VISIONS 2023 ILLUSTRATORS BOOK, the newest edition of the popular art book edited by pixiv, was released on October 4, 2022. Art fans know the pixiv website as a place to share artwork, manga, and more. 

The VISIONS book series began publication in 2020, and the total number of copies sold worldwide has surpassed 150,000. The latest 2023 issue features works by 170 creators, allowing readers a glimpse into the current state of illustration today.

The cover art was drawn by Mika Pikazo, a character designer for many popular titles including Fire Emblem Engage, the latest in Nintendo’s Fire Emblem series. Mika Pikazo has long been pursuing new forms of expression in digital art, including incorporating cubism. Digital art is often treated as something vastly different from traditional art such as paintings and sculptures, but the cover art of this book challenges this belief by blending digital and traditional art. Pikazo’s vivid colors and exquisite brushwork are a must-see.

In addition to providing the cover art, a 7,000-word special interview with Mika Pikazo delving into his thoughts and vision can be found in the new book, providing a detailed view of what the digital art scene will look like in 2023.

Popular phone accessory brand CASETiFY has announced a new collection inspired by One Piece. This marks the third collaboration between the two, with the new items celebrating the release of One Piece Film: Red.

Dubbed the ‘Pirate Black Collection, the series was inspired by playing cards and plastic models. One highlight of the collection is the Golden Transponder Snail 3D AirPods Pro case, inspired by the communication device from the Marine’s Buster Call. Both a display piece and a protective case, the outer shell features a metallic gold finish with painted eyeballs and a keychain. 

Along with the 3D AirPods Pro case, the lineup includes plenty of items perfect for every kind of One Piece fan, including the Motif case covered in icons from the series, the Thousand Sunny Ship Case featuring the Straw Hat crew’s ship, and the Brotherhood Sticker Case highlighting the bond between Luffy, Sabo, and Ace.

The poker card character case uses playing cards as a motif, and features six fan-favorite duos including Luffy & Shanks and Ace & Sabo. Don’t miss the movie-exclusive Uta & Shanks version!

Limited-edition 25th-anniversary accessories will also be available, including water bottles, Macbook sleeves, iPad covers, Apple Watch straps, and more.

Those who have already registered for the waitlist on the CASETiFY online store will be the first allowed access to the collection on October 5, 2022. See the official website for more details.

©E.O./S.,T.A.　© O/2022 OP

From November 11 until December 25, 2022, Roppongi Hills Christmas will cover Tokyo in glittering lights once again. The Keyakizaka Lights, one of Tokyo’s most popular winter attractions, will also take place in 2022, with the 400-meter-long Keyakizaka street covered in over 800,000 blue and white LED lights.

For the first time in three years, the Mohri Garden will be covered in lights as well. The annual Christmas market will invite guests to experience an authentic German Christmas, and Christmas cakes and gourmet food unique to Roppongi Hills will be for sale. 

The Roppongi Hills Christmas event utilizes LED lights and has done so since the first event was held in 2003. Clean power will be used again this year, and the lights will be switched on from 5 PM until 11 PM each night. 

Aeon’s fashion brand DOUBLEFOCUS has announced a unique apparel collection featuring Crayon Shin-chan and Sanrio’s popular character Cinnamoroll! The collection itself will include 14 items and will release on September 29, 2022. Those interested will be able to purchase these items at over 150 AEON and AEON-STYLE locations around Japan, as well as online. Crayon Shin-chan has been a popular series for decades, and Cinnamoroll has won first place for three consecutive years in the Sanrio Character Awards. 

Many characters from Crayon Shin-chan will be featured in the collection, including Shinnosuke, Himawari, Shiro, and Buriburizaemon. These unique items can only be purchased at AEON stores, and fans can find everything from cushions and key chains to clothing. Be sure to grab your favorite items before they sell out!

Ⓒ臼井儀人／双葉社・シンエイ・テレビ朝日・ＡＤＫ

Ⓒ２０２２ ＳＡＮＲＩＯ ＣＯ．，ＬＴＤ．ＴＯＫＹＯ．ＪＡＰＡＮⓁ

Japanese lingerie line PEACH JOHN has launched a new collection inspired by ONE PIECE FILM RED! The new items went on sale starting September 21, and fans can purchase them from the official PEACH JOHN site and at PEACH JOHN stores nationwide.

The collaboration includes bra and panty sets inspired by Nami, Nico Robin, and Uta, the main character of the latest film. Pajamas inspired by Shanks will also be available in both male and female sizes. While sold out on the online shop, these are still available in stores.  

Fans can also grab a cozy one-piece dress inspired by Uta’s outfit in the film, while the bra and panty set features satin ribbon reminiscent of Uta’s hairstyle. The straps in the back were inspired by Uta’s wings. 

The special site features an exclusive interview with Enako, the top cosplayer in Japan and the model for the collaboration. She gave her impressions of the photo shoot, so be sure to check it out!

Popular VTubers from Hololive Productions are collaborating with the multiplayer online game Among Us for a limited time! The collab began on September 21, 2022.

30 special collaboration skins featuring Hololive personalities are now available in the game. Along with these, players can snag hats and visors! These can be purchased in-game and unlocked through gameplay. The Collaboration Cosmicubes will be available for purchase for three months, so get yours while you can!

The company is also planning on selling real-life collaborative goods to commemorate the event, so keep an eye out for more details coming soon!

Sunday Brunch Shimokitazawa has announced a new limited-time collaboration menu inspired by Momoko Sakura’s Coji-Coji! The collab will run from October 7 until December 11, 2022. Previously, the restaurant held a Maruko & Coji-Coji Cafe that did extremely well in 2020, so there’s no doubt this will also be a huge success.

Guests can enjoy savory and sweet dishes along with drinks inspired by the adorable character. Some of these items were featured in the previous collaboration, and will only be available at the Shimokitazawa location. Plenty of characters will appear, and exclusive merchandise will be available at the store. There will be no reservations available, so be sure to show up early! More information will be available on the official Twitter page, so check back soon.

Menu

Coji-Coji’s Avocado and Nuts Taco Rice *Vegetarian Menu

Coji-Coji’s Pumpkin Cream Udon *Vegan Menu

Jiro’s Trifle

Coji-Coji’s Secret Cake (6 varieties) *Cake and Drink Set

Land of Fairy Tales Sweets Set *Includes Drink

Coji-Coji’s Cream Soda

Suzy and Buhi-Buhi’s Cream Soda

Maholova Minds Miura, a hot spring resort on the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture, celebrated its 30th anniversary in June 2022. Royal Salon Yamato, a popular spot for coffee and parties since its opening, was transformed into the Rita Cafe this summer.

On September 23, Rita Cafe will begin selling its own original cream soda!

Rilakkuma’s Miura Ocean Cream Soda / Korilakkuma’s Watermelon Cream Soda

Rilakkuma Room (Bedroom/Living Room)

To celebrate the special Rilakkuma room and Korilakkuma room, guests can enjoy two new drinks: Rilakkuma’s Miura Ocean Cream Soda and Korilakkuma’s Watermelon Cream Soda. The rooms aren’t too easy to book, but even if you can’t, at least you can see plenty of adorable pictures on social media!

Supreme® has once again collaborated with Yohji Yamamoto on an incredible new collection! Items will go on sale on September 24 at 11:00 AM (JST) on the online platform WILDSIDE YOHJI YAMAMOTO and the Supreme site. 

The 2022-23 AW collection includes leather jackets and pants made by Vanson Leathers, one of the largest motorcycle leather manufacturers in the U.S. Fashion lovers can also find bomber jackets, parkas, suits, sweaters, shirts, hoodies, cargo pants, T-shirts, beanies, Dr. Martens 1461 3-Eye shoes, and skateboards.

Video game fans also won’t want to miss the collection’s puffy jackets, knit tops, hoodies, T-shirts, and skateboards featuring original artwork from the classic fighting title Tekken!

Street Fighter II will collaborate with a commercial facility for the first time in history! The beloved fighting game will take over Abeno Q’s Mall in Osaka from October 1 until October 31, 2022. Popular characters from the game will appear all over the premises, and visitors will be able to take part in unique games to win exclusive prizes. 

There are also a number of interesting challenges that will pop up around Abeno Q’s Mall. At the entrance, visitors will be greeted by Ryu and Ken, the main characters from Street Fighter II, as they unleash their Hadouken. Guests will be able to take pictures with Ryu with a special AR Photo Spot, and characters and stages from the title will appear around the mall. A participatory game event, Street Fighter Challenge, will be available for customers spending ¥3,000 or more (including tax). These customers will actually be able to test their Street Fighter skills, with winners winning a ¥500 yen mall gift card if they are victorious. Fans of the fighting game won’t want to miss this unique event!

Japanese lingerie brand PEACH JOHN has released a special video featuring Sexy Zone’s So Matsushima as a model!

The Night Routine video shows off Matsushima’s sweet expressions and features the new Sexy Zone song Ringa Ringa Ringa. 

The new winter loungewear collection is now on sale on the official Peach John website and in stores nationwide.

Godiva Cafe has collaborated with Sanrio’s character unit Hapidanbui twice since February, and the third collaboration is scheduled to start on September 15! All locations nationwide will sell hot or cold cocoa milk with a special sleeve and sticker featuring everyone’s favorite Sanrio characters.

The third collaboration will focus on Badtz-Maru and Keroppi. The shop’s cocoa milk combines smooth Godiva chocolate with milk and fresh cream, so why not grab one this fall?