Tokyo International News Agency

On October 10, 2025, at 10:10 AM, a special moment — "Showa 100, October 10, 10:10 AM" — became a major topic on X (formerly Twitter), quickly becoming a trending topic. This date marked the 100th year since the start of the Showa era (1926). Many users were captivated by the "zorome" (repeating digits) sequence, where the year (Showa 100), month, day, hour, and minute all aligned to "10," creating a wave of excitement across Japan. Amidst rising expectations of this being a "once-in-a-lifetime miraculous moment" and "a numerical alignment that feels like divine design," many users attempted to capture this precious instant by taking screenshots of their smartphone or PC clock displays. Social media was flooded with posts sharing their joy, such as "Got it!" and clapping emojis. Some even self-deprecatingly reported their success with comments like, "I've done something incredibly idle 😁😁😁." Conversely, numero...

Today, October 10, 2025, the phrase 'Showa 100th Year, October 10th' garnered significant attention on social media and trended. Many users reacted to this catchy date, sharing it as a special day. On X (formerly Twitter), posts like 'Today is Showa 100th Year, October 10th' flooded timelines, with users expressing sentiments such as 'Knowing this gives a mysterious sense of specialness and nostalgia' and 'My heart is dancing.' There were also many eagerly anticipating the precise moment of 'Showa 100th Year, October 10th, 10:10,' marking it as a visually auspicious 'all-same-numbers' time. This unique date also sparked intergenerational conversations. Users born in the Showa era humorously reflected on their age and era, with comments like 'Hearing this makes me feel really old' and 'To someone born in the Reiwa era, I must seem like someone from ancient times, like a grandmother.' Some even posted *tanka* (a form of Japa...

It has been announced that Takashi Sugawara, the elder brother of the folk duo Billy BanBan, passed away on the 24th at the age of 81 due to pneumonia. His long musical career concluded after an extended battle with illness. According to sources, Takashi Sugawara's health began to decline last autumn, leading to his hospitalization at the end of last year. In May of this year, he suffered from aspiration pneumonia and had been bedridden since. Since collapsing in 2014, he continued his musical activities in a wheelchair, facing his illness head-on and performing on stage, moving many fans. His younger brother, Susumu Sugawara, expressed deep gratitude and condolences through their agency, stating, "He was truly a great brother. Thank you, big brother." This message, highlighting the strong bond between the brothers, has touched many hearts. Billy BanBan is known for numerous hit songs such as "Shiroi Buranko (White Swing)," "Sayonara wo Suru Tame ni (To Say...