Japan's largest movie, drama, and anime review service Filmarks has posted its list of the country's Top 10 Drama and Anime Series for Autumn 2020. The ranking is taken from series broadcast and available for stream between September 1 and November 30 in 2020 and is based on Filmarks own 5★ score system and user reviews.  

Top 10 Drama Series for Autumn 2020

1st Place: The Mandalorian Season 2 | ★4.67

©2020 Lucasfilm Ltd.

  2nd Place: Julie and the Phantoms | ★4.43   3rd Place: The Queen's Gambit | ★4.34   4th Place: 2gether | ★4.315th Place: The Crown Season 4 | ★4.276th Place: Start-Up | ★4.267th Place: Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! | ★4.248th Place: The Boys Season 2 | ★4.209th Place: Baby Season 3 | ★4.1610th Place: Satsui no Michinori | ★4.14  

Top 10 Anime Series for Autumn 2020

1st Place: Golden Kamuy Season 3 | ★4.21

©Satoru Noda / Shueisha・Golden Kamuy Production Committee

  2th Place: Jujutsu Kaisen | ★4.19

©Gege Akutami / Shueisha・Jujutsu Kaisen Production Committee

  3rd Place: Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club | ★4.07

©2020 Project Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club

  4th Place: Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle | ★3.935th Place: Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai | ★3.896th Place: Is the Order a Rabbit? BLOOM | ★3.8747th Place: With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun★3.878th Place: Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou | ★3.849th Place: Moriarty the Patriot | ★3.80910th Place: Munou na Nana | ★3.808   Are there any series on this list you have yet to see?

The Japanese branch of the world's largest travel platform Tripadvisor® has posted its 2020 list of the Top 20 most popular castles in Japan amongst Japanese people.   This year marks the 8th run of the most popular Japanese castles ranking. Crowning the number one spot for the fourth year in a row in the list is Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture. Kanazawa Castle and Iwakuni Castle have appeared for the first time ever on the list, while Shurijo Castle—which saw the main courtyard structures destroyed last year in a fire—and Kumamoto Castle—which was damaged as a result of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake—both placed in the Top 10. This shows the greatness of these last two castles, Shurijo Castle and Kumamoto Castle, that despite their damage people still revere them, and their visiting them calls for a quick repairs and rebuilding.   User posts for all the castles in this year's list commended each site's incorporation of measures against the spreading of COVID-19, such as making it mandatory to wear masks, and providing alcohol gel everywhere.  

Top 20 Most Popular Japanese Castles Amongst Japanese People | 2020 Edition

1st Place: Himeji Castle (Himeji, Hyogo) 2nd Place: Matsumoto Castle (Matsumoto, Nagano) 3rd Place: Matsuyama Castle (Matsuyama, Ehime 4th Place: Matsue Castle (Matsue, Shimane) 5th Place: Nijo Castle (Kyoto, Kyoto) 6th Place: Katsuren Castle (Uruma, Okinawa) 7th Place: Kochi Castle (Koch, Kochi) 8th Place: Shurijo Castle (Naha, Okinawa) 9th Place: Kumamoto Castle (Kumamoto, Kumamoto) 10th Place: Nakagusuku Castle (Kitanakagusuku, Okinawa) Full Top 20 List (Japanese): https://www.tripadvisor.jp/Trips/99877580  

The Reviews

1st Place: Himeji Castle | Himeji, Hyogo

Himeji Castle has placed on this list four years in a row. The castle also gets the name Hakuro-jo, or "White Egret Castle," due to the structure's white exterior and resemblance to a bird taking flight. Many users on Tripadvisor commented on their multiple visits to the castle, with one saying they have visited over 10 times, and another having visited 10 years after the castle's repair work. Another said that although you have to pay to get in, you can learn much and more about the castle if you just ask the guide. Himeji Castle also has its own app you can download which has videos on different spots around the castle grounds.  

16th Place: Kanazawa Castle | Kanazawa, Ishikawa

Kanazawa Castle has a rich history that dates back to being the headquarters of the Kaga Domain, also known as the Kanazawa Domain. Many users praise the beauty of the castle's appearance, often highlighting the bricks various that make it up. The castle is lit up at night, and the scenery during winter is a sight to behold. Numerous events are held there throughout the year.  

17th Place: Iwakuni Castle | Iwakuni, Yamaguchi

From the castle keep visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the city of Iwakuni, Kintai Bridge, the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, Miyajima, and more. This is one of the main highlights commended by users on Tripadvisor. One hiker recommended visiting the castle as a set together with a walk along Kintai Bridge.   If you're planning a trip to Japan, then be sure to use this list as reference so you know which castles are must-visits.

Japanese "hybrid" bookshop honto, which is co-managed by Junkudo and 2Dfacto, has used its online and physical book sales data to rank the top 10 manga series of the current 2020 summer anime roster. Their ranking was released on July 2.  

Ito (PR, honto) | Comment

"The 2020 summer anime roster is about to start. With people staying at home right now, there is more opportunity to watch anime, so there must be a lot of people looking forward to the new series coming. So we are releasing our own ranking of manga and light novels from the anime series that are airing this summer. Let's peruse series that are in the spotlight right now by dividing the ranking and the differences in age of people buying the books." *Data is based on the sales taken from the first half of 2020  

The Top 3 Series

The slapstick love comedy Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! (Volume 4) by Take clocks in at number one. The series has sold over 1 million copies in Japan. The data shows that the series is most popular with people in their 30's, who rate at 41.2% of the sales. Will they be watching the anime adaptation too? In 2nd place is Fire Force (Volume 22) which is serialised in Weekly Shonen Magazine. This series is most popular with those in their 20's. Season two of the anime series will premiere on July 5. And in 3rd place is Sword Art Online (Volume 24), a series loved by fans the world over. This hugely popular series has sold over 20 million light novels, and is popular in all age groups, with the biggest percentage of sales going to those in their 40's at 28.2%. The first season of the anime adaptation aired back in 2012. The second half of the War of Underworld will begin on July 11.  

Full Top 10 List

1st Place: Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! (Volume 4) 2nd Place: Fire Force (Volume 22) 3rd Place: Sword Art Online (Volume 24) 4th Place: Kanojo, Okarishimasu (Volume 14) 5th Place: Baki Dou (Volume 5) 6th Place: Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World (Volume 22) 7th Place: Diary of Our Days at the Breakwater (Volume 6) 8th Place: My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected (Volume 14) 9th Place: Super HxEros (Volume 9) 10th Place: A Certain Scientific Railgun (Volume 15) *According to honto

The editorial team of Japan’s biggest bread specialist community website Pansta (“Bread Star”) have announced the winners of “Bread of the Year 2017”. The bread mania returns this year to deliver a careful selection of 7 different breads.

 

Every year the Pansta editorial team picks the best breads of the past 12 months. The “Bread of the Year” rankings are picked up by TV and magazines, announced on a wide scale. Rankings are compiled by the number of posts, likes and audience reach by pan lovers on the website, as well as breads the editorial team find in their everyday activities. 7 breads have been selected for 2017, each in their own category.

 

Best Baguette – Gold Prize　Signifiant Signifie (Setagaya, Tokyo)

Signifiant Signifie’s huge popularity is consistent when it comes to bread. It received much attention for its huge bread overhaul this year. Their signature “Baguette Puratanu” is now fermented for 40 hours as a result of the insatiable curiosity of chefs in Shiga. The baguette has an intense flavour and a light aftertaste. Part of its quality is that the flavour stays just as good even if eaten the next day. The Baguette Puratanu can be bought at the main Signifiant Signifie store in Setagaya as well as the Nihonbashi and Tamagawa branches of Takashiyama and online.

 

Best Loaf – Gold Prize　Ore no Bakery&Cafe (Shibuya, Tokyo)

This immensely popular store is said to have sped up the boom of high-grade bread in Tokyo. Ore no Bakery&Cafe initially opened in Ebisu and had constant long queues of people trying to get in. Another branch opened in Ginza this year. Their “Ore no Seishoku Pan” is so soft that when it’s freshly baked it almost seems like it will sink in on itself just by touching it. The loaf is sold unsliced in two sizes. Its high point is the milky fragrance and sweetness brought on by fresh milk from Nakahora Bokujou in Iwate Prefecture. It’s enjoyed by people of all ages and despite being high-grade bread, many loafs are sold to lots of people.

 

Best Croissant – Gold Prize　Sawamura Bakery & Restaurant (Kitasaku District, Nagano Prefecture)

This shop is flooded with customers from the early morning during days off and consecutive holidays who want to get their fingers on the freshly baked croissants sold here. Anyone and everyone can experience personally the goodness of the ingredients when sinking their teeth into one. One bite is enough for your nose to be hit with the sweet fragrance of butter from these flaky croissants. The shop looks just like a Paris bakery, lined with big breads that look like campagne. They also have branches in Karuizawa, Shinjuku and Hiroo, so be sure to check it out.

 

Best Sandwich – Gold Prize　oeuf TAMAKO Sando (Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka Prefecture)

The most popular egg-sandwich chain is TAMAKO. The texture of the rice bread is soft and doughy, filled with egg and pesticide-free fresh lettuce. It may be simple but its delicious flavour is irresistible. They also have a selection of other sandwiches that combine egg with made different ingredients other than egg. The variety there is huge – you’ll never grow tired of their sandwiches no matter how many times you go. There are also branches in Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama and Aichi.

 

Best Curry Bread – Gold Prize　Aiwa Pan (Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture)

The shopkeeper of Aiwa Pan is confident in the creation of curry breads with background research in the curry of Pakistan. The spices are noticeably packed in there but are condensed into a rich flavour of the curry roux that contains chicken. The tomato based bread has an exquisite balance with the rich curry. The fried bread is crunchy and in fact made with coconut oil making it a healthier option.

 

Best Anpan – Gold Prize　Yoshida Pan (Katsushika, Tokyo)

Yoshida Pan’s strained white bean paste uses one variety of common bean and ootebou navy bean from Tokachi in Hokkaido, giving it a high-quality, smooth and melt-in-the-mouth taste. The texture of the mashed sweet bean paste can be enjoyed with organic adzuki beans from Tokachi that have been cooked with brown sugar from France. Both bring to mind the high-grade flavours of Japanese wagashi and go perfect with coffee. This revolutionary anpan is a perfect balance of traditional Japanese bread made in a contemporary style. The bread that envelops the red bean is also in its own league with its soft texture and sweet flavour that just melts in your mouth.

 

Best Bread Roll – Gold Prize　Yoshida Pan (Katsushika, Tokyo)

This big bread roll with its gently baked colour will light up your day even if you just catch a glimpse of it. You’ll be surprised how heavy it is when you pick it up. You select the ingredients and the shop staff will roll it there for you, allowing you to have fun combining your own flvours.

 

Find your favourite bread from the unique selection available in Japan!

 

 

When you think of staple food in Japan you think rice, but the land of the rising sun also has a lot of delicious bakeries. In this article, we'd like to show you the winners of "Bread of the Year 2016" (Japanese: パン・オブ・ザ・イヤー２０１６) which were announced by the editorial team "Pan Suta" (translation: "Pan Star" or "Bread Star"), the country's biggest bread specialist community website. These rankings were compiled based off the posts, number of likes, number of shares, tasting by the Pan Suta team on the day of the event, and more. 10 different breads were selected from as the best from this year's bread mania.

 

■Baguette Category　Gold Prize
david pain・Ibaraki Prefecture / Tsukuba-shi

"david pain" is a popular location in Tsukuba-shi, the bread battleground town. The bread made by the owner, who is from Corsica Island in France, is praised for having a delicious scent, and for the flavour of the wheat which develops in your mouth the more you chew. The bread is made with wheat from Japan and the yeast is homemade, as is the rest of the ingredients. It's a popular shop which brings in people from other prefectures who go to buy the delicious baguettes.

 

david pain

7-11 Makizono, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki Prefecture

Telephone: 029-871-1214

■Bread Loaf Category　Gold Prize
Koukyuu "Sei" Kuu Pan Senmon-ten Nogami　Osaka/Osaka-shi Tennōji-ku ※This shop is established in other locations too

The lines at this Kansai bread shop never end. This bread is given the name "raw" as it is served as it is instead of being toasted. Since the bread is so soft and delicate the shop does not slice it. The loafs are ample in moisture and the texture is fine all the way through. The bread will melt in your mouth as you eat it "raw", and you will love sweet aftertaste.

 

Koukyuu "Sei" Kuu Pan Senmon-ten Nogami (Japanese: 高級「生」食パン専門店 乃が美)
Official Website: http://nogaminopan.com/

■Croissant Category
GONTRAN CHERRIER TOKYO　Tokyo / Shibuya-ku

Gontran Cherrier is a famous French baker and pastry chef who owns a number of shops, including one in Tokyo. Croissants, which are popular in France, are loved by Japan, and GONTRAN CHERRIER TOKYO has plenty of them. They are served deliciously crispy and you will be hit by the tantalizing scent of butter the moment you hold one in your hands.

 

GONTRAN CHERRIER TOKYO
1-Chome-14-11 BC Salon, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Official Website: http://gontran-cherrier.jp/

 

■Focaccia Category　Gold Prize
LE PAIN de Joël Robuchon　Tokyo / Shibuya-ku

This shop is run by Joël Robuchon, an internationally famous French chef and restaurateur who is a prominent figure in French cuisine. This first-class shop is always packed with people as you can enjoy delicious bread at a reasonable price. Its popular focaccias are fresh and dipped in olive oil. With just one bite the fruity scent will hit your nose immediately. The focaccias flexibility in going well with so many different dishes is one reason for its popularity.

 

LE PAIN de Joël Robuchon
2-Chome-21-1 Shibuya Hikarie ShinQs B2F, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Official Website: http://www.robuchon.jp/lepain

■Bagel Category　Gold Prize
Pomme de terre　Tokyo / Suginami

Pomme de terre should be called the first place that made an original Japanese style bagel, introducing bagels that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and rolled bagels. You can feel that the menu was made by an owner who was originally a pastry chef, with its wide-range of options and amazing combinations of fillings. You will most definitely enjoy the crispy outsides and soft insides which are sprayed and rebaked.

 

Pomme de terre
4-Chome-8-2 Beihaimu Nishiogi Dai-San 101, Nishi-Ogikita, Suginami, Tokyo
Official Website: http://www.pomme-de-terre.net/

There are many more from the list of winners from this year's Bread of the Year, from curry bread to cream bread.

When you're in Japan and want to try some delicious bread, be sure to check this article again!

■Information
Pan Sta
Official Website　http://pansta.jp/
Bread of the Year 2016　 http://pansta.jp/poty/2016/

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To celebrate "Manga no Hi" (translation: Manga Day), which was established by The Japan Cartoonists Association along with 5 publishing companies, DAM karaoke carried out a survey to find out the most requested anime songs.

※The original list contains a selection of top 30 theme songs from anime adapted from manga.

 

At number one is Motohiro Hata's "Himawari no Yakusoku". The song was released in August 2014 and was used as the main theme song for the film "STAND BY ME Doraemon" and explores the gap from childhood to adulthood. The song was listed at second place in DAM's annual karaoke request rankings last year, being sung by many people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw1nqhvHY48

 

In second place is Yoko Takahashi with "A Cruel Angel's Thesis". Released in October 1995, it is known as the opening theme song to the anime series "Neon Genesis Evangelion". The track has been in DAM's annual rankings for 7 consecutive years since 2009. The song was released more than 20 years ago and continues to be loved by all, showing no signs of disappearing any time soon.

At third place is UNISON SQUARE GARDEN with "Sugar Song and Bitter Step", which was released in May 2015 and used as the ending theme for the anime "Blood Blockade Battlefront". Just like the anime, the song is cute and has a catchy melody, with its popularity coming from its original sounding rhythm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-LdR0WL5Zo

 

"Manga no Hi" was adapted from Japan's national holiday "Bunka no Hi" (or "Culture Day") which is also celebrated on November 3rd. Manga no Hi specifically celebrates the culture of manga. It also shares the same birthday as the legendary postwar manga artist Osamu Tezuka.

 

It's safe to say that manga is most certainly an aspect of Japanese culture adored by the world, particularly today. The anime song ranking has proven very interesting, listing songs of anime from the Showa period to anime songs of today.

※This list was calculated based on the number of times a song was sung at Daiichi Kosho's Karaoke DAM.

"Anime Song" DAM Karaoke Request Ranking

Survey: Carried out between October 1st, 2015 to September 20th, 2016

Conducted by Daiichikosho Co., Ltd. Karaoke DAM

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■Related Article: Popular J-music ranking by French TV station “NOLIFE”!

http://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/19671

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