Railway model writer Wakabayashi Kenya selected 10 N gauge and HO scale products that stood out from releases and announcements between January and June 2026. The list covers KATO, TOMIX, and Popondetta items, including the KATO Kiha 181 series in JNR color and the TOMIX JNR KumoHa 40. The picks appear ahead of the International Railway Model Convention in August.
Contrast Games released the Metroidvania action game Akatori on PC via Steam on August 6. The game is priced at 1,999 yen, with a 15% launch discount bringing it to 1,699 yen until August 13. Players control Mako, a martial monk girl raised in the temple of the Fire Bird, who wields a staff containing a mysterious red bird to fight the Amber Storm, a force that erodes and distorts all living things. The adventure spans five worlds with distinct environments, including floating structures and underground cemeteries. The staff serves multiple functions: it is a weapon for combat, a tool for movement such as gliding and sliding, and a device for solving stage gimmicks and finding hidden areas. Players can learn techniques like launching enemies into the air for aerial combos or throwing the staff like a boomerang. Boss battles vary, with some featuring multiple phases, rhythm game-style challenges, or underwater escape sequences. The game also includes a shop where players can spend collected amber crystals on useful items. The Japanese language is supported. Console versions for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One are scheduled for August 12, with a Nintendo Switch 2 version planned for 2027.
The 264th episode of Let's Watch Anime will feature The Tent of Jadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, an adaptation of Tomato Soup's historical manga set in 13th-century Mongolia. Science SARU handles animation, with Naoko Yamada as chief director and Abel Gongora directing. The series airs Saturdays at 23:30 on TV Asahi's IMAnimation block.
The main poster visual, main trailer, and story for V Cinema Next 'Kamen Rider Kabuto: 20th - Heir to the Sky' have been unveiled. The theme song 'NEXT LEVEL Pass the tofu Version' is performed by Yuki Sato, Hidenori Tokuyama, and Kazuki Kato, their first vocal collaboration in 20 years. The film will screen in theaters from November 6, 2026, with a Blu-ray/DVD release on February 10, 2027. An experiential event 'Kamen Rider Kabuto World 20th CAST OFF' will be held starting September 19, 2026.
Michi Iijima, the former manager of SMAP who helped build the group into a national idol phenomenon, has been appointed J-POP Executive Producer at HYBE JAPAN. She will continue her role at CULEN while working to create new entertainment originating from Japan. HYBE JAPAN cited her multi-talent model and content creation know-how as key to its Japan-specific strategy under HYBE 2.0. Iijima said she is convinced the future lies in fandom and will focus on fusing fandom with entertainment.
Hasegawa is reissuing the VR-747 Temjin Type a8 White Knight Order 1/100 scale plastic model kit to mark the 30th anniversary of Cyber Troopers Virtual-On. The kit, designed by Hajime Katoki, features four-color molded parts, a Sleipnir Mk.6/w weapon, and White Knight Order decals. It is priced at 5,280 yen and ships October 1, 2026.
The new Magic Knight Rayearth anime, celebrating the franchise's 30th anniversary, revealed its second main trailer and key visual at Anime Expo on Saturday. The trailer announced three additional cast members and confirmed an October 7 premiere date. Joining the previously announced cast are Yuki Kaji as Clef, the mage who guides the Magic Knights; Emiri Kato as Presea, the master smith who forges their weapons; and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Ferio, a mysterious swordsman. The previously announced cast includes Ayane Sakura as Hikaru Shido, Rumi Okubo as Umi Ryuuzaki, Rie Takahashi as Fuu Hououji, Saori Hayami as Emeraude, Yuki Ono as Zagato, and Mika Kikuchi as Mokona. Yui Miura is making his series directorial debut with the anime, with series composition by Shigeru Murakoshi, character design by Satomi Watanabe, and music by Yuki Kajiura, Takumi Ozawa, and Shiho Terada. E&H production is handling animation production, and UNLIMITED PRODUCE by TMS is producing the project. The anime will air in the IMAnimation W programming block on TV Asahi and affiliated channels on Wednesdays at 11:45 p.m. JST.
The New National Theatre announced the full cast for the world's first stage adaptation of Fujiko F. Fujio's 1969 sci-fi short manga 'The Minotaur's Plate'. Seishiro Kato plays the protagonist crew member, Future Uchida plays the girl Minoa. The play runs December 10-28 at the New National Theatre's Small Theatre in Tokyo. Takuro Suzuki handles adaptation, choreography, and direction.
The live-action film adaptation of Mika Yamamori's manga In the Clear Moonlit Dusk revealed a new trailer on Monday, announcing five additional cast members. The film stars Shunsuke Michieda and Seira Anzai, opens in Japan on October 23, and is directed by Kentarō Takemura.