Japan
Naoya Inoue vs Nonito Donaire 2 Predictions, Betting Tips and Odds
A bantamweight unification clash as Naoya Inoue and Nonito Donaire clash in their highly anticipated rematch on Tuesday for the WBC, WBA Super and IBF world bantamweight titles. The fight is a rematch of their 2019 World Boxing Super Series final in which Inoue won via unanimous decision, but in a fight that was highly competitive and close right to the final bell. After another hugely successful weekend of boxing tips, where we predicted the winner and outcome in the Devin Haney vs George Kambosos Jr fight, we are back this week with more tips ahead of a bumper weekend of boxing action! On paper, this is a genuine 50/50 fight and is extremely difficult to call. Donaire has been at the top of the division for over a decade yet still holds a world title belt. Inoue on the other hand is stil...
Ichiko Aoba Announces 2022 World Tour: See the Dates
Japanese singer-songwriter Ichiko Aoba is set to tour Europe and North America later this year. The folk singer and guitarist announced that she will be traveling to Europe in August and to the U.S. and Canada in October for her 2022 international tour. Ahead of her global trek, the 32-year-old artist will also perform alongside Phonolite Strings at the Blue Note Tokyo on July 21. “The world of Windswept Adan that I wrote two years ago remains vivid in my heart, and I feel that’s a precious thing for a creator,” she says. “Sailing in an ever- changing world, I’ll visit Blue Note Tokyo in July and England’s Milton Court Concert Hall in September along with string musicians and with new sounds in tow. And I’ll also head to the U.S. for the first time on my international tour starting in Augu...
Crypto.com gets nod in Dubai and FTX launches in Japan
Two out of the top 10 largest cryptocurrency exchanges by volume will expand into new markets, with Crypto.com obtaining a provisional crypto license in Dubai and FTX launching in Japan. Crypto.com announced on June 2 that the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) provided the exchange with provisional approval of its Virtual Asset License giving the company the go-ahead based on initial compliance checks. The exchange said that VARA will carry out further due diligence and other mandated requirements before its full operating license is issued which it expects to happen in the “near term” Crypto.com said in March it would create a regional office in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) largest city after it enacted new laws for crypto and created VARA with the goal of making Dubai a ...
Weekly Report: China back atop mining charts as Russia mulls crypto legalisation
Despite China’s ban on crypto mining, it remains among the leaders in hash rate Portugal is issuing regulations to establish capital gains tax on cryptocurrencies Japanese bank Nomura is launching a crypto subsidiary later this year Russia’s trade minister insists crypto legalisation is not a matter of if but when Shopify merchants can now integrate Crypto.com Pay for payments on their storefronts Report: China lags only the US in Bitcoin mining despite ban mid-last year Crypto mining, particularly Bitcoin, has and will foreseeably continue being an environmental concern given that it uses a proof of work consensus model, which by design is energy-intensive. Last year, China banned all cryptocurrency mining in the country over the massive power...
Official HIGE DANdism’s ‘Mixed Nuts’ Rises to No. 1 on Japan Hot 100
After holding at No. 2 for three consecutive weeks, Official HIGE DANdism’s “Mixed Nuts” rises to take the No. 1 spot on this week’s Japan Hot 100, dated May 18. The opener for the animated series SPYxFAMILY is at No. 1 for streaming for the fourth straight week (from 9,145,511 to 9,521,583 weekly streams). In other metrics, the song slips to No. 2 for downloads (from 19,062 to 15,946 units) and rises to No. 5 for video views (from 1,383,391 to 1,514,729 views). Powered by these three metrics, “Mixed Nuts” hits No. 1 on the Japan Hot 100 five weeks after debuting on the chart. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news [embedded content] Kenshi Yonezu bows at No. 2 with “M87,” the theme of Shin Ultraman, the reimagined new Ultraman movie by Hideaki Anno a...
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Looks Back on Pre-Coachella Anxiety, Announces Nippon Budokan Final Tour
On May 7, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu took the stage at Line Cube Shibuya in Tokyo for her first concert since returning to Japan after her first-ever performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and a sold-out headlining gig at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles last month. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news [embedded content] The J-pop icon resumed her 10th-anniversary domestic tour titled 2022 CANDY WAVE, charming fans who flocked to the venue with a voluminous set mixing old and new songs from her ten-year career. Addressing the crowd in-between songs, the “Ninja Re Bang Bang” singer shared a memorable experience from her stint at Coachella. She said that while she had always dreamed of performing at the world-famous music festival,...
Naniwa Danshi Bows at No. 1, BE:FIRST at No. 3 on Japan Hot 100
J-pop boy band Naniwa Danshi’s “The Answer” blasts in at No.1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated May 4, topping sales with 534,004 CDs sold in its first week. The lead track off the new Johnny’s group’s second single is the theme of the new NTV drama series The Files of Young Kindaichi, starring member Shunsuke Michieda. The song came in at No. 1 for sales and look-ups, No. 3 for video views, No. 15 for radio airplay, and No. 38 for Twitter mentions, leading this week’s Japan Hot 100 fueled mainly by the physical metrics of the chart’s methodology. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news [embedded content] The seven-member band’s debut single “UBU-LOVE” launched with 632,655 CDs sold, also ruling sales and look-ups and coming in at No. 2 for video, ...
Hikaru Utada Makes Festival Debut at Coachella With 88rising: Interview & Recap
On the first day of Weekend One at Coachella this year (April 15-17), J-pop superstar Hikaru Utada surprised fans by announcing they would be performing the next day in 88rising’s Head in the Clouds Forever showcase. The event would be streamed live on YouTube, meaning fans around the world who couldn’t make it to the festival grounds could tune in to witness the Japanese-American hitmaker’s special set online. The following is a report by Billboard Japan of Hikaru Utada’s first-ever Coachella performance, along with excerpts from an interview they gave immediately after their performance. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news I was one of the lucky ones who got to see the show on-site, and moved forward to a position next to the runway where...
Ohashi Chippoke Showcases Bouncy Next-Gen J-Pop Tunes in April Edition of Billboard Japan & TikTok’s ‘Next Fire’
Billboard Japan and TikTok kicked off the April edition of Next Fire, highlighting singer-songwriter Ohashi Chippoke as this month’s featured artist. Next Fire introduces some of the hottest rising J-pop acts of the moment, based on Billboard Japan’s Heatseekers Songs chart. The collaborative project on TikTok Live streams studio concerts and pre-recorded interviews by the featured artist of the month to present an in-depth look at their career and artistry. Ohashi is a solo artist whose bouncy pop song “Jouryoku” (“Evergreen”) released last year held the top spot on the Heatseekers tally for six consecutive weeks. The 23-year-old performed a live showcase set on Apr. 8, including this breakout hit and an upcoming new track called “Iya demone” due Apr. 29. Ohashi Chippoke appeared in the l...
Sakurazaka46 Rises to No. 1 as Tani Yuuki Scores First Top 10 Hit on Japan Hot 100
Sakurazaka46 hits No. 1 on this week’s Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated April 13, with its latest track “Samidareyo.” The J-pop girl group’s fourth single sold 452,752 copies in its first week to rule physical sales, and also comes in at No. 2 for look-ups, No. 19 for downloads, No. 27 for streaming, No. 18 for radio airplay, and No. 6 for Twitter mentions. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Samidareyo” launched with about 45,000 more CDs than the group’s previous single called “Nagaredama,” which sold 407,334 first-week copies. The new single also improved in streaming (600k more weekly streams) compared to the previous single, but fell short by about 5,000 units in downloads. [embedded content] Last week’s No. 1 song, Snow Man’s “Brother ...
Japan’s UNISON SQUARE GARDEN Drops ‘TIGER & BUNNY 2’ Theme ‘kaleido proud fiesta’
J-pop band UNISON SQUARE GARDEN dropped its new single “kaleido proud fiesta,” currently being featured as the opener of the Netflix anime series TIGER & BUNNY 2. The three-man band’s songs have been linked to the popular series in the past, including the first season of the original TV series and the two feature film versions. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The group also shared an animated music video collaborating with TIGER & BUNNY 2. This video and the one created by “zono.sann,” a visual artist with 2.5 million followers on TikTok, will be included in the CD single’s limited first edition, along with the making-of video. The CD will also come with a clip of the live acoustic version of “Ohitoyoshi Chameleon” from the band...
BoJ official says digital yen won’t be used to achieve negative interest rate
The Bank of Japan (BoJ) has said that its Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), the digital yen, will not be used to help attain negative interest rates. The BoJ’s Executive Director, Shinichi Uchida made the announcement in his most recent public speech. “While the idea of using such a functionality as a means to achieve a negative interest rate is sometimes discussed in academia, the Bank will not introduce CBDC on this ground.” Japan initially adopted negative interest rates in 2016 in an attempt to combat decades of deflation by encouraging borrowing and spending. Negative interest rates are only used as a last resort by central banks during a recession to stimulate an economy by encouraging borrowing and spending, with interest being paid to borrowers rather than lenders. Echoin...
