Adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki anime returns to two Japanese cities, first performances to be held this summer.
Kanna Hashimoto
Couldn’t make it to the theater to see the adaptation of the Studio Ghibli anime masterpiece? Now you can watch it from home.
Chihiro, Haku, and No Face all take the stage as Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece comes to life.
Cast appear on stage for the first time to give us a sneak peek at the upcoming production.
Hayao Miyazaki gives blessing after meeting with Caird to project that’s been in development for four years.
Test your knowledge of Japanese slang from the ’70s onwards with these limited-edition cup noodles!
Kanna Hashimoto is called the “once in a millennium” idol, but her manager is one in a million too.
The special headset delivers a Japanese sweet into your mouth in real-time as this “once-in-a-millenium beauty” feeds it to you.
Former members of AKB48 and Rev. from DVL saluted.
The last couple of years have been benchmark ones for Halloween in Japan. What was once a holiday marked mostly by the infrequent sighting of a handful of mildly embarrassed-looking, costumed foreigners on the Yamanote Line train has grown into a massive industry.
In fact, Halloween has become just as much a holiday about 20 and 30-somethings dressing up as sexy nurses, sexy zombies, sexy superheroes, and other sexy-choose-a-nouns as its American counterpart. But while those costumes were no doubt getting plenty of attention on Shibuya Crossing last night, the Japanese Internet had already decided the undisputed Queen of Halloween was this far more conservatively dressed “once-in-millenium beauty”.
On 16 April, idol group, Rev. from DVL, released their first major single through entertainment giant Yoshimoto Kogyo, thanks largely to the break-out success of member Kanna Hashimoto.
However, what was intended to be a celebration of the Fukuoka-based unit’s new-found fame ended up generating sad and bitter complaints from idol fans. At the center of the controversy was the inclusion of tickets to a “high-five party” bundled in with their single LOVE-arigatou-.
About a half a year ago, the charming face of a local idol from Fukuoka was plastered all over the internet. Kanna Hashimoto’s genuine charm and cuteness had won over the country literally overnight. Shortly afterwards, we were able to meet the up and coming star and buy a pair of glasses. There we found Hashimoto’s charm wasn’t just a fluke of the original photo that shot her into the spotlight.
Now we’re happy to see that her rise to fame hasn’t slowed down one bit with a recent appearance in the hugely popular SoftBank commercial series featuring the Shirato family. Not only that, she has also thrown the ceremonial first pitch at Opening Day of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 2014 season.
Recently, computer glasses have become quite popular and are sold in shops everywhere in Japan. I never really bought into the concept even though my work requires painfully long hours in front of a computer screen. However, a couple of days ago we announced that up-and-coming idol Kanna Hashimoto would be appearing at two ALOOK glasses stores in Tokyo and Osaka.
After wrapping up that article I wiped the usual blood from my tired eyes and thought maybe it’s time to try out a pair. And what better way to do it than by meeting this future star while I’m at it!
We headed down to the grand opening of ALOOK in Shinsaibashi, Osaka to meet the starlet and see what all the fuss is about.
A month ago, Japanese people all over the country woke up to this photo of Fukuoka-based idol Kanna Hashimoto of the group Rev. From DVL all over the internet. And just like that, her modest level of local fame on stage has been skyrocketing. Some are calling her an idol that you’d find once in a thousand years.
We’re not sure who came up with that title or how it was calculated, but certainly no idol has caught the nation’s attention without any gimmicks or PR stunts like Hashimoto has from simply a photograph.
Thanks to this new-found fame Kanna Hashimoto will be making appearances all over Japan. In fact, tomorrow those living in Tokyo or Osaka will have a chance to buy some glasses from her at the grand opening of ALOOK stores in each city.
MOST POPULAR
Now
Majority of Japanese women in survey regret marrying their husband, but that’s only half the story
Massive manga collaboration bringing 100 years of Shueisha manga to Uniqlo T-shirts【Photos】
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Mister Donut and Godiva continue their sweet sweets relationship with new treats on sale now in Japan
Japan’s kid-friendly ski program is now selling Pikachu snowboards for a limited time only
Which Japanese beef bowl chain’s near-identical demon grater onioroshi ponzu gyudon is the best?
10 vegetarian foods you can order at almost any Japanese restaurant
The Yellow Lucky Bag from Village Vanguard is so bad it may damage Japan-US relations
That time Seiji called JASRAC to ask why he didn’t get paid royalties for his song being on TV
Poké Ball cakes here for limited but long time to celebrate Pokémon franchise’s 30th anniversary
Weekly
- Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
Princess Mononoke magnets return just in time to treat yourself to awesome anime decorations
Giant hotel rooms in Osaka reflect the new non-niche face of travel in Japan.
Japanese women showing rebounding interest in giving Valentine’s Day chocolate【Survey】
Umamusume anime girl plushie recalled for having parts she absolutely should not have【Pics】
What’s inside Starbucks Japan’s fukubukuro lucky bag for 2026?
Monthly
- Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
- 10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
Starbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches- Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
- Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month- Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
Yearly
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
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
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid- Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
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
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Which Japanese beef bowl chain’s near-identical demon grater onioroshi ponzu gyudon is the best?
10 vegetarian foods you can order at almost any Japanese restaurant
The Yellow Lucky Bag from Village Vanguard is so bad it may damage Japan-US relations
That time Seiji called JASRAC to ask why he didn’t get paid royalties for his song being on TV
Poké Ball cakes here for limited but long time to celebrate Pokémon franchise’s 30th anniversary
Survey asks Japanese women if they could marry a man who’s rich but ugly
New adults go wild at Seijinshiki Coming-of-Age ceremony in Kitakyushu, Japan 【Photos】
The etiquette rules for visiting Shinto shrines in Japan
Hey, Japanese taxi driver! Take us to the best Turkish rice restaurant in Nagasaki!
Gacha capsule toy machine sells Casio watch rings in Japan, and we try to get all of them
One Piece teaming up with 5 NCAA basketball teams
Rivalry between mushrooms and bamboo shoots in Japan as people vote for their favourite chocolate
Tokyo train operator installs baby care rooms to make rail travel easier for parents and infants
Japan’s buzzword of the year nominees: A great way to learn and be baffled by Japanese vocabulary
-
