Fuji-Q Highland is set to host a summer event in collaboration with the mobile rhythm game BanG Dream! Girls Band Party from August 7 to September 12.

This marks the amusement park’s 4th collaboration with the game which will see newly-illustrated artwork of the characters decorating the attractions, a special talk show hosted by the voice actresses, limited-time announcements on the attractions recorded by the voice actresses, a themed food menu, original merch, and more.

A digital stamp rally will also take place which will have guests locating life-sized panels of seven characters which they need to scan with their smartphone. This will give them a special voiced story. Those who obtain all the digital stamps by scanning all the panels will receive a free novelty as well as an original voiced guide for boarding the amusement park train. The train too will be decorated in BanG Dream! artwork.

©BanG Dream! Project　©Craft Egg Inc.　©bushiroad All Rights Reserved.

Juice has opened a pop-up shop centred on the popular character Chiikawa at EKIHAKO inside EKI MARCHÉ SHIN-OSAKA where it is set to stay until August 26.

Get your paws on some exclusive items

New merch for July 2021

Cushion | ¥4,180 (Tax Included)

Hand Puppets | ¥1,980 (Tax Included)

Free acrylic key ring for buyers

Chiikawa fans can get their hands on a variety of items from pouches to plush toys, apparel, kitchenware, and more. The items are exclusive to the pop-up store and Chiikawa online shop. And if you spend over ¥3,300 at the pop-up sto9re, you’ll get a free glittery acrylic key ring.

©️nagano

Jambuka Abeno Q’s Mall is the only place in Osaka where locals can enjoy the incredible pancakes created by the fresh cream desserts specialist shop MILK. This summer, they are now serving a new seasonal treat: the ‘Sweet Summer Mikan & Lemon Pancakes.’

Sweet Summer Mikan & Lemon Pancakes | ¥1,089 (Tax Included)

Fresh Cream Milk Pancakes | ¥858 (Tax Included)

Fresh Cream Strawberry Milk Pancakes | ¥1,089 (Tax Included)

Fresh Cream Chocolate Banana Milk Pancakes | ¥979 (Tax Included)

All pancakes are made-to-order and are covered in a rich, creamy sauce made from fresh cream from Hokkaido. Enjoy them plain or topped with fresh fruit.

Universal Studios Japan has announced the opening of a new XR ride based on the anime and manga series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. Set to run from September 17, 2021 to February 13, 2022, the ride will incorporate the use of VR technology to make guests feel like they are onboard the Mugen Train from the series’ anime film adaptation.

On the ride, riders will see images and voices of the series protagonist Tanjiro Kamado as well as other characters such as Kyojuro Rengoku who is a major character in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train.

Another rollercoaster at the park called “Hollywood Dream The Ride” will also feature Demon Slayer, with fans able to hear the voices of Kamado and Rengoku as if they are all experiencing the coaster together. Two stories will be told across two periods, each featuring comical dialogue.

©吾峠呼世晴／集英社・アニプレックス・ufotable　TM & © Universal Studios. All rights reserved.

Tokyo Midtown’s annual MIDTOWN ART PALETTE has returned again for the summer, opening on July 16 and running until September 5. This year, the event delivers a Digital Art Garden with gorgeous dream-like digital artwork.

Digital Art Garden

Last year’s event

Experience a distinctively Japanese way to stay cool and refreshed on a wooden veranda with light and mist dancing through the outdoor space inspired by traditional Japanese rock gardens. Find yourself bewitched by an enchanting summer evening as the digital art transforms throughout the day.

This year’s event is being held with all proper social distancing measures in place.

Take digital art home with you with AR fireworks

Locate five QR codes dotted around Tokyo Midtown which when accessed via your smartphone will award you with artistic AR fireworks, allowing you to enjoy fireworks with you wherever you point the camera on your screen, including at home.

Continuing the character park’s 30th anniversary celebrations, Sanrio Harmonyland opened its 30th Anniversary ~Special Summer~ event on July 16 which is running until August 31. There’s a whole bunch of events and shows for Sanrio fans to look forward to this summer.

30th Special Greeting

For the entire duration of the event, lots of characters will come out to greet park guests twice a day. This includes Hangyodon and Tuxedosam, both of who haven’t visited Harmonyland in almost 10 years. Pochacco will be there too in a brand-new costume.

Obake Ondo! DoRoRoNRoN!

The characters will be out dressed in cute summery yukata where they will invite guests to dance Bon Odori with them.

Parade Parallel ~30th Memories~

A special 30th anniversary rendition of the park’s Parade Parallel will take place, taking songs and performances from past runs of this event which has been held since the park first opened.

30th Anniversary Night Party

Hello Kitty, Dear Daniel, Cinnamoroll, Kuromi, and 10 dancers will host a special anniversary night show to give thanks to guests for the past 30 years.

Running: July 17th-18th, 22nd-24th / August 7th-8th, 13th-15th, 21st-22nd, 28th-29th

Character Menu: Hello Kitty’s Cheese in Hamburger Curry – Cinnamoroll’s Beef Stew Rice – Smiling Pompompurin’s Pork Cutlet Curry | ¥1,380 Each

Wish Me Mell’s Heart Korokke White Sauce Omurice | ¥1,400

Acrylic Stand Keyrings | ¥748 Each

Guests can get their hands on exclusive anniversary merchandise and enjoy some limited-time dishes too.

ⓒ 2021 SANRIO CO., LTD.　S/D･G

Sanrio’s popular character duo Kiki & Lala, also known as the Little Twin Stars, are have brought their dreamy, pastel-coloured world to Tokyo Tower with a special summer event titled “Little Twin Stars Summer Night Fantasy Meets Kiki & Lala Exhibition produced by LIDDELL” which began on July 10.

At the event entrance, guests are given a special ‘passport’ notebook which is stamped before entering, allowing access to Kiki & Lala’s world in the clouds above.

Guests are guided by Kiki & Lala’s voice through the rose-coloured “Star & Rose-Coloured Cloud Fantasy Gate” were they are met with five different booths.

At Kiki’s Star Catching booth, visitors can experience one of Kiki’s favourite past times by ‘catching’ stars. The stars that are caught can be taken home as a fun memory.

There’s also the Starry Sky Light Shower booth which is decorated with mirror balls that reflect the light as well as a wall featuring words and phrases said by the twins, the pink and light blue-coloured Kiki & Lala’s Playroom where you can snap cute photos, the Glittering Moviegenic booth which uses your smartphone to watch an animation of Kiki & Lala, and more.

Fans of the twins can enjoy an exhibit of various artworks too, including the 8-meter tall Fantasy Wall which depicts the world above the clouds.

The day before the exhibition began, on July 9, Tokyo Tower was lit up in blue and pink Kiki & Lala colours from 19:30 to midnight. It was a special one-night experience.

If you’re in Tokyo this summer, soar up high into Kiki & Lala’s world at Tokyo Tower.

©‘21 SANRIO 著作（株）サンリオ

YohaS is set to collide the real and digital worlds at Chiba Park with an event titled YohaS 2021 Night Park Gallery which will run from July 6 to 10.

Lightning artwork (*For illustrative purposes only, art will be different for the event)

The event held back in 2019

YohaS is a collaborative project between Chiba City and Tsubakimori Komuna. It was launched to boost and develop the nighttime economy of Chiba, with its first event having taken place as the evening portion of the Ooga Hasu Flower Festival held in Chiba back in 2018. YohaS was unable to be held last year due to the pandemic and so an event was held online. This year sees its return with an event taking on the theme of “Silent Lips” which refers to the current situation with COVID-19 and how we cannot see peoples’ smiles or lips due to them wearing face masks.

The title of the YohaS 2021 event is “Night Park Gallery” which will turn Chiba Park into an art gallery and fuse it with breathtaking lighting and illuminations by Sun Effects. There will be six stages produced by Hiroaki Kumagai, a former member of Cirque du Soleil, each of which will offer equally incredible performances with their own stories from July 6-9. Visitors can also purchase YohaS wristbands, t-shirts, anti-bacterial sprays, and more.

For those still unable to attend in person, YohaS will also open an online version of the event called Virtual YohaS in Chiba Park which can be accessed via a PC or smart device.

Three cafes in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya are set to collaborate with the anime series Jujutsu Kaisen from July 15.

The popular manga series, serialised in Weekly Shonen Jump, is written and illustrated by Gege Akutami. An anime series began airing in October last year and wrapped up in March. An anime film, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, is slated for release on December 24, 2021.

The collaboration cafe is opening as part of the Jujutsu Kaisen Exhibition which is set to take place across Japan from July 2. The exhibition will be split into two separate periods, the first being themed on episodes 1-13 and the second on 14-24. It will display decorations based on scenes from the series, artwork, and more.

Masatsugu Nagasoe, the videographer who worked on the anime series’ first ending theme, took charge of the art direction for the cafes, eventually deciding on the theme of ‘stylish.’ Fans can enjoy themed food, get their hands on merch, and more.

Yuji Itadori’s Steak Sandwich Plate | ¥1,400 (Before Tax)

Megumi Fushiguro’s Shadow Pasta | ¥1,400 (Before Tax)

The cafe menu is filled with dishes and desserts inspired by the Jujutsu Kaisen characters.

Nobara Kugisaki’s Strawberry Pancakes | ¥1,400 (Before Tax)

Panda’s Panda a la Mode | ¥1,400 (Before Tax)

The fancy food’s plating is all Instagrammable.

Set Drinks (Not Available Separately)

There’s also a collection of drinks you can order as a set with your food or dessert which come with illustrations of the characters.

Acrylic Keyrings / Pins / Folders

Sticker Set / Acrylic Dioramas / Handkerchiefs

Fans can also get their hands on a range of merchandise feature Studio MAPPA’s stylish art as well as other exclusives.

©芥見下々／集英社・呪術廻戦製作委員会

Tokyo-based amusement park Yomiuri Land and flower park HANA・BIYORI are celebrating 10 years of Studio Chizu, the animation studio spearheaded by director Mamoru Hosoda, as well as the upcoming release of their new film Belle with a special event that is running from July 17 to September 5.

Studio Chizu 10th Cross Park in Yomiuri Land

Flowers collide with digital art at HANA・BIYORI

Solve puzzles in an AR rally

Themed food

Exclusive merchandise

The events will celebrate Mamoru Hosoda and Studio Chizu’s entire filmography including The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars, Wolf Children, The Boy and the Beast, Mirai, and their upcoming film Belle which will be released in Japan on July 16. This includes themed attraction, food, merchandise, and more. There will also be a special AR rally where guests will need to locate hidden characters around the park. A digital art show will also take place at HANA・BIYORI which is connected to Yomiuri Land.

More details about the attractions and food will roll out in early July.

Two branches of Animate Cafe, Good Smile x Animate Cafe Akihabara and Good Smile x Animate Cafe Osaka Nipponbashi, are collaborating with Touken Ranbu -ONLINE- from June 23 to August 2, serving up food, drinks, and desserts inspired by the game as well as selling exclusive merchandise.

The Menu

Utage no Maku no Nai Bento | ¥1,100 (Tax Included)

Kasyuu Kiyomitsu’s Stylish Tomato Stew w/Focaccia | ¥1,100 (Tax Included)

Kasen Kanesada’s Elegant Sea Bream Chazuke | ¥1,100 (Tax Included)

Honmaru Elegance ~Everyday Garden~ | ¥900 (Tax Included)

Honmaru Elegance ~Spring Garden~ | ¥900 (Tax Included)

I Discovered a New Sword! | ¥800 (Tax Included)

Kebiishi Subjugation | ¥650 (Tax Included)

Special Investigation: Tenpou Edo | ¥650 (Tax Included) | Suishinshi Masahide & Kyomaro Minamoto Versions

Fully Bloomed Cherry Blossoms ~Touken Ranbu~ | ¥650 (Tax Included)

Special Investigation Jurakudai | ¥650 (Tax Included)

Freebies for ordering from the menu

Coasters (42 Designs) | Available: June 23-July 13

Coasters (43 Designs) | Available: July 14-August 2

Exclusive merchandise

Acrylic Keyrings (42 Designs) | ¥700 Each (Tax Included)

Pins (42 Designs) | ¥700 Each (Tax Included)

Acrylic Stand Keyrings (43 Designs) | ¥700 Each (Tax Included)

Pins (43 Designs) | ¥700 Each (Tax Included)

©2015 EXNOA LLC/Nitroplus

The Shinjuku Bird Festival opened on the 11th floor of Odakyu Department Store in Shinjuku, Tokyo on June 30 where it’s running until July 6.

Some of the cute bird products to get your beaks on

Piyo Piyo Gao Poncho-chan: ¥8,250 / Piyo Piyo Gao Goggle-chan: ¥5,500

Ikimono Cookie kurimaro collection Cookies: ¥432 Each

Kisuke Paper: Large ¥3,850 / Small ¥2,750 (Available July 3-4 only)

Hoholala Kobo Oven Glove | ¥2,200

m-pool Glass Necklace | ¥4,950

Wild Bird Paintings | ¥1,980 Each

Hoholala Kobo x Oiue-dou Pouches: ¥2,200
 

Free fan for buyers

Free postcard for buyers

Bird lovers will be able to get their talons on everything from accessories to desserts and more. Many of the items are exclusive to the event, and there’s also some freebies: the first 100 people to spend over ¥3,000 each day will receive an original fan, and the first 300 people to arrive at the festival each day will get a postcard.