineup of Livers participating this time. Many fans are excited about the appearance of QuizKnock's Shunki Sugai (also known as "...

Episode 5 of "Nijisanji Busters," the popular VTuber group Nijisanji's regular collaborative project, premiered today at 10 PM JST, drawing immense anticipation from fans. Titled "Episode 5: Brawl ~The Sound of Bonds Breaking~," the broadcast featured the popular competitive game "Party Animals," where adorable animal characters clash fiercely. Fans eagerly awaited to see new sides of the livers (VTubers) and unexpected relationships unfold, leading to the topic dominating trends on X (formerly Twitter) even before the stream began. Ahead of the broadcast, Ange Katrina, one of the participating livers, commented, "We were such good friends... Why must we fight!?" further fueling the excitement. Fans responded with a flood of joyous comments such as "Nijisanji Busters is here!" "So happy, so happy!" and "Uoooooooh!" Many posts also expressed strong affection for the project, like "I love Nijisanji Busters soo...

Jun Matsumoto of popular group Arashi has announced that he will hold a live streaming event titled “Jun Matsumoto Live Stream PART7” exclusively for fan club members, starting at 8:00 PM on Friday, August 1, 2025. This announcement was made via the official FAMILY CLUB online account, drawing numerous expressions of joy and anticipation from fans. This live stream will be available for free viewing to all Arashi fan club members. Viewers will need to complete a pre-registration process to obtain a viewing ticket on the FAMILY CLUB online website. To ensure many fans can enjoy the event without worry, an archive stream will also be available at a later date for those unable to watch in real-time. On social media, comments such as “Purchase complete! (It’s free),” “It’s so kind that there’s no payment required every time,” “Excited,” and “Looking forward to it” have poured in, with fans quickly completing their ticket acquisition. There have also been praises for the attention to detail...

It has been announced that the final performance of Shiki Theatre Company's original musical 'Ghost & Lady' in Nagoya will be live-streamed, leading to an outpouring of joy from fans, particularly on social media. When Shiki Theatre Company's official X (formerly Twitter) account announced the live stream, expressions of delight such as "So happy about the stream decision!" and "Whoa! So thrilled about the Ghost & Lady stream!!!!" quickly spread. Many comments also praised the high quality of the production, saying things like "Everyone needs to see this" and "It's the best." 'Ghost & Lady' tells the story of a mysterious bond between a ghost and a human woman. Following its successful run in Tokyo, it has also garnered immense popularity in Nagoya, with remaining performances completely sold out. For fans who couldn't make it to the theater, the live stream is truly long-awaited news. Numerous users ha...