Pasona Group is a website that publishes news of and promotes the food, sights, and culture of Awaji Island to build a connection between islanders and travellers. The website has published its latest “Awaji Island New Report” showcasing what to enjoy on the island at the turn of spring. Let’s take a look.

Nijigen no Mori

Night Walk Hi no Tori – “SAKURA Night”

Nijigen no Mori is an anime on Awaji Island. Spring last year saw the Naruto & Boruto Shinobi-Zato attraction, and this summer will see the arrival of a life-sized Godzilla attraction. The new night attraction “Night Walk Hi no Tori” will also take place for a limited time as part of the “SAKURA Night” Instagram photo event which can be followed with the hashtag #nwsakura2020. The phoenix and cherry blossoms are the theme of this nighttime attraction. Those who post a photo of themselves at the event with the hashtag and receive the most likes will receive two tickets to stay at Hotel GRAND CHARIOT Hokutoshichisei 135° on Awaji Island. See the attraction and get pulled into a magical nightly world of cherry blossoms.

©TEZUKA PRODUCTIONS.

Address: 2425-2 Kusumoto, Awaji, Hyogo

Running: March 20, 2020 – April 30, 2020

Price: General – ¥2,500 / Children (5-11 Years Old) – ¥1,200 / Below 4 Years Old – Free (*Tax included in prices)

Times: 18:30 / 19:10 / 19:50 / 20:30

*Times subject to change depending on the time of sunsets – check the official website for information

Official Website: https://nijigennomori.com/

miele

Cherry Blossom Waffles – ¥1,800 (Before Tax)

Starting on April 1, the cafe Miele is serving up cherry blossom waffles for the spring season. They are topped with heart shaped marshmallows arranged to create cherry blossom petals, matcha ice cream daifuku, and cherry blossom flavoured roll cake. The hearty waffle servings are fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside, topped with delicious squirty cream.

Address: 785-9 Nojimahikinoura, Awaji, Hyogo

Running: April 1, 2020 – May 31, 2020

Opening Hours: 10:30-19:00

HELLO KITTY SHOW BOX

World Oldies Selection ~1964 TOKYO~

The official Hello Kitty theatre and restaurant HELLO KITTY SHOW BOX on Awaji Island is currently holding a new event titled World Oldies Selection ~1964 TOKYO~ where Hello Kitty and performers sing and dance to famous nostalgic songs that played during the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, like Poupée de cire, poupée de son, Land of 1,000 Dancers, and YMCA. It’s a beautiful performance that both kids and adults alike can enjoy.

©1976, 2020 SANRIO CO., LTD.　APPROVAL NO. G604668

Running: April 7, 2020

Opening Hours: 11,00-20:00 (Up to 3 performances per day)

Address: HELLO KITTY SHOW BOX, 177-5 Nojimahirabayashi, Awaji, Hyogo Prefecture

Website: https://awajiresort.com/hellokittyshowbox/

Craft Circus

Puppy Island Pizza – ¥480 (Before Tax)

Craft Circus reopened after renovations on February 15. The new “Wan-chan Shima Pizza” (Puppy Island Pizza) can be eaten by both you and your dog. It is made from rice flour produced on Awaji Island. You can pick from a variety of toppings and seafood, all of which are also from Awaji Island. It’s gluten free and can be served with low-salt mascarpone cheese, making it healthy for your dog to eat. A single slice is 15cm and it comes in a cute dog bone shape. It can also be ordered for takeout, so you can enjoy a Hanami picnic with your dog under the cherry blossom trees!

Address: 2-2 NojimahirabayashiAwaji, Hyogo

Opening Hours: 10:30-20:30 (Last Orders 18:30)

*Opening hours change depending on the season

Official site：https://awajicraftcircus.com/

Tokyo’s internationally-acclaimed, located in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, is set to open a new ticket centre sometime this month.

The ticket centre will be located in the very middle of Kabukicho facing the Shinjuku Toho Building. Since it will be close to a range of luxury hotels, it means both foreign tourists and locals can easily get to it. It means to be a facility that can be used easily by anyone and everyone.

The ticket centre will also sell a range of tickets for various activities. It will also provide sightseeing and tourist services where they can recommend local restaurants, tourist sites, and more.

With just a small bit of ingenuity, turn everyday food into something cute using Kaori’s easy recipe! With a few simple ideas, an ordinary recipe magically transforms into a cute dish.

Hinamatsuri is almost here, and I’ve got the perfect treat for this year’s festival: Hello Kitty Sushi Cakes. These Hello Kitty decorations can be made with basic Japanese ingredients, so follow along and try making them yourself.

1: Equipment/Ingredients

15cm cake tin

1 cup vinegared sushi rice

200g tuna

200g salmon

3 Japanese rolled omelettes (dashi-maki tamago)

20 beefsteak plant

Ikura salted salmon roe

Hanpen pounded fish cake

2:

Line a cake tin with baking sheet paper like in the photo. Use a cake tin with a detachable bottom spanning 15cm. In the case that you don’t have a cake tin with a detachable bottom, cover the bottom of your tin with cling film which will make it easy to remove everything afterwards.

3:

Cut Hello Kitty, flowers and other shapes into some hanpen pounded fish cake.

4:

Slice the tuna, salmon, and Japanese egg into cubes about 1.2cm each.

Pile the ingredients in this order: rice→tuna, salmon, and egg→rice. Refer to the photo below.

5:

Leave the ingredients exposed around the outside like so✨

6:

Top with the rest of the ingredients as you like.

7:

Finish by adding your Hello Kitties and flowers which you can decorate with leftovers, like the noses and middle of the flowers. I also used cucumber and crab sticks for the head decorations.

Kaori invites you into her world of character-themed food dishes in her recipe series. Be sure to check out her Instagram where she has uploaded many pictures of her character dishes!

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Chibi Maruko-chan anime adaptation, the franchise is teaming up with Sanrio’s internationally beloved character Hello Kitty.

For the collaboration, cute and original artwork has been created featuring Hello Kitty and Maruko-chan hanging out together in their everyday lives, a scene that’s sure to incite a sense of nostalgia to both kid and adult fans of the longtime anime series.

We see Maruko-chan wearing Hello Kitty’s iconic red ribbon, as well as Maruko’s grandpa Tomozo Sakura donning a hat inspired by Hello Kitty.

There’s also an illustration of the two friends drinking milk bottles together which they bought from Mitsuya in the background, a candy shop that appears in the Chibi Maruko-chan seires.  If you look closely you can see Noguchi peeking her head from behind the shop.

A special lottery draw is set to roll out in Japan at Sanrio stores, department stores stocking Sanrio products, Lawson, MiniStop, Daily Yamazaki, bookstores, and elsewhere from early June 2020. Fans are guaranteed to win a prize, which includes a line-up of nine items as well as a special top prize. Merchandise includes a takoyaki machine, hot plate, bath towel, and more.

Following the lottery draw, more exciting things are set to take place as part of the collaboration.

ⓒ Sakura Production / Nippon Animation

ⓒ 1976, 2020 SANRIO CO.,LTD. TOKYO,JAPAN 　著作：株式会社サンリオ

Two new figurines have been revealed by BANDAI SPIRITS, which sees the worlds of Hello Kitty and Gundam come together as part of the longtime selling brand Chogokin (“Super Alloy”) which has been selling since 1974. The figures will go on sale in Japan and 22 countries around the world in July 2020.

In April 2019, a projected began entitled Gundam vs Hello Kitty, which we covered throughout its run in detail. In the end, Gundam came out victorious, but both competitors made peace and began a new project named “Gundam x Hello Kitty Love & Peace.” The two figurines are the first realisation of that new project.

In 2014, Chogokin celebrated its 40th anniversary, the year in which Hello Kitty celebrated her own 40th anniversary too, from which the incredibly popular “Chogokin Hello Kitty” was released. Last year, Mobile Suit Gundam commemorated its own 40 years since its release. The two figures are based on Amuro Ray’s RX-78-2 Gundam and Char Aznable’s MS-06S Zaku II which appear in the original series.

Over on the product website, you can watch a short animation showcasing the two figures, so be sure to check it out.

©Sotsu Co., Ltd. ・Sunrise ©1976, 2020 SANRIO CO., LTD.

Sanrio is teaming up with Japan’s longtime loved snack maker Ginbis to release a new line of 11 products featuring Hello Kitty. They will go on sale from February 6, 2020 at Sanrio shops across Japan, the online store, and select stores stocking Sanrio products. The collaboration combines the deliciousness of their biscuits, which are a nostalgic snack for Japanese people, with the cuteness of Hello Kitty.

The snack in question is the butter flavour of the popular longtime selling biscuit Tabekko Doubutsu, which are light to eat and come in cute animal shapes with the name of the animal written on them. Hello Kitty is a character known the world over, who celebrated her 45th anniversary last year. But the collaborative product line doesn’t just include the biscuits – it includes merchandise too which will be sold as gift sets.

Plastic Mug (2 Designs) & Tabekko Doubutsu Biscuits – ¥700 Each

Two exclusive designs were created for the plastic mugs, including one with Hello Kitty flying an aeroplane over the animals, and the other with her face mixed in with the biscuit shapes.

*Please note that the biscuit packs do not come with biscuits of Hello Kitty’s face

Mascot Holder & Tabekko Doubutsu Biscuits – ¥1,650

Mini Handbags (2 Designs) & Tabekko Doubutsu Biscuits – ¥1,100 Each

The mascot holder features Hello Kitty covered in biscuits, and the mini handbags come in the same designs as the plastic mugs. There are also pouches, mini purses, and more, for a total of 11 different items.

Treat yourself or your Valentine’s Day sweetheart to an item in this kawaii new collaboration from Sanrio and Ginbis.

©️’76,‘20SANRIO ©️Ginbis

*All listed prices include tax

Kyoto Brighton Hotel is now selling reservations for its new “Haru no Asobi Plan” (Springtime Fun Plan) which is taking place between March and May this year and offers guests the opportunity to enjoy Kyoto in the spring and its cherry blossoms.

Spring in Kyoto is the most popular season for tourists and travellers who flock from not only across Japan but from around the world. The Haru no Asobi Plan is made up of 5 exciting plans to see the ancient capital’s breathtaking cherry blossoms, vibrant green maples, and other offerings.

“Asakatsu” – An early morning temple visit and stroll

Get away from the crowded streets and enjoy the rare opportunity to experience incredible early morning sights you don’t normally get to see. Spend a quiet morning in a gorgeous environment in this plan. Several temples and gardens are in place for the experience: Kōdaiji Temple, Bishamon-do Temple, Taizō-in, Haradanien, and Tenryū-ji.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple special night viewing

One of the must-visit spots when travelling to Kyoto is Kiyomizu-dera, officially a World Heritage Site. This plan rents out the temple for you to experience it at nighttime. The main building is currently undergoing large-scale renovation to secure the roof as well as the inner construction of the temple. Seeing the temple is truly a sight to behold.

You are guaranteed a view of the famous “Stage of Kiyomizu,” an enormous veranda attached to the main hall. The surrounding trees will be lit with enchanting lights, and you’ll be able to gaze at the distant city nightscape. Experience Kyoto like never before as the warm lights illuminate the Niōmon (Deva Gate), 3-storey pagoda, and purified water which runs from the Otowa Waterfall.

Discover the world of Kyoto embroidery

The traditional practice of Kyounui, or Kyoto-style embroidery, has continued since the Heian Period and is even garnering attention overseas. It’s a delicate and refined style of embroidery unique to Kyoto.

After your embroidery session which will take place in a Kyoto town house nearby the cherry blossom-filled Hirano Shrine, you’ll look at kimono and yukata so beautiful they’ll look like they should be in an art museum, before heading to eat together with the creator.

See the green maple trees of Hōgon-in on a private train

Board the private 1-2 carriage Randen train on the Keifuku Electric Railroad, which runs from Shijō-Ōmiya to Arashiyama. This cute retro train will take you Arashiyama where the green maples are breathtakingly beautiful.

You’ll also get to stroll through the quaint gardens of Hōgon-in Temple, view artwork painted by Noriko Tamura, and more.

Sky Bus

Enjoy a panoramic view on a private ride of the Sky Bus, a double-decker bus which is gaining huge popularity right now. You will ride through the city of Kyoto and see the rows of pink cherry blossoms. In April, they will also do an evening tour of the cherry blossoms so you can see them at night, and in May they’ll do a green maple tree tour.

Discover the beauty of Kyoto in this very special hotel plan at Kyoto Brighton Hotel.

Sanrio opened a new gift shop called Sanrio Gift Gate in Ueno on January 24, 2020. This is the 107th branch of the gift shop to open in Japan, following the openning of the Asakusa branch which opened in Asakusa last year. Aimed at tourists both Japanese and foreign, it sells merchandise of Sanrio’s popular cast of characters.

You can’t miss the shop as a giant Pompompurin embracing a panda suit-clad Hello Kitty are waiting to greet you at the entrance. The panda is a symbol of Ueno due to Ueno Zoo housing giant pandas.

The souvenir shop features a range of Ueno exclusives, including a line-up of six popular Sanrio characters wearing panda outfits.

Plush Toys (6 Designs) – ¥2,200 Each / Small Plush Toys (6 Designs) – ¥1,760 Each

Who could resist one of these cute toys? The bigger ones at 16cm tall and the small ones 11cm. The line-up includes fan favourites Hello Kitty, Pompompurin, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, Kuromi, and Pochacco.

There’s also pop-up cards with a variety of designs, including one that opens up into Ameya-Yokochō open-air market, another that turns into Hello Kitty and a panda sat down, and more.

Edo-Tamagawaya x Hello Kitty Pink Tonkotsu Ramen – ¥390

Budoonoki Sanrio Character Baumkuchen – ¥594 Each (Hello Kitty/My Melody/Pompompurin/Cinnamoroll)

The Salt Industry Center of Japan x Hello Kitty Table Salt – ¥248

There’s also food and snacks amongst a whole range of other goodies, all perfect as gifts and souvenirs.

Be sure to stop by Sanrio Gift Plaza the next time you’re in Ueno.

ⓒ 1976, 1996, 2020 SANRIO CO.,LTD. TOKYO, JAPAN  Original Text: SANRIO CO.,LTD.

*All listed prices include tax. Sold items receive stock turnovers.

Have you ever wondered what the thrill of bungee jumping would be like, but are too afraid of heights to even consider putting it on your bucket list? Have no fear, because Kyoto Tower is bringing a new VR bungee jumping experience to the top of the building which will be available to experience from February 1 for a limited time.

This VR experience was first brought to the tower in the fall of 2018, and this year it is making its grand return. After the event originally ended, there was huge demand for it to be held again.

Those brave enough to have a go at this VR bungee jump (or bungy, depending where you are from), will go above and beyond the 100 meter observation deck to the highest accessible point of Kyoto Towerーup 120.9 metersーwhich is normally closed off to the public, to the special VR deck which has been prepared.

The experience will offer you not only the thrill of jumping from Kyoto’s tallest structure, but the chance to gaze upon a panoramic view of the beautiful city too.

Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll and Pompompurin are the latest to be picked up by character-inspired Japanese confectionery series Tabemas. These wagashi sweets will go on sale at Lawson convenience stores across Japan (excluding Lawson Store 100 branches) on January 21, 2020.

The character line-up is based on the top three winners of the 2019 Sanrio Character Awards which we covered last summer. Hello Kitty came first place at the awards, and so she has gotten a special limited edition design for the sweets series. Cinnamoroll was second on the award list, and this is his first time joining Tabemas. Third place was Pompompurin who appears once again with Tabemas due to his popularity.

The ‘Tabemas’ brand name is an abbreviation of the Japanese words taberareru masukotto, meaning ‘mascots that you can eat.’ It is a Japanese confectionery series that combines well-known characters and Japanese sweets made from ingredients like red bean paste, sugar and rice flour. The sweets are also made with a dough called “nerikiri” which is used in making traditional Japanese wagashi sweets.

In line with the Year of the Rat in the Chinese zodiac, Hello Kitty is donning a kawaii rat outfit. Cinnamoroll’s charm point is his big ears and pink cheeks.

Each confection is filled with a different flavour bean paste: Hello Kitty is cheese, Cinamoroll is milk, and Pompompurin is of course Japanese custard pudding, or ‘purin,’ flavoured. They maintain that delicate flavour of traditional Japanese wagashi while having cute contemporary designs. You’ll be happy to know that all of the colouring is natural tooーno synthetic colours were added.

Perfect as a delicious treat, but don’t forget to snap a photo for Instagram first! Each of them is also limited in stock, so don’t miss your chance to grab one at the nearest Lawson store to you while in Japan.

© ’76,’96,’01,’20 SANRIO APPR.NO.S604062

The Gundam vs. Hello Kitty project began in April 2019, with Gundam recently being announced as the winner between the two. The two franchises have now come together to announce a new project for 2020 entitled “Gundam x Hello Kitty Love & Peace.”

The project sees Hello Kitty and Gundam looking past their differences to instead pray for a world with peace and no war. It will go on to collaborate with various shops and creators.

The third and final promotional video for the project entitled “Love & Peace” was released on YouTube, following on from the first two episodes which collectively have over 2 million views. Check it out below.

Fans can expect a whole new batch of merchandise to come with the following new cute designs which combine the worlds of Gundam and Hello Kitty.

More information on the project will be released in the coming months on the project’s official website and Twitter account.

Speaking about the latest in the project, Amuro from Gundam commented: “We had our showdown in 2019. We have the support of all of you and have been able to come to an understanding with Hello Kitty. We have numerous things planned for 2020 which we are putting our all into with Hello Kitty, so please be sure to keep watching over us.”

Hello Kitty said: “I competed in 2019, and thanks to everyone who supported me, I have been able to win over Amuro and we now understand each other. We’re working well together. We have lots in store for you to enjoy, so look forward to it.”

©Sotsu・Sunrise ©’76,’20 SANRIO

Akihabara’s popular maid café @Home Cafe is partnering up with the world’s favourite Sanrio character Hello Kitty, creating a beautiful collaboration café that will open on January 21 and run for a limited time. The new café will see a new original menu, café-limited goods and much more.

@Home Cafe collaborated with Sanrio characters My Melody and Cinnamoroll in 2018, and with Pompompurin in 2019. Each year, the collaboration café was very popular. As 2020 marks the year of the Tokyo 2020 Games, Sanrio has stepped up their game, sending in their legendary Hello Kitty to the café to ensure that 2020 is celebrated to the max.

The collaboration café features illustrations of Hello Kitty and her twin sister Mimmy dressed as maids and serving customers in the café. The collaboration café will see the walls dressed in pink and yellow gingham checkered patterns and lots of sweet and cute illustrations.

Hello Kitty’s KAWAII ♡ Pink Curry (Comes with Certificate Card): ¥1,400

Hello Kitty and Mimmy’s Moe Moe Ribbon Pasta Plate: ¥1,300

Hello Kitty’s Lovely Sandwich with Sweet and Sour Soup: ¥1,300

Hello Kitty’s Moe Moe Parfait: ¥1,000　Mimmy’s Kyun Kyun Parfait: ¥1,000

Bright Red Apple Okyumuka Cake: ¥1,000

As the café’s main theme is “moe” (feeling of strong affection),  Hello Kitty and Mimmy are sure to enhance your moe experience to the max.

Masters and mistresses who visit the café will also be presented with one of two designs of free collaboration placemat.

There are three varieties of original drink coasters at the café too. Masters and mistresses who order a drink will be given one for free.

Lunch Tote Bag: ¥1,500

Acrylic Keyings (Three Varieties): ¥600 Each

The café is also full of a wide range of collaboration merchandise so make sure to check them out after filling up on some delicious kawaii food.

The maids at the café will also be wearing original Hello Kitty and Mimmy-themed maid outfits that you just cannot miss if you are a Hello Kitty fan.

*All prices stated above are prices before tax.

*The English names of the dishes and merchandise mentioned above have been translated.

©1976,2020 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO.S603899