The Daimaru location in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, will soon begin selling limited edition Rilakkuma and Sumikko Gurashi goods! About 1,400 rare goods previously only available at 10 locations around Japan will be available in Shimonoseki from May 25 until May 30. Inspired by locales around the country, these adorable items will inspire you to travel when you can!

Limited Edition Sumikko Gurashi Goods

Ise Shop Exclusive

Dangling Stuffed Animal

Dangling Stuffed Animal

Jisho-ji Shop Exclusive

Dangling Stuffed Animal

Kyoto Kiyomizu-Zaka Shop Exclusive

Dangling Stuffed Animal

Shrine and Temple Stamp Book

Castella Manju

Dazaifu Shop Exclusive

Dangling Stuffed Animal

Rilakkuma’s Teahouse & Rilakkuma’s Bath Exclusive Goods

Arashiyama Shop Exclusive

Honey Castella Manju

Miyajima Shop Exclusive

Stuffed Animal

Roasted Mochi Pieces, Soy Sauce Flavor (with Can)

Kurokawa Shop Exclusive

Japanese Pattern Towels

Dogomachi Shop Exclusive

Stuffed Animals

Kusatsu Shop Exclusive

Stuffed Animal

With over 700 Sumikko Gurashi goods available, each symbolizing a specific locale with a cherry blossom theme, it won’t be easy to choose which items you’ll want to take home. Photo spots will also be set up at the venue, so come snap some pics for social media! Also, look forward to the Summer Bread and Sweets Festival 2022 in the adjacent venue!

The Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media will house a new work by DJ Licaxxx, the fifth installment of the ‘sound tectonics installation.’ The new work, Reason and Emotion ‘22, will be on display in the museum’s courtyard. 

Licaxxx is a popular DJ and beatmaker who has been active in many unique fields over the past few years. The artist has created music for commercials and other advertisements while also contributing works to museums and art spaces.

The new sound installation features trackmaker Dan Kubo and electronic musician Kazuki Muraoka as collaborators. The goal of this ongoing project is to critically examine the act of viewing art in general, including music, and to generate music in real-time based on the current environment. The installation is impacted by weather, temperature, and the number of people viewing the work. The courtyard venue faces the main foyer and features a large glass atrium. 

Come enjoy a new listening experience like no other before the installation disappears in November.

From January 28 until February 27, 2022, Nagato Yumoto Onsen in Yamaguchi Prefecture will host the ‘Otozuregawa Uta Akari,’ a light-up event based on a poem by children’s poet Mizusu Kaneko. 

The event will feature poem narration and music, with motifs created by children and students in the city set up to create an unforgettable scene. The ‘Uta Akari Gentou Rondo,’ a light performance set to a poem reading, and thousands of light bowls created by young people in the city will be  prepared at the venue. 

Sound and Light Entertainment ・Gentou Rondo Area

Welcomed by 3,000 Lights ・Misuzu’s Garden Area

Welcomed by 3,000 Lights ・Misuzu’s Garden Area

New Area・Dreaming Fish Area

Hage Ware Lampshades・Light of the Earth Area

Performances

Misuzu’s Garden Area（Onyu, Lawn Area）

About 3,000 elementary and junior high school students in the city created light motifs for the event. Inspired by the timeless poetry of Misuzu Kaneko, these illuminations will warmly welcome visitors.

Otozuregawa Area（Onshinkawa Onsen Park）

Large-scale lighting motifs created by local residents and workshop participants will be installed along the river. The slowly flickering illuminations will seem to float atop the gently flowing water, creating a fantastic scene.

Dreaming Fish Area（Onshinkawa Onsen Park）

In 2022, the event will take up more space on the property. A fish-shaped light will be placed in the center of Onshinkawa Onsen Park, and guests will be invited to see the many sea-inspired works donated by kindergarten and nursery school students.

Light of the Earth Area（NearOntoshoku)

Lampshades made of local Hagi ware will be installed along the riverside path near the hot spring resort. More than 20 of these lampshades were made by local elementary school students along with cooperation from teachers from the Fukagawa Kiln. The crafting school has a history of 360 years in the Minose area near Nagato Yumoto Onsen.

Gentou Rondo Area（Near Bamboo Forest Stairs)

Watch as shadow puppets dance to the music and recitation of poems by Misuzu Kaneko! The lights in the bamboo grove and plaza will playfully change as the night goes on. 

The Five Story Pagoda of Ruriko Temple is a National Treasure of Yamaguchi Prefecture. The site is commemorating the 600th anniversary since the birth of Sesshū Tōyō, the Japanese master of ink and wash painting, with a special event on September 26 and 27 and October 10 and 11.

The Five Story Pagoda was built in 1442 using skilful architectural techniques from the mid-Muromachi period. It is considered one of Japan’s three most beautiful pagodas.

1,000 candles are set to be lit along the pathway to the pagoda, lighting up the way with enchanting light. The spectacle is set to be posted on the official Yamaguchi Prefecture PR YouTube page so that more people can enjoy the show.

2020 marks the 600th anniversary of Sesshū Tōyō who is considered the most prominent master of ink and wash painting in Japan. In his mid 30’s, he visited Yamaguchi so that he could cross over to China on the Ōuchi clan’s mission to Ming China. He returned to 1483 where he based himself and worked until he passed away in 1506 at age 87.

On March 12, 2020, Hoshino Resorts will open a brand new resort around Yumoto Hot Spring (Nagato, Yamaguchi prefecture). Following plans for a new hot spring district in Nagato that were created in January 2020, Hoshino’s hot spring resort brand KAI will be opening a resort in Nagato with numerous spa facilities. With the cooperation of the local government and community, this plan has been put into action. 

As part of the masterplan, Hoshino KAI Nagato will include a cafe called Agebono Cafe. This will be the first KAI resort to extend their cafe services to non-guests. The cafe will sell sweet dorayaki pancakes that guests can enjoy while strolling the streets of the hot spring district. 

KAI is a hot spring ryokan brand owned by Hoshino Resorts and can be found all over Japan. The theme of KAI resorts is traditional yet new. Although the room designs are inspired by nature and old and traditional Japanese culture, they cater to the needs of modern guests.

Exterior Appearance

KAI Nagato is the 16th hot spring resort of Hoshino KAI. It is located in the north of Yamaguchi prefecture and is surrounded by grand mountains. The resort sits by the peaceful Otozure River which is the main source of hot spring water for Yumoto Hot Spring. KAI Nagato is located where Agebono bridge stretches across the river. The resort aims to provide guests with an enriching experience of Yamaguchi’s traditional old tea house residences (Ochaya Yashiki) as well as the opportunity to indulge in the regions finest traditional culture, food and experiences.  From the lobby to the guest rooms, the resort is full of Yamaguchi’s samurai culture.

KAI Guest Room

The designs for the guest rooms were inspired by Yamaguchi’s samurai. Each room is fit for a Feudal Lord. The beds are located on flooring which is slightly higher than the rest of the room. The surrounding wooden pillars create a luxurious private atmosphere.

Patterned Wall Decoration

The wall behind the bed is decorated with Tokujihori washi paper which is a type of Japanese paper unique to Yamaguchi prefecture and has a history dating back to the Muromachi period over 800 years ago. This special paper has even been acknowledged as an Intangible Cultural Asset to Japan. The beautiful dainty paper has been dyed a variety of bright and elegant colours to create this beautiful masterpiece. 

Hagi Ware *This is currently still in production so the appearance may vary.

 The room even has a Tokonoma, which is a small alcove where artistic pieces are displayed. Old Hagi ware, which was traditionally used for tea-making, is displayed here. 

Luxury Banquet for One

Enjoy a luxurious banquet for one made with locally sourced seasonal ingredients in a semi-private dining space. Each meal is served on a dainty dish. As Yamaguchi Prefecture is the second largest squid producer in the country, KAI Nagato serves the region’s highly-praised Yamaguchi squid as an appetizer and as sashimi. The sweet, soft and chunky squid will leave your mouth watering for more. The dinner set also includes a range of pickled vegetables and a luxurious plate of seasonal sushi and sashimi. All dishes are served in special Hagi ware. 

KAI Nagato was created to fulfil the goal of creating a relaxing hot spring district where visitors can stroll for a relaxing break. KAI has taken one more step towards achieving this goal by creating the Agebono Cafe, which is the first ever KAI cafe to extend its services to non-guests . 

The cafe serves Japanese dorayaki pancakes with sweet jam fillings made using Yamaguchi’s original citrus fruits such as Yamaguchi’s original Nagato Yuzukichi and the Natsu Mikan. The Natsu Mikan was introduced to Japan from overseas and is now cultivated in Yamaguchi prefecture. Enjoy the refreshing tangy citrus flavour of Yamaguchi prefecture as it perfectly balances with the sweet jam flavour. This is best enjoyed with a cafe latte. 

Hoshino Resorts KAI Nagato is packed with the cultural wonders and flavours of the region. Take a moment to relax in the Yumoto Hot Spring and explore the culture of Japan.

Akiyoshidai is located in Mine, Yamaguchi. It is Japan’s biggest karst plateau and is designated as a natural monument. If you love the stars in the night sky then you’ll want to hear about the new shooting star night tours that have been announced by the Mine City Tourism Information Center.

Cities, towns and villages across Japan are seeking to cater tourist and travelers needs to experience something that only that place can offer which can be enjoyed by simply by ‘looking.’

Akiyoshidai is a very popular site with photographers as it offers a clear and unbroken view of the stars. Mine City Tourism Information Center is capitalizing on this by offering more tours to visitors.

This series of tours will make it easier for people to travel to Akiyoshidai from the town area while taking advantage of a location where there is little artificial light.

Check the official website for more details on how you can witness the incredible Japanese night sky.

Oh you fancy, huh?

Normally the meal of choice for hard-up college students, salarymen who’ve blown through their weekly food allowance, and late night boozers with poor impulse control, the original high-salt, low-cost instant noodle phenomenon Cup Noodle launched a new line of “luxury” flavors last year to appeal to—presumably—more discerning palates.

We scoffed a bit at the time, but the new flavors proved to be a spectacular hit, selling about 14 million cups to date. Unsurprisingly, the company has decided to expand the series, and this week, they announced the latest flavor: rich abalone and oyster stew.

Available nationwide on April 24, the new flavor boasts the freeze-dried noodles you know and love in a “thick, rich oyster sauce-based soup flavored with abalone soy sauce, topped with abalone-seasoned bok choy, king oyster mushrooms, cloud ear mushrooms and red bell peppers.”

Japan’s biggest Korean barbecue chain adds two set meals for Muslim meat fans.

Gyu-Kaku is one of Japan’s most popular yakiniku (Korean barbecue) chains, with locations all across the country. However, Gyu-Kaku is also an internationally minded company, having expanded to the U.S., Canada and other parts of Asia as well.

While Gyu-Kaku is yet to reach the Middle East, it is ready to start accommodating Muslim diners at its new branch in Tokyo’s Akasaka neighborhood. When it opens on April 17, the Akasaka Gyu-Kaku will be the first to offer halal course meals, in accordance with Islamic dietary customs.

Appearing on the menu are the 4,500-yen (US$41) Muslim-Friendly Gyukaku Course, and the more upscale 6,500-yen Muslim-Friendly Wagyu Course. Both feature a variety of vegetable and meat dishes, but neither contain nor are prepared with any sort of pork products/extracts or alcohol.

In keeping with halal principles, the cooking and eating utensils involved are used exclusively for the Muslim-friendly course meals, and bear a mark of certification from Islamic Center Japan.

▼ Even the dipping sauce containers and drinking vessels are halal-certified.

▼ The dishes, glasses, and cookware for the halal meal are also hand-washed separately from those used for Gyu-Kaku’s non-halal meals.

We stopped by the restaurant for a pre-opening taste test of the Muslim-Friendly Wagyu Course, which includes beef, chicken, and seafood.

The first order of business was to compare the flavor of Gyu-Kaku’s standard dipping sauce, made with mirin (a sweet cooking rice wine that’s extremely common in Japanese cooking), to the halal sauce which uses sugar instead.

▼ Standard sauce on left, halal sauce on right

We’re extremely familiar with Gyu-Kaku’s sauce, having eating at the chain dozens of times. And yet, we honestly couldn’t tell the difference, as the halal version tastes just like the original.

Next up: kimchi.

▼ Standard on left, halal on right

Again, the two versions’ flavors were remarkably similar. If we had to make a distinction, we’d say the halal version was just a touch spicier, but we only noticed that because we we’re eating them at the same time. Had we just walked into a Japanese yakiniku restaurant and been given Gyu-Kaku’s halal kimchi without knowing about its special status, we would have simply thought we were eating ordinary, extremely tasty kimchi.

It’s back and is looking better than ever!

No one does cheesecakes quite like Osaka-based “fresh-baked cheese tart” chain PABLO. Part of what makes their cheesecakes so special is that they are baked to your desired level of firmness. PABLO founder Masamitsu Sakimoto wanted to produce a cheesecake that could be served with different textures, much like a steak, and from there, the original recipe was created and perfected.

Now, what could make a perfect cheesecake even better? The one thing that makes everything better – matcha green tea. PABLO released their matcha cheese tart for a limited time last year, and now it’s back to grace our taste buds yet again.

The matcha cheesecake will be available from this Saturday, April 15 at PABLO locations across the country, for 1,111 yen (US$10.20) per 15-centimeter (six-inch) tart.

The batter is thoroughly infused with just the right amount of aromatic Uji matcha powder, from the Uji area of Kyoto. Inside is plenty of tsubuan red bean paste and shiratama rice flour dumplings. The combination of slightly sweet red beans and rice flour dumplings with the bitterness of matcha gives the tart a uniquely Japanese flavor.

Come with us as we take you through the ultimate collection of all the Pringles flavours ever produced in Japan.

If there’s one thing we can’t get enough of in Japan, it’s the amazing array of limited-edition flavours produced by international brands specifically for the Japanese market. From drinks to chocolates and even burgers, some of the special releases you’ll find here aren’t available anywhere else, making them some of the most exclusive and sought-after products in the world.

One of the big international brands to delight our eyes and our tastebuds with their creative designs and flavours is well-known potato chip brand Pringles. After seeing some of their unique offerings on supermarket shelves recently, we decided to get in touch with the company to find out exactly what types of limited-edition flavours they’d produced in Japan over the years. The result is a mammoth collection of colourful tins so beautiful they would look right at home on the walls of a museum.

With only the 2017 collection currently available on the market, gazing over the entire range of Pringles released in Japan was a test of strength as we weren’t allowed to open any of the varieties from earlier collections. Still, that didn’t stop us from fawning over all the unique designs, which was exactly what we did, as we chronicled the entire collection from 2015-2017 for you below!

No need to wait until the workday is done before knocking back a cold one, and it just might lead to a full-time position.

Internships can be an invaluable way to kick-start your progress along your desired career path. While many of them may not be long-term enough for participants to significantly boost their technical skill levels, there’s nothing quite like the confidence and dependability you can gain through the experiences of having actually worked alongside professionals in your field of interest.

Doing an internship can also help you accept which bad habits from your student days you’ll have to grow out of, such as procrastinating, showing up late, or giving in to your temptation to enjoy a refreshing beer before you’ve completed your assigned tasks.

Actually, wait. You can hold onto that last one as long as your internship is with Japanese web developer Technomobile. The company, whose offices are located in downtown Tokyo’s Minami Aoyama neighborhood, is now accepting applicants for its Beer Intern position.

Don’t worry, Technomobile isn’t planning to make interns spend all day running back and forth to the convenience store to pick up chilled cans of Yebisu Beer for the regular employees. This is a legitimate internship in which you’ll be using the Ruby on Rails application framework to complete web development assignments. You’ll just be doing it with a beer in one hand, as the program aims to “help clear away tension by having a beer, and let interns experience the working atmosphere at Technomobile and see if they’re compatible with it.”

Giant statues, themed food, and exclusive merchandise are all part of the event at Roppongi Hills.

The Mori Tower, which stretches to the skies above Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills entertainment complex, periodically hosts art exhibits in its 52nd-floor observation area. In the past, we’ve stopped by for such events saluting such Japanese pop cultural phenomena as the anime of Studio Ghibli, Sailor Moon, and Puella Magi Madoka Magika.

The source material for the celebration going on at Mori Tower right now, though, comes from across the Pacific. On April 7 the Marvel Age of Heroes Exhibition began, filling the event space with more than 200 pieces of memorabilia from the American publisher’s comic books and movies.

We took the elevator up to check the exhibition out for ourselves. Greeting guests at the entrance is a gigantic, five-meter (16.4-foot) statue of Iron Man, which caused just about everyone in the crowd to whip out their phone or camera and snap a picture.

▼ Given Tony Stark’s love of the limelight, we think he’d be pleased with all the attention.

The exhibit leads you through five different areas, beginning with History before passing through Heroes, Cinematic Universe, and Art before finishing in Culture. Each features a variety of artwork and props, from costumes to original comic artwork.