Keifuku Electric Railroad launched an event on Boxing Day last year in Japan in collaboration with the TV anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. The event is still taking place and is set to end on April 11.

 

At Arashiyama Station on the Randen Line, there is a temporary area draped with wisteria flowers that commuters are encouraged to participate in as part of the collaboration. Built to ward off demons, fans of the anime series can write their own messages to be strung up on the flowers. They can write their thoughts and feelings on the characters and series as well as wishes and prayers for COVID to soon be over for all. It’s been a popular photo spot amongst passengers. And if you head from this area up to the roof, you can gaze out at the incredible view of Arashiyama.

Kyoto City and Japanese company Shintsu are set to release their Disney/Kyoto Traditional Design Series after previously having to postpone the release due to the pandemic. It will be available from April 27 to May 10 and celebrates the skilled, dexterous hands of Kyoto’s expert craftsman and their industry which has been passed down for thousands of years. They have innovated to create something brand-new that captures both the craft and culture of Kyoto and the contemporary wonder of Disney.

 

Comments from the Creators

©Disney

Okazen | Comment

“We have existed inside our town in Kyoto for 200 years. We make a variety of items from garments for maiko apprentice geisha to our own company-originals products. For this Disney/Kyoto Traditional Design Series, we wondered how we could express the world of Disney using the kyoyuzen Kyoto-style method of dyeing. We made something with detailed consideration, looking at all the intricate things in the dyeing process. Our Fantasia furisode long-sleeved kimono features a truly treasured scene which enabled use to incorporate many different methods in order to capture the expression, clothing, and all the stars as much as possible. We believe this piece will suck everyone into Fantasia’s world.”

 

©Disney

©Disney

Asahido | Comment

“For producing something for the Disney/Kyoto Traditional Design Series, we asked gave one of our craftsmen free rein to put their own individual self into the work. At the time, they were primarily an illustrator, so we were worried if the judges would overlook them, but the end result was something that looks truly complete and finished. The traditional craftwork of Kiyomizu pottery is a process of hand making and hand drawing each and every little thing. I believe it’s this quality that gives the characters warmth and life. I’d love for people to take it in their hands themselves and take their time looking at it in a full 360°.”

 

©Disney

 

Tsujikura | Comment

Tsujikura is Japan’s oldest wagasa Japanese umbrella shop. We’ve been in Kyoto since 1690. In that small space underneath the washi Japanese paper and bamboo, one enters a rich world where they can feel the four seasons of Japan. Our umbrella for the Disney/Kyoto Traditional Design Series uses a very advanced technique known as kiritsugi, a type of cutting and patching. We displayed Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse on handmade washi paper which we dyed. You can feel an affinity with the umbrellas for their simple and minimal designs. Our aim was to incorporate Disney elements into a traditional Japanese umbrella pattern.”

 

Other Featured Works

©Disney

aiba

©DISNEY Based on the”Winnie the Pooh” works by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard .

Asahido

©Disney

Kamiya

©Disney

©Disney

EIRAKUYA

©Disney

Okazen

©Disney

Katoriya

©Disney

Kanbayashi Shunsho Honten

©Disney

KYUKYODO

©Disney

Shoyeido

©Disney

Tankosha

©Disney

Tsujikura

©Disney

Nakajima Zougan

©Disney

Nakamura Rosoku

©Disney

Miyawaki Baisen-an

Five new Pokémon manhole covers were laid in Kyoto on Tuesday as part of the Poké Lid  project to place Pokémon-design manhole covers across the country.

 

Kyoto Original Poké Lids

 

The five Poké Lids are located in Arashiyama, Okazaki Park, Maruyama Park, Umekoji Park, and Nishikyogoku Athletic Park.

 

All of the Poké Lids placed across Japan feature completely original Pokémon designs making each individual one the only one in the world. The Pokémon Company is also working to make each one of them PokéStops for Pokémon GO.

 

 ©2021 Pokémon. ©1995-2021 Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK inc.

Kyoto Tower is set to be host to the upcoming Godzilla vs. Kyoto event which is running from April 16 to June 30. 

Key visual illustrated by Yusuke Nakamura

Stamp design

Stamp design

Stamp rally postcard

 

Godzilla vs. Kyoto Official Merchandise

 

Novelty illustrated by Yusuke Nakamura – available for the first 50 people each day

Kyoto Tower will hold a stamp rally event as part of Godzilla vs. Kyoto which will have people trying to find stamps in six locations in the tower as well as at Toji Temple and elsewhere. There is also a selection of official merchandise, a Godzilla exhibition, and much more planned.

 

If you’re in Japan this spring, don’t miss Godzilla taking over Kyoto.

 

TM & (C) TOHO CO., LTD.

イラスト/中村 佑介　TM & (C) TOHO CO., LTD.

Kyoto makeup brand Yojiya is now selling its own collection of snacks and drinks which it released via its website last week.

Yojiya Matcha Sandwich Cookies | ¥1,400 (Tax Included)

 

Yojiya Cafe Latte Chocolate Cookies | ¥1,350 (Tax Included)

 

Yojiya Matcha Milk | ¥950 (Tax Included)

Yojiya’s snack line-up is made with the idea of being able to enjoy high-quality food products at home. Their collection includes crunchy matcha and cafe latte cookies along with matcha milk, the latter of which is made with famous Uji matcha from Uji, Kyoto. Perfect for a tea/coffee break or as a souvenir.

HOSHINOYA Kyoto has announced that this summer it will hold its Kyo no Ohayashibune boat-riding service which allows one group of guests to rent a boat on which they will ride down the Ōi River and enjoy a traditional musical performance while tucking into some chimaki bamboo-wrapped cake, a confection seen only during the run of Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri festival.

 

Experience 1: Traditional hayashi orchestra aboard a Heian aristocratic boat

One group of guests will board their rented boat at Togetsu Bridge and be taken down the river where they can enjoy the verdant expanse of the valley while listening to a traditional Japanese Gion hayashi musical performance. The Ōi River was formerly a river boated down by Heian nobles who would have waka poetry and orchestral music performed to them on board. HOSHINOYA Kyoto guests will also be able to feel like a Heian aristocrat with this exclusive experience.

 

Experience 2: The sounds of Konchi Kichin

Konchi kichin is another Japanese term to express Gion hayashi musical performance. These performances are composed of Japanese gongs, flutes, and taiko drums, which are played on yamaboko floats by several dozen people during processions at the Gion Festival. The boat ride will recreate this experience so guests can enjoy the performance more up close as well as learn how to play the gong.

 

Experience 3: A taste of chimaki

Guests will be able to feel like they are at the Gion Festival by kicking back and enjoying a cup of green tea together with a chimaki, a traditional bamboo-wrapped cake that’s only served at the festival. These cakes are often used to decorate the entrances of people’s houses in Kyoto to ward off illness and disasters.

 

Gion Matsuri is one of Japan’s three biggest festivals. It has been around for over 1,000 years and last a month. When July hits, the Japanese Gion hayashi orchestras begin popping up around the city signalling the start of the festival. It’s a summer tradition of Kyoto and one which can now be enjoyed on board a special boat experience.

Japanese company Maruhisa has released a new collection of Mother’s Day gift items which will make for perfect relaxation presents to well-deserving mothers, whether you live with them or have been unable to meet with them for a long time.

 

 

 

A collection of four items from Kyoto

The set includes three sweet treats from Kyoto as well as a premium face mask made by a Fushimi-based brewery.

 

The Set at a Glance

 

Strawberry Flower Chocolate Cookies (Contains 6)

These chocolate cookies are a staple Kyoto souvenir. They’re made by buckwheat producer Marutamachi Kawamichiya and are shaped to look like cute flowers.

 

Matcha Strawberry Chocolate (3 Bags)

These matcha strawberry chocolates are made using authentic matcha from a tea shop in Kyoto. They’re stuffed with whole freeze-dried strawberries which add a fruity tang.

 

Chocolate Senbei Rice Cracker Bouquets (Contains 5)

A tasty delight made by Sekiseika, a maker of Japanese senbei rice crackers that has been around since 1922. This perfect bouquet is made with chocolate cream and topped with crushed almonds.

 

Fushimi Bijin Premium Face Mask (Contains 1)

This face mask contains a range of plant-based ingredients such as junmaishu sake made without added alcohol or sugar and coconut water. The junmaishu is provided by Tsukinokatsura, one of the oldest Japanese breweries that was first established in 1675.

 

Have you bought your Mother’s Day gift yet?

A Japan-original Pixar exhibition by the name of PIXAR! PIXAR! PIXAR! is set to run from April 8-19 at Seibu Ikebukuro in Tokyo. The exhibition is a celebration of all things Pixar Animation Studio and Walt Disney Japan where fans will have the opportunity to glimpse never-before-seen concept art, learn about the secrets of the studio’s office building, hear interviews with Japanese staff who work at the animation studio, and much more.

 

Pixar fanatics can expect to see all their favourite characters from the filmography such as Monsters Inc., Toy Story, Wall-E, Coco, Finding Nemo, and more. There will be plenty of merchandise to add to the collection too—around 200 pieces in fact—including items with official artwork that has never been made into merch before.

 

New official artwork illustrated by Pixar Animation Studios for ‘PIXAR! PIXAR! PIXAR!’

 

The artists at Pixar Animation Studios have created an original collection of artwork for the exhibition which will be displayed around the site itself as well as on merchandise sold there. There will also be a behind-the-scenes video showing at the exhibition where you can see the staff drawing the pieces.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

A historical lookback at Pixar’s filmography

The exhibition will pay homage to everything Pixar has to offer, from their roots of animation shorts to their critically acclaimed full length animated features. If you have a favourite from any of these, you’re sure to find merchandise of it at the exhibition.

 

Feel like you’ve been invited to Pixar Animation Studios

The exhibition will have an area decorated with a gallery of posters, the famous Pixar lamp and ball, Woody and Buzz statues made from Lego, and more, as well as a photo gallery from pictures taken inside the studio.

 

Learn all there is to know about Pixar

Learn all the trivia about Pixar from what kind of Japanese people work at the studio, what characters are hidden throughout their films, and more.

 

Original Merchandise　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Fans can sift through around 200 pieces of original merchandise.

 

Movie Poster Collection

The posters released for each of Pixar’s films have been shrunk down into a collection of postcards.

Final frame merchandise

A line-up of merchandise featuring the final frames taken from all 23 of Pixar’s feature length animations.

Early concept art

The exhibition will sell an array of merchandise featuring artwork that has never been turned into merch before, such as early concept art.

Easter eggs

There will also be merchandise featuring fun Easter eggs hidden throughout Pixar’s films.

 

Pixar Animation Studios

A line-up of merchandise that makes you feel like you’re part of the Pixar office.

Bonus Items　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Visitors that spend over ¥3,000 (tax included) on merchandise at the exhibition will receive one of 8 possible pins. These are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Additionally, spending over ¥6,000 will get fans an original bottle too.

The exhibition will also be moving around Japan after its Tokyo run. Check the locations below.

 

©DISNEY/PIXAR All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission.

Blue Bottle Coffee Japan has announced that its new lounge space The Lounge -Kyoto- will open on the second floor of its Kyoto cafe on March 20, 2021.

 

An Exclusive Course at The Lounge -Kyoto-

 

KYO-TO-TO x Blue Bottle Coffee Original Hand Towel

¥1,700 (Exclusive to Blue Bottle Cafe Kyoto)

Blue Bottle Coffee opened its Kyoto-based cafe in March 2018 as its eighth branch. The first by the coffee chain to open in the Kansai region of Japan, the cafe is located near the famous Nanzen-ji Temple. The cafe building itself is renovated from a traditional two-storey Kyoto-style house which has a history spanning over 100 years. Blue Bottle Cafe retained many of the building’s traditional charms like the thick beams and pillars which are both rough yet refined and tasteful.

The Lounge -Kyoto- is also a renovation that maintains the warmth and welcoming atmosphere of the Kyoto-style house. This exclusive area seats just seven people, with seats needing to be booked in advance. Customers can enjoy Blue Bottle Coffee’s new coffee course menu which includes three different freshly-made coffees and two seasonal desserts. The cafe recommends trying each coffee as it is first to enjoy the flavour before customising it.

 

If you’re heading through Kyoto this spring or in the future, be sure to book seats at Blue Bottle Coffee’s new lounge space.

Fukushima Mono Mappu, a project run in collaboration with BEAMS JAPAN and Fukushima Prefecture, has set up to shop in Kyoto for the first time at BEAMS JAPAN KYOTO where their line-up of products will be available for purchase until March 14.

Shirakawa Daruma BEAMS JAPAN KYOTO Exclusive Model (Purple) | Small ¥900, Medium ¥1,800, Large ¥4,500 (Before Tax)

The Fukushima Mono Mappu project launched in January 2018 as a way to promote Japan’s prefecture of Fukushima across the country. The collaborative project has released many different items, and now the people of Kyoto will be able to enjoy what the prefecture has to offer. To celebrate its first time in Kyoto, BEAMS JAPAN KYOTO will also be selling an exclusive purple daruma.

Neko Neko Cheesecake, a bakery chain in Japan which cooks up cute desserts and pastries shaped like cats, is promoting the release of the two-part anime film Sailor Moon Eternal with two cheesecakes reminiscent of Luna and Artemis. The cakes will be sold from February 11 to March 25.

Sailor Moon Nyan Cheesecake (Mango) | ¥1,380 (Before Tax)

Sailor Moon Nyan Cheesecake (Strawberry) | ¥1,380 (Before Tax)

The cakes arrive in fruity mango and strawberry flavours, available both in-store at Neko Neko Cheesecake branches and via the online store All Hearts Mall in Japan. Both are also safely wrapped up and packaged in a cute box featuring a sailor uniform before being placed in a bag that has Luna and Artemis huddled together and sat atop a crescent moon.

The first film in the Sailor Moon Eternal series was released on January 8, 2021, and the second on February 11, 2021.

 

©武内直子・PNP／劇場版「美少女戦士セーラームーンEternal」製作委員会

Japanese bakery Neko Neko Shokupan is promoting the release of the second in the two-part anime film series Sailor Moon Eternal by baking up a bread inspired by everyone’s favourite feline: Luna. The bread will be sold from February 11 to March 25.

Neko Neko Shokupan Luna Bread w/ Chocolate Pen | ¥1,200 (Before Tax)

The bread is made of pastry laced with black cocoa powder. Luna’s ears are strawberry flavoured and she  of course has her iconic crescent moon atop her forehead. She arrives safely packaged in a cube-shaped box decorated in night sky stars and the moon. This box is placed in an eye-catching bag with little Sailor Moon details that are sure to be familiar to any fan, including Luna herself as well as Artemis.

 

The bread is available in-store at Neko Neko Shokupan branches and via the online store All Hearts Mall in Japan

The first film in the Sailor Moon Eternal series was released on January 8, 2021, and the second on February 11, 2021.

 

©武内直子・PNP／劇場版「美少女戦士セーラームーンEternal」製作委員会