Japan Pop Scope｜Your Daily Dose of J-Culture & Trends

**Article Information** * **Topic:** The *Oshi no Ko* manga reaching 20 million copies in circulation and the official announcement of the anime's third season for 2026 * **Key Points:** * The manga hit a major milestone of 20 million copies in circulation as of November 2024. * This success is fueled by a unique blend of idol culture, mystery, and drama. * The series has a strong international following, driven by its viral opening theme "Idol" and global streaming presence. * The highly anticipated anime Season 3 is officially confirmed for a 2026 release. * **Sources:** Wikipedia, Sportskeeda, ComicBook.com, Hidive, ResetEra, ScreenRant, LOS40 --- Listen closely. Can you hear it? That high-pitched, almost electric hum that’s been zipping through the internet? It’s the sound of a fandom in a fever, and its name is **Oshi no Ko**. If you’ve been anywhere near a screen lately, you’ve felt the pull of this series. It’s a gravitational force that’s p...

### Gosho Aoyama's Ema Offering at Senso-ji Temple * **When & Where:** August 18, 2025, at Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo. * **What:** A large, hand-painted **ema** (votive plaque) featuring characters from his new anime, *Shin Samurai-den YAIBA*, was unveiled and dedicated. * **Historic Significance:** This is the first large ema of its kind to be donated to the temple in approximately **100 years** (since the Taisho era). * **Craftsmanship:** The wooden board was crafted from a 200-year-old camphor tree by artisans at the Nambu Haku'un woodcarving studio, a traditional workshop founded in 1898. * **Artist's Perspective:** Aoyama shared that the process was physically demanding, causing a backache. He also expressed humility about his work being placed alongside that of historical figures like Katsu Kaishu, hoping his act would inspire future creators. --- The air in Asakusa always smells of old wood and incense, a scent that seems to hold centuries of storie...

### 💡 A Dark Classic Takes the Stage Again Remember that electrifying feeling when you first watched *Death Note*—the mind games, the moral dilemmas, the thrill of justice turning into something darker? Now imagine all that tension, drama, and brilliance... with live singing and stage lights. Yes, it’s back. *Death Note: The Musical* is officially returning to Tokyo this November to mark its **10th anniversary**, and it’s already shaping up to be one of the most talked-about events in Japan’s 2025 theater calendar. Whether you’re an anime nerd, a musical junkie, or just someone who appreciates high-stakes drama, this show is one you won’t want to miss. --- ### ✨ From Manga to Musical: A Decade of Adaptation When *Death Note* made its stage debut in 2015, fans were skeptical. Could a story so reliant on inner monologues, psychological warfare, and a literal notebook of death really work in musical form? Turns out—absolutely. Blending Broadway-level production value with Japa...

### 🗾 Planning a Trip to Japan? A 25-Year-Old Manga Might Change Your Mind Picture this: You’ve booked your summer getaway to Japan. Tokyo’s buzzing streets, Kyoto’s temples, the tranquil hot springs of Hakone—it’s the trip of a lifetime. But just as you’re browsing Instagram for ramen spots, a cryptic manga panel starts popping up across your feed. It warns of a catastrophic event hitting Japan in July 2025. Not just any forecast—it’s a manga from 1999. And it's eerily specific. No, this isn’t a plot twist in an anime series. It’s what’s happening right now, thanks to the resurfacing of *The Future I Saw*, a prophetic comic by Japanese manga artist Ryo Tatsuki. And believe it or not, it’s already messing with Japan’s tourism numbers. --- ### 📚 Who Is Ryo Tatsuki—and Why Is Everyone Talking About Her? Ryo Tatsuki isn’t your average manga creator. Back in 1999, she published a comic that chronicled a series of dreams—visions, really—that she believed foretold the future. H...