Travel + Leisure published their “World’s Best Awards 2020 Top Hotels in Tokyo” list on July 8, 2020 on which Hoshinoya Tokyo, managed by Hoshino Resorts, placed No. 1.

“World’s Best Awards” is a list of the top hotels as ranked by travel magazine Travel + Leisure’s user ratings. The hotel category takes into account the facilities, location, service, food, and more offered at each hotel.

Established in Otemachi, Tokyo in July 2016, Hoshinoya Tokyo is a ryokan-style hotel which has two basement floors and 17 upper floors. It has a traditional Japanese ryokan vibe to it with its tatami mats, sliding doors, bamboo materials, and more, plus guests must take their shoes off at the entrance. And while it has traditional elements, it caters to the modern lifestyle, combining the best of both worlds. It offers guests a chance to easily experience Japanese culture and what it’s like to stay in a ryokan.

THE AOYAMA GRAND HOTEL in Aoyama, Tokyo will officially open on August 5, 2020. Set to be a new landmark of Tokyo as “a hotel where you have fun,” the establishment will house 42 rooms and a restaurant which serves everything from food around the world to authentic Japanese cuisine. Table bookings for the restaurant opened on July 1, 2020.

THE AOYAMA GRAND HOTEL is opening on the former Aoyama Bells Commons building which is just a 3-minute walk from Gaiemmae Station. The hotel is managed by Plan・Do・See who also manage 6th by ORIENTAL HOTEL (Yurakucho), ORIENTAL HOTEL (Kobe)< WITH THE STYLE (Fukuoka), THE LUIGANS (Fukuoka), and more.

Gaiemmae in Aoyama is a hub for fashion and culture in Japan which is visited by people all over the world. THE AOYAMA GRAND HOTEL will slot nicely into place in the area, serving a timeless experience with its polished and relaxing atmosphere and incredible restaurant.

ROOM

All guest rooms are fitted with a unique mid-century modern style design that maintains both the welcoming vibe of the region and brings a contemporary feel. Rooms are made to offer an experience akin to living there, where guests can look forward to indulging all their senses.

The bathroom amenities offered are provided by Oltana, making this the first hotel in Japan to stock the company’s products. The items were developed specially for THE AOYAMA GRAND HOTEL and blend essential oils with Japanese fermentation methods. Everything from the raw materials to the finish product is made in Japan, and all are made sustainably and ethically.

RESTAURANT

Welcoming guests at the hotel entrance is THE BELCOMO on the fourth floor which offers a delicious casual dining experience whether it be for lunch, dinner, coffee, or an evening drink.

On the same floor is SHIKAKU, a counter-style restaurant serving authentic and seasonal Japanese food that is prepared before guests’ eyes with fresh ingredients.

And hidden on the 19th floor where the guest rooms are located is Aoyama Sushi Kanesaka, a sushi bar that serves exquisite sushi courses made with artisanal care and the utmost care.

Opening on the hotel’s top floor this autumn too is TRATTORIA ANDREA ROSSI, a classic Italian restaurant which will serve simple yet delicious dishes, wines, and desserts prepared in front of customers. On the same floor, a rooftop bar called THE TOP will also open where you can enjoy seasonal original cocktails, specially-selected wines, champagnes, and more.

Dick Bruna TABLE is a new wine bar set to open in Kobe, Japan on July 17, 2020 where customers can enjoy various wines from around the world. The bar is themed around the popular children’s author and graphic designer Dick Bruna (1927-2017) who is known for his popular character Miffy.

The first bar of its kind to be centred on Bruna, table bookings for both the bar and cafe spaces opened on July 1. Customers who book before July 16 will receive two free original Dick Bruna TABLE coasters.

Dick Bruna TABLE is split into 4 floors. The first floor is the takeout counter, the second the merchandise shop and a cafe which is designed to be like a Dick Bruna studio, the third is the wine bar which is made to look like an old cafe in Utrecht, the city where Dick Bruna lived, and the fourth is the event space where exhibitions and parties will take place. There’s also a special VIP room on the top floor.which include a takeout counter, merchandise shop, cafe, wine bar, and event space.

Takeout Counter & Entrance

Entrance

The staircase that leads from the first floor takeout counter to the second floor is like a gallery with various Dick Bruna artworks scattered around. There are plenty of chances snap some photos.

Cafe & Shop

The cafe and shop are like a studio dedicated to Dick Bruna’s many works. They have a warm welcoming atmosphere to them thanks to the old wooden beams and white walls and lights. The merchandise area and cafe areas blend seamlessly into one.

The wine bar, inspired by old cafes in Dick Bruna’s beloved home of Utrecht, serves authentic wine. The brick tiles are reminiscent of the streets of Utrecht and, together with the old wood, give it an inviting vibe. The bar also houses many paperbacks bound and designed by Dick Bruna.

Event Space & VIP Room

The event space is painted a simple white. It can be used for art exhibitions, workshops, parties, and more.

Head to Dick Bruna TABLE to enjoy both the cute world of Dick Bruna’s characters as well as a delicious glass of wine.か

IIIustrations Dick Bruna © copyright Mercis bv,1953-2020 www.miffy.com © Dick Bruna 

The new limited-time character cafe POWDER ART CAFE HARAJUKU is set to open in Harajuku, Tokyo from July 15, 2020 to mid-January 2021.

From July 15 to mid-October, the cafe will be centred on the Top 10 characters of this year’s Sanrio Character Ranking, an annual event where fans around the world can vote for their favourite Sanrio characters. The cafe will subsequently celebrate the 45th anniversaries of both My Melody and Little Twin Stars until mid-January next year.

At POWDER ART CAFE HARAJUKU, where the customers can draw their own designs on their orders, like latte art, Sanrio fans can look forward to a super cute menu line-up inspired by the adorable character roster.

My Melody Sweet & Sour Strawberry Shaved Ice

Tuxedo Sam Seafood Coquille Plate

If you’re visiting Harajuku any time up to January next year, be sure to stop by POWDER ART CAFE HARAJUKU to make your own kawaii Sanrio character dishes.

Springtime this year saw MANON move her work to Tokyo where she is now based. Her new song WORLD’S END feat.dodo is a graduation track that was recorded at the end of her time at high school. It’s a bittersweet pop number, and an emotional one that sings of love.

The song invites the easygoing and chill ‘nerd’ rapper dodo on board whose popularity continues to surge. His song im was released last year and has almost 4 million views on YouTube. WORLD’S END feat.dodo sees two worlds clash together: the cute and stylish MANON admired by girls of her age, and rapper dodo, whose style is based around looking unpopular.

Music Video

Japanese musician, producer and designer Hiroshi Fujiwara, who is big in the Harajuku street culture scene, has also provided a remix of the track. He’s laid down a luxurious ground beat and melded in a melody that’s both an homage to funky disco and includes plenty of new classic vibes.

The original song is produced by YUPPA (HNC) who has worked on all of MANON’s tracks before this. The CD cover for the original version is drawn by illustrator mako arai who also directed the music video that is being released together with the song. The CD cover for the remix version was designed by Hiroshi Fujiwara himself.

Fresh fruits and vegetable company yoloz is selling an exquisite cheesecake produced by chef Masato Yamazaki. The cheesecake is made using exotic mangoes sourced from Hentonanoen – an exotic orchard located in Okinawa. Preorders are now being accepted.

The new cheesecake takes the name “tabi suru cheesecake” which literally means “travelling cheesecake” – a fitting name for a cheesecake made with ingredients sourced from across Japan. The name also reflects chef Masato Yamazaki’s experience of travel. Each month, chef Yamazaki creates a new limited edition flavour with the goal of “delivering the passion of fresh food producers to their consumers”. This month, Yamazaki and yoloz are teaming up to deliver a delicious cheesecake made with fruits fresh from Japan’s sunny paradise island of Miyako.

Whole: ¥4,980 (After Tax)

Half: ¥2,780 (After Tax)

This is the sixth collaboration by chef Yamazaki. The sun-soaked mangoes are sourced from Hentonanoen – an exotic orchard located on Miyako Island, Okinawa. The cheesecake enjoys a subtle splash of white wine for a refreshing aftertaste. Eggs with white yolks are also used to complete its refreshing image. Enjoy the contrast of the tangy yoghurt and ripe, sweet mangoes – the perfect summer treat. The sweet aroma of farm-fresh mangoes will instantly fill you with those cheerful summer vibes. 

Tadashi Hentona (From Hentonanoen)

Hentonanoen is located on Miyako Island of Okinawa. For more than 20 years, we have been working our hardest to harvest the most delicious mangoes using our own unique farming methods. One step in our procedure is caring for the soil. We periodically analyse the soil of our mango trees, enriching it with the very best nutrients it needs. Our procedure includes taking natural salts from the ocean to further enhance the quality of the soil. We always give it our best when caring for our produce. We hope you enjoy the delicious flavour of Miyako Island mangoes.

Just one bite of this cheesecake will take you on an unforgettable journey to sunny Okinawa. You just have to try it!

GBL, an online clothing company whose stock features designs from Studio Ghibli’s animated feature films, is set to open its first store at MIYASHITA PARK in Shibuya, Tokyo on July 28, 2020 inside RAYARD MIYASHITA PARK.

MIYASHITA PARK is a shopping complex filled with shops stocking high quality products. GBL MIYASHITA PARK will sell a range of fun, exclusive Studio Ghibli t-shirts with designs taken from popular films from the studio.

The theme of this year’s line-up is t-shirts that have a “second-hand” design to them. There are 28 t-shirts to choose from including colour variations. Six of these are exclusive to GBL MIYASHITA PARK.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind T-Shirt (Pure White): ¥4,880 (Before Tax)

Princess Mononoke T-Shirt (Grey): ¥4,880 (Before Tax)

Kiki’s Delivery Service T-Shirt (Red): ¥4,880 (Before Tax)

The range is made from soft cotton and is inspired by American style t-shirts. To reduce the collar from stretching over time, twill tape is wrapped around the neck part of the t-shirt. The t-shirts are also stone washed during the manufacturing process to ensure they are both soft and have that ‘used’ quality to them.

Laputa: Castle in the Sky T-Shirt (Grey): ¥4,880 (Before Tax)

Porco Rosso T-Shirt (Black): ¥4,880 (Before Tax)

Whisper of the Heart T-Shirt (Navy Blue): ¥4,880 (Before Tax)

Sizes come in Small, Medium, Large, XL, and XXL. The collection is a must-have for any fan of Studio Ghibli.

Hirakata Park has announced the horror-themed event “Yamibiraki no Yoru” which will be held at the Osaka amusement park during the night from August 26 to September 13.

Two Japanese horror entertainment companies are coming together to set up spooky spots around the park for the event. For the event, visitors will need to clear a mission to reach the goal which will involve the use of a smartphone or tablet.

Yamibiraki no Yoru – Synopsis

“There is a rumour that once a year, Hirakata Park opens up during the middle of the night. And though it’s open in the middle of the night, the only staff that can be spotted around are those with vacant looks in their eyes. What’s more is that there aren’t any visitors around. At some point, this rumour came to be called Yamibiraki no Yoru, ‘Open in Darkness.’ And this summer, an event is being held, on the same day that rumour was named, and with the same name…”

Scary School Stories VR x Real Scary Experience

Hirakata Park is also holding a haunted house event during the daytime from July 17, 2020. Themed on Kokkuri-san, a Japanese supernatural game, the event will combine the use of VR technology and real interactive scares.

UNIQLO is launching six new t-shirts as part of its graphic T-shirt brand UT in collaboration with Fortnite. Set to go on sale in Japan on July 13, fans of the popular game can look forward to seeing familiar faces like DJ Yonder and Peely, as well as Llama who featured in UT’s previous Fortnite themed collection last year.

What is Fortnite?

Fortnite is an online video game developed by Epic Games which was released in 2017. When it dropped, it quickly become a sensation with gamers across the globe for its battle royale mode and diverse range of character skins and items, and more. As of May this year, over 350 million players have registered to play the game. Chapter 2 was released in October last year which introduced new locations, gameplay features like swimming and fishing, and so on.

The collection features T-shirts with bright colours and fun designs which can be incorporated into all kinds of outfits.

DJ Yonder

The DJ Yonder design sees him holding a stereo player. The comic strip artwork is a nice touch too.

Drift

A simple design with a white base and Drift’s mask. The golden part is in fact gold leaf print.

Skull Trooper

An 80’s pop colour design with Skull Trooper dancing. Super fashionable and super cool.

Peely
This fun T-shirt has Peely’s name written in banana peel.

Llama
An iconic character from Fortnite, this T-shirt has Llama’s name written in Japanese Katakana.

Robot
The front of the T-shirt has a simple Fortnite logo on the front, while on the back is Robot printed in bright colours.

This collection is a must-have for any fan of Fortnite and gaming.

© 2020 Epic Games

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.

Fashion brand HONEY SALON, which was developed by Stripe International Inc., is releasing a new line of items in collaboration with mikko illustrations. mikko illustrations is famous for their charming illustrations of women with sexy flair. The new line of items will be released from July 4, 2020.

About mikko illustrations

Charming, nostalgic with a touch of sexiness, mikko illustrations welcomes you to the adorable everyday life of a girl. mikko illustrations started off as a freelance illustrator in 2013. Their illustrations appeared in women’s magazines, on websites and in apparel collections. They have also showcased their portraits and original merchandise at a number of exhibitions.

mikko illustrations and HONEY SALON Collaboration Collection

“An extraordinary girl like a sweet cherry” is the main concept of the collaboration. The sexy illustrations are also inspired by the retro and sexy 80’s pin-up model. The collaboration items include t-shirts and skorts (skirts with shorts underneath). There are also tote bags, and two kinds of pouches.  The design seen above shows an adorable girl striking a pose with a cat helping itself to her scrumptious dessert.

sweetest cherry Puff Sleeve Shirt: ¥5,900 (Before Tax) Colours: White/ Light Pink

The illustration featured on this shirt shows the adorable young woman putting on her makeup while her mischievous cat seizes the opportunity to steal the cherries on her drink. The design is in full colour and in vintage style. Dainty and light material is used to make the puff sleeves which are decorated with ribbons to finish the vintage girly look. The skirt the girl is wearing in the illustration inspired the design for the gingham skorts in the collection.

sweetest cherry Gingham Skorts: ¥9,000 (Before Tax) Colours: Red/Black

The skorts are lined with a collaboration-limited gingham pattern. A beautiful ribbon hides the elastic that beautifully embraces the waistline while adorable round buttons decorate the front. Tuck in your top to enjoy this look. The high waist skort can be worn with the top for a beautiful silhouette.

sweetest cherry Compact Tote Bag: ¥4,800 (Before Tax) Colour: Ivory/ Pink

The tote bag comes with a useful pocket, making it easy to carry and use as one pleases. It is perfect for carrying a mini purse, train card and essential items to enjoy a day out. The back pocket design is adorable and cherry-themed. The tote bag is made from light satin, making it perfect for any kind of trip.

sweetest cherry Frilly Pouch: ¥2,900 (Before Tax) Colour: Ivory/ Pink

Every time you pull out this soft, frilly satin pouch, your heart will be overwhelmed by the kawaii world of mikko illustrations. This two-coloured pouch is fastened together with a heart-shaped charm. The round shape makes it easy to organise and easy to use.

sweetest cherry Multi-Pouch: ¥3,000 (Before Tax) Colour: Ivory/ Pink

The multi-pouch is made from water resistant fabric and shows off an original design. This pouch is perfect for your toothbrush and toothpaste, cosmetics, hair comb, handkerchief, mask and much more. A snap faster is affixed to close the pouch, making it easy to access.

If you want to get your hands on some of the items in this collection, head to Laforet Harajuku. These items will be sold from July 4 to July 17, 2020. Not only can you get your hands on these collaboration items here, but also many other items which feature original designs by mikko illustrations. Spend more than ¥13,000 (tax included) on mikko illustrations items and you will be given a ticket granting entry to a campaign where mikko illustrations creates digital portraits of participants.

As we’re celebrating summer, this is the perfect opportunity to spice up your wardrobe.

Hibiya-Kandan is set to open a new glamping guest house by the name of “RELAX FUJINO” on August 21, 2020.

Just an hour and a half’s journey from the city, RELAX FUJINO is opening in Kanagawa Prefecture’s town of Fujino, a place known for its abundant nature and traditional arts. It aims to be a place where both “the heart and body can be happy.”

The guest house promises to serve guests the ultimate relaxation experience, have them feeling positive about themselves, and opening their eyes to new discoveries. They will be able to enjoy the region’s culture and nature while indulging in the kind of luxurious experience that Hibiya-Kandan is known for offering.

The glamping site is home to two separate sites: the Japanese-style “RURI” and the Western-style “ECRU,” both of which have decks offering a panoramic view of the mountain range. Each site also has its own dome-shaped tent which span 28 square meters in length. There are counter tables which offer a panoramic view of the sights, garden tables, and even BBQ spaces. This mix of indoors and outdoors makes guests feel like part of Fujino’s gorgeous natural environment. There are communal showers and toilets inside too, as well as a nearby hot spring facility.

The food served is made with plenty of organic vegetables grown in Fujino. A stay at the site means you get a free dinner and breakfast too.

There are plenty of both indoor and outdoors activities to get involved in, like yoga, coffee roasting, crafts, blueberry picking, and more.

Bookings open on August 1, 2020. If you’re in Japan this summer, then why not get away from the hustle and bustle and enjoy a relaxing time out in nature?