The Kaikoen Garden at Komoro Castle was chosen as one of Japan’s 100 most famous cherry blossom spots. Beginning on April 7, 2018 and stretching to April 30, the garden will host the Komoro Castle Kaikoen Cherry Blossom Festival 2018. This year’s announcements on Japan’s peak cherry blossom times are well underway. The festival will serve as the best time to see the flowers in that area.
Komoro Castle’s Kaikoen Garden is at the heart of tourism in Komoro. The castle itself was also selected as one of Japan’s 100 most famous castles. It has stayed the same for 400 years with its giant gates, stone walls and so on, and its garden allows the opportunity to feel the essence of the Edo Period.
Close to 500 cherry trees decorate the garden, including shidarezakura, higanzakura, the multicoloured, vibrantly red Komoro Yaebenishidare unique to Komoro, and of course the Yoshino Cherry. Every year during the bloom season over 60,000 people visit to observe the flowers.
During the festival, paper lanterns will illuminate the night, and the castle tower at castle keep, as well as the stonewalls and elsewhere will also light up (from sunset until 10pm). Gaze at the gorgeous nighttime cherry blossoms. A matcha service will also take place in line with the festival hosted by suited warriors. It is said to be the only place in Japan that does this.
Cosplaying at the garden is also welcomed where you can enjoy taking photos of people dressed up as anime and game characters with the cherry blossoms in the background. How about using the opportunity to cosplay yourself?
As well as the various events taking place at Kaikoen, there will also be a bus tour that takes you to sightseeing spots around the city, as well as program where you can learn the process of making miso in the Edo Period at a miso warehouse. Free coupons will also be handed out that can be used at 43 participating shops.
Go to see the cherry blossoms at Komoro Castle’s Kaikoen Garden, just an hour and a half from Tokyo!
■Information
Komoro Castle Kaikoen Garden Cherry Blossom Festival 2018
Running: April 7, 2018 – April 30, 2018
TEL: 0267-22-0296 (Komoro City Kaikoen Garden Office)
Website: http//www.city.komoro.lg.jp/category/institution/kouen/kaikoen/
RELATED ENTRIES
-
The popular female rock band BAND-MAID will perform for the first time at KNOTFEST JAPAN 2023, scheduled for April 1 and April 2 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba.
KNOTFEST was begun by the American heavy metal band Slipknot, and the festival has been held yearly since 2012. BAND-MAID will perform on Day 1 along with headliners Slipknot, Trivium, and MAN WITH A MISSION.
Tickets for the May shows to be held in the United States as part of the BAND-MAID 10TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR are none on sale. The group managed to bring in over 20,000 fans during their solo U.S. tour in 2022. In addition to performing at Pointfest 2023, Welcome to Rockville 2023, and the Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival, BAND-MAID will also perform six solo shows. With some venues selling out instantly last year, you’ll want to snag tickets while you can!
Information
KNOTFEST JAPAN 2023
*BAND-MAID to perform on Day 1, April 1
DAY 1 – ROADSHOWApril 1, 2023
DAY 2 – FESTIVALApril 2, 2023
Venue: Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Halls 9-11
https://knotfestjapan.com
Official Site: https://bandmaid.tokyo -
Starting February 1, 2023, visitors to Nagano will be able to experience an unforgettable winter experience at Hoshino Resorts KAI Alps. The Kamakura Footbath will invite guests to soak their feet in a warm bath as they sit in a traditional Japanese igloo while sipping local amazake and enjoying the snowy scenery.
Soak your Feet Inside a Hot Footbath Inside a Kamakura
During February when snowfall is the heaviest, these kamakura, or igloos, can be spotted in the hotel’s courtyard. A private footbath is available inside each structure, which will keep guests from experiencing the cold wind. According to many, having a cool body and warm feet is the perfect recipe for a good night’s sleep and good health. Taste Amazake from a Local Brewery
Kurazukuri Amazake is brewed at Hokuan Brewery in Omachi, Nagano. Made exclusively from home-grown, expertly polished sake rice, the sweet beverage has a delicate flavor similar to wagashi. Why not warm your body from the inside out with this traditional drink? Enjoy the Winter Landscape Illuminated by Bamboo Lights
Around each kamakura are a sea of bamboo lanterns, popular in the area. Guests can gaze out at the cold winter landscape beneath the awesome peaks of the Japanese Alps while pondering what the spring will bring. Information
Kamakura Footbath
Running: February 1 – 28, 2023
Price: ¥2,000 (Tax Included)
Reservations: https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/kaialps/activities/9929/*Reservations are required by noon the day before.
Time Slots: 18:00-18:45 / 19:00-19:45 / 20:00-20:45Capacity: Up to 3 guests per session
*Must be staying at the hotel.
**Bookings may be canceled due to weather. -
On October 29, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu took part in Porter Robinson’s Second Sky Music Festival in Oakland, California. The following day, the popular singer also appeared at Porter Robinson + Friends, an afterparty event held in San Francisco. American fans are finding their excitement at a fever pitch as the Harajuku-based artist continues to perform abroad! Kyary Pamyu Pamyu recently made headlines when she performed an unprecedented 62 songs at Nippon Budokan on October 19 during the final stop on her 10th-anniversary tour. Following this impressive feat, Kyary performed at yet another festival in Japan before hastily returning to the United States following her show-stopping performance at Coachella half a year ago. Porter Robinson's Second Sky Music Festival was hosted by and featured performances by internationally acclaimed DJ and producer Porter Robinson. Other important figures in the dance music scene also appeared including SKRILLEX and RL GRIME. The event took place in a large parking lot adjacent to the Oakland Coliseum, home of the Oakland Athletics MLB team. Since the show took place close to Halloween, plenty of decorations could be found, and fans lined up from the early morning to get inside. Although Kyary’s performance was scheduled for quite early in the day, the audience sprawled out as far as the eye could see. As DE.BA.YA.SHI. 2021 began to play, fans began to excitedly call out Kyary’s name. In Japan, regulations are in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus, meaning that audience members are forbidden to yell during concerts–but no such precaution exists in the U.S. It was clear that Kyary was beyond excited to hear the audience’s enthusiasm, and as the show began, the artist called out “Second Sky,” to which the fans responded with excited cries. The audience danced wildly to Candy Racer and Dodonpa, two of Kyary's most peppy tracks, which played in succession. The singer did her best to speak English. “Hello! I’m Kyary Pamyu Pamyu from Japan,” she began. She then complimented a fan in full Kyary cosplay. “Wow! Nice costume! PONPONPON costume, so nice,” she said.During CANDY CANDY -Remix-, the audience raised their hands high in the air as they followed Kyary’s instructions to jump, swaying from left to right. As the audience moved in sync, a number of hit tracks began to play, including Harajuku Iyahoi and Tsukematsukeru. However, nothing could match the excitement of the moment that the intro to PONPONPON began to play. Porter Robinson, who was watching the live performance from the side of the stage, was moved to tears, and everyone could feel how big Kyary's presence was for local fans.
Kyary's performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April of this year became a hot topic, showing that Kyary is still incredibly popular in the U.S. ten years after her major debut. In addition to her largest national tour to date, Kyary has made numerous appearances at music festivals in Japan and abroad in 2022. The artist’s first overseas performance during her 11th year as a performer was an incredible success and bodes well for Kyary’s future. <Setlist> 2022.10.29 “Second Sky Music Festival” OP. DE.BA.YA.SHI.2021 1. Candy Racer 2. Dodonpa 3.Invader Invader 4. CANDY CANDY –Remix- 5. Ninja Re Bang Bang –Steve Aoki Remix- 6. Harajuku Iyahoi 7. Tsukematsukeru 8. PONPONPON –Extended Mix- 9. Fashion Monster
2022.10.30 “Porter Robinson + Friends” OP. DE.BA.YA.SHI.2021 1. Candy Racer 2. Ninja Re Bang Bang 3. CANDY CANDY 4.Crazy Party Night-Pumpkins Strike Back- 5. Kira Kira Killer 6. Isshin Doutai 7. Harajuku Iyahoi 8. Fashion Monster 9. PONPONPON
-
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Katy Perry to Perform Together for the First Time at True Colors Festival THE CONCERT 2022
The Nippon Foundation has been supporting people with disabilities in Japan and abroad for over fifty years. To mark this incredible milestone, True Colors Festival THE CONCERT 2022 will be held on November 19 and 20 at Tokyo Garden Theater. The performance aims to inspire fans to express their uniqueness. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will perform as a guest performer on both days of the concert, which stands to be one of the largest live events in the world put on by artists with disabilities. Kyary became a smash hit with audiences worldwide after Katy Perry praised her PONPONPON music video on Twitter, and the two are said to be fans of one another. This will be the first time that the two pop icons will perform on stage together. “I’m looking forward to performing with so many unique artists from around the world,” Kyary said in a statement. “I’m so happy that I’m going to live my dream of performing with Katy!”Information
True Colors Festival THE CONCERT 2022
Venue: TOKYO GARDEN THEATER (2-1-6 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo)
Dates:
November 19 / Doors Open at 16:00, Show Starts at 18:00
November 20 / Doors Open at 15:00, Show Starts at 17:00
Official Site: https://truecolorsfestival.com/jp/program/the_concert/
-
Japan’s largest sake event, TOKYO SAKE FESTIVAL 2022, will run from October 4 until October 6 at the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building’s Triangle Square. The event’s aim is to make sake more mainstream around the world, with the first festival taking place in 2020. Tokyo Sake Festival blends sake with entertainment, showing off the very best of Japanese culture to those who may be new to craft sake. For the third year, former NMB48 member Yui Takano will serve as ambassador. Takano is known for leaving her idol career to manage the sake specialty store Yui Sake Shop. Tokyo Sake Festival 2022 is bringing together forty carefully selected sake breweries from around Japan, including Inoue Seikichi, winner of the Champion Sake award at IWC 2022. Tonoike Sake Brewery, winner of Kura Master 2022’s President’s Award, will also be in attendance. The full lineup can be found on the official website. Popular influencers and artists from Raphael to BOYS AND MEN and Ukon Takafuji will take the stage during the event, so be sure to swing by if you’re a fan of Japanese spirits!
Information
TOKYO SAKE FESTIVAL 2022
Dates:
October 4: Part 1 13:30-16:30 / Part 2 18:00-21:00
October 5: Part 1 13:30-16:30 / Part 2 18:00-21:00
October 6: 16:00-19:00
Venue: Shinjuku Sumitomo Building Triangle Square
(2-6-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo)Buy Tickets/Details: https://tokyosakefestival.bitfan.id/
-
Amazon Music Live: DEAD POP FESTiVAL 2022 was originally held on June 25 and 26, 2022. Those who missed out on SiM’s outdoor festival will be able to watch it on the Amazon Music Japan channel on Twitch on August 16 at 20:00 along with exclusive commentary from the members. In addition, Shuhei Igari (HEY-SMITH), GEN (04 Limited Sazabys), and Takuya Yamanaka (THE ORAL CIGARETTES) will appear. 20 artists who participated in the festival will give their personal thoughts on the June event including behind-the-scenes stories. Fans of Attack on Titan won’t want to miss the first live performance of SiM’s track The Rumbling, used as the opening theme for The Final Season Part 2. Prior to the event on the Amazon Music Japan channel, a playlist consisting of songs performed at DEADPOP FESTiVAL 2022 is available on Amazon Music Unlimited. Be sure to check it out!
Information
Amazon Music Live: DEAD POP FESTiVAL 2022
Amazon Music Japan Channel: https://www.twitch.tv/amazonmusicjp
Playlist: https://amzn.to/DPF2022AML
*Amazon, Amazon Music, and all related properties are trademarks of Amazon.com.