Summer Sonic Osaka spotlight: Filipino P-pop group SB19 lit up the festival’s Massive Stage on Aug. 14, teasing a possible collaboration with Japanese singer-actor Kento Nakajima, and are set to hit Tokyo’s Pacific Stage on Aug. 15. Summer Sonic Osaka spotlight: Filipino girl group BINI also performed on day one ahead of their next dates. Anime & streaming buzz: Disney confirmed Kingdom Hearts is coming to Disney+ as a new anime series, with Kingdom Hearts 4 also highlighted at D23. Anime franchise momentum: Jujutsu Kaisen sequel plans got fresh looks, while Crunchyroll teased more releases tied to the series. Seiko watch culture: Seiko Presage Classic Laurel-inspired automatics opened for preorder in Japan, including an enamel and an urushi-lacquer dial pair. Pop culture regulation watch: Japan is forming a taskforce to consider rules for the Pokémon card trading market amid scalping, counterfeits, and money-laundering concerns. War memory & politics: On Aug. 15, Japan marked the 81st anniversary of WWII’s end as PM Sanae Takaichi sent an offering to Yasukuni Shrine and avoided the word “remorse” in her peace remarks. Earthquake disruption: A 7.7 quake off Flores, Indonesia triggered tsunami warnings and mass evacuations; warnings were later lifted, with fatalities reported.