Smartbooks Inc. began delivering the "'Company Shikiho' Industry Map 2027 Edition" on its reading app on August 31, 2026, nine days after Toyo Keizai published the book on August 22. The edition covers 193 industries and 4,110 companies, and the app reads the text aloud, shows the industry maps, and lets users scroll the body text. Total recorded time is about 66 hours, with playback up to 4.6x speed.
Anime News Network and PacSet Tours are organizing a third ANN in Japan tour, this one for November and December 2027, running 7 to 14 days through Tokyo, Chichibu, Nagahama, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. The itinerary includes an anime studio tour, dinners with ANN staff, meet and greets with industry professionals, and stops such as the Sumida River cruise, Kanda Myojin Shrine and the Nisshin Cup Noodle Museum. Starting with this 2027 tour, each ANN in Japan trip will target a different season.
The Ultra Heroes EXPO 2027 New Year Festival runs from December 25, 2026 to January 3, 2027 at Tokyo Dome City Prism Hall, with four live performances most days and three on December 28 and 30. The NEW GENERATION THE LIVE stages feature Ultraman Teo lead Mitsuishi Ibuki (Iwasaki Aoi) daily, plus rotating appearances by Kamiya Amane, Nakada Noa, Uemura Yu, and Morimoto Ryoma, and a January 3 talk show.
AnimeJapan will accept entries for its New Creator Awards 2027 from October 1 until February 6, 2027. The competition, in its second year, is open to students at Japanese educational institutions who submit short films of about 15 minutes or less. The Grand Prix pays one million yen, the Crunchyroll Award pays a one million yen scholarship, and four category awards pay 300,000 yen each. Winners are announced during AnimeJapan 2027 on March 27 or 28.
Universal Studios Japan will sell tickets for NO LIMIT! Countdown 2027 ~Discover U!!!~ in stages starting around 21:00 on October 7, beginning with an Annual Pass (Grand Royal) advance window on the official website through 23:59 on October 9. Lawson Ticket pre-request first-come-first-served sales open at 12:00 on October 23, and general sales start at 21:00 on November 4. The event runs December 31, 19:00, into January 1, 2027, 21:00.
Capcom began accepting entries on September 14 for CAPCOM GAMES COMPETITION 2027, a student game development contest built around the company's RE ENGINE. The entry period runs through November 30. The Grand Prize is 5 million yen and the total prize pool exceeds 10 million yen. Students aged 18 or older at Japanese universities, graduate schools, or vocational schools may enter individually or in teams of up to 20.
The Computer Entertainment Suppliers Association announced on September 11 that CEDEC2027, the conference it runs for computer entertainment developers, will take place from Wednesday, July 14 to Friday, July 16, 2027. The physical venue is Pacifico Yokohama North, the same site used for CEDEC2026, and the event will run as a hybrid with online attendance through the official website. Around 200 sessions are planned, matching the volume of previous editions, with speakers drawn from Japan and overseas through public submissions and invitations. Talks span all areas of game development, from the development background of hit titles to know-how for improving work efficiency. Sessions are sorted into seven fields: Engineering, Production, Visual Arts, Business & Produce, Sound, Game Design, and Academic Research. CESA said details on the call for speakers, the full schedule, and attendance pass sales will be posted on the official website and social accounts once settled. CESA chairman Haruhiro Tsujimoto heads the organizing body.
Moomin and Tunktunk, the official mascot of GREEN×EXPO 2027, will release official licensed collaboration merchandise. The tie-up draws on the resonance between Moomin's value of respect for nature and the expo's theme. Products include a mug, a plate, two handkerchiefs, and an eco bag, priced from 1,980 to 4,400 yen. The mug and plate arrive around January 2027; the rest follow in late February to early March 2027. More items are planned.
The Gundam series 50th anniversary celebration event GUNDAM-Con2027 SIDE MAKUHARI runs January 9 to 11, 2027, at Makuhari Messe in Chiba. First lottery ticket sales are now open until September 6. The event features work stages including Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM ZERO, plus Gunpla, card, and game competitions.
Hello Kitty from Sanrio is collaborating with Hobonichi Techo 2027, releasing 17 types of planners and stationery items on September 1, 2026 at 11:00 AM. The designs use the popular Hello Kitty Classic style from the 1970s, with poses exclusive to Hobonichi Techo. The Original size (A6) and Cousin size (A5) planner covers feature Kitty playing with or reading her planner, surrounded by ribbons, apples, and her friend Joey. The weeks weekly planner uses a necktie fabric weave to express Hello Kitty's playful poses, such as sitting neatly to read or putting the planner over her face. Other items include protective covers, the upright storage pouch stappo, the flat pen case comodo, clear files, writing boards, stickers, stamps, and sticky notes. Sales channels include the Hobonichi online store, TOBICHI direct-run stores in Tokyo and Kyoto, Loft stores nationwide, Amazon, and Rakuten. Items will also be sold at the Hobonichi Techo Store opening at Gransta Tokyo on September 16. The collaboration marks Hello Kitty's first appearance in the Hobonichi Techo lineup since 2016.
The Asia Model Association Japan Central Association (AMA JAPAN) has been established as the Japan base of the Korea-headquartered Asia Model Association. It will hold the 2027 AMA JAPAN AUDITION starting August 2026, recruiting women in two age categories. Grand prix winners earn the right to represent AMA JAPAN at the 2027 Seoul event.
Creepy Nuts will hold the domestic arena tour "Creepy Nuts ONEMAN TOUR 2027" from February to May 2027, with 12 shows across 8 cities and about 120,000 attendees expected. Fan club advance tickets open August 6. The unit also plans a new song, "Running Wheel," for August 19.
De Agostini Japan opened reservations on August 4 for Evangelion Osechi 2027, a limited-quantity New Year's food set themed on Neon Genesis Evangelion. The set costs 23,650 yen including tax, with orders accepted until November 30 and delivery scheduled for December 30, 2026. The centerpiece is an original-design jubako box marked with the NERV logo, the words "NERV ONLY" and "TOP SECRET," and the unit numbers EVA-01 and EVA-02. Inside are 37 varieties of Japanese and Western dishes arranged in two tiers: the first tier uses the unit colors of Unit-00, Unit-01, and Unit-02, while the second tier expresses the pilot characters through selected ingredients, including a hamburg steak and broccoli dish inspired by Shinji's lunchbox and a truffle-flavored fruit fromage in Kaworu's image color. The set also includes a water-repellent furoshiki printed with the A.T. Field, paper coasters featuring the five pilots in New Year's attire, celebratory chopsticks with a Unit-01 wrapper, a Lance of Longinus-shaped pick about 15 cm long, and character decoration picks. Planning and manufacturing is by Yamafuku Co., Ltd., with manufacturing consigned to Oichi Chinmi Co., Ltd. The product is frozen and quick-frozen at a domestic factory.
Hololive Production announced a two-day live event, "hololive RECORDS MUSIC STAGE 2027," set for January 9-10, 2027 at K Arena Yokohama. Day 1 features AZKi, Sakura Miko, Hakos Baelz, and ReGLOSS; Day 2 features Shirakami Fubuki, Houshou Marine, Kobo Kanaeru, and FLOW GLOW. A 67-track, 11-CD compilation album, "hololive RECORDS HISTORY COLLECTION," priced at 17,600 yen, is also available for pre-order to mark the label's first anniversary.
Cover Corp, the operator of the VTuber agency Hololive Production, announced on July 16, 2026, that pre-orders have opened for the selection album "hololive RECORDS HISTORY COLLECTION" under its label hololive RECORDS. The company also revealed a real-life live event, "hololive RECORDS MUSIC STAGE 2027," scheduled for January 9 and 10, 2027, at K Arena Yokohama in Yokohama City. The album commemorates the first anniversary of the hololive RECORDS label. It is an 11-CD box set containing 67 songs, including original tracks personally selected by Hololive talents and collaboration songs such as event theme songs that were previously only available through digital distribution. The set costs 17,600 yen (tax included) and comes with 67 special jacket cards, one for each song. It also includes a serial code for advance lottery tickets to the January 2027 live event. The lineup for the two-day event has been announced. Day 1 on January 9 will feature AZKi, Sakura Miko, Hakos Baelz, and ReGLOSS. Day 2 on January 10 will feature Shirakami Fubuki, Houshou Marine, Kobo Kanaeru, and FLOW GLOW.
The AnimeJapan Executive Committee announced that AnimeJapan 2027 will be held at Intex Osaka in March 2027, marking the first time the event takes place outside Tokyo. Exhibitor applications for both Public Day and Business Day opened on July 15, 2026, with a deadline of November 2, 2026. The 14th edition of the festival, which began in 2014, will run Public Day on March 27 and 28 and Business Day on March 26 and 27. The move to Osaka follows 13 years in Tokyo and is part of a two-year commitment that also includes AnimeJapan 2028 at the same venue. The committee cited Osaka's role as an international gateway and the momentum of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo as reasons for the relocation. AnimeJapan 2026 drew over 150,000 visitors from roughly 100 countries, with more than 210 exhibitors and 300 works on display. The event is organized by the AnimeJapan General Incorporated Association and supported by the Osaka Convention and Tourism Bureau.
The 'VISIONS 2027 ILLUSTRATORS BOOK,' supervised by pixiv and published by KADOKAWA, will release on September 26. It includes works from 170 illustrators, with a cover by LAM. Of the 170, 169 are first-time participants in the series. The series has cumulative circulation over 410,000 copies worldwide.
Sony Interactive Entertainment published the June 2026 PS Store download rankings on July 9. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth leads the PS5 category, followed by Adventurer Elliot's Millennium Story and EA Sports FC 26. On PS4, Powerful Pro Baseball 2026-2027 takes first, with Dragon Quest XI S and Monster Hunter: World in second and third. Beat Saber tops PS VR2, and eFootball leads free-to-play.
Konami Digital Entertainment released "Powerful Pro Baseball 2026-2027" on June 11, 2026, for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. The standard edition costs 8,470 yen, and the Powerful Edition costs 10,670 yen. The PS4 version is download-only and supports PlayStation VR. This title marks the 30th anniversary of the Success mode and includes nine scenarios total. Two new scenarios are the "Parallel All-Stars" chapter, which gathers characters from past Success mode titles, and the "World Baseball Classic" chapter set in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Real players who participated in the WBC appear. In Success mode, players develop a protagonist who enters professional baseball as the first draft pick and aims to join the Japanese national team for the WBC. The mode also allows developing a two-way player like Shohei Ohtani. In "Showdown! Legend Battle," opponents include 2026 Japanese national team players and historical Japanese national team players. Standard modes like Pennant, Eikan Nine, and PowerFes have been updated with new features. A "PowerPro Ability Diagnosis Maker" campaign runs on X until July 10.
Game Spark published its weekly roundup of new game releases for the week of June 8, 2026. The list covers titles launching across multiple platforms in Japan and North America, with highlights including Powerful Pro Baseball 2026-2027, Solarpunk: Sky Island, Beastro, and Unrailed 2: Back on Track.
Capcom opened the special site for the CAPCOM GAMES COMPETITION 2027 on June 1, a student game development competition using the company's in-house RE ENGINE. The competition provides a cloud-based development environment, technical support from Capcom developers, and a six-month production period. The grand prize is 5 million yen, with total prizes exceeding 10 million yen. Entry runs from September 14 to November 30, 2026.