Scooby, Scooby-Doo, where are you? Ah, you’re in Japan!

Over the past few years, Japan has become one of the world’s most popular destinations for international travelers, with everyone from overseas otaku to major celebrities putting it on their travel itineraries. And soon Japan will be adding a few more high-profile guests, with the announcement of a new Scooby-Doo animated series that’s not only set in Japan, but animated by a major anime studio.

Warner Bros. has unveiled Yokoso Scooby-Doo, a new series starring the famous mystery-solving pooch, describing the premise as:

“While visiting Japan on the ultimate foodie adventure, Scooby-Doo and Shaggy unwittingly unleash hundreds of mythical monsters that are causing trouble across the country. With the help of Scooby’s uncle, Daisuke-Doo, along with new friends, a magical girl Yume and gadget whiz Takumi, the group embarks on an all-new mystery filled with monster chasing and fun chaos.”

あのハンナ・バーベラの名作『弱虫クルッパー』こと『スクービー・ドゥ』が…日本にやって来た！？
しかも日本アニメっぽく！？
最新作『YOKOSO SCOOBY DOO！』は
アメリカ限定完全無料配信サービス
『tubi』にて配信決定

日本の妖怪からも逃げまくるシャギーとスクービーを見逃すな！ pic.twitter.com/MIXdfpL2RA

— カートゥーン大好きトゥン子さん@海外アニメ紹介！ (@newofcartoon) May 18, 2026

While Warner Bros. Animation is listed as the series’ producer, the company has announced that the visuals will come from OLM. Originally named Oriental Light and Magic, OLM is a Tokyo-based anime studio that was founded in 1990, and whose credits include work on Berserk, Inazuma Eleven, and Yo-kai Watch. They’re most famous, though, as the studio that’s been animating the Pokémon anime, all the way since its beginning in 1997. Yokoso Scooby-Doo will also be directed by Itsuro Kawasaki, director of the Pokémon Origins anime.

▼ Yokoso Scooby-Doo (meaning “Welcome, Scooby-Doo”) appears to be a reworking/retitling of the Go-Go Mystery Machine series that Warner Bros. originally announced in 2024.

2024年に発表された
日本を舞台にした「スクービードゥー」の新作「GO GO MYSTERY MACHINE」が
『YOKOSO SCOOBY DOO！』色々と変わって発表

しかも制作はワーナーと日本の「株式会社オー・エル・エム」(アニポケ作ってる会社)と共同

絵柄も何となく日本アニメっぽい pic.twitter.com/l4Ijqi3u1I

— アクタレマン (@akutareman) May 18, 2026

Looking at the preview visual for Yokoso Scooby-Doo (or maybe we should call it the “key art,” in keeping with anime industry jargon), the goofy-grin Shiba inu is, ostensibly, Scooby’s uncle, Daisuke-Doo. The series’ version of the Mystery Machine sports a cherry blossom design on its fascia-mounted spare tire cover (although in orange instead of sakura-pink), and the van even sports a yellow license plate of the type used by Japan’s kei jidosha class of sub-compact cars.

Yokoso Scooby-Doo will stream exclusively on Tubi in North America, while international distribution will be through Cartoon Network. Frank Welker and Matthew Lillard will reprise their roles as Scooby and Shaggy, respectively, and there’s been no word yet about a Japanese-language dub. There’s also no announced release date yet, but if you’re in the mood for anime takes on classic American cartoon characters right now, there’s the new Looney Tunes anime series to watch.

Source: Variety
Top image ©SoraNews24
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New tie-up with hit anime comes with anti-scalper strategy.

Fast food and anime figures are two of the reliable simple sources of joy in life, and yet there was some trepidation about combining the two of them as McDonald’s Japan launched a collaboration with the Chiikawa franchise last week. Chiikawa Happy Meals went on sale on May 15, but there was worry that the promotion would be marred by the same sort of ugly behavior from scalpers that’s taken place in some of the chain’s previous high-profile partnerships.

Because of that, McDonald’s is taking some extra precautions in order to make it harder for would-be-resellers to buy the Chiikawa Happy Meals in bulk, and even popular Japanese second-hand goods site Mercari has pledged to remove posts from sellers attempting to flip the figures for a profit. McDonald’s restrictions were tightest on the day of the Chiikawa Happy Meals’ release, with sales limited to users of the McDonald’s app and capped at four Happy Meals per time block (morning or afternoon/night).

And you know what? The rules seemed to achieve their purpose, at least at the branch where we got our four Chiikawa Happy Meals. There were no massive lines, no one walking out with a dozen orders just for themselves, and no one just taking their toys and leaving uneaten food on the restaurant counter or littered on the street outside.

Each Happy Meal comes with one of four figures of the Chiikawa cast dressed in McDonald’s uniforms, so we ordered four meals, keeping our fingers crossed that we’d be lucky enough to get the full set.

▼ We got ourselves two Chicken McNugget Happy Meals and two cheeseburger ones, each priced at 540 yen (US$3.50), so we were pretty much set for lunches for the next few days.

And to our great joy, as we opened up the four figure boxes one by one, each of them had a different figure waiting for us inside!

Not only are they adorable, there’s even a bit of inspiration from Chiikawa lore in their designs. For example, Rakko, seen on the far right in the photo above, is depicted in the Chiikawa manga and anime as owning a car and being a skilled driver, so he’s dressed in the uniform of a McDonald’s Japan delivery person, as is Hachiware.

Also part of our set of four is Kuri-Manju (second from the lest in the above photo), the alcohol-loving character with a head shaped like a chestnut dumpling (Chiikawa can be a very unique franchise). Perhaps due to his regularly inebriated condition, Kuri-Manju is not part of the delivery team, and is instead dressed in the uniform of a McCafe by Barista crew member, in charge of McDonald’s Japan’s fancier dessert and beverage subdivision, which sometimes even has its own order counter inside the restaurant. Finally, there’s Chiikawa, who, fittingly for the series’ protagonist, is dressed in a McDonald’s manager’s uniform.

Each of the figures is about eight centimeters (3.1 inches) tall, compact enough to easily find space for on a shelf or your desk, but big enough to still provide a palpable Chiikawa aura.

▼ McDonald’s figures are quite a bit bigger than the ones beef bowl chain Matsuya gave out in their most recent Chiikawa collaboration, as you can see here.

In addition, the figures have holes on the bottom so that you can use them as pencil/pen toppers too.

As is becoming increasingly common with Japanese Happy Meals, McDonald’s is releasing its Chiikawa ones in two waves, with the first lasting until May 28, then a new set of four figures coming in as a second batch from May 29 to June 11, and hopefully the anti-scalping strategies continue to be effective in round two.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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Three years after being acquired by Nippon TV, there’s a shakeup at the top levels of Ghibli’s leadership.

Between its unparalleled commitment to anime artistry and larger-than-life creative keymen, it can be easy to forget that Studio Ghibli still is a company. So while the animators and designers play crucial roles in producing what we see on screen, they’re not the ones running the place. Studio Ghibli does have a president, and the current one is going to step down next month.

Studio Ghibli announced through its official website that Hiroyuki Fukuda will be leaving his position as president as of the Ghibli shareholders meeting next month. The 64-year-old Fukuda has been the president and representative director of Studio Ghibli since 2023, and currently concurrently holds the position of president and representative director of Nippon Television Holdings, the Japanese TV broadcaster who acquired Ghibli as a subsidiary the same year that Fukuda became the studio’s president.

Stepping in to replace Fukuda will be 51-year-old Kenichi Yoda. Like Fukuda, Yoda simultaneously is simultaneously a high-ranking executive in both Studio Ghibli and Nippon TV, having a seat on Ghibli’s board of directors since 2023 and also listed as a “general specialist” within Nippon TV’s Content Strategy Division, a combination that’s kept him heavily involved in planning and coordinating events such as exhibitions, concerts, and stage play adaptations for Ghibli’s anime works.

Aside from Fukuda’s departure from Ghibli and Yoda’s promotion within it, the studio is not planning any other changes to its upper leadership structure, meaning that co-founder and anime director Hayao Miyazaki will continue as honorary chairman of the board, veteran producer Toshio Suzuki as representative director and chairman of the board, and Goro Miyazaki as managing director. As such, Ghibli’s philosophy towards animation production and storytelling is unlikely to drastically change as a result of it getting a new president, and the more likely effect would be increased attention given to events and collaborations of the sort Yoda has been handling, which would be in keeping with Ghibli’s recent shift towards showcasing its legacy as opposed to producing new feature-length anime movies.

Yoda is scheduled to become Studio Ghibli’s president on June 22.

Source: Studio Ghibli
Top image: Studio Ghibli
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Goodbye (again), Gundam.

Seeing Tokyo’s life-size Gundam statue is an amazing experience, but also surreal one. Sure, Japan is the land of anime and all, but even then, a 19.7-meter (64.6-foot) tall mecha feels like something too awesome to be standing outside of the Diver City entertainment complex in the Odaiba district.

And sadly, it’s not going to be standing there much longer.

Both the official Gundam franchise website and the site for Tokyo’s life-size Unicorn Gundam statue have posted notices that the 1:1-scale recreation of the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam will be removed. They’re not giving fans much advance notice to make one last visit either (or one first visit, if you haven’t been able to fit Tokyo into your travel plans yet), as the Unicorn Gundam will be gone at “the end of August.” 

It’s a sad turn of events for what has become both a symbol of the neighborhood and a mecha mecca for anime fans from around the globe. The Unicorn Gundam was completed in September of 2017, meaning that it won’t quite make it to a full 9 years. I went to go see the big guy as soon as I could, and on my most recent visit just this month, the Unicorn was still looking great, as you can see in the photos in this article.

Gundam rights-holder Bandai hasn’t said why the Unicorn Gundam is being removed, and with it still drawing huge crowds, to the statue itself and to the two Gundam specialty stores inside Diver City, the decision comes as a shock to many fans.

The blow of the Unicorn Gundam’s departure is softened by Bandai’s promise that it will be starting a project it calls the “Gundam Landmark Concept,” creating a new Gundam facility/attraction that “fans from all over the world will want to come visit.” No further details have been released yet, but with Yokohama’s moving life-size Gundam having been sent off in the spring of 2024 to Osaka for the Expo 2025 world’s fair, the removal of the Unicorn Gundam will leave the Tokyo area with no life-size Gundams at all.

That seems like a vacuum Bandai would want to fill as quickly as it can, and this actually isn’t the first time for Odaiba to lose a life-size Gundam, either. Prior to the Unicorn Gundam’s installation, a life-size version of the original RX-78-2 Gundam stood in the same spot for several years, until it was removed in March of 2017, followed by a Gundam-less period of roughly six months before the Unicorn Gundam, was completed.

So hopefully this doesn’t mean Tokyo will be saying goodbye for good to Gundam so much as goodbye to this particular Gundam, and then hello to a new one. Still, there’s been no official word that a replacement mecha is one the way, and while Bandai says it will have special events to send the Unicorn Gundam off in style, there’s very little time to waste if you want to see it.

Related: Unicorn Gundam statue official website
Source: Gundam official website, Unicorn Gundam statue official website via Oricon News
Photos ©SoraNews24
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Transforming iconic characters into delicious works of art.

Pokémon is a beloved franchise, and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in Japan who has not heard of it, even if they have never personally interacted with any of its media. Through collaborations with famous brands from all areas of the market, the cute and charming character designs can be seen in many places throughout the country.

Despite both being of Japanese origin, the combination of a 161-year-old traditional Japanese confectionery maker and an electric mouse and its friends may not be the natural pairing for most people. However, over the last few years, the shop Shichijo Kanshundo has been releasing delightful treats that blend history with pop culture, and from May 11, they have expanded that lineup with another set of four Pokémon kyo-gashi (traditional Kyoto-style sweets).

The shop is renowned for its jonamagashi, which are handmade by craftsmen one by one. While these sweets, traditionally served during tea ceremonies, typically reflect the changing seasons or classical poetry, Shichijo Kanshundo is using their delicate artistry to bring Eevee and Poltchageist into the physical world.

The Eevee sweet is crafted using nerikiri, a traditional mixture of sweet white bean paste, starch syrup, and gyuhi (glutinous rice flour) that artisans sculpt by hand into intricate, soft shapes. Poltchageist is made as a jonyo manju, a light, fluffy steamed bun made with yam, sugar, and joyo-ko (fine rice flour).

These two Pokémon join two others that were previously released to form this new set of four: Shaymin (Land Forme) and Oricorio (Sensu Style). Shaymin is a kinton, made by crumbling white bean paste or nerikiri into a soboro (ground/crumb-like) state and applying it around a core of bean paste. Oricorio, on the other hand, is expressed using uiro, a Japanese sweet made by adding sugar and water to rice flour, among other ingredients, and steaming it until firm, which results in a chewy texture. The set costs 2,916 yen (US$18) and, since they’re made without unnecessary preservatives, are best enjoyed immediately.

Catching these sweets requires a little bit of extra planning, because the physical store in Kyoto only sells these sets on their special sales event on the seventh of every month, so starting June 7, visitors will be able to pick some up on the afternoon stroll through one of Kyoto’s most historic neighborhoods near Sanjusangendo Temple.

There is another method to get your hands on them earlier: you can order them online and receive them directly at your home, although they will be delivered frozen. However, that also means you don’t need to enjoy them all at once, and can take your time to savor the flavors over a period of 14 days from the date of shipment.

If you do happen to find yourself in the Higashiyama area in Kyoto on the seventh of a month, though, be sure to stop by the shop early. These limited-edition treats are a wonderful way to experience Kyoto’s traditional craftsmanship, even if you’re not a dedicated Pokémon fan.

Store information
Shichijo Kanshundo / 七條甘春堂
Address: Kyoto-fu, Higashiyama-ku, Shichijo-doori, Nishinomon-cho 551-banchi
京都市東山区七条通西の門町551番地
Open 9:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Closed January 1
Website

Related: Shichijo Kanshundo online store
Source: PR Times via Japaaan
Images: PR Times
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Kabuki adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki Ghibli anime opens in Tokyo this summer.

Princess Mononoke is one of the most celebrated anime films of all times, and with every frame bursting with Studio Ghibli’s distinct animation artistry, it’s hard enough to imagine what it would look like in live action, let alone as a kabuki play. That’s exactly what we’re getting, though, with the stage adaptation set to open in Tokyo this summer, and now we’ve got our first look at the main cast in costume.

The production team has released a video preview that opens with actor Dango Ichikawa declaring “My name is Ashitaka” as he notches and arrow and draws back the string of the wandering prince’s bow.

He’s followed by a silent introduction of Kazutaro Nakamura as San, the monster princess herself.

As a complex tale of various factions searching for ways to survive, sometimes at each other’s expense, Princess Mononoke doesn’t have a traditional, clean-cut villain. Within the central conflict of the forest denizens versus the humans, though, the latter group is led by Lady Eboshi, who’ll be played by Manju Nakamura.

Given its feudal Japan setting, Princess Mononoke’s characters’ outfits make for an easier adaptation into kabuki costumes than, say the wardrobes of My Neighbor Totoro or Kiki’s Delivery Service would. Still, the designers have added touches of ornate flair here and there. Kabuki does, after all, have a tradition of bold aesthetics, and the costumes need to have a level of visual impact that can reach far past just the front row of the audience.

▼ Kabuki San’s skirt, for example, gets extra feathery elements that aren’t present in the anime design.

The Princess Mononoke kabuki play is scheduled to run from July 3 to August 23 at Tokyo’s Shinbashi Enbujo Theater. Tickets for most of the performances won’t be on sale until May 25, but there are a pair for which reservations can be made now too.

Related: Princess Mononoke kabuki play official website
Source: Princess Mononoke kabuki play official website via Anime News Network/Joanna Cayanan
Top image: Princess Mononoke kabuki play official website
Insert images: YouTube/松竹チャンネル/SHOCHIKUch, Princess Mononoke kabuki play official website, Studio Ghibli
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