Hikaru is a Japanese Street Fighter 6 player selected for the Esports Nations Cup 2026 national roster, having won the second World Warrior Japan tournament and placed runner-up in the first.
Hikaru is a competitive Street Fighter 6 player from Japan. The Esports Foundation announced on August 4, 2026, that he is one of six Japanese representatives for the fighting game category at the Esports Nations Cup 2026, a country-versus-country tournament debuting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Hikaru joins Sahara, Fuudo, and Higuchi on the Street Fighter 6 side of the roster, alongside GO1 and Nemo from Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.
His selection follows a strong run in the Capcom Pro Tour World Warrior Japan tournaments. Hikaru won the second World Warrior Japan event and was the runner-up in the first. The announcement notes he holds top results among Japanese players in the Capcom Pro Tour World Warrior rankings, which contributed to his national team slot.
No other Yomimono stories in this cluster concern this Hikaru. Other stories mention different people or characters with the same given name, including voice actor Hikaru Midorikawa, singer Hikaru Utada, actor Hikaru Imamaki, and Sakurazaka46 member Hikaru Morita. None of those stories relate to the Street Fighter 6 player.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.
Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/hikaru.
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MAYLA is taking reservations from October 9 at 5:00 PM to November 9 at 5:00 PM for a six-kind Hikaru no Go ring set priced at 22,000 yen with 600 yen shipping. The rings draw on Hikaru Shindo's hair color and folding fan, a wisteria-centered Fujiwara no Sai design, Akira Toya's hair and eye colors, Go stones, Go stones as planets, and a cherry blossom motif. The set cannot be bought individually.
Linlin, 43, plays Zhou Haoran, a Shinshi intelligence agent who tortures Bekkan member Wada Mitsugu in the second season of TBS's Sunday Theater VIVANT. After episode 19 aired on October 4, he posted on Instagram that he had received a wave of messages, some supportive and some angry, and noted that no one recognized him while signing the VIVANT monument. Viewers have since looked up his role as Zhang Shichang in the 2024 NHK taiga drama Hikaru Kimi e.
TV Asahi's classical program Untitled Concert airs Koichi Sugiyama Conducts the Dragon Quest Music Concert on September 26. The program features songs Sugiyama conducted himself, including Overture from Dragon Quest I and This Road, My Journey from Dragon Quest II, performed by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra. Hikaru Ijuin is the guest. Sugiyama, who composed the series' music from the first game, died on September 30, 2021, and appears via video.
A television anime of Kashiko Amane's Everyone's Darling Has a Secret (Hokago no Idol ni wa Himitsu ga Aru) will premiere next April, according to an announcement made Monday from the adaptation's new X account. The main cast is Reiji Kawashima as Hizashi Hiruno, Hikaru Tono as Rei Kuromiya, =LOVE member Iori Noguchi as Sakura Akai, and Ami Maeshima as Sora Konno. Hikaru Sato directs at Gekko, with Fumihiko Shimo overseeing and writing the series scripts. Kibidango 14-go designs the characters, Satoru Kosaki and MONACA compose the music, and Ryo Aizawa produces. Amane has serialized the manga on Hakusensha's Young Animal Web since September 2022, and the ninth volume shipped in July. Yen Press publishes the manga in English and released the fourth volume in June.
Konami has set release dates for the first paid downloadable content for its two Prince of Tennis romance adventure games. The GakuPri add-on, which adds Ryoga Echizen as a romanceable prince, arrives October 15, 2026. The DokiSaba add-on, which adds Mitsuru Zaizen, arrives November 13, 2026. Each costs 1,980 yen including tax. Both base games launched July 30, 2026. The DLC introduces Ryoga Echizen, who claims to be Ryoma Echizen's older brother and travels the world, and Mitsuru Zaizen, described as a second-year regular at Shitenhoji Junior High School. Introduction trailers for both characters are out. Konami Style will sell merchandise sets tied to each DLC for 4,620 yen including tax, with shipping separate. The GakuPri set is scheduled to ship from mid-December 2026 onward, and the DokiSaba set from late January 2027 onward. Coupon code issuance runs October 15 to 28, 2026 for GakuPri and November 13 to 26, 2026 for DokiSaba.
Hikaru Arata, leader and drummer of the band WONK, is on the lineup for MO ( ) TOKYO, a new event on November 6, 2026 at SHIBUYA STREAM Hall. The show is his first live performance since he restarted solo work, following the May 2026 single A Piece for a Certain Show: Rhythm Patterns. Also billed: Elle Shimada, SAMO, 3icrowave, DJ Quietstorm, Zen Masta, and Mariana Matsui with Ryota Hagiwara.
New York Comic Con has listed its Japanese guests and events for the 2026 convention at the Javits Center on October 8-11. Voice actor Hikaru Midorikawa appears for an ONE-PUNCH MAN panel, Shonen Jump+ editor-in-chief Yuta Momiyama and Weekly Shonen Magazine deputy editor-in-chief Yuta Hiraoka discuss MANGA Plus and K MANGA, and premieres include Shangri-La Frontier Season 3 and Dragon Ball Super: Beerus.
KADOKAWA will run the "Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu 5th Anniversary POP UP SHOP" on the second floor of Shinjuku Marui Annex from October 2 to October 18, 2026. The venue sells new goods drawn for the anniversary, including acrylic stands of Yoshiki and Hikaru, pouches, tote bags, trading can badges, clear sheet collections, mini sticker collections, and acrylic scene stands. Weekday hours are 11:00 to 19:00, weekend and holiday hours 10:30 to 19:00.
KADOKAWA's online lottery service Kujibikido is running the Mob Psycho 100 III Eating Together Online Lottery, with sales starting Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 12:00 and ending Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 11:59. The lottery uses newly drawn illustrations themed around eating together and is tied to the 10th anniversary of the TV anime series. Each draw costs 770 yen including tax, with shipping fees separate, and every draw wins a prize. The S prize is a choose-one BIG fabric wall hanging in five types. Lower tiers include choose-one acrylic panels in five types, acrylic stand figures in five types, acrylic keychains in twelve types, and can badges in twelve types. A repost campaign gives three people a complete twelve-type can badge set. Buyers of the 10-draw set get a random mini bromide, and on October 10, Arataka Reigen's birthday, the same set also includes a birthday-day-only mini bromide.
NEKCOM Entertainment brought a playable demo of Showa American Story to gamescom 2026 in Cologne, Germany, giving attendees their first hands-on look at the action game set in an alternate late-1980s America that Japan colonized. Denfaminicogamer reporter Soma Umi tested the demo, which offered four elements: combat, town exploration, a camper van, and a boss fight. Players control protagonist Choko Chigusa, voiced by Yoko Hikasa, who battles a gang called the Brave Corps in NEO YOKOHAMA using chained weak and strong attacks, firearms with limited ammo, and weapon-specific finishers that include repeatedly stomping downed enemies. The demo included a boss fight against Akitora Mutsuki, a ninja voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa, who attacks with shuriken, a sword, and fire, revives into a new phase after his health is depleted, and can trigger a cutscene where a sword stabs into Choko's stomach before exploding. The reporter could not defeat Mutsuki before time ran out. Showa American Story, published by 4Divinity, is scheduled for release on PC and PS5 in 2026.
TV Asahi's classical music program "Music Concert Without a Title" will broadcast a special "Dragon Quest Concert conducted by Koichi Sugiyama" on September 26 at 10:00. The program will feature the late composer appearing via VTR, delivering famous tunes he conducted himself along with exclusive talk, according to the official website. Koichi Sugiyama composed music for the Dragon Quest series from its first installment, creating well-known pieces including "Overture (Roto's Theme)" and "To Fly in the Sky." He passed away on September 30, 2021. The scheduled songs for the broadcast have not been announced as of the time of writing. The Dragon Quest series marks its 40th anniversary this year, and a commemorative exhibition is running in Harajuku, Tokyo until September 6. The program is part of the regular "Music Concert Without a Title" series on TV Asahi, which typically features classical music performances and commentary.
The Summer Hikaru Died manga will end in two chapters. The official X account for Mokumokuren's series announced on September 1 that chapter 50 arrives October 13 and chapter 51, the final chapter, arrives October 20. The manga launched on Kadokawa's Young Ace Up website in August 2021. Kadokawa published the ninth compiled volume on June 4, and the series exceeded 3 million copies in circulation by the sixth volume. Yen Press publishes the English edition and will release volume 8 on October 27. Mokumokuren previously said the manga is planned to reach 10 volumes. The series was nominated for the 16th Manga Taisho Awards and topped the 2023 Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list for male readers. The anime adaptation debuted in July 2025, with a second season announced after the first season finale. The anime topped Netflix Japan daily rankings and ABEMA's anime ranking. The manga also inspired a light novel by Mio Nukaga in December 2023 and a stage play that ran January 9-18 at Kinokuniya Hall in Tokyo.
RetroCrush will add several Viz Media anime films and series to its service, including Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow, Sailor Moon R: The Movie, Bleach the Movie: Hell Verse, Hunter x Hunter: Phantom Rouge, Hikaru no Go, Accel World, both Captain Tsubasa series, and Vampire Knight.
Kogado Studio announced on August 27, 2026, its new visual novel "Sugar Lies," a short-form ADV themed around lies that depicts a summer boy-meets-girl story. The Steam version is scheduled for release at the end of 2026, with the Nintendo Switch version arriving in spring 2027. Download versions for both platforms are priced at 2,860 yen (tax included), while the Switch physical version costs 4,000 yen. The game is produced by the team "S:OWLS," which previously made "To the Fading Mirror Flower." The protagonist, Akito Nagatsuki, is a university freshman who despises lies and has a peculiar constitution that makes him ill, sometimes vomiting, when he senses others' acting or lies. The heroine, Yui Sakuramiya, is a former child prodigy actress who always plays the image others desire; she is voiced by Ikumi Hasegawa. Also appearing is Akari Yukihira, a laid-back childhood friend and stage actress since childhood, voiced by Hikaru Iida. A playable prologue demo will be available at Tokyo Game Show 2026 from September 17 to 21 at the Konami Digital Entertainment booth, and a special stream featuring the producer and Hikaru Iida will air on September 18.
DMM TV announced three new cast members for the second season of the live-action Happy Kanako's Killer Life series on Friday. Hikaru Takahashi plays Nana, Aoi Morikawa plays Ado, and Sayu Suzukawa plays Yui, all assassin colleagues of Kanako. Non and Taisuke Fujigaya reprise their lead roles, and Tsutomu Hanabusa returns to direct and co-write the scripts.
The third American Manga Awards, announced Thursday by Anime NYC and the Japan Society, honored creators and publishers across seven categories. Billy Bat took Best New Manga, The Summer Hikaru Died won Best Continuing Manga Series, and Cocoon won Best One-Shot Manga. The ceremony also inducted two figures into the Manga Publishing Hall of Fame and gave Akiko Higashimura an Award of Distinction. Editorial professionals voted on the winners.
ABEMA will stream all 75 episodes of the Hikaru no Go TV anime free in a marathon from August 13 to August 18, 2026. The broadcast marks the first time the full series airs on ABEMA, with episodes available free for one week after each broadcast.
ABEMA will broadcast all 75 episodes of the Hikaru no Go TV anime for free in a marathon from August 13 to 18, 2026. The broadcast runs in three blocks on the Anime SPECIAL Channel, and each episode remains free to view for one week after airing. The series is based on the manga by Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata.
The Esports Foundation (EF) announced on August 4, 2026, the six Japanese representatives for the fighting game category at the Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC), a country-versus-country tournament set to debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The roster includes GO1 and Nemo from Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, and Sahara, Fuudo, Higuchi, and Hikaru from Street Fighter 6. GO1 earned a direct invitation through the SNK World Championship 2026 ranking system, having won the Esports World Cup 2025, EVO 2025, and Combo Breaker 2026, and leads the domestic ranking by over 8,000 points. Nemo secured his slot by winning the East Asia online regional qualifier. Sahara, the 21-year-old Capcom Cup 12 champion, brings experience from Fortnite and VALORANT. Higuchi has competed in the Esports World Cup twice, while Fuudo has been active for about 15 years. Hikaru won the second World Warrior Japan tournament and was runner-up in the first, holding top results among Japanese players in the Capcom Pro Tour World Warrior rankings. ENC is a biennial global tournament where players represent their countries or regions, not clubs.
The 30th volume of Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen manga ranked #1 on Circana BookScan's Top 20 adult graphic novels list for June. The chart featured 17 manga volumes, including multiple Jujutsu Kaisen entries, Chainsaw Man volume 21 at #2, Gachiakuta volume 1 at #6, and The Summer Hikaru Died volume 1 at #8. Other titles include Witch Hat Atelier, One Piece, Demon Slayer, Dandadan, Blue Lock, and The Apothecary Diaries.
The visual novel brand OVERLAP GAMES released 'Koi Shikarubeki ~Mayoigoe Kara no Tegami~' on July 10. The Nekoneko Soft-developed title has earned 97% positive reviews from about 50 Steam user ratings. The story is set in 1972 and follows a student who reunites with a supernatural girl. The game is praised for its Showa-era atmosphere, full voice acting, and character writing. Notably, many reviews come from Chinese-speaking regions, aligning with the brand's overseas expansion goals.
Koi Shikarubeki ~Mayoiga Kara no Tegami~, a visual novel set in 1972 Japan by Narcissus writer Tōma Kataoka and developer neko neko soft, has launched on Steam. It is the first title from publisher OVERLAP GAMES' new visual novel brand. The story follows a boy who returns to a forbidden shrine and a girl trapped there. Full voice, chapter-based, 7-10 hours playtime.
The TV anime 'LV999 no Murabito' released advance cuts, a synopsis, and a web preview for Episode 3, titled 'Lv3 Coexistence of Demons and Humans'. Hikaru Midorikawa joins the cast as the demon Esterler. A lottery campaign for autographed color boards and gift cards runs from July 10 to 17.
A collaboration cafe between the TV anime "The Summer Hikaru Died" and Tokyo's Curse Object Cafe Juju will run from June 26 to July 13, 2026. The event features newly drawn illustrations with a test of courage theme, themed menu items, and original goods including glow-in-the-dark can badges and acrylic stands.
McDonald's Japan previewed new commercials for its annual summer Big Mac campaign, using scenes from Mamoru Hosoda's The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars, and Wolf Children. Figure skaters Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara and Sakurazaka46 member Hikaru Morita appear in live-action segments. The ads revive the 1980s Coca-Cola jingle "I feel Coke" and begin airing June 30.
Circana BookScan's Top 20 adult graphic novels list for May 2026 features 15 manga volumes, with Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen volume 30 at #1. Other ranked titles include Witch Hat Atelier, Gachiakuta, Kagurabachi, One Piece, Steel Ball Run, The Summer Hikaru Died, and Demon Slayer.
A deep-dive analysis of The Summer Hikaru Died (HikaNatsu) anime by Sakuga Blog examines how series director Ryohei Takeshita conceived the adaptation as an "enshutsu anime"-a work where mise-en-scène and sensory experience take priority. The piece traces the production from initial talks in May 2022 through the October 2023 start of active work, with Kadokawa producer Toshinori Fujiwara contacting studios after the manga's first two volumes released. Takeshita's clear vision gave producers confidence, and he was vocal about staffing toward that enshutsu goal. The analysis notes that Cygames Pictures' productions often cut corners despite the studio's reputation, and HikaNatsu's schedule became problematic toward the end, though the show maintained acceptable quality throughout broadcast. The director's approach was not a response to limitations but reflected his long-standing interest in atmospheric horror. Original author Mokumokuren was unusually involved, attending regular meetings, providing a color script for the opening, and suggesting changes including the early introduction of character Tanaka. The piece details how sound designer Kouji Kasamatsu, credited as ongaku enshutsu, worked on a TV anime for the first time in over a decade, and how Masanobu Hiraoka's morphing animation (dorodoro animation) gives form to the supernatural being's gooey nature.
Hikaru Utada released the performance video of 'Flavor Of Life -Ballad Version-' from the May 11 broadcast of TBS's 'CDTV Live! Live!' on her official YouTube channel. The video is available in full length for four weeks. The song is a special arrangement made for that broadcast. The video trended high on X on the day of broadcast.
Yuu Watase drew the three-sided case illustration for the Fushigi Yugi Blu-ray BOX, releasing August 26. The image shows Miaka, Tamahome, and the Suzaku Seven Stars. Voice actors Kii Arakawa and Hikaru Midorikawa shared anniversary messages.
The Gachiakuta stage play canceled its Wednesday and Thursday performances after lead actor Hikaru Imamaki tore his meniscus during Tuesday's evening show. Imamaki will withdraw from the remaining run, and Ryota Kamiya will take over the role of Rudo starting Friday.
May 27 marked the 40th anniversary of the Dragon Quest series. Creator Yuji Horii, former series director Jin Fujisawa, voice actors, and the official Final Fantasy account posted congratulations. The franchise began in 1986 with a command-based RPG that helped popularize the genre in Japan.
The official website for the Hell Mode anime announced four new cast members for its second season on May 20, 2026. Reiji Kawashima will voice Keel, a boy with a strong attachment to money. Kiyono Yasuno will play Sophialohne, the princess of an Elven kingdom. Hikaru Midorikawa will voice Volmaar, Sophialohne's guard. Miyu Tomita will play Meruru, a dwarf with exceptional military leadership skills. The second season is scheduled to premiere in Japan in July 2026 on Tokyo MX, MBS, and BS Nippon Television. The staff previously announced that Takahiro Sakurai will join the season as Helmios. Masato Tamagawa directs the anime at Yokohama Animation Lab, with Daishiro Tanimura handling series scripts and Kei Tsushima designing characters. The first season aired 12 episodes in Winter 2026. HIDIVE streamed the first season and is also streaming an English dub. The light novel series by Hamuo and illustrated by Mo began on Shōsetsuka ni Narō in November 2019 and is published in print by Earth Star Entertainment. J-Novel Club licenses the light novel and manga adaptation for digital English release.