Manga Miracle | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
For a major Hollywood project, Afro Samurai's roots are about as obscure as can be. The soon-to-be-released movie originated as a manga created in Japan by Okazaki Takashi, who originally funded the comic out of his own pocket.

Showcasing Asian Cinema | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
The broadcast of the South Korean TV series Winter Sonata in Japan in 2003 ignited a boom in South Korean pop culture. Amid burgeoning interest in Asian culture, Japan's first theater specializing in Asian films opened in Tokyo in March 2006.

Beauty and the Ghosts | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
The school of Nihonga (Japanese-style painting) is an expression of Japan's artistic traditions. A young female artist called Matsui Fuyuko has caused a sensation in the world of Nihonga not only for her works but also for her striking looks.

Manga-Inspired Movies | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Over the past few years Japanese movies have won new popularity, and both box office sales and the number of releases are now on the rise. Live-action movies adapted from manga comics are a major force shaping this trend.

Brain Training for Young and Old | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Handheld electronic games, once the exclusive domain of the young, are acquiring a rapidly expanding fan base among the middle-aged and elderly.

Cosplay Convention | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
From Japan, the birthplace of manga, anime, and video games, comes cosplay, another form of Japanese pop culture that is beginning to sweep the world.

Thirty Years of Gags | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
The long-running boys' comical manga Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Koen Mae Hashutsujo (From the Police Box at Kameari Park, Katsushika Ward), better known as Kochikame, turns 30 this year.

Sea Life as Nightlife | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
One of Tokyo's newest attractions is an amusement center on the grounds of an exclusive hotel, combining a public aquarium with a concert hall, a bowling alley, a movie theater, and restaurants.

Drawing Acclaim | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA) is given annually to authors, illustrators and storytellers who help stimulate and promote interest in children's and youth literature around the world. This year, one of the two recipients was picture book author Arai Ryoji, the first Japanese to receive the prize.

Cartoon Tourism | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Manga and anime are leading a global boom in popular Japanese culture. Now some enterprising travel agents are cashing in on this trend by organizing trips to Japan specifically for manga and anime fans.

Samurai Samba | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
"Matsuken Samba II," a song and dance act by a TV star who is best known for his samurai roles, is riding a wave of popularity. The act is by Matsudaira Ken, a veteran entertainer who dresses as a samurai to perform the song.

Kabuki Meets Shakespeare | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Kabuki began about 400 years ago. At around the same time in Britain, William Shakespeare was turning out plays and sonnets. Now Ninagawa Yukio, a theater director known for his Japanese productions of Shakespeare's works, has fused the two classical styles together.

Michelin in Japan | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
A Japan edition of the Michelin Guides, travel books famous all over the world for their ratings of hotels and restaurants, will be published in February 2007.

Taking Part in Art | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
From September 28 to December 18, 2005, Yokohama is hosting an ambitious arts festival featuring the works of around 80 artists from around the world and located along the port city's spectacular waterfront.

Manga For Grown-Ups | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Hachimitsu to Kuroba (Honey and Clover) is a serialized manga (comic) that follows the lives of five young people attending an art college as they deal with unrequited love and other life issues. It has recently been turned into a TV anime series, and a big-screen version is now planned.

Movies In Your Pocket | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
A growing number of people have begun to take advantage of video on the go, watching movies or television programs while riding the train or relaxing in a cafe. And among the most popular devices for portable video playback are handheld gaming consoles.

Germany In Japan | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Over 1,000 events are being held throughout Japan between April 2005 and spring 2006 as part of Deutschland in Japan 2005/2006.

Gundam Plastic Models | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
More than twenty years after the TV anime (cartoon) series Kido Senshi Gandamu (Mobile Suit Gundam) was first broadcast in 1979, it remains hugely popular. Many fans collect plastic models of Gundam characters, and limited-edition models have recently become hot items among collectors.

A Fresh Look at Traditional Art | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Tenmyouya Hisashi is one of a group of young and highly acclaimed Japanese artists who borrow styles and ideas from Japan's artistic history.

Cultural Treasures Go on Show | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Yokoso! Japan Weeks lasts from February 5 to 20, 2005. It coincides with the opening of Central Japan International Airport, located near the city of Nagoya, a development expected to draw significant numbers of Chinese and South Korean visitors to Japan.