Premium Bandai, the official online shop for Bandai products, opened pre-orders for its new called ‘Kirby & Warp Star Shiny Powder’ highlight powder from its own cosmetic brand CreerBeaute on October 22.’

Kirby & Warp Star Shiny Powder | ¥5,060 (Tax Included)

This compact highlight powder design takes inspiration from the popular Kirby video game series with the titular character riding on a shiny Warp Star.

The Warp Star is coloured golden to give it a high quality feel and has small stars decorated around it, as does the mirror inside to add a bit of fun when putting on makeup. Kirby himself is also grabbing on adorably to the Warp Star.

The powder comes in two colours which are formed to create an image of Kirby to greet you upon opening the lid: Kirby pink and milky blue. Use to highlight your cheekbones and tip of your nose.

The colours can be used separately or combined, and both powders contain malic acid and hyaluronic acid for beautifying and moisturising.

The powder is now available for pre-order on Premium Bandai, so don’t miss out.

ⓒNintendo / HAL Laboratory, Inc.　KB20-P2515

Warehouse TERRADA opened up the new art cafe ‘WHAT CAFE’ in Tennozu, Tokyo, on October 15, 2020.

Left: Overlap of paint (dot3) by Soichi Yamaguchi | Right: Ichijiteki ni Inu, Ichijiteki ni Hito, Ichijiteki ni E by Dan Isomura

WHAT CAFE will serve as a hub to support artists in Japan’s art industry by functioning as both a gallery and cafe in a 800㎡ space. The gallery will change out the artwork from time to time to allow for more artists to showcase their works to visitors throughout the year. There will be hundreds of pieces shown in an entire year.

Left: Peel off the paint “No.125” by Haruna Shinagawa | void #35 by KIKUCHI Ryo

Tokyo’s Tennozu area is looking to become a major stop for art in Japan and is currently home to various art facilities like the pigment lab PIGMENT TOKYO and Japan’s biggest gallery complex TERRADA ART COMPLEX.

If you’re interested in contemporary art in Japan, and are visiting Tokyo, then you won’t want to miss a stop to Tennozu. Be sure to stop by WHAT CAFE.

Tokuma Shoten Publishing released a new picture book entitled Studio Ghibli no Ironna Kurashi in Japan on October 9, 2020 which is centred on the everyday lives of the protagonists from 13 of Studio Ghibli’s animated feature films.

The book looks at where the characters of these films reside and what kinds of lives they live, whether it be in the Toxic Jungle of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, or Sophie taking up the role of the cleaning lady in Howl’s Moving Castle, or Sosuke and Lisa who live upon the cliff in Ponyo.

Life in the castle in Howl’s Moving Castle　©2004 Studio Ghibli・NDDMT

Who’s who in the family? What kind of house do they live in? What job do they work? These are the questions that the book will answer as it delves deep into the livelihoods of the globally-beloved characters conceived by the incredible minds of Studio Ghibli.

The town of Koriko in Kiki’s Delivery Service　©1989 Eiko Kadono・Studio Ghibli・N

Arrietty’s house in The Secret World of Arrietty　©2010 Studio Ghibli・NDHDMTW

Noboru Yoshida (Art Supervisor for The Secret World of Arrietty)

The house that Satsuki and Mei move to in My Neighbor Totoro, the dwelling of Totoro, the wartime life of Seita and Setsuko living in Kobe in Grave of the Fireflies, the town where Kiki begins her life living alone at the age of 13, and so on.

The book is a must-have in the collection of any fans of Studio Ghibli, and is sure to make you want to step into those magical worlds once again.

The Asahi Shimbun and Nippon TV are set to host an exhibition centred on Mickey Mouse at the MORI ARTS CENTER GALLERY in Roppongi, Tokyo, from October 30, 2020 to January 11, 2021, in celebration of 90 years since Mickey Mouse’s screen debut. The exhibition will showcase works shown at the Mickey: The True Original Exhibition held in New York in 2018-2019.

Before the exhibition opens, five participating Japanese artists have each revealed their never-before-seen artworks which will be on display.

The Tokyo exhibition will be a travel back through time, looking at Mickey Mouse from the past to the present. It will be split into three zones: “The Origin,” “The True Original,” and “Beyond.” The five artists showcasing their work early will be featured in the “Beyond” zone and include Tomoko Oshima, Kosuke Kawamura, Nana Soeda, Calligrapher MAMI, and WAKU. Below are their featured pieces along with their comments.

Tomoko Oshima | Comment

“What’s fascinating about Mickey Mouse is, for reasons I can’t begin to work out, how he became a part of each person’s life. I was raised in a household that banned cartoon characters, so it always felt like something unobtainable. Mickey Mouse is like a hero to all of us. He’s dazzling and radiant, a kind of being I can’t look directly in the face of. When working on my Mickey Mouse art [for the exhibition], my concept was to create a Mickey that’s special only to me, so I challenged myself to turning that Mickey Mouse that everyone feels happy looking at and loves into my usual art style.”

Oheya (Bedroom), Tomoko Oshima

Kosuke Kawamura | Comment

“What I find fascinating about Mickey Mouse is that no matter how old I get, he always transports me away from the real world to a world of dreams. He’s an idol of mine. I even have my own collection of merchandise I’ve been collecting over the years. For the exhibition, I needed to creating something for the Beyond [zone], so I tried shaping Mickey Mouse from how I see him in my head. I’ve always made sure to balance my artwork in such a way that it can be seen in two ways. When you stand close, you can see the detailed composition, but when you step away, it looks different. This time around I gave myself a little challenge and made the silhouette of his face and hands using flowers. If you get close to it you’ll see that it’s made up of lots of flowers, but stand from afar and you’ll be able to see the facial expressions and his pointing figure. I’d like people to give both a go, so when you’ve looked at it up close then take a step back.”

Untitled, Kosuke Kawamura

Nana Soeda | Comment

“I feel Mickey Mouse’s appeal from his long history and how he has changed overtime, so I tried to express these aspects in the piece I made. The theme for it is centred on Mickey Mouse in the future, so when I was thinking about what he might look like in the future, I looked to past [designs] and tried fixing them up. So in my piece there’s a trace of looking back at past Mickey Mouse while giving him an update. Creating those ‘futures’ made me feel like I was walking through my own past and processes. You can’t know exactly what’s to come in the future even for someone as internationally popular as Mickey Mouse. But by learning from past memories and mistakes, you can draw on those to create a future, don’t you think? That’s something I wanted to convey in this piece, and I did so by creating something that’s close to the Mickey Mouse of the past with both 2D and 3D surfaces. The Mickey Mouse I drew is the one of ages past that looks completely different to his appearance today. But those look at it might feel something newer about it than older. That, or they might feel uncomfortable seeing him in a way they’re not used to. I want people to take their time looking at both and feeling whatever they feel when they do.”

LOVE, Nana Soeda

Calligrapher MAMI | Comment

“I’ve captured Mickey Mouse’s silhouette as its own kanji by using calligraphy. His appearance is iconic worldwide, and by making him recognisable through this common language, I’ve tried to create a new kanji, effectively breaking the language barrier of calligraphy, something which is difficult in itself to overcome for people. Another thing with calligraphy is that you can write the same piece hundreds of times which means it can be fine tuned over and over. I believe that overlaps with Mickey Mouse’s design as he has too has evolved for a hundred years. But by no means have his designs he just spring out of existence immediately. He has undergone trial and error through the times, and always shines bright. It’s because of everyone who will see my piece as this exhibition that I’ve been able to create something I can feel from the heart.”

ZEN Mickey, Calligrapher MAMI

WAKU | Comment

“I think the appeal of Mickey Mouse lies in the fact that people around the world all remember him from their childhoods. We form memories during our childhoods, and ever I’ve been able to recognise those memories inside of me, Mickey Mouse was something that was always close to me. When I see three circles together, Mickey Mouse’s face comes into my mind. He might be the first internationally recognisable symbol. I felt that the affinity between symbolism and neon signs is very high. So for my piece, I incorporated the techniques used for traditional Japanese neon signboards, something which I see less of these days. I took that and created the three Mickey Mouse circles using light.”

Untitled (Still Being Worked On), WAKU

ART AQUARIUM MUSEUM officially opened permanently in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, on August 28, 2020. Before that, it was simply an exhibition that was held around Tokyo which brought together over 10 million visitors throughout its run, exhibiting goldfish in a variety of breathtaking ways.

We visited ART AQUARIUM MUSEUM together with Japanese model Yuna Yabe to take a deeper dive into what lies within those doors.

ART AQUARIUM MUSEUM can be found in Nihonbashi, an area of which served as one of many places where ART AQUARIUM previously held its exhibitions. Nihonbashi is steeped in tradition and is actually the place where Japan’s goldfish culture spawned from during the Edo Period.

ART AQUARIUM was conceived and is managed by Hidetomo Kimura, an author and general producer. It’s a collaboration between art, design, and entertainment, all fused into an aquarium to create a completely unique experience. The museum has taken what was once a pop-up exhibition and expanded it many-fold, housing close around 30,000 goldfish.

The aquarium is divided into different areas each with its own unique theme that plunges visitors into a multitude of fantastical worlds. One of the must-sees when visiting ART AQUARIUM MUSEUM is the masterful Oiran works—giant goldfish bowls as pictured above—which are inspired by the red light district of the Edo Period.

Perhaps the most striking and gorgeous part of the Edo Period was Hanamachi, the districts where geisha worked. The high-ranking courtesans, known as Oiran, engaged in what was known as the Oiran Dochu, or procession of the courtesans, and this too has been captured at the museum in the designs of the beautiful fish tanks in this area.

Another unmissable part when visiting the aquarium are the Goldfish Shrines, towering fish tanks lined up like a column of water trees which make for an incredible viewing experience.

The lighting and music is ever-changing, and so transports visitors into a completely different realm every time. It can be one way one moment, and in the next instant it changes entirely.

From the second floor you can overlook the fish shrines with dynamic 3D visuals in the background. These visuals change depending on the season, so you’ll be in for a treat however many times you visit.

There are countless works of goldfish art scattered throughout the aquarium—too many to count, so your eyes will never grow tired.

Suigian Lounge – Old Pine Tree Area

ART AQUARMIUM MUSEUM even has its own dining lounge where guests can enjoy a meal while gazing at a painting of old pine trees, a cultural property of the Edo Period said to have been painted by those of the Kano school of Japanese painting. Traditional performances are also carried out on the stage for diners.

These drinks are ¥1,200 each (before tax)

Every five days, a new line-up of cocktails is served at Suigian Lounge. Japan used to be divided into 24 sekki rather than the now-used four seasons of springs, summer, autumn, and winter. These were further divided into 72 Kō, which are five days apart each. That’s where the lounge gets its idea for changing its cocktails every five days. So you’re sure to find an interesting flavour on every visit.

Kagyo Ryoran – Joy Area 

Kagyo Ryoran is a separate cafe lounge at the aquarium where they serve authentic Japanese sweets in collaboration with famous confectionery shops.

From Left Clockwise: Goldfish Sarasa ¥750 / Palet D’or Cacao Soda ¥900 / Echire Butter & Cream Castella ¥800 / lohasbeans coffee Matcha Tiramisu ¥850 / Goldfish Jelly ¥750 (All Before Tax)

The cafe serves up range of tasty Japanese desserts, from traditional ones to others inspired by goldfish and some made in collaboration with other shops.

Large Plush Toys: ¥3,200 Each (Before Tax)

The aquarium event sells its own souvenirs, such as goldfish plushies in various sizes, original confections, collaborative products, and more.

“Everything was magical—the goldfish, the sounds, the lights, the atmosphere!” explains Yuna. “They have a lot of different varieties of goldfish, and the fish tanks come in all shapes and sizes, which makes for plenty of Instagram-worthy moments. And since it’s inspired by Edo culture, it has a Japanese vibe to it too. The fish are always swimming around, so no two moments are ever the same, meaning you’re offered something fresh every time you visit.”

If you’re visiting Tokyo, be sure to pay a visit to ART AQUARIUM MUSEUM.

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.

TERRADA ART COMPLEX Ⅱ, an art complex facility in Tokyo managed by Terrada, has announced the opening of three new galleries: Contemporary Tokyo, Tokyo International Gallery, and UG Gallery.

gallery UG Tennoz

gallery UG is not only celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, but opening its second-ever gallery at TERRADA ART COMPLEX Ⅱ. The gallery, like the Galerie Maeght in Paris, helps support the creation of artists’ work as well as carries out various promotions and creates opportunities for the growth of young, up-and-coming artists. It aims to help expand the space of contemporary art, which it will do throughout the year at its new gallery with various exhibitions, such as solo exhibitions including one that showcases the amusement of 3D art, to more specialised exhibitions.

Contemporary Tokyo

Contemporary Tokyo takes on a more international approach by helping support Japanese artists based in Tokyo and various cities throughout China. The gallery will participate in numerous annual art fairs as well display the artworks of many contemporary Japanese artists. Looking towards the future, Contemporary Tokyo will eventually welcome artwork from Chinese artists, becoming a bridge between the art worlds of Japan and China.

Tokyo International Gallery

Tokyo International Gallery (TIG) was founded in 2019 with a mission to introduce global artists and global methods to the insular Japanese art scene. TIG wishes to to rethink the position of art in society, including environmental issues, urban planning, historical traditions, freedom of expression, and the questions and expressions that arise in the relationship between individuals and groups, subjectivity and objectivity, as well as dealing with subjects that are not framed or not actively discussed in a “borderless” manner. Its aim is to exhibit experimental works by a variety of unique artists.

TERRADA ART COMPLEX Ⅱ plans to open around 10 galleries by spring 2021 as well as a cafe and garden. TERRADA ART COMPLEX Ⅰ, which opened in September 2016, currently has 6 galleries which are also a must-see together with the upcoming new ones.

Kurashiki City Art Museum is now holding an exhibition dedicated to Japanese manga artist and character designer Akemi Takada. Titled TAKADA Akemi Exhibition: Angel Touch, the exhibition is set to run until November 8, 2020.

Akemi Takada majored in graphic design at Tama Art University. After graduating, she entered the world of animation where she learned character design working for the Japanese animation company Tatsunoko Production. She went on to design characters for a range of popular anime series such as Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel, Kimagure Orange Road, Patlabor, and more. Today, she works as an illustrator as well as a designer for book covers.

Angel Touch　©TAKADA Akemi

Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel　©Pierrot

The exhibition introduces original pictures of famous anime characters and Takada’s illustration work. Though solo exhibitions have been held many times for her in both Japan and abroad, this hails as one of the largest exhibitions ever with 200 drawings. Fans will also get to see new works as well which were drawn for the exhibition.

Kimagure Orange Road　©Izumi Matsumoto / Shueisha・Nippon TV・Toho

Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel 2

The Kirby Café in Tokyo and Fukuoka released three new dishes for autumn last Friday (September 18).

The menu items are made with seasonal flavours like pumpkin, sweet potato, and chestnut.

Filling Autumn Plate – Salmon Cream Pasta & Pumpkin Salad Sandwich | ¥1,480 (Before Tax)

One plate packed with fall flavours including a rich salmon cream pasta and pumpkin salad sandwich. If you look closely, you’ll spot cute pieces of Waddle Dee cheese.

Fallen Leaf Waterfall☆Mont Blanc and Baumkuchen With Friends | ¥1,280 (Before Tax)

Rick, Kine, and Coo feature on this tasty-looking dessert plate which is a baumkuchen piled with a chestnut mont blanc cream.

Kirby’s Hot Sweet Potato Sticks | ¥1,080 (Before Tax)

Crunchy on the outside, hot in the middle, and seasoned with fresh rosemary. Kirby is a pro at inhaling food, but don’t burn yourself with these!

Japanese cosmetic brand Lovisia is releasing three new hand creams with adorable Kirby packaging this autumn. The creams will begin rolling out on Lovisia’s official website, variety shops, and select Lawson stores in Japan at the end of September.

Pink Lush

Kirby’s Dream Land Hand Cream | ¥800 (Before Tax)

“Pink Lush” is the concept attached to the hand cream line-up, which is coloured a cute Kirby pink. There are three different designs: one with Kirby on a flower bed and wearing a flower crown, another with Kirby and Waddle Dee blowing bubbles, and another with Kirby inhaling assorted fruits.

Stay moisturised with Kirby throughout autumn and winter

Made in Japan, the hand creams contain collagen and hyaluronic acid, so your hands won’t be all sticky after applying the cream. Having hand cream is a must during these times when we all need to keep our hands washed, so why not do it in style with this pink line-up?

Three fragrances to choose from

Each cream also has its own combination of scents so your hands are left smelling great too.

01 Floral Shower

Inspired by the smell of flower beds, the base fragrances include musk, amber, and sandal wood. The middle notes are jasmine, lily of the valley, and rose, while the top notes are pear and leaf greens.

02 Pure Fruity

This fruity hand cream has musk, amber, and cedarwood for the base and jasmine, rose and honeysuckle for the middle notes. It’s toped with pear and apple.

03 Fresh Soap Bubbles

The final hand cream also has musk, amber, and cedarwood for its base notes. The middle notes are jasmine, rose, and magnet, and the top notes fresh lemon and green apple.

©Nintendo / HAL Laboratory, Inc. KB20-P2209

The Asahi Shimbun and Nippon TV are set to host an exhibition centred on Mickey Mouse at the MORI ARTS CENTER GALLERY in Roppongi, Tokyo, from October 30, 2020 to January 11, 2021, in celebration of 90 years since Mickey Mouse’s screen debut. The exhibition will showcase works shown at the Mickey: The True Original Exhibition held in New York in 2018-2019.

Walt Disney’s concepts and ideas are formed around innovation, creativity, imagination, and storytelling. And one character who walked that journey with him and continues to this day is none other than the iconic Mickey Mouse, who since making his first appearance in Steamboat Willie in 1928, has gone on to be a symbol of the Walt Disney Company loved by people the world over.

Mickey: The True Original Exhibition in New York

The Mickey: The True Original Exhibition held in New York looked at how Mickey Mouse has influenced art and pop culture over the years, covering everything from Steamboat Willie which hailed as Walt Disney’s first black and white sound film to over 100 colour short animations, artwork, and more.

Keiichi Tanaami – “Mickey’s Japan Tourism”

Javier Sanchez Medina – “Studio for Mickey’s hands”

The exhibition was ran from November 2018 to February 2019 and saw installations from over 20 international artists including New York-based artist Daniel Arsham and Los Angeles-based artist and graphic designer Brian Roettinger.

Brian Roettinger – “(L)imitation of Sound”

DRx – “3000% Mickey Be@r”

The Tokyo exhibition will be a travel back through time, looking at Mickey Mouse from the past to the present. It will be split into three zones: “The Origin,” “The True Original,” and “Beyond.”

The Beyond zone will welcome original artwork from five Japanese artists.

Original Merchandise – Pin Badge

Original Merchandise – Ballpoint Pen

The exhibition’s museum shop will have exclusive Mickey Mouse merchandise for sale, as well as pre-sales on other items. See new official goods from works like Steamboat Willie and Fantasia as well as items designed by Japanese artists. It’s a chance to see Mickey in a variety of different ways.

Free eco-bag

Visitors to the exhibition will also receive one of four original eco-bags for free upon arrival.

teamLab’s annual A Forest Where Gods Live exhibition is currently taking place at Mifuneyama Rakuen Park in Saga Prefecture until November 8, 2020. For autumn this year, the digital art team has introduced a seasonal piece entitled Forest and Spiral of Resonating Lamps in the Forest – One Stroke, Autumn Mountain.

Forest and Spiral of Resonating Lamps in the Forest – One Stroke, Autumn Mountain
teamLab, 2018, Interactive Installation, Murano Glass, LED, Endless, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi

Available to see for this autumn season only, ​Forest and Spiral of Resonating Lamps in the Forest – One Stroke, Autumn Mountain showcases Kasane no Irome, which are nuances of layered colours that were seasonal colours created in silk before Japan’s modern era, in the form of lit lamps.

The lamps in the exhibition shine brightly and then fade. In the light, one can see the eight autumn Kasane no Irome colours: Budding Leaves, Green Leaves, Fallen Green Leaves, Yellow Leaves, Fallen Yellow Leaves, Fallen Leaves, Fallen Red Leaves, and Autumn Leaves.

Flowers Bloom in an Infinite Universe inside a Teacup
teamLab, 2016, Interactive Digital Installation, Endless, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi

Make tea in the tea house at the exhibition. Flowers will bloom inside the teacup, which if you pick up, sends the flowers scattering and spreading to the outside of the cup. Flowers will bloom infinitely as long as there is tea. For September, there are safflowers, dianthus, and Chinese asters, while next month will introduce cosmos, osmanthus, and chrysanthemums.

Ever Blossoming Life Rock
teamLab, 2017, Digitized Nature, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi

Megaliths in the Bath House Ruins
teamLab, 2019, Interactive Digital Installation

You can also see autumn flowers in the Ever Blossoming Life Rock and Megaliths in the Bath House Ruins exhibits too.

Visitors can also get set tickers which includes entry to the exhibition as well as a dip in the Rakan no Yu hot springs of Mifuneyama Rakuen Hotel. These tickets are limited to 40 people per day.