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Murakami
Murakami published a new one-shot for his kendo manga Musashi no Ken in May 2026, his first new story for the series in over 40 years.
Synthesized from 2
Yomimono stories · updated
May 31
Motoka Murakami is the creator of the kendo sports manga Musashi no Ken, which ran from 1981 to 1985 and inspired a 72-episode TV anime. In May 2026, Murakami published a new one-shot for the series on Shogakukan's Sunday Webry service, marking his first new story for the property in over 40 years. The one-shot was announced and released on May 20.
Beyond this return to his classic work, coverage of Murakami is limited. An Anime Feminist round-up from late May 2026 mentions a profile of actress Meiko Kaji, but does not connect Murakami to that profile or to any other current projects. No other recent stories address Murakami's activities, upcoming work, or statements.
Key facts
- Manga creator
- Motoka Murakami created the kendo sports manga Musashi no Ken. ↗
- Original run
- Musashi no Ken ran from 1981 to 1985. ↗
- Anime adaptation
- The manga inspired a 72-episode TV anime. ↗
- New one-shot
- Murakami published a new one-shot for Musashi no Ken on Shogakukan's Sunday Webry service on May 20, 2026. ↗
- Time since last story
- The one-shot is Murakami's first new story for the series in over 40 years. ↗
Timeline
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
All coverage
1d ago
Level Infinite will stream the Goddess of Victory: NIKKE 4th anniversary program "To the Promised Land, Goddesses Assemble" on October 24, 2026. The broadcast runs in two parts, with Part 1 at 16:30 and Part 2 at 19:00, on YouTube, X, Twitch, and Niconico Live. Part 1 is hosted by Hyakka Ryouran and Part 2 by Mafia Kajita. Eri Kitamura, who voices Liberalio, appears in Part 1, and M・A・O, who voices Snow White, appears in Part 2. Cosplayers Moe Iori and Foy join, along with Risa Tsumugi (Molly) and Natsumi Murakami (Arcana). The voice cast performs a one-night-only live reading. The five-member band EOW performs NIKKE songs live. A showdown segment splits performers into Team Twintail and Team Mori Mori for three challenges. Part 2 will reveal the 4th anniversary major update and future game developments. A viewer giveaway includes smartphones, figures, anniversary goods, and Amazon gift cards.
Sep 15
Design studio Stereotype will hold a 30th anniversary exhibition at Kaikai Kiki Gallery in Tokyo from October 2 to October 24, 2026. Admission is free. The show covers Stereotype's visual work for anime and games including "BLEACH," "Black Clover," and "Pokemon," and displays graphic and video works by founder Daisuke Yamada, who died in 2003, shown for the first time in 23 years.
Sep 15
Level Infinite will implement the latest Goddess of Victory: Nikke version, "COIN RUSH SHOWDOWN," on September 17, 2026, following maintenance scheduled from 11:00 to 18:00. The update adds two SSR Nikkes: Guilty: Mighty Bunny, voiced by Rina Sato, enters special recruitment after maintenance and runs until October 8, while Sin: Swift Bunny, voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki, opens September 24 at 5:00 and runs until October 15. The new story event is set at the first Three Great Companies Expo, where the Commander joins a battle royale with the Plan C Squad and becomes caught up in a conspiracy. The event runs until October 8 at 4:59. A limited-time selective recruitment lets players pick one of six limited Nikkes, among them Ruby: Winter Shopper and Guillotine: Winter Slayer. New costumes include Sugar's Killer Rabbit, Mana's Drunken Rabbit, and Crust's Treat Chef, and six past limited costumes return. A mini-game, a 14-day login event, Solo Raid, Co-op, and FULL BURST DAY fill out the schedule.
Sep 2
Shinchosha announced on September 1 that it will publish Murakami Haruki WORKS, a 16-volume complete works collection covering nearly half a century of the author's writing, as part of its 130th anniversary program. The set opens with volume 8, the complete 1Q84 in one book, on January 27, 2027, followed by one volume every two months. Recommendation comments come from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure creator Hirohiko Araki and poet Machi Tawara.
Aug 7
Katsushi Murakami, a mechanical designer, planner, and toy designer, died on July 20 at age 83. He worked on anime including Shin Tetsujin 28, Gold Lightan, and Video Warrior Laserion, and designed the Chogokin robot toy line. He joined Bandai in 1961.
Jul 9
Bandai is releasing a new gashapon set called 'MLB TM Capsule Torso Players Edition' featuring Japanese players active in MLB, including Shohei Ohtani, Munetaka Murakami, Kodai Senga, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Seiya Suzuki, and Lars Nootbaar. The six-figure lineup will be available in the third week of July 2026 at 500 yen each.
Jul 9
Billboard JAPAN's JAPAN Book Hot 100 chart for June 29-July 5 put HUNTER×HUNTER Volume 39 at number one, ahead of One Piece Volume 115 and Haruki Murakami's new novel KAHO -The Tale of KAHO-. The chart, launched in November 2025, aggregates physical sales, e-book downloads, library lending, and other data. Volume 39, released July 3, includes chapters 401-410 and features Hisoka on the cover alone for the first time.
Jul 1
Honoka Murakami, who played Setsu Uozumi (Yūnagi) in the NHK morning drama 'Kaze, Kaoru,' posted a close-up photo on Instagram on June 30. The photo was taken by video director Tomokazu Saito, leading fans to speculate she may be appearing in a new project by Saito. Murakami has not confirmed wrapping filming for the drama, and viewers hope for Setsu's return.
May 31
Anime Feminist's weekly round-up for March 25-31, 2026, features a review of the new manga *Wicked Spot*, a profile of actress Meiko Kaji, and a primer on *Witch Hat Atelier*. The *Wicked Spot* review, from Gizmodo's Isaiah Colbert, describes the series by mangaka Sal Jiang as a sapphic rom-com that blends witchy elements with influencer culture, comparing it favorably to *The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't A Guy At All* and Kamome Shirahama's *Eniale & Dewiela*. The profile of Kaji, published by Aftermath, covers her 60-year career, including her iconic role in *Lady Snowblood* and her reflections on the grind of early acting. The round-up also includes a video primer on *Witch Hat Atelier* featuring Alex Henderson, plus links to articles on the Tokyo Pokémon Center stalking murder, Japan's citizenship law changes, and a survey of foreign residents in Saitama. Other items cover a worker fired after disclosing autism, former Nippon Ichi Software president's comments on game industry creativity, and a call for concrete woke action.
May 16
Motoka Murakami announced a new one-shot for his kendo sports manga Musashi no Ken, over 40 years after the series ended in 1985. The one-shot will debut on Shogakukan's Sunday Webry service on May 20. The original manga ran from 1981 to 1985 and inspired a 72-episode TV anime.