Ace Hotel Kyoto marked its 1st anniversary on June 11 since opening. In celebration of hitting the milestone, the hotel is collaborating with Japanese artist Yu Nagaba by displaying his work at its gallery until June 30. The works displayed are of the sights and people that Nagaba saw and penned in a memo pad while staying at Ace Hotel Kyoto. All of the illustrations were made for this exhibition and so they are being exhibited for the first time. One of the pieces is also being sold at stickers in the hotel’s shop.

Yu Nagaba‘s work

Yu Nagaba | Comment

“After I heard whispers that Ace Hotel was setting up in Kyoto, I hoped I could do something, so I was happy to take part in this project, but I also spent my time wondering what I could draw, and no ideas came to mind. After pondering I went to find inspiration by deciding to stay at Ace Hotel. I drew what came to mind during my time there as I walked the streets of Kyoto and spent time at the hotel. I drew a total of 49 illustrations in my memo pad. I painted six of my favourites on canvas. I hope people can get a feel for my experiences of Kyoto in these pieces.”

BEAMS is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. At such an important milestone, it’s important to take a look back at where the brand has come from, and so BEAMS is taking part in the Fashion in Japan 1945-2020 exhibition that opened at The National Art Center, Tokyo, last Wednesday. Followers of the Japanese fashion are able to see their early products when they first opened in the late 1970’s to their Shibuya Casual style, known as Shibu-Kaji, from the late 80’s. It’s an historical, nostalgic throwback across their archive. Exclusive merchandise is also being sold featuring the ‘American Life Shop BEAMS’ logo which they branded upon establishing the brand.

A look at just some of the exhibits on display

BEAMS shopping bag from 1977

Shibu-Kaji outfit from late 1980’s

Exhibition-exclusive souvenir merch inspired by vintage BEAMS

This exhibition follows the unique trajectory of Japanese clothing, especially in post-World War Ⅱ Japan, as seen from both sides: that of designers who transmit culture by creating clothes and ideas, and that of users who receive it by wearing the clothes and at times create era-defining grassroots fashion movements. It offers a comprehensive overview that references the predominant media of each era, such as newspapers, magazines, and advertisements.

In the mid to late 1970’s, BEAMS was at the forefront of spreading casual wear to people, stocking some of the country’s most notable brands and designers. BEAMS opened its first store in Harajuku in 1976 where it sold shirts, shoes, and other items. In 1977 they introduced their own shopping bag, and the following year opened up their first BEAMS F selling traditional men’s style clothing. It was around this time that beams released their POPEYE magazine too. All of this and more is explore at the exhibition along with commentary.

A talk event titled “Lifestyle Tips: POPEYE & BEAMS” will also take place on July 3 at the museum.

In ART is a Japanese virtual art museum displaying works by a line-up of specially-selected artists. The museum is accessible through VR where users can not only look at art pieces but watch commentaries by the artists as well as shop at the museum store.

In ART has revealed that abstract painter CBA will be the third in a line-up of solo exhibitions. CBA is a graphic designer with over 20 years of experience and is also active as a musician both in Japan and overseas. They changed jobs to become an artist in 2010, and since then, their unique style which breaks language and cultural barriers has garnered them many fans from outside Japan. Most recently, CBA opened a solo exhibition at Franck Muller Boutique in Madrid, Spain. Their work is inherently universal, getting through to people regardless of age, language, or culture, something which is best appreciated when seen for yourself, and is now observable at In ART.

Some of CBA’s works on virtual display

CBA | Comment

-shine on the life-　Pray for better life
“The foundation of my work is built on putting together different elements to create something, just like how you would techno music. Colours and shapes elicit emotions and smells. Abstract painting isn’t just playing around experimenting or taking chances—it’s something that’s formed and composed, and I’d love for people to enjoy that aspect when looking at my work. I urge you to enjoy the colours, shapes, and compositions as you would music.”

In ART opened as a service offering people the opportunity to spend time enjoying art, even alone in their own house, as well as serving as a platform to support artists. Its aim is to make art a normal part of of everybody’s lives, and it does this in the form of a virtual museum which uses 3DCG technology. While it is an art museum, you don’t have to pay to enter. You can enjoy artwork at your leisure on your favourite device, and if there’s a piece you want to buy, then you can.

Don’t miss the abstract work of CBA in their virtual solo exhibition.

Sarutahiko Coffee reached its 10-year milestone on June 8. To celebrate, the Japanese coffee chain launched a 10 year anniversary promotion on the same day.

The coffee giant released its 10th Anniversary Mocha No.1 Blend and 10th Anniversary Mocha No.1 Superior Java Blend for its first rollout of the promotion. For its second release, Sarutahiko is teaming up with MEDICOM TOY’s popular BE@RBRICK figure series to release an original model at its Ebisu and The Bridge Harajuku Station branches as well as its online store.

The palm-sized figure is coloured Sarutahiko’s iconic blue colour and features a brown logo on its chest. It’s a simple but cute design and is a perfect gift to coffee lovers.

Tokyo sneaker culture brand atmos is now holding an exhibition titled “First steps with Salomon Presents by atmos” until June 20.

Mt.TAKAO BASE CAMP is a guest house located just 3-minutes on foot from Takaosanguchi Station. Equipped with showers, lockers, and a cafe/bar, it’s a hot spot amongst mountain climbers. It’s there that atmos and Salomon are hosting the exhibition in collaboration with UND, an art duo made up of illustrators FACE and SHINKNOWNSUKE, themed on mountains.

Visitors are made with a giant piece of UND art at the entrance window of two hikers. They iwll also be handed an exclusive zine which includes a map of Mt. Takao.

Popular Japanese illustrator Yuki Tokuda, who is known for their adorable artwork, released a collection of items exclusively on Village Vanguard on Friday.

The Line-Up

Girl & Animals Mug | ¥1,430 (Tax Included)

Densetsuno Usagi Tote Bag | ¥2,310 (Tax Included)

Ebiten iPhone Case  (12/12 Pro/12mini) | ¥2,530 (Tax Included)

Densetsuno Usagi Acrylic Key Ring | ¥715 (Tax Included)

Sankakukin Acrylic Key Ring | ¥715 (Tax Included)

Densetsuno Usagi Pin | ¥385 (Tax Included)

Sankakukin Pin | ¥385 (Tax Included)

Hitogata-kun Pin | ¥385 (Tax Included)

Sticket Sheet | ¥605 (Tax Included)

Yuki Tokuda is a Japanese illustrator whose line-up of original characters have proven extremely popular with people on Japanese social media, including Hitogata-kun, his unnamed girl character, and line-up of mysterious animals and creatures. His work spans books, illustrations, 3D sculptures, and more.

©ＹＵＫＩ　ＴＯＫＵＤＡ

Lacoste launched its ‘REGENERATION’ project in April to turn the brand’s second-hand clothes into artwork. The first instalment of the environmentally-considered project received huge praise, finishing collections of old clothing on May 31. The 488 items received will serve as the base for various products and art. The next step is the REGENERATION phase which invites various artists on board.

Upcycle Artists

Marie

Hikaru Matsubara

Furniture Artist

Fuyuki Shimazu

Artists participating in the project include Marie who’s active in working against environmental and societal problems through fashion and Hikaru Matsubara who has won awards at various art fairs up and down Japan. The products are planned for release on August 18 with more info set to roll out on Lacoste Japan’s official website in the lead up. Fuyuki Shimazu, an artist who makes furniture from cardboard boxes, is also involved in the project. The three artists are working to add value to items that have seemingly lost it by turning Lacoste’s second hand clothes into something that can be used by the next person.

June 21 will mark three years since MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: EPSON teamLab Borderless first opened. Located in Odaiba, Tokyo, the digital art museum is commemorating its anniversary with two new installations: Sketch Aquarium: Connected World and Sharing Rock Mass, Transcending Space. Experience digital art, which blurs the lines between reality and fantasy, change in real time as people come into contact with it.

MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: EPSON teamLab

Sketch Aquarium: Connected World

teamLab describes this exhibit:

The fish drawn by everyone swim around in this aquarium.

Color in a fish on the paper provided. See the picture you have drawn come to life in the massive aquarium in front of you, swimming together with the fish drawn by other people. If you touch the swimming fish, they will swim away. If you touch the food bags, you can also feed the fish.

The tuna you draw will transcend the boundaries of the artwork and swim out into the Sketch Aquariums and Sketch Oceans of exhibitions around the world. And the tuna drawn in other parts of the world may appear and swim in the Sketch Aquarium right in front of you.

Sharing Rock Mass, Transcending Space

teamLab describes this exhibit:

A rock mass floats in the world of the teamLab Borderless museum in Shanghai. The rock mass floats through the hallway of teamLab Borderless Shanghai and sinks into the wall. The rock mass transcends the physical space of the museum itself, the part that sinks into the wall appears in the world of the teamLab Borderless museum in Tokyo.

When people touch the part of the rock mass emerging in Tokyo, it shines with blue light. This light flows to the rock mass sunken into the wall in Shanghai. When people touch the part of the rock mass sunken into the wall in Shanghai, it shines with a red light which flows to the rock mass here in Tokyo. When red light flows into the rock mass, it indicates that someone in Shanghai is touching the rock mass.

teamLab is represented by Pace Gallery, Martin Browne Contemporary and Ikkan Art International.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the anime series Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, which aired from 1990-1991, an exhibition is now taking place at Niigata Prefecture Manga and Anime Museum until June 20, 2021. The series was directed by Hideaki Anno who also worked on Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995-1996) and The End of Evangelion (1997).

©ＮＨＫ・ＮＥＰ

The exhibition features a bounty of original materials from the anime’s production, from notes jotted down by Hideaki Anno to image boards, character designs, storyboards and more by Mahiro Maeda, and so on. It’s an unmissable deep-diving opportunity into the anime classic.

Studio Chizu, the Japanese animation studio working on the upcoming anime film Belle which is set for release sometime this summer, has announced an exhibition at TeNQ Space Museum in celebration of their 10th anniversary and in promotion of their newest work. It will be held from July 7 to November 14.

Studio Chizu’s past works have enjoyed great success both in Japan overseas and include Wolf Children (2012), The Boy and the Beast (2015), Mirai (2018), and the highly-anticipated forthcoming entry Belle (2021). All the films are directed by the Academy Award-nominated Mamoru Hosoda.

One of the biggest aspects when it comes to creating an animated world are the backgrounds used. This exhibition will focus on two key background features threaded throughout Hosoda’s creations: the sky and clouds. Both of these sceneries are showcased in different ways in all four of his films and will be explored throughout the event with a special, exclusive showing of a slideshow with various scenes of the sky and clouds littered in the filmography, as well as a more ‘academic’ exhibit of the cumulonimbus, a cloud that symbolises Studio Chizu, and more.

Limited edition mask case 

There will also be a selection of original merchandise for anime fans to pick up, as well as a limited stock face mask case when purchased together with select tickets.

Exhibits to look out for at the event

Who are Studio Chizu?

Learn about the 10 year history of the Japanese animation studio Studio Chizu.

Studio Chizu and the cumulonimbus

The cumulonimbus is a cloud synonymous with Studio Chizu’s works – see it in all forms from their filmography in this special exhibit.

(more…)

Japanese apparel brand Graniph is set to release a clothing collection in collaboration with Heisuke Kitazawa, an illustrator whose diverse work has featured in publications, picture books, advertisements, and elsewhere.

T-Shirts | 3 Designs | ¥2,750 (Tax Included)

Shirt One Piece | ¥6,600 (Tax Included)

One Piece | 2 Designs | ¥3,300 (Tax Included)

Kid’s One Piece | ¥3,300 (Tax Included)

The collection features original artwork by Kitazawa. This colourful line-up is available to order until May 21 at 12:00pm (JST).

Sports and culture site WAGTI Inc. released the Lucky Cat Tokyo Edition on May 11. The item is part of the Olympic Heritage Collection, an item series officially licensed by the Olympics.

The Lucky Cat Tokyo Edition features designs that fuses the traditional Japanese waving cat with manga. Exclusive to Olympic Heritage, the designs were created by two legends of the manga industry: Leiji Matsumoto who is perhaps best known for Space Battleship Yamato and Galaxy Express 999, and Yoichi Takahashi who penned the classic Captain Tsubasa.

This high-end art collection is a celebration of iconic moments from the Tokyo 1964 Olympics. It serves as a remembrance of that time, memorialising the Games’ history.

Feel the love from Matsumoto and Takahashi

Tokyo 1964 was a celebration of post-war Japan, a country no longer a wartime enemy, and a perfect opportunity to show its appeal to the world. Not only did Japan as a country see reformations, but sports there did too. Leiji Matsumoto has said that his memory of the Olympics, when he was in his 20’s, is still fresh in mind. He found his joy in the swimming events which are captured in the artwork for his Lucky Cat. Yoichi Takahashi, who released one of the most famous football manga series to the world, created his design in support of the football events in The Olympics and Paralympics. Both cats serve as a symbol of good luck and embody not only Tokyo 1964 but Tokyo 2020 too.