The 33rd 2D animated Crayon Shin-chan film — Spooky! My Yokai Vacation (奇々怪々！オラの妖怪バケ～ション) — opened in Japanese theatres today, 31 July 2026, kicking off another summer tradition for one of anime’s most enduring family franchises. Directed by a fresh face and set somewhere the Nohara family has never gone before, this entry looks like a genuine standout in the 34-film run.
What Happens When Shin-chan Meets the Yokai
It starts with fireworks. The Nohara family travels to Akita Prefecture — Hiroshi’s paternal hometown and a first for the Shin-chan film series — to attend the famous Omagari Fireworks Festival, one of the most spectacular summer events in Japan. Being entirely Shin-chan, he immediately spots flyers advertising “Obake Village” (Ghost Village) with promises of unlimited snacks, and convinces the family to investigate deep in the mountains. They accidentally wander into the forbidden Land of Yokai, and what begins as a food-motivated detour becomes the Noharas’ most surreal crisis yet.
New Director, Familiar Heart
Taking the director’s chair is Masaki Watanabe, who SG anime fans may recognise from the Sakamoto Days anime. He’s working from a script by Yoshiko Nakamura, with the full regular voice cast returning: Yumiko Kobayashi as Shin-chan, Miki Narahashi as Misae, Toshiyuki Morikawa as Hiroshi, Satomi Korogi as Himawari, and Cho as grandfather Ginnosuke. Sairi Ito joins as the mysterious yokai character Yako. The theme song, “Otona ni Nattara” (When I Grow Up), is performed by TOMOO.
The Akita setting adds something new to the formula: this is the first Shin-chan film to centre on Hiroshi’s family roots, giving the dad a rare moment of emotional grounding alongside the supernatural chaos. Produced by Shin-Ei Animation and distributed by Toho, the film occupies the summer blockbuster slot the series has claimed for over three decades.
When Is It Coming to Singapore?
The Shin-chan summer film tradition has historically made its way to Singapore. The 2023 3D CG entry opened in Singapore and Malaysia in September of that year. No local release date has been announced for the 2026 film as of writing, and no Singapore distributor has confirmed it yet.
If the pattern holds, SG fans may see it in cinemas in the coming months. For those visiting Japan this summer, Spooky! My Yokai Vacation is in theatres nationwide from today. Keep an eye on our anime coverage for any Singapore release updates.