Born in Niigata and living in London, international singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama released her second album Hold The Girl on September 16, 2022. Her Japan-based Hold The Girl Tour saw successful shows in Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo, with Sawayama generating plenty of buzz. During the final show on the tour, the singer surprised the audience with a cover of Hikaru Utada’s hit songFirst Love. The video of this incredible performance is now available to watch on YouTube!

First Love – Rina Sawayama (Hikaru Utada Cover, Tokyo Garden Theatre)

Prior to the Tokyo show, Sawayama took to Instagram, posting a comment for fans. “Since this is the biggest show I’ve ever done, I think I should cover a special Japanese track to commemorate the event,” she said. The singer had previously asked fans to share the songs they’d most like to see performed.

“Without this artist and without this song, I probably wouldn’t have become a musician or an artist. I heard this track when I was around six years old, and I remember dancing for my parents who were sitting on the sofa. This artist also celebrated her 40th birthday yesterday. This is my first cover, but I think it’s the perfect way to commemorate this special event. Please enjoy,” Sawayama concluded.

The audience responded to this surprise with a chorus of excitement, and this was surely an unforgettable night for many fans.

Rina is currently on the Hold The Girl Tour in Europe. At the end of March, she will make her Hollywood debut in the fourth John Wickmovie.

Japanese music streaming site RecoChoku has announced the top song and album rankings for January 2022!

In the Single Ranking category, Aimer’s Zankyosanka was ranked #1 for the second consecutive month. The song is the opening for the newest Demon Slayer anime arc which began airing on December 5, 2021.

The ending theme for Demon Slayer, Asa ga Kuru, was released on January 10, and quickly climbed the ranks. Aimer is currently celebrating the 10th anniversary of her debut, and this is a powerful start to the year for this talented singer.

As for the Album Ranking, the top spot was clear for January. Ado’s 14-song debut album ‘Kyogen’ sits in the top spot, and includes many of her smash hits. From Usseewa to Aitakute, the album also contains seven new songs which are steadily gaining popularity. Six days after the album’s release, it was ranked #1 for the month of January.

Ado’s 8th single ‘Kokoro to Iu Nano Fukakai’ also ranked 5th on the Single Ranking. Written and arranged by Mafumafu, the song is the theme for the drama series Doctor White starring Minami Hamabe. Ado will also be holding her first solo concert at Zepp DiverCity on April 4, 2022!

Japanese cosmetic company Shiseido, sold in 88 countries around the world, has released a new conceptual video for its global “POWER IS YOU” campaign.

The short video features a star-studded cast of ambassadors from a variety of fields, including Megan Rapinoe, co-captain of the U.S. women’s national soccer team, known for her advocacy and creative style that defies stereotypes. The athlete has commented on her inclusion in the “POWER IS YOU” campaign, proud to show her authentic self and inspire others to live their truth.

Comment from Megan Rapinoe

“Shiseido makes so many of the products I use in my daily life, so when I was invited to collaborate on this new campaign, I didn’t even have to think about it. Partnering with such a great company means a lot to me. I deeply believe in the individual power of every human being, and I think that anyone has the power to change the world. “POWER IS YOU” represents the power each of us has to alter the world for the better, which is something that resonates with me personally. I want young people especially to know that it is possible to change things. I hope they do, and I hope that this campaign helps to inspire more people to feel the same.” 

Conceptual Videeo

The song used for the campaign is Utada Hikaru’s Find Love. The singer also appears in the video as an ambassador. 

Comment from Utada Hikaru

“The source of all power is believing in yourself.

It takes courage to know yourself, but being honest with yourself is the key to finding that inner beauty. Courage is beautiful.” 

Finally, Ursula Corbero, who gained international fame for her role in the Netflix series Paper House, appears as the final ambassador. The actress is an avid philanthropist and has long supported a number of causes including breast cancer awareness, childhood cancer awareness, and climate change awareness. She is also the founder of Ymas, a company of artists allowing people to attend movie premieres and special behind-the-scenes events. 

Comment from Ursula Corbero

“Inner beauty comes from positivity.
Tap into your individual energy, and if there’s something you want to do, do it!
It’s okay to make mistakes. Life is not perfect, and those imperfections make it beautiful.” 

In ART is a Japanese virtual art museum displaying works by a line-up of specially-selected artists. The museum is accessible through VR where users can not only look at art pieces but watch commentaries by the artists as well as shop at the museum store.

In ART has revealed that abstract painter CBA will be the third in a line-up of solo exhibitions. CBA is a graphic designer with over 20 years of experience and is also active as a musician both in Japan and overseas. They changed jobs to become an artist in 2010, and since then, their unique style which breaks language and cultural barriers has garnered them many fans from outside Japan. Most recently, CBA opened a solo exhibition at Franck Muller Boutique in Madrid, Spain. Their work is inherently universal, getting through to people regardless of age, language, or culture, something which is best appreciated when seen for yourself, and is now observable at In ART.

Some of CBA’s works on virtual display

CBA | Comment

-shine on the life-　Pray for better life
“The foundation of my work is built on putting together different elements to create something, just like how you would techno music. Colours and shapes elicit emotions and smells. Abstract painting isn’t just playing around experimenting or taking chances—it’s something that’s formed and composed, and I’d love for people to enjoy that aspect when looking at my work. I urge you to enjoy the colours, shapes, and compositions as you would music.”

In ART opened as a service offering people the opportunity to spend time enjoying art, even alone in their own house, as well as serving as a platform to support artists. Its aim is to make art a normal part of of everybody’s lives, and it does this in the form of a virtual museum which uses 3DCG technology. While it is an art museum, you don’t have to pay to enter. You can enjoy artwork at your leisure on your favourite device, and if there’s a piece you want to buy, then you can.

Don’t miss the abstract work of CBA in their virtual solo exhibition.

An exhibition centred on the Devilman manga series by Go Nagai, the 1972 Devilman anime adaptation, and Netflix’s 2018 DEVILMAN crybaby anime adaptation, is set to take place on the online exhibition platform Virtual Utopia from April 28 to May 31.

What to look forward to

*Visuals are of an exhibition still in development

*Visuals are of an exhibition still in development

A devilish experience split into 11 areas

Devilman has been entertaining readers and anime-lovers for almost half a decade. The exhibition will depict the comparisons between humans and demons of the series in 11 different areas, each recreating scenes that are sure to be instantly-recognisable to fans.

Main Area: Heart of a Demon / Heart of a Human

The main portion of the exhibition is split into four areas which fans will find themselves going back to numerous times, and in different orders, giving each visitor their own unique perspectives and interpretations. There’s also a hidden area which can only be accessed by those who have seen the ‘special exhibit.’ There’s also a free-to-enter area with messages from the creators.

Go deeper into the VR Devilman Exhibition with the voice guide
Forget your usual guides, this exhibition incorporates voiceover guides to walk people through the exhibition. For an extra fee, fans can have Megumi Han, who plays Miki Makimura in DEVILMAN crybaby, and Tomokazu Seki, who for this exhibition is playing Psycho Jenny, guide them through the different areas.

*Visuals are of an exhibition still in development

Users can download the Virtual Utopia app for free, and the exhibition can be attended even without a VR headset. There will also be talks by the author and other notable people in the industry which can be watched live on YouTube, so anyone can get involved.

Ground Y T-Shirt Collaboration

The exhibition is also collaborating with Yohji Yamamoto’s fashion brand Ground Y on six original tees.

 ©永井豪／ダイナミック企画
TVアニメ版「デビルマン」©ダイナミック企画・東映アニメ―ション
DEVILMAN crybaby        ©Go Nagai-Devilman Crybaby Project
©VRデビルマン展実行委員会

DMM VR lab released a new 3D VR game last week on Steam and DMM.com titled No Sushi, No Life.

The game is set in the year 20XX in a sushi bar in Neo Tokyo City. The aim of the virtual reality game is simple: to eat as much sushi as you can. Players must grab all the sushi coming their way and wolf it down. Their reflexes are tested as more sushi plates speed toward them on the conveyor belt. If a plate of sushi falls to the floor, it’s game over. As players eat more sushi the conveyor belt will run faster and faster. Can you survive the culinary onslaught?

The popular VR game Teasing Master Takagi-san VR – 1st Semester is releasing a Semester 1 & 2 version in the remainder of 2020.

Teasing Master Takagi-san is a popular Shōnen comedy manga featured in the monthly Shōnen Sunday magazine Get the Sun (GESSAN) by KAYAC Inc. and SHOGAKUKAN Inc. The manga, which was created by Sōichirō Yamamoto, has sold over 8.7 million copies.

Become Nishikata with The Oculus Quest VR Headset

Teasing Master Takagi-san VR – Semester 1 & 2 is the sequel to Teasing Master Takagi-san VR – 1st Semester which was released in May 2020. You play as Nishikata from the manga and anime series who Takagi likes to tease all the time.

New Contents To Explore

Fishing

Enjoy a fun fishing competition with Takagi-san. The first to catch five fish wins!

Poker

How about a serious game of poker?

Compete to Build the Best Snowman

Takagi-san will challenge you to a snowman-building competition. The person who creates the best snowman wins. When it comes to snowmen, Takagi-san might have some strange preferences…

Sports Test

Rise to the challenge of a sports contest with Takagi-san. From a hand grip strength test to stamina tests, Takagi-san will be pushing you to the limits.

Teasing Master Takagi-san VR – Semester 1 & 2 can be played on Oculus Quest and Oculus Quest 2 and offers additional contents to Teasing Master Takagi-san VR – 1st Semester. Along with new game contents, there are four different story modes. Takagi-san is even voiced by Rie Takahashi who also voiced the TV series, making the game even more immersive.

The moment you put on your cordless Oculus Quest device, you will transform into Nishikata and will be able to freely move and enjoy the world of the manga.

If you’ve always dreamt of becoming Nishikata and being teased by Takagi-san, this is definitely the game for you.

Tokyo National Museum has announced that it is set to showcase the Shōrin-zu byōbu, or Pine Trees Screen, in VR at its TNM & TOPPAN Museum Theatre from October 7, 2020.

Japanese artist Hasegawa Tōhaku’s Pine Trees Screen has been digitally rendered in 25,376,150,000 images so that visitors can appreciate the details of this ink-on-paper work of this officially-recognised National Treasure of Japan.

Additionally, another one of Tōhaku’s works, Kaedezu Kabeharitsuke (Maple Trees) will also be available to view in VR from October 6 to November 29.

About the Pine Tree Screens

Of the many National Treasures kept at Tokyo National Musuem, Hasegawa Tōhaku’s Shōrin-zu byōbu is one of the most popular. It’s a piece that has much mystery surrounding it, with people not knowing the pine tree location that he painted, or why he painted it. The VR experience will look into how the painting may have come about as well as take a stroll through Tōhaku’s other works, his life, and more.

The VR experience is an incredible opportunity for people unable to visit Tokyo National Museum to see a masterful and respected piece of Japanese art.

The Pokémon Company’s “Pokémon Virtual Fest” is now open for business in Japan and is set to run until August 31, 2020. A trailer was posted on the official Pokémon YouTube channel in promotion of the event.

Pokémon Virtual Fest | Promotional Video

Pokémon Virtual Fest is accessible by using the ‘cluster’ app on mobile or PC. Pokémon Trainers can look forward to jumping into a fully-realised Pokémon world with themed attractions, events, and much more. More content will be added to the virtual theme park in the coming weeks.

Being a theme park, Pokémon Virtual Fest of course has its own attractions like the Pokémon Ferris Wheel, the Galarian Weezing Train which gives players a tour of the park, and more. Players can watch Pokémon Sword and Shield Pokémon battles on the stage, complete various escape games, visit the store area, go to the beach, and much more. For a full run-down of the event, check out our detailed breakdown here.

©2020 Pokémon. ©1995-2020 Nintendo/Creatures Inc. /GAME FREAK inc.
Pokémon, ポケットモンスター, and ポケモン are registered trademarks of Nintendo, Creatures Inc., and GAME FREAK inc.
© 2017 Cluster, Inc.

NAKED, INC. has announced that it is holding a special summertime light-up event at Nijo Castle, a World Heritage Site in Kyoto, from August 8 to August 30. The company has also released its first ever 3DCG VR experience NAKED NINJA -Nijo-jo Castle- on the official NAKED, INC. online store.

Enjoy art entertainment in person or at home

NAKED, INC. has collaborated with many World Heritage Sites, Cultural Properties, tourism centres, leisure spots, and more over the years. Right now, the company is grappling with the question of what the shape of tourism, as well as art and entertainment, looks like during the COVID-19 outbreak—and what shape it will take post-pandemic. Nijo Castle is no exception, a place that enjoys tourism from both Japanese people and people overseas. In considering these issues, NAKED has conceived two different ways Nijo Castle can still entertain tourism now and in the near future.

The first is holding an event in person at Nijo Castle in the form of an outdoor light-up event that will have people wandering around as opposed to being stationary. In spring of 2017, NAKED held “Nijo Castle Cherry Blossom Festival 2017” where they hosted a variety of performances and events in line with the season. In fact, one such event was planned to take place at Nijo Castle this summer, but it had to be reconsidered as a result of COVID-19. Those involved still wanted to come up with a way that people who live close by could still enjoy some leisure time this summer, which is what led to this light-up event from NAKED.

Visitors will be able to enjoy the light-up safely by staying a set distance from one another while walking around Nijo Castle. The number of people inside at once will also be restricted. As well as this, people will need to wear masks, temperature will be regulated, and alcohol gel will be provided—all to ensure that visitors are kept safe.

The second way that NAKED has devised for people to still enjoy Nijo Castle is with the release of NAKED NINJA -Nijo-jo Castle-, the company’s first ever full 3DCG VR experience that lets people enjoy Nijo Castle online in a virtual space. This is so that people who cannot visit Nijo Castle can still enjoy its sights. NAKED plans to launch even more real and virtual, offline and online experiences in the future too in order to promote tourism in a new way during COVID-19.

TNM & TOPPAN Museum Theater—a theatre set up by Tokyo National Museum, The National Center for the Promotion of Cultural Properties, and Toppan Printing where visitors can experience cultural assets in virtual reality—had to temporarily closed due to the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. However, they their Secrets of Screen Paintings: Wind God and Thunder God and Flowering Plants of Summer and Autumn exhibition can finally go ahead in the VR experience which will run from July 1 to October 4.

Additionally, Tokyo National Museum will display Japan’s painting and cultural property Wind God and Thunder God in Room 7 of the main building from July 21 to August 10.

The Secrets of Screen Paintings: Wind God and Thunder God and Flowering Plants of Summer and Autumn online exhibition speaks for itself: it is a VR recreation that looks into the secrets behind two screen paintings and cultural properties—Wind God and Thunder God by Ogata Kōrin and Flowering Plants of Summer and Autumn by Sakai Hōitsu.

VR “Secrets of Screen Paintings: Wind God and Thunder God and Flowering Plants of Summer and Autumn”

There’s something hidden behind Kōrin’s byōbu screen painting Wind God and Thunder God. Incredibly, it’s Hōitsu’s masterpiece Flowering Plants of Summer and Autumn. Kōrin’s screen painting belonged to Hōitsu’s family. Hōitsu long admired Kōrin and considered him his mentor.

The exhibition will dive into this secret story behind Flowering Plants of Summer and Autumn, the famous painting of rain-drenched and wind-battered flowers.

The ancient paintings brought to life

The two folding screen paintings have been separated and safely stored since 1974 to ensure their preservation. The VR experience recreates the paintings’ original back-to-back form.

Understand the secrets

Wind God and Thunder God was painted on the front of the folding screen while Flowering Plants of Summer and Autumn was painted on the back. By looking at both, we uncover the deeper story behind these ancient paintings.

See the folding screens in the right light

Thanks to VR technology, the folding screens can be made bigger to look at all of the little details and in the right light.

A new VR game entitled Teasing Master Takagi-san VR – 1st Semester was released on May 22, 2020 on Steam and Oculus. The game is based on the popular manga series Teasing Master Takagi-san by Sōichirō Yamamoto.

Walk together with Takagi under your umbrella

Play some beach volleyball with Takagi

You play as Nishikata from the manga and anime series who Takagi likes to tease all the time. The VR game allows you to experience popular scenes from the original story, and also introduces some completely original story points. Walk home from school with Takagi, play volleyball with her on the beach, and more. Rie Takahashi, who voices Takagi in the anime series, also voices her in the VR game to make it that much more immersive.

Drink some juice with Takagi from the vending machine

The VR game implements not only head tracking, but 6DoF, or “six degrees of freedom,” which is required for movement in game, allowing for the player to feel fully immersed.

According to SuperData Research, VR headset sales rose rapidly by 31% in 2018—from $1.6 billion to $2.1 billion—which has meant that more and more content has been coming out. Additionally, the result of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has shown record numbers of people using Steam and VR headsets. This is what let to the creation of Teasing Master Takagi-san VR – 1st Semester.

Steam is holding a 10% off campaign for one week starting from May 22, 2020. The Oculus Quest version will also expand on the game with a 2nd semester.