: Stories tackle complex themes like existentialism, grief, and environmentalism. Global Reach

In a cramped izakaya in Shinjuku, a retired kabuki actor sips sake next to a teenager scrolling through the latest Virtual Youtuber concert. Two miles away, a live-action adaptation of a manga about a piano prodigy is being filmed, while a J-pop idol group performs a flawless, tightly choreographed routine on national television—streaming simultaneously to 50,000 overseas fans.