Tokyo International News Agency

On October 1, STARTO ENTERTAINMENT announced via its official website that it had terminated the exclusive contract of Shuto Inomata, a member of its affiliated idol group timelesz, effective September 30. Consequently, Inomata has left the group, and timelesz will continue its activities as a seven-member group moving forward. According to the agency's announcement, following interviews with relevant parties and an investigation into the facts, it was determined that "a serious violation of the exclusive contract was recognized, falling under the termination grounds stipulated in the contract." Furthermore, the agency explained that this termination was "a management decision made based on our exclusive contract, separate from any criminal disposition." The context The remaining seven members of the group have accepted the agency's decision. News of the sudden contract termination and lineup change has sparked surprise and confusion across social media plat...

Kawakami Sangyo, widely known as the manufacturer and distributor of the iconic bubble wrap brand "Puchi Puchi," officially changed its corporate name to "Puchi Puchi Co., Ltd." on October 1, 2026. The bold rebranding, which adopts the registered trademark of its beloved flagship product as its corporate identity, has sparked a wave of surprise and celebration across social media. The company's bubble wrap product "Puchi Puchi" commands overwhelming name recognition and market share in Japan as an indispensable packaging material. This name change is viewed as a strategic move to elevate and consolidate the widely embraced consumer product brand into the overall corporate brand identity. To mark the official launch of the new corporate name on October 1, the company unveiled a new office signboard and launched unique interactive campaigns on social media—such as a pledge to "pop one bubble for every like received"—drawing widespread attention...

A judicial decision by the Tokyo District Court in a lawsuit filed by renowned voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda over unauthorized AI voice cloning has sent ripples across Japan. The court stated that “a person’s voice, much like their likeness, is a symbol of their personal identity,” explicitly recognizing for the first time that a human voice is protected under the right of publicity. Although the court ultimately dismissed the specific injunction and damages claims because the offending videos had already been removed, the ruling has been widely celebrated on social media as a historic step forward for voice rights. Fellow voice actors, creators, and professionals throughout the entertainment industry have expressed profound relief. Many noted that having the judiciary acknowledge that “voice is a symbol of personal identity” carries far greater significance than the financial outcome of the case. As generative artificial intelligence rapidly spreads, this prec...

It has been revealed that Yokohama DeNA BayStars pitcher Hayate Nakagawa (27) will retire from professional baseball at the end of this season. Although the club urged him to stay by offering a developmental contract with a potential transition to becoming an everyday position player, Nakagawa firmly declined. Driven by a singular devotion—declaring, “I wanted my career to end in Yokohama”—he chose not to seek opportunities with other teams and decided to hang up his spikes. When the news broke, the phrase “Ending in Yokohama” rapidly climbed social media trending charts, sparking widespread reaction. While many supporters lamented his early retirement at just 27 years old, the Kanagawa-born submarine pitcher’s deep local loyalty and graceful departure touched the hearts of fans across the country. Online messages poured in with emotional reactions: “His departure is simply too cool—he seemed ready for this from the day he joined,” “As a f...

Voice actress Asami Yaguchi, widely known for her role as Kuchipatchi in the anime series 'Tamagotchi!', has passed away due to heart failure. Her sudden passing at the young age of 47 has sparked an outpouring of grief and shock among fans and industry insiders on social media. Throughout her career, Yaguchi breathed life into numerous memorable characters in popular anime and video games. In addition to her signature role as Kuchipatchi, she voiced the young Gintoki Sakata in 'Gintama', Kachina Taslasq in the 'Super Robot Wars' series, and Sawyer in 'BLACK LAGOON', among many others. Following the sudden news of her passing, X (formerly Twitter) was flooded with heartbroken posts from fans, with comments such as "47 is far too young," "I can't believe it," and "It's devastating to think I won't hear her beloved voice anymore." Co-stars and creators who worked with her also shared tributes mourning her untimely ...

It has been announced that the music video (MV) for the song "Tekitoryoku," included in popular VTuber Kuzuha's 2nd mini-album "Adamantite," will premiere on YouTube at midnight on September 28th, creating a huge buzz on X (formerly Twitter). Immediately following the announcement, fans flooded social media with joy, leaving comments such as "I've been waiting for the 'Tekitoryoku' MV!" and "I'm so happy because it's my favorite song from the album." The timeline was quickly filled with posts from excited fans using the hashtag "#Tekitoryoku" while eagerly awaiting the release. Additionally, mentions of the production team credited in the video description and discussions about potential choreography have raised expectations for future live concerts, with fans commenting, "Call and responses are definitely going to be so fun" and "Hearing it performed live is guaranteed to be amazing." The nat...

In September 2026, the Imperial Household Agency released photographs of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako during their visit to Ghibli Park in Aichi Prefecture. The images show Their Majesties smiling brightly as they board the "Catbus," a beloved vehicle from Studio Ghibli's iconic animated film My Neighbor Totoro, sparking a wave of surprise and delight across social media platforms. According to reports, the Emperor and Empress visited the prefecture to attend the opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, taking the opportunity to stop by Ghibli Park as part of their itinerary. The released photos capture them posing alongside famous characters such as No-Face and the Catbus, including a shot taken by the Emperor himself using his own smartphone. Humorous and warm reactions flooded online platforms, with users posting comments like "The Emperor riding the Catbus" and "That's a truly royal bus." The Catbus exhibit in the "Ghibl...