The Tokyo-based girl artists and creators’ collective bala has finally launched for real! The group will release its first single barla on March 8.

bala consists of MANON, SUNNY ONLY 1, DAN, and KANO, each with their own global background. The project aims to resonate with Gen Z youth culture and to be a collective of artists that connects hybrid Japanese pop culture with audiences around the world.

The debut song barla was produced by Shinichi Osawa, who has numerous hits under the name Mondo Grosso. It was co-written by Kenmochi Hidefumi from Wednesday Campanella. With Y2K culture making a comeback around the world, the track features the house sound popular in the late 90s which is showing signs of becoming the next musical trend yet again. The groovy dance tune is a perfect theme song for these girls who will lead the next generation of pop culture.

<Comment from Shinichi Osawa>
“I’m honored to be involved in bala’s debut. The members are super unique, and collaborating with Kenmochi-san for the first time was a dream come true.”

<Comment from Kenmochi Hidefumi>
“I’m happy to be able to work with the members of bala and Shinichi Osawa. Everyone is so uniquely talented, and this song is filled with everyone’s energy and excitement inspired by their long-awaited debut!”

The popular female rock band BAND-MAID will perform for the first time at KNOTFEST JAPAN 2023, scheduled for April 1 and April 2 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba.

KNOTFEST was begun by the American heavy metal band Slipknot, and the festival has been held yearly since 2012. BAND-MAID will perform on Day 1 along with headliners Slipknot, Trivium, and MAN WITH A MISSION.

Tickets for the May shows to be held in the United States as part of the BAND-MAID 10TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR are none on sale. The group managed to bring in over 20,000 fans during their solo U.S. tour in 2022. In addition to performing at Pointfest 2023, Welcome to Rockville 2023, and the Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival, BAND-MAID will also perform six solo shows. With some venues selling out instantly last year, you’ll want to snag tickets while you can!

The Mine City Tourism Association has announced a Christmas & Valentine’s Day event at Akiyoshido Cave, one of the largest limestone caves in Japan. The event will see the natural wonder illuminated by a number of colorful lights. The Christmas event will run from December 21 to 25, 2022, while the Valentine’s Day event will run from February 10 to 14, 2023.

Akiyoshido Cave is one of Yamaguchi Prefecture’s most popular tourist attractions. The interior will be decorated with colorful lights and unique soundscapes, creating a once-in-a-lifetime setting for visitors. These illuminations and sounds were directed by world-renowned lighting designer Motoko Ishii, known for her work on Tokyo Tower and the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge.

Art collective TeamLab has redesigned two exhibitions at Marina Bay Sands Singapore. The world’s first permanent exhibition from the creators, Future World: Where Art Meets Science, was opened in 2016 at the Museum of Art and Science. Guests can now enjoy three new works along with the Digital Light Canvas, a huge, interactive space inviting guests to share their own pieces of art.

Drawing Flight

Visitors can immerse themselves in these impressive new works while experiencing a complex, three-dimensional world. They can also create new worlds with others!

Future World

The Drawing Flight, part of the Amusement Park of the Future series, is based on the concept of co-creation, allowing visitors to not only draw an airplane that will fly but also allowing them to operate it from a pilot’s point of view using a tablet. Whether visitors draw a butterfly or a hawk, they’ll see the world from the perspective of each creature and enter a world constructed by the creature’s unique perceptions.

Aerial Climbing through a Flock of Colored Birds

In Aerial Climbing through a Flock of Colored Birds, guests are asked to perceive the world with their entire bodies. Visitors cross a space with sticks floating three-dimensionally in the air.

Autonomous Abstraction, Continuous Phenomena from the Universe to the Self

Autonomous Abstraction, Continuous Phenomena from the Universe to the Self offers a new and abstract concept. As people touch the dots, the rhythm of the dots flickers and their hue changes and disintegrates. The picture will then change dramatically, and despite these changes, the beauty remains.

Digital Light Canvas

Graffiti Nature – Red List Digital Light Canvas

Digital Light Canvas is a space consisting of a 15-meter-diameter circular link of light and a 20-meter-high cylinder of light made up of a collection of light dots.  Team Lab’s interactive artwork, which changes depending on how many people are around, is on permanent display.

Drawing Factory

By visiting the Digital Light Canvas area, guests can also enjoy the Drawing Factory, where they can turn their own drawings into pins, T-shirts, and other items!

Come fully experience this curious art exhibition!

© チームラボ

Yoshitaka Amano, known by international fans as the artist behind the legendary Final Fantasy video game series, is celebrating his 70th birthday with a unique art project from November 23 until December 8 at Myoshin-ji in Kyoto. 

On the first day of the event, the venue, decorated with autumn leaves, was crowded with visitors including foreign tourists, who marveled at the fantastic space filled harmoniously with gold and blue. The exhibition will be held at Myoshin-ji, the head temple of the associated branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism. This collection of works was designed to question visitors’ sensibilities and provide a new kind of art exhibition for fans to enjoy.

After the exhibition, the main art piece by Yoshitaka himself will be converted to 3DCG, and a Virtual Golden World will be developed in collaboration with the Yoshitaka Amano VR Museum. By integrating traditional and modern art methods, guests will be able to engage more deeply in the art by enjoying digital works, the metaverse, and NFTs.

Don’t miss this curious exhibition!

Starting February 1, 2023, visitors to Nagano will be able to experience an unforgettable winter experience at Hoshino Resorts KAI Alps. The Kamakura Footbath will invite guests to soak their feet in a warm bath as they sit in a traditional Japanese igloo while sipping local amazake and enjoying the snowy scenery. 

Soak your Feet Inside a Hot Footbath Inside a Kamakura

During February when snowfall is the heaviest, these kamakura, or igloos, can be spotted in the hotel’s courtyard. A private footbath is available inside each structure, which will keep guests from experiencing the cold wind. According to many, having a cool body and warm feet is the perfect recipe for a good night’s sleep and good health.

Taste Amazake from a Local Brewery

Kurazukuri Amazake is brewed at Hokuan Brewery in Omachi, Nagano. Made exclusively from home-grown, expertly polished sake rice, the sweet beverage has a delicate flavor similar to wagashi. Why not warm your body from the inside out with this traditional drink?

Enjoy the Winter Landscape Illuminated by Bamboo Lights

Around each kamakura are a sea of bamboo lanterns, popular in the area. Guests can gaze out at the cold winter landscape beneath the awesome peaks of the Japanese Alps while pondering what the spring will bring. 

Hoshino Resorts KAI Tsugaru, a hot-spring hotel located in Owani, Aomori Prefecture, will hold a special snow and sake event from February 1 until February 28, 2022. Hotel guests will be invited to enjoy drinks before dinner with a special winter twist–under a kamakura! A kamakura is the Japanese equivalent of an igloo, and local sake will be cooled by the snow as guests enjoy a glass while taking in the gorgeous scenery.

Famed author Osamu Dazai described the seven types of snowfall found in the Tsugaru region in his work Tsugaru. To allow visits to enjoy the many different types of snow in Aomori, seven unique sakes will be prepared and depending on the snowfall each day, the sake guests are served will change. This unique experience is sure to leave an impression. Who would you like to bring along?

Tsugaru Snow Lanterns

Seven lanterns designed by Iemasa Yamahata will be placed on the inside of the kamakura. Each has a different color and pattern and each is based on one of the seven types of snow: powdery snow, large snowflakes, grainy snow, watery snow, granular snow, sleet,  and crusted snow.

The historic Nagoya Castle will hold a special nighttime viewing event for 14 days only, from November 25 until December 8, 2022. During this period, Honmaru Palace will be open to the public at night, and the Chrysanthemum Corridor inside will be open to visitors for the first time. 

The Ninomaru Garden will also be illuminated and will transport guests to a different place and time by showing a space only possible during dark hours.

Inspired by the relationship between light and shadow, this event focuses on changes that occur over time and the creation and emergence of new ideas and things.

Honmaru Palace, Typically Closed to the Public, to be Open at Night

Nagoya Castle’s Honmaru Palace was completed in 1615 and served as the primary residence of the Lord of the Owari Domain and as the Domain’s government office. The interior of the palace was lavishly decorated with paintings and other art pieces and was praised as a masterpiece. Sadly, it was destroyed by an air raid in 1945. Restoration work began in 2009 and was completed in 2018 with unparalleled accuracy. The Honmaru Palace gives off a completely different aura at night. 

First Public Viewing of the Jodan-no-ma in the Joraku-den

The Joraku-den was added to Nagoya Castle to accommodate the third Shogun, Iemitsu, on his way to Kyoto. It is the most luxurious of all the Honmaru Palace buildings, and this event marks the first time that the Chrysanthemum Corridor on the north side will be open to the public. Visitors are welcome to admire the golden-blue paintings as they stroll through the historic site.

See Spectacular Paintings when Entering the Tsugi-no-ma Room

During this period, visitors can enter the Tsugi-no-ma room to view classical period paintings, giving a more clear idea of how people acted and dressed during this time in history.

[Ninomaru Garden Special Viewing] 

~Witness a Never-Before-Seen Feudal Lord’s Garden through a Spacial Presentation~

Scenography for this unique show was provided by the creative label PERIMETRON. In order to show another side of the Ninomaru Garden at night, the company focused on light’s characteristics, from reflection and transmission to refraction and absorption. Light and shadow intertwine in various ways, and guests will be transfixed by this curious showing.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the globally popular Naruto anime series, NARUTO THE GALLERY will be held at AKIBA_SQUARE inside Akihabara UDX from December 10, 2022 until January 31, 2023. The gallery will feature collaborations with five animators. 

This will be the first Naruto exhibition held since 2015. The event will focus on the growth of the characters, the bonds they share with their friends, and the many fights that have taken place over the past two decades. 

Iconic scenes from the Naruto anime series will be on display in collaboration with five up-and-coming animators: Ai Niina, Kohei Kadowaki, que, Kosuke Sugimoto, and Kohta Morie. This will give fans the chance to see an unprecedented and unique view of the world of Naruto which can only be seen at the event. 

Admission Bonus: Gemaki-style Card

Goods

An original Gemaki-style Card featuring a newly-drawn visual will be handed out to those visiting the exhibition. 

The first lineup of exclusive event-only merchandise has been revealed and longtime fans of the series won’t want to miss adding some of these goods to their collection. 

Participating Artists / Episode

Ai Niina / Sasuke’s Ninja Way

Kohei Kadowaki / Naruto’s Path

que / The Land of Waves

Kosuke Sugimoto / Sasuke’s Vessel

Kohta Morie / Naruto and Kurama

©NARUTO THE GALLERY実行委員会

Yoshitaka Amano, known by international fans as the artist behind the legendary Final Fantasy video game series, is celebrating his 70th birthday with a unique art project in Kyoto. 

The exhibition will be held at Myoshin-ji, the head temple of the associated branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism. Stepping into the temple, guests will be met with colorful autumn leaves and a sea of gold and blue art pieces.

“I want people to enter this world of light and experience being part of it,” Amano said. “Rather than art being something flat on a wall, I want to present something new and unique.” This collection of works was designed to question visitors’ sensibilities and provide a new kind of art exhibition for fans to enjoy.

The main art piece, newly painted by Amano himself, will be on display in the Dharma Hall, which was decorated by one of Kano Tan’yu’s masterpieces. Tan’yu was an Edo-period painter. 

The three meter tall column features Amano’s own interpretation of Hiten, part of Mount Meru, a part of Buddhism cosmology considered to be the centre of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes. Four smaller pieces will be displayed on all four sides to create a three-dimensional mandala. 

On October 29, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu took part in Porter Robinson’s Second Sky Music Festival in Oakland, California. The following day, the popular singer also appeared at Porter Robinson + Friends, an afterparty event held in San Francisco. American fans are finding their excitement at a fever pitch as the Harajuku-based artist continues to perform abroad!

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu recently made headlines when she performed an unprecedented 62 songs at Nippon Budokan on October 19 during the final stop on her 10th-anniversary tour. Following this impressive feat, Kyary performed at yet another festival in Japan before hastily returning to the United States following her show-stopping performance at Coachella half a year ago.

Porter Robinson’s Second Sky Music Festival was hosted by and featured performances by internationally acclaimed DJ and producer Porter Robinson. Other important figures in the dance music scene also appeared including SKRILLEX and RL GRIME.

The event took place in a large parking lot adjacent to the Oakland Coliseum, home of the Oakland Athletics MLB team. Since the show took place close to Halloween, plenty of decorations could be found, and fans lined up from the early morning to get inside.

Although Kyary’s performance was scheduled for quite early in the day, the audience sprawled out as far as the eye could see. As DE.BA.YA.SHI. 2021 began to play, fans began to excitedly call out Kyary’s name. In Japan, regulations are in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus, meaning that audience members are forbidden to yell during concerts–but no such precaution exists in the U.S. It was clear that Kyary was beyond excited to hear the audience’s enthusiasm, and as the show began, the artist called out “Second Sky,” to which the fans responded with excited cries. 

The audience danced wildly to Candy Racer and Dodonpa, two of Kyary’s most peppy tracks, which played in succession. The singer did her best to speak English. “Hello! I’m Kyary Pamyu Pamyu from Japan,” she began. She then complimented a fan in full Kyary cosplay. “Wow! Nice costume! PONPONPON costume, so nice,” she said.

During CANDY CANDY -Remix-, the audience raised their hands high in the air as they followed Kyary’s instructions to jump, swaying from left to right. As the audience moved in sync, a number of hit tracks began to play, including Harajuku Iyahoi and Tsukematsukeru. However, nothing could match the excitement of the moment that the intro to PONPONPON began to play. Porter Robinson, who was watching the live performance from the side of the stage, was moved to tears, and everyone could feel how big Kyary’s presence was for local fans.

Kyary’s performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April of this year became a hot topic, showing that Kyary is still incredibly popular in the U.S. ten years after her major debut.

In addition to her largest national tour to date, Kyary has made numerous appearances at music festivals in Japan and abroad in 2022. The artist’s first overseas performance during her 11th year as a performer was an incredible success and bodes well for Kyary’s future.

＜Setlist＞
2022.10.29 “Second Sky Music Festival”
OP. DE.BA.YA.SHI.2021
1. Candy Racer
2. Dodonpa
3.Invader Invader
4. CANDY CANDY –Remix-
5. Ninja Re Bang Bang –Steve Aoki Remix-
6. Harajuku Iyahoi
7. Tsukematsukeru
8. PONPONPON –Extended Mix-
9. Fashion Monster

2022.10.30 “Porter Robinson + Friends”
OP. DE.BA.YA.SHI.2021
1. Candy Racer
2. Ninja Re Bang Bang
3. CANDY CANDY
4.Crazy Party Night-Pumpkins Strike Back-
5. Kira Kira Killer
6. Isshin Doutai
7. Harajuku Iyahoi
8. Fashion Monster
9. PONPONPON

Mika Pikazo is an illustrator and character designer. The artist has designed characters for many popular titles including Fire Emblem Engage, the latest in Nintendo’s Fire Emblem series, as well as book covers and CD jackets.

Starting December 10, the artist will hold his second solo exhibition in three years at the Hz event space in Shibuya.

According to a press release, the exhibition is being held to show a number of creations Pikazo has made recently, and aims to show off new animation and past illustrations to merge his past and future selves. The creator hopes to challenge himself more going forward.

The first main visual, REVENGE, can be seen on the exhibition’s official website. A total of three visuals have been newly drawn for the event and will be released sequentially. In addition, a number of collaborative works with other creators will be on display, so art fans won’t want to miss out.

Limited-edition merchandise featuring new illustrations will be on sale at the venue, and autograph sessions are planned to be held. For more details, check the official Twitter page!

Be sure to come to see Mika Pikazo’s colorful pieces in person!