In this week’s news roundup, we remember Dolly Parton and the Dollywood II theme park that almost came to Japan. We also look back at the life and work of polka-dot queen Yayoi Kusama, following her passing. Plus, Sanae Takaichi’s unexpected cockroach anecdote, plans for a manga and anime-themed amusement park in France, new uniforms at FamilyMart and the engagement of figure skating duo Riku-Ryu.
When Dollywood II Nearly Came to Japan
Legendary US singer-songwriter, actress and philanthropist Dolly Parton died on Tuesday following a brief battle with cancer. She was 80. The woman known as the Queen of Country was adored all over the world, including in Japan, where she performed just once, back in 1979. During her visit here, she charmed the media by asking journalists how to say various things in Japanese, before wowing audiences at Nakano Sun Plaza with hits such as “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You” and “You’re the Only One.”
Parton’s connection with Japan, however, didn’t end with her 1979 tour. More than a decade later, she announced plans to bring a little piece of Tennessee across the Pacific: a second Dollywood. The idea was to build a site just outside Tokyo, tapping into the massive tourist market generated by Tokyo Disneyland. Dubbed “Dollywood II,” the project was intended to showcase US pioneer days, traditional Appalachian mountain crafts and country music. Eventually, however, the ambitious multi-park mega-resort proposal collapsed under economic strain following the bursting of Japan’s asset-price bubble.
Image: Shutterstock
Yayoi Kusama, the Queen of Polka Dots, Dies at 97
Renowned Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama, who rose to international fame with her polka-dot paintings, mirrored installations and phallic sculptures, has died of multiple organ failure. She was 97. Her studio announced her death on Thursday. “Throughout an extraordinary lifetime devoted entirely to artistic creation, Kusama pursued an internationally acclaimed career as a pioneering avant-garde artist,” the statement read. “She continued to paint until her final days, never setting aside her brush, and continued exploration of forever love and eternal soul.”
Born on March 22, 1929, in Matsumoto, in Japan’s Nagano Prefecture, Kusama was the youngest of four children in a wealthy family that ran a plant nursery and seed farm. She began experiencing vivid hallucinations as a child, seeing dots, nets, flowers and patterns that seemed to cover the world around her. She turned to drawing and painting to confront those visions, laying the foundation for the obsessive repetition that became the defining feature of her work. In 2025, Kusama ranked as the world’s top-selling female artist at auction.
Sanae Takaichi’s Unexpected Roommate: A Cockroach She Refused To Kill
Sanae Takaichi has never seen the ghosts said to haunt Japan’s prime ministerial residence. She has, however, encountered a far more tangible menace: a cockroach. Faced with the insect, the prime minister’s response was unexpectedly philosophical. A lifelong fan of Osamu Tezuka’s Phoenix, Takaichi has long been influenced by the manga’s vision of life, death and rebirth. As the cockroach scurried past her feet, she found herself wondering whether its existence might be part of that endless cycle of life itself.
Even as an adult, Takaichi says, she cannot bring herself to harm insects, cockroaches included. So she shared her space with it. For a while, at least. When she mentioned the intruder to her aides, they were less philosophical. One quickly arranged what Takaichi calls the “combat operation.” After that, the cockroach stopped appearing. Takaichi was relieved. But she was also, she admits, a little lonely, and perhaps a bit sad, at the sudden disappearance of the insect she had come to accept.
Emmanuel Macron announced France will build a new theme park in partnership with Saudi Arabia, one section of which will be dedicated to manga. Image: the proposed Dragon Ball Z theme park in Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia, via Quiddiya City/Youtube
Macron’s Love of Dragon Ball Z Scores France a €6 Billion Theme Park Deal
On Monday, the office of French president Emmanuel Macron announced a massive €6 billion multi-theme park complex to be built in France in the coming years. The colossal development will feature three distinct amusement parks, including one expected to be dedicated entirely to the world of manga and anime. According to Macron’s advisors, the project was conceived after the French president and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discovered a shared enthusiasm for Dragon Ball Z during Macron’s visit to Saudi Arabia.
In a post on X this Monday, Macron emphasized his personal enthusiasm for the project. “You know my passion for manga,” wrote the French president. He also described the deal with Saudi Arabia as “an unprecedented announcement.” The €6 billion development, he added, would create “a new global destination” in France with 22,000 jobs, representing a scale of investment not seen “since Disneyland Paris.” Macron thanked Qiddiya and Saudi Arabia for what he called their “trust in our country, in our talents, and in our future.”
FamilyMart’s new uniform and dress code, revealed this week at “FamiFes 2026” aim to cater for all employees | Image via PR Times
FamilyMart Unveils First New Uniform in 10 Years, Relaxes Hair and Hijab Rules
On Wednesday, the Japanese convenience store chain FamilyMart officially announced its new store employee uniform. It is the company’s first full uniform overhaul in 10 years. The announcement was made during the company’s “FamiFes 2026” event ahead of its upcoming 45th anniversary. Moving away from the traditional zip-up jackets, the new designs are dark green T-shirts (available in both short-sleeve and long-sleeve versions) for greater comfort during work. The changes will roll out nationwide across approximately 16,500 stores starting on September 1.
FamilyMart also said it would allow employees to choose their hair color freely and permit religious head coverings such as the hijab. According to the company statement, the changes are part of a new grooming standard created “in response to the changing times and diverse values.” It added, “By expanding the choice of hair color and clothes while ensuring hygiene and safety, we will realize an environment where you can work more comfortably in your own way.” The new policy aims to better reflect Japan’s increasingly diverse workforce.
Figure Skating Duo Riku-Ryu Announce Engagement
On Sunday, Olympic champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara — better known collectively as “Riku-Ryu” — announced their engagement. The photographs showed Kihara down on one knee on an ice rink, ring in hand, Miura beaming beside him, the ring already sparkling on her finger. The reaction in Japan was ecstatic, although perhaps not especially shocking. Miura herself joked that she was surprised by how unsurprised everyone seemed. Japan had spent years wondering what, exactly, these two were to each other.
They both posted the same message in Japanese and English on their Instagram accounts, announcing the news to their followers: “We’re engaged,” they wrote. “Through both the happy times and the difficult ones, we’ve shared so many moments together, supporting each other every step of the way. Over time, we became irreplaceable parts of each other’s lives — someone neither of us could imagine life without. We’re truly happy to finally be able to share this news with all of you.”
