Gackt
Bright blond is considered a bold choice of hair colour in Japan, but there are some who can really rock the look.
In what’s become an annual tradition, the star musician gave a group of teens the surprise of their young lives.
As western stars who’ve been in the entertainment industry since we were nippers could tell you, reinvention is the cornerstone of a long and successful career. Just like Madonna and David Bowie, Japan’s mega-popular musical powerhouse Gackt loves a good makeover, and his newest incarnation has gotten Japanese netizens all riled up and excited. Why? Because he looks like a total badass!
Back in April we saw legendary Japanese singer Gackt face discrimination while abroad in France. He managed to handle a frustrating situation with class, and his incident sparked a conversation online about racial discrimination.
Emiko Kaminuma, a well-known Japanese media personality, found herself in a similar spot while in France. She faced discrimination in a Paris restaurant, and she has been making a huge deal about it on her TV shows. However, her story seems to be a little different from Gackt’s….
While visiting friends who were a part of the recent Naruto stage production, Japanese film and music star Gackt was left with a bad feeling. Having watched one of the overseas Naruto performances, the singer couldn’t help but notice the lack of people in the audience.
Gackt doesn’t rule out possible flaws with the play such as too much material crammed into a short time. However, as he wrote in a recent impassioned blog post, he thinks the real culprit may be the Japanese government and their Cool Japan promotional program, which he feels is anything but.
Singer, musician and occasional actor/author/jack of all trades Gackt has had a long and successful career on the Japanese music scene, and also enjoys considerable popularity abroad. During an overseas trip recently, he encountered an unsettling example of what he claims to be blatant racial discrimination in a Parisian hotel. But just what happened?
We recently looked at the physical and psychological benefits of sleeping with hug pillows, or dakimakura as they’re known in Japan. But while that discussion was limited to plain, undecorated dakimakura, it’s no secret that a large number of jumbo-size pillows in Japan are adorned with drawings or photos of the owner’s anime or celebrity crush.
Sometimes these dakimakura end up being used for relatively chaste purposes, like a romantic train ride. We don’t think it’s going too far, though, to speculate they’re also put to more lascivious means as stand-ins for obsessive fans’ lust towards their unattainable objects of desire. As a result, one new dakimakura allows you to tear the clothes off a rock star.









When will the cherry blossoms reach full bloom in Japan this year?[Forecast]
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
Akiba Dental Clinic: The Akihabara dentist where a moe maid in cosplay cleans your teeth
Universal Studios’ Sailor Moon theme park attraction is finally coming to America
Peko-chan Milky Time Cafe opens in Chiba and we go to check out all of the pastries and merch
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Updated cherry blossom forecast moves up blooming date, predicts sakura season start for Ueno Park
We predict 7-Eleven’s new Zero Cider Triple drink is gonna be the hit drink of 2022【Taste Test】
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan
Komachi Shokudo: Japanese mum’s-style cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Tokyo
The top 10 graduation songs in Japan as chosen by current Japanese high school students
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japan’s cherry blossom season predicted to start earlier than we’d thought, especially in Tokyo
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Peko-chan Milky Time Cafe opens in Chiba and we go to check out all of the pastries and merch
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Updated cherry blossom forecast moves up blooming date, predicts sakura season start for Ueno Park
We predict 7-Eleven’s new Zero Cider Triple drink is gonna be the hit drink of 2022【Taste Test】
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Yakuzen ramen restaurant in Tokyo is very different to a yakuza ramen restaurant
A collection of 20 creative ‘sushi’ rolls that were invented outside of Japan
Expo 2025 mascot Myaku-Myaku to release tastefully erotic photo book
Asakusa’s Sensoji temple shocks store owners with sudden 16-fold rent increase in shopping arcade
Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki releases new artworks, still wants to make movies
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan
One of Japan’s rarest sweets is a sell-out hit that looks and tastes like frost
Learn Japanese through ridiculous manga: Two Piece 【Episode #1】