‘Godzilla' Studio Toho to Invest $830 Million in Global Push
Toho Co., the Japanese studio behind Godzilla and the anime Jujutsu Kaisen, has allocated ¥120 billion ($830 million) over the next three years to fuel its global expansion, betting on the rising international demand for Japanese films and anime.
The Tokyo-based company said it will look for deals in content and intellectual property rights and other initiatives. It will invest about ¥70 billion in content development, including films, animation, and mobile games, according to a statement on Monday. As part of a broader push for its Godzilla franchise, Toho will invest ¥15 billion to expand the iconic monster into console games, merchandise, amusement attractions, and a sequel to the Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One.
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CNET
2 hours ago
- CNET
I'm an Anime Collector. 3 AI Phone Features I Used While Visiting Tokyo
I love collecting Japanese anime merch. I'm also a tech creator and an educator who loves using technology to make my life easier. On a recent trip to Tokyo, I decided to use AI features on my phone to help me navigate the city. I've visited Japan six times in recent years, and as an avid fan and consumer of Japanese anime and pop culture, I fully intend to visit many more times for general tourism, pop-up events, specialty museums and parks. But my earliest visits to Tokyo were overwhelming and confusing. I had a basic understanding of the language, but this was a time before AI and Street View in Google Maps. I carried a Japanese dictionary with me, downloaded offline walking directions and read tutorials online about how to buy a train ticket. It was… OK. With the recent popularity of AI, I am allowing myself to visit countries with a little less pre-planning and a little more serendipity. Instead of planning my itinerary based on previous trips, I can use my phone as a personal assistant to help me discover new and less-touristy spots along the way, opening up an opportunity to experience my favorite city again for the first time and keep my trips refreshing and new. And since I'm a collector, AI has also given me the ability to learn about vintage goods I find in overseas stores without wasting time or cash. I Used AI to Shop for Anime Merch in Tokyo I Used AI to Shop for Anime Merch in Tokyo Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:01 / Duration 0:30 Loaded : 100.00% 0:01 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:29 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. I Used AI to Shop for Anime Merch in Tokyo Here are three handy AI features that I recently tested in a real-world scenario. Meet industry creators, contributors and emerging thought leaders that have paired with CNET's award-winning editorial team to provide you with unique content from different perspectives. Meet our contributors Circle to Search One of my favorite things to do in Tokyo is wander around all the small vintage toy shops. It's kind of like a treasure hunt, and whenever I find something I don't have in my collection, I get excited. The problem is that there are thousands of anime products, I don't have them all memorized, and there's a language barrier. This happened to me in Akihabara, one of Tokyo's electronics and anime centers. I found this box that featured a character I recognized, but I didn't know what the product was. So, I opened the camera app on my Samsung Galaxy and held down on the bottom line to open Circle to Search. The author drew a circle around the product to initiate an image search. Shannon Morse Circle to Search is an AI-powered tool built by Google that uses the image on your screen to find matching results. In my case, I circled a Sailor Moon R box. Google then searched for a match. The results showed me several images of the character, which would have been helpful if I didn't already know who she was. I then wandered to another vintage anime retailer. This time, I used Circle to Search specifically to check the price. The item was priced around $300 after conversion, but was that a good deal? Circle to Search identified the product and pulled up matching listings from eBay. In general, the price at the shop was $200 to $300 less than the listings I found in the US. Instant Translate This was an awesome price for a vintage Sailor Moon toy. But since it's electronic, I wondered if anything was wrong with it. The condition is listed on the product label, but I'm not very good at translating by memory, so I used Google's Instant Translate feature within Circle to Search. The nice thing about using this tool for translations is that I don't even have to circle anything. I can just hit the translation button at the bottom of the screen, and it translates everything it sees for me. The author used Instant Translate from their phone camera. AI detected the source language as Japanese, saving an input step. Shannon Morse I don't even have to tell Instant Translate what language I'm trying to translate. It detects the written language for me and automatically translates it. I learned that the toy had been opened and slightly damaged. While the translation was mostly correct, it wasn't perfect. And the label didn't give me all the information I wanted. Conversation Mode I wanted more context, so I asked a store associate for more information using Google Translate's Conversation Mode. Using AI, Google Translate automatically detects the spoken language and translates it into the opposite language. In our conversation, I asked for help, then asked if the item worked. The store rep looked up the item number to confirm that it worked and had been tested. Previously, I'd have to translate each phrase separately by hitting a mic button every time someone spoke. But with these enhanced AI features, the mic stays open and uses live information to keep the conversation flowing. When I use Conversation Mode, I try to keep my sentences very simple to prevent mistranslations, which can absolutely happen. Several words in the Japanese language sound very similar but can mean totally different things -- kowai and kawaii (scary and cute) are a good example. I studied the language, but I still have much to learn, so I didn't want to be misunderstood. This live translation also detected my word "battery" as "batari," and luckily, the employee understood that I was talking about batteries that power the device. In normal conversations, this would usually be translated as "denchi" in Japanese. Conversation Mode works in real time, without having to press another button every time you ask a question. Shannon Morse I thanked the employee for helping me and didn't buy this piece of merch either, choosing instead to buy a vintage but completely new item to add to my collection. By using Circle to Search, AI Overview and Conversation Mode, I saved myself money. I didn't make any purchasing decisions based just on a fear of missing out, and I was able to ask for more context. These AI-powered tools are fairly new, and they aren't without their faults. But when it comes to breaking down a language barrier or helping me be smarter with my personal hobbies, I can truly take advantage of them. It's an exciting time to be an anime collector, a worldwide traveler or both.
Indianapolis Star
3 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
After 3 straight runner-up finishes, Westfield enters IHSAA boys golf state final round up 6 shots
CARMEL – Eminem is Westfield's middle ground. When the Shamrocks can't decide between golf coach Josh Bryant's preference of Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre or the 'newer guys,' as Bryant called them, the players and coach settle with listening to the Detroit-based rapper. However, after a team victory, there's no settling, no discussion. "Tsunami" by DVBBS and Borgeous booms from the team bus speaker. The Shamrocks are 18 holes away from blasting the popular electronic dance song from Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel back to Westfield as the IHSAA boys golf state champions. After shooting 5-over-par as a team on the front nine, Westfield made six birdies and an eagle on the back nine to finish even on the day in round one of the boys golf state championship Tuesday. When the Shamrocks finished their opening round, reigning champions Zionsville were two strokes behind Westfield with three holes remaining. The Buffalo Bills of IHSAA golf? Westfield coach has lighthearted approach to runner-up finishes More: Some of Indiana's top HS golfers won't be at state meet — by their own choosing. Here's why Zionsville bogeyed the eighth hole and double-bogeyed the ninth to finish the day +6. The Eagles went +9 on the front nine after a stellar back nine where they made 3-under-par. Westfield enters Wednesday with a six-shot lead and their sights set on a state title after finishing runner-up three straight years. 'The difference in back nine was that we settled in,' Bryant said. 'That early stretch on the back nine shooting four straight birdies and, of course, finishing. You can't count on finishing 5-under on the last three holes. But we talk a lot about championship-winning teams finishing even on the last three holes. They play those last three holes even, and they oftentimes win. 'There are a lot of thoughts around two-day tournaments that, 'You can't win the tournament on the first day, but you can lose it.' We wanted to approach it more, 'Let's treat each day as its own tournament and win both days.'' Before Tuesday's round, Bryant informed his team the course was scoreable due to its moisture, which allowed balls to be easily marked, cleaned and replaced to ensure a good lie. He believes his players took advantage of the course's condition once they relaxed. The Shamrocks, whose team scoring average is 1-over-par on the year, began to rely more on placement golf on the back nine rather than making an 'emotional decision,' Bryant said. A team that usually attacks golf courses, Bryant applauded seniors Jake Cesare and Will Harvey for using their experience and 'stepping up' to help guide Westfield through the final holes. Harvey and Cesare (-3) are tied for third in individual standings heading into Wednesday, two shots behind leaders Luke Johnston (Evansville North) and Brycen Tisch (Zionsville). The two were on the Westfield teams that finished second the past three years. 'You need your senior leaders. They've been here, and whether they knew they had to or not, their momentum carries the team forward. This is their fourth year, and let's be frank, at an average golf tourney you're not going to have more than mom, dad and a couple of friends,' Bryant said. 'Now you come up to the first tee, your name gets announced and you have 500 people on the green at states. That's a feeling you can't simulate. So, with experience, you begin to understand what you are up against. "Friday nights in December, the gym is packed for basketball and the environment is similar when you reach sectionals. In golf, there's nothing like the environment at states.' The atmosphere at state influenced Bryant's message to the team after the first round. Bryant stood in the center with Westfield players huddled around him just outside the 10th hole and told them that winning a championship requires great composure. Bryant noticed a difference in his players' body language and the pace at which they walked and conversed on the back nine. He also credited the support of the 25 Westfield golfers in attendance for the Shamrocks' being front runners for the state championship. After last year's second place finish, Bryant said, "If you keep knocking on the door, at some point, the door is going to open.' Replicate Tuesday's performance on Wednesday and the fourth knock does it. That 'door' finally opens. 'Tomorrow, we take it hole by hole, shot by shot and control what we can control,' Harvey said. 'This group is definitely good enough. We play our game tomorrow, I don't think anybody touches us.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Iconic Action Star, 35, Unrecognizable After Bold Hair Transformation
Iconic Action Star, 35, Unrecognizable After Bold Hair Transformation originally appeared on Parade. was utterly unrecognizable in new photos while unveiling a bold hair transformation. On June 16, new snapshots surfaced of the Avengers: Age of Ultron and Godzilla actor, 35, during a photo call for his upcoming film 28 Years Later. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 In the snaps, Taylor-Johnson sported much longer hair–both on his head and face—rendering him nearly undetectable from his typically much shorter hair situation. The ultra-shaggy look combined with his oversized sunglasses likely left fans doing a double-take. Check out his new 'do! 28 Years Later is the third in the film franchise—after 28 Days Later (2022), 28 Weeks Later (2007)—based on the comic series by Michael Alan Nelson. It stars , and Taylor-Johnson. Danny Boyle is the director, and will return with a cameo. A synopsis of the movie, per IMDb, reads, "A group of survivors of the rage virus lives on a small island. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors. 28 Years Later hits theaters on June 20. Up next for Taylor-Johnson: The actor is rumored to be the next 007! Next: Iconic Action Star, 35, Unrecognizable After Bold Hair Transformation first appeared on Parade on Jun 16, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
