Kenshi Yonezu is a solo artist whose 2026 output spans film themes, a World Cup broadcast song, and a catalog-driven streaming channel. His song "IRIS OUT" won Best J-POP Song at Music Awards Japan 2026, and he contributed guest guitar to the live-action Look Back film.
Seven stories through 2026 show Kenshi Yonezu's work spread across film themes, sports broadcasts, and music awards. His song "Yodaka" is the theme for Kingdom: Tamashii no Kessen, the fifth live-action Kingdom film, announced in a TOHO Movies trailer in May. The film opened in Japan on July 17, and by August 7 a new promotional video using previously unseen footage had been released. The same film has drawn 2.39 million viewers and earned 3.73 billion yen in 13 days.
"IRIS OUT," his theme for the Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc, won Best J-POP Song at Music Awards Japan 2026 and swept the Best Japanese Song category in Asia, Europe, North America, and Latin America. The film later began unlimited streaming on Prime Video on September 19, 2026, a year after its theatrical release, and a limited-time live stream called Kenshi Yonezu Station opened on his official YouTube channel. It runs 24 hours a day from September 18 at 20:00 until September 23 at 23:59, playing music videos, live footage, and TV performance footage.
Elsewhere, the song "Karasu," the 2026 NHK Soccer Theme, received a short anime produced by MAPPA and published on YouTube on June 25. It is the third collaboration between Yonezu and MAPPA, after "KICK BACK" in 2022 and "IRIS OUT" in 2025. The song was released digitally on June 15 and took six chart crowns in its first week, including No. 1 on the Billboard JAPAN Hot 100 and Oricon's weekly streaming and digital single rankings.
Bandai released a gashapon capsule line of miniature Kenshi Yonezu CD charms with 11 designs, including one secret, at 500 yen per capsule, shipping in the fifth week of August 2026. On the live-action Look Back film, Yonezu contributed as special guest staff, performing guitar under the Shark Kick Guitar moniker. The film opens September 11 in Japan.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Sep 18
The Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc movie begins unlimited streaming on Prime Video on Saturday, September 19, 2026, a year after its theatrical release. To mark it, a limited-time live stream called Kenshi Yonezu Station opened on his official YouTube channel. It runs 24 hours a day from Friday, September 18 at 20:00 until Wednesday, September 23 at 23:59, playing music videos, live footage, and TV performance footage nonstop.
Aug 20
The live-action Look Back film announced that musician Kenshi Yonezu, actress-singer Tōko Miura, and animator-director Yōko Kuno will contribute as special guest staff. Yonezu performs guitar under the Shark Kick Guitar moniker, Miura sings an insert song, and Kuno directs a rotoscoped animation sequence produced by Shinei Animation. The film opens September 11 in Japan.
Aug 19
Bandai is releasing a gashapon capsule line of miniature Kenshi Yonezu CD charms. The collection includes 11 total designs, one of them secret, featuring the Chainsaw Man Reze Arc film theme "IRIS OUT," the Hikaru Utada collaboration "JANE DOE," "Lemon," and the album "LOST CORNER." Each capsule costs 500 yen and ships in the fifth week of August 2026.
Aug 7
The fifth live-action Kingdom film, 'Kingdom: Soul's Decisive Battle,' has released a new promotional video featuring the theme song 'Yodaka' by Kenshi Yonezu, using previously unseen footage from the film. New stills showing the battle between Shin and Bansaku were also released. The film has drawn 2.39 million viewers and earned 3.73 billion yen in 13 days.
Jun 25
Kenshi Yonezu and animation studio MAPPA have released a short anime for the song "Karasu," the 2026 NHK Soccer Theme. The video, published on YouTube on June 25, 2026, was produced by MAPPA and marks the third collaboration between the musician and the studio, following the Chainsaw Man opening theme "KICK BACK" (2022) and the theme for the Chainsaw Man - Reze Arc film "IRIS OUT" (2025). The short anime matches the first chorus of the song and uses a pencil-drawn visual style, showing a person earnestly chasing a ball while a crow soars overhead. The song itself was released digitally on June 15 and achieved six chart crowns in its first week, including No. 1 on the Billboard JAPAN Hot 100 and Oricon's weekly streaming and digital single rankings. It is Yonezu's 20th overall No. 1, the most for a solo artist in history. The short anime is timed to the FIFA World Cup 2026, with the song scheduled to air on NHK's soccer broadcasts.
Jun 14
The Japan Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association (CEIPA) held the Grand Ceremony for Music Awards Japan 2026 on June 13 at Toyota Arena Tokyo. Sakanaction's "Kaiju," the theme song for the TV anime "Chi: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite," won Best Anime Song. It was the band's first anime theme song. Lead vocalist Ichiro Yamaguchi said during the ceremony that the manga's author, Uoto, pushed for the band to be involved. Sakanaction also won Song of the Year, Best Rock Song, Best Music Video, and Best Rock Band/Solo Artist, among other awards, totaling eight wins. Kenshi Yonezu's "IRIS OUT" from the "Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc" won Best J-POP Song and swept Best Japanese Song in Asia, Europe, North America, and Latin America. Mrs. Green Apple won Artist of the Year for the second consecutive year, plus Best J-POP Artist and the Fandom Special Award. HANA won New Artist of the Year. The Best Original Score for Animation went to the "Lazarus" soundtrack by Kamasi Washington, Bonobo, and Floating Points. Ado won Largest Live Audience (International). The awards event, now in its second year, had over 70 categories voted on by more than 5,000 music industry professionals.
May 27
TOHO Movies debuted a new trailer for Kingdom: Tamashii no Kessen, the fifth live-action film based on Yasuhisa Hara's Kingdom manga. The trailer announces Kenshi Yonezu's theme song "Yodaka." The film opens in Japan on July 17, with Kento Yamazaki reprising his role as Xin and Shinsuke Sato returning to direct.