Oh no… somebody turned Luna into a shamisen. The opening song to an anime can really set the tone of the show. Take Sailor Moon for example. From the first time you hear the show’s classic theme song, you instantly know you’re in for something fun, filled with adventure, and maybe even a bit magical. However, if you were to …

Hands down, one of the best things to do during your stay in Fukuoka. On the second floor of a building located on Oyafukō Street in the Tenjin area of Fukuoka is a little theater called Anmitsu Hime (hime means “princess” and anmitsu is a type of Japanese sweet). Featuring stunning costumes, extravagant song and dance numbers, and plenty of comedy, the nightly …

COME ON BABY! AMERICA! There’s a new pop song that is all the craze in Japan, but it is not, as you might expect, a cookie cutter love song, instead, it’s a ridiculously cheesy and nonsensical  retro dance track dedicated to the U.S.A. Released on June 6, “U.S.A.” is a new single by the Japanese “boy band” Da Pump and …

Move over AKB48, here comes the next “big” thing. In Japan, there’s an idol group for every taste. Whether you’re into drones or heavy metal and head banging, Japan has got you covered. And now, there’s a new group tailor-made for those who have a thing for “obese angels.” Coming in at a combined weight of 418 kg (922 lbs) …

Starmie to the rescue. If you’re at all familiar with the Pokemon franchise, then you know that Starmie is a Generation 1 Pokemon modeled after the starfish. However, what you probably don’t know is that Starmie isn’t just a Pokemon, Starmie is also a superhero named Starfish-Man (Hitodeman), or well, that’s what a new music video released to the official …

Something’s a little off about these Piplups. Piplup is a water-type penguin-like Pokemon that made its debut as a starter in the Generation IV series of games. Called Pocchama in Japanese, Piplup is cute, blue, prideful, and not particularly known for its dance abilities. That is, until now. The video below was tweeted out on April 22 by Twitter user …

Have you ever wondered what the actual name of the can-can song is? In 1858 an opera called Orpheus in the Underworld premiered in France. Composed by Jacques Offenbach, this is not a work that is all that well-known outside of certain very specific circles. And yet, you almost certainly know the song that is used in Act 2, Scene …

If you like to be confused, then this is the video for you. Pac-Man is one of the most recognizable icons of classic arcade video gaming. However, if you go by a new Japanese music video it seems that aside from being the beloved yellow dot-gobbler that has entertained gamers for decades, Pac-Man may also be the origin of all …

When’s the last time you checked your car’s tire pressure? The Japanese division of Dunlop Tires has come out with an infectious video guaranteed to make it so that you’ll never forget to check the pressure of your car’s tires again. Released late last month (Mar. 25), the video below, titled Teketeke Tenken is intended to remind people that they …

Za kuraabu izun besu purei tu fain zarasoba bar iz ue ai go Miyama Sensei to gibojin shiyotte Since Ed Sheeran released his smash hit single “Shape of You” last year, countless people around the world have uploaded videos of themselves performing this incredibly catchy song to YouTube. Most of these performances are of course, pretty forgettable and no match …

Warning, you’re about to get Kirby songs stuck in your head. Have you ever wondered what music from the Kirby games would sound performed on an acoustic guitar? Probably not. But since your here, you might as well find out. Check out the video below. The Japanese guitarist in the video above goes by Nariyasu. Although his YouTube channel isn’t …

It’s that time of year again. YouTube has unveiled a list of the 10 most popular music videos in Japan for 2017. Released this past Sunday (Dec. 17) at YouTube FanFest 2017 in Tokyo, the list features plenty of appearances by some of this past year’s most talked-about artists and idol groups. The massively popular girl group TWICE for example, …