TOKYO -- Japanese pop culture -- from anime and video games to sports stars -- is thriving like never before, not only globally but at home, too. Local productions such as "Kokuho," a 2025 Kabuki drama that has become the country's highest-grossing live-action film, have increasingly overshadowed foreign movies and music.
With more than 880,000 followers on social media, Yurie Collins is leading a wave of Japan-based performers in the country's growing stand-up comedy scene. (Photo by Dan Orlowitz)
Life
Japan discovers a new way to laugh
Foreign residents and bilingual performers help genre carve out a distinct space
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