From Hello Kitty to Pompompurin, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, and more – Sanrio’s internationally adored cast of characters can be universally agreed to be representatives of Japan culture of ‘kawaii.’ In celebration of Sanrio’s 60th anniversary, the company have announced an exhibition centred on the beginning of kawaii culture. The event will take place at TOKYO CITY VIEW from September 17, 2021 to January 10, 2022.

60th Anniversary Sanrio Exhibition: The Beginning of Kawaii recently finished up at the Matsuzakaya Art Gallery in Nagoya on June 12 and is set to move to Ōita Prefectural Art Museum where it will run from July 10 to September 5 before heading to TOKYO CITY VIEW. This exhibition will not only look back over Sanrio’s 60-year history, but will also dive into how Japan’s culture of ‘kawaii’ came about. Fans of Sanrio and Japan’s kawaii can expect product and design showcases, in-depth explanations, and more.

Sebastian Masuda’s iconic artwork is the centrepiece of the exhibition

Entrance exhibit in the daytime

At the entrance of the venue is the Unforgettable Tower, a symbolic art piece by Sebastian Masuda created exclusively for this exhibition which towers 6 meters tall. It’s made up of countless plushies of Sanrio characters such as Hello Kitty.

Entrance exhibit in the evening

The kawaii installation stands gorgeously against the cityscape of Tokyo which makes for an Instagrammable photo in the evenings when the city is lit up. The piece, as its name suggests, hopes to create unforgettable memories. The exhibition is set to run through Halloween, Christmas, and New Year, so visitors are sure to make some memorable ones.

© 2021 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO. SP610376

Shouta Aoi’s voice as the tour guide

Having lent his voice to other Sanrio events, including at Sanrio Puroland and in collaboration with the Little Twin Stars, the Japanese singer, actor, and voice actor Shouta Aoi has recorded announcements for the exhibition which will be played to guide people around the event.

A themed menu created for the Tokyo exhibition

From Left: Anniversary Afternoon Tea / Hello Kitty Daisuki Fried Apple Mille-Feuille / Cinnamoroll’s Balloon Trip

© 2021 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO. SP610376

THE SUN & THE MOON, a cafe and restaurant fusion on the same floor of the exhibition, will serve up food, desserts, and non-alcoholic cocktails inspired by the Sanrio characters. Special seasonal afternoon tea sets will also be sold on Halloween, Christmas, and more too.

Dates
Restaurant: September 17, 2021 – January 10, 2022

Cafe: December 15, 2021 – January 10, 2021

*Closed December 21-26

The main exhibition

The exhibition will be split into six zones with 10 different themes. Over 800 products, documents, and materials related to Sanrio will be presented, many of which will shine a spotlight on some of their most famous characters out of their roster of 400, such as Hello Kitty and My Melody, and other characters that might not be known to those outside Japan such as best friends Patty & Jimmy. It’s a chance to walk through the history of Sanrio and Japan’s culture of kawaii.

© 2021 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO. SP610376

© 2021 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO. SP610376

© 2021 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO. SP610376

One of the six zones will look into secrets of Sanrio through the globally-beloved kawaii icon Hello Kitty. Another will display outfits such as the Hello Kitty dress worn by Lady Gaga.

Original merchandise

A small peek at just some of the items available

© 2021 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO. SP610376

Sanrio fans can also get their hands on a collection of merchandise with designs ranging from the exhibition’s main visual to classic designs. There will be over 100 items to sift through.

Tickets for the exhibition will be available from August 1. A limited number of special tickets that include free merch will also be released.

© 2021 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO. SP610376

The Kyoto Dyeing and Weaving Cultural Association opened an exhibition at the Bunka Gakuen Fukushoku Museum last Thursday dedicated to traditional Japanese women’s clothing and the traditional dyeing and weaving techniques of Kyoto over the past 1500 years.

Nara Period garments

Edo Period garments

19th century garment from the Edo and Meiji periods

19th century garment from the Edo and Meiji periods

Dyeing and weaving festival procession

On the first floor of the exhibition, the museum is displaying a collection of rare and valuable traditional garments from across Japanese history, spanning from the Edo (1603-1867) to the Showa (1926-1989) eras. Visitors will also be able to observe Kyoto-style dyeing and weaving techniques in-person as well as get involved on a workshop.

Up on the second floor, mannequins will line the floor wearing traditional female dress from the Kofun period (300-710 AD) to the early Meiji period (1868-1912). The clothes have been restored and so allow visitors to see what each piece would have looked like at the time.

In the early Showa period, the Senshoku Matsuri, or Dyeing & Weaving Festival, was held to help promote the dyeing and weaving industry of Kyoto. It stopped as a result of the Second Sino-Japanese War and was never revived, resulting in it having become something of a legend in Kyoto history.

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo is set to host the Moshimo Tokyo Exhibition as part of Tokyo Tokyo FESTIVAL’s 13 special exhibits from August 4 to September 5. The event is free to enter but tickets, which are now available, must be ordered in advance.

Japan’s top manga artists drew exclusive pieces for the exhibition

©Inio Asano – taken from TP

©Shinichi Ishizuka – taken from Tokyo Sound

©Taiyō Matsumoto

©Sumito Oowara – taken from East East

The theme of Moshimo Tokyo is “Tokyo” and will exhibit works from 20 big Japanese manga artists, such as Taiyō Matsumoto (Ping Pong; Tekkonkinkreet; Sunny), Inio Asano (Goodnight Punpun; Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction), and Shinichi Ishizuka (Blue Giant). Each artist has illustrated special pieces in line with the exhibition’s theme which will be shown at the in and around museum.

As part of the 20th anniversary celebrations of Hiromu Arakawa’s manga series Fullmetal Alchemist, the Fullmetal Alchemist Exhibition RETURNS art exhibition will run at Sunshine City Exhibition Hall C in Ikebukuro, Tokyo from December 18, 2021 to January 16, 2022. It will subsequently take place at Hirakata Park in Osaka in Spring 2022.

The exhibition is a powered up version of the original exhibition that took place from 2017 to 2019. It will feature lots more artwork for fans of the series to enjoy. The key visual for the exhibition is based on the original monochrome illustration that Arakawa drew 20 years ago to announce the manga’s serialization. She has redrawn it with colours for the exhibition.

C Hiromu Arakawa/SQUARE ENIX

Two branches of Animate Cafe in Ikebukuro and Nagoya are celebrating seven manga works of manga artist Arina Tanemura including I.O.N, Phantom Thief Jeanne, Time Stranger Kyoko, Full Moon o Sagashite, Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura, The Gentlemen’s Alliance Cross, and Neko to Watashi no Kinyōbi.

The collaboration will run from July 28 to August 23. Table reservations must be made for those wanting to dine from July 28 to August 1 as well as on weekends and public holidays. Reservations are not required for all other days.

Arina Tanemura Precious Wedding Party at Animate Cafe

The Menu Line-Up (Excerpt)

Full Moon o Sagashite: Negi Ramen Lunch | ¥980 (Tax Included)

Arina’s Precious Wedding Plate | ¥1,300 (Tax Included)

Phantom Thief Jeanne: Tiramisu | ¥800 (Tax Included)

The Gentlemen’s Alliance Cross: Glass Dessert | ¥800 (Tax Included)

I.O.N: Drink | ¥600 (Tax Included)

Phantom Thief Jeanne: Sindbad | ¥600 (Tax Included)

Time Stranger Kyoko: Crystal Stranger | ¥600 (Tax Included)

Full Moon o Sagashite: Honey Hot Milk | ¥600 (Tax Included)

The Gentlemen’s Alliance Cross: Espresso | ¥600 (Tax Included)

Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura: Soda | ¥600 (Tax Included)

Neko to Watashi no Kinyōbi: Curry Soup With Bread | ¥600 (Tax Included)

Free coaster with every menu order

Exclusive Merchandise (Excerpt)

Big Acrylic Stand (Wedding Ver.) | ¥1,600 (Tax Included)

Wedding Card | ¥800 (Tax Included)

CoLotta Acrylic Plate Keyrings | ¥800 (Tax Included)

Big Ribbon Pouch | ¥2,500 (Tax Included)

Stamp Card Campaign

Arina Tanemura made her debut in the shojo manga magazine Ribbon Original in 1996 with her short manga The Style of the Second Love. In 1998, she garnered mainstream popularity when her work Phantom Thief Jeanne began serialisation which has over 5.5 million copies in circulation. Some of her other famous works including Full Moon o Sagashite, Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura, and The Gentlemen’s Alliance Cross. In 2015, she worked as the character designer for the smartphone game IDOLiSH7.

This marks her third cafe collaboration, and this time it’s themed on a ‘Precious Wedding Party’ with food inspired by the characters from her stories as well as exclusive merchandise.

©種村有菜／集英社

Tokyo Midtown’s annual MIDTOWN ART PALETTE has returned again for the summer, opening on July 16 and running until September 5. This year, the event delivers a Digital Art Garden with gorgeous dream-like digital artwork.

Digital Art Garden

Last year’s event

Experience a distinctively Japanese way to stay cool and refreshed on a wooden veranda with light and mist dancing through the outdoor space inspired by traditional Japanese rock gardens. Find yourself bewitched by an enchanting summer evening as the digital art transforms throughout the day.

This year’s event is being held with all proper social distancing measures in place.

Take digital art home with you with AR fireworks

Locate five QR codes dotted around Tokyo Midtown which when accessed via your smartphone will award you with artistic AR fireworks, allowing you to enjoy fireworks with you wherever you point the camera on your screen, including at home.

Continuing the character park’s 30th anniversary celebrations, Sanrio Harmonyland opened its 30th Anniversary ~Special Summer~ event on July 16 which is running until August 31. There’s a whole bunch of events and shows for Sanrio fans to look forward to this summer.

30th Special Greeting

For the entire duration of the event, lots of characters will come out to greet park guests twice a day. This includes Hangyodon and Tuxedosam, both of who haven’t visited Harmonyland in almost 10 years. Pochacco will be there too in a brand-new costume.

Obake Ondo! DoRoRoNRoN!

The characters will be out dressed in cute summery yukata where they will invite guests to dance Bon Odori with them.

Parade Parallel ~30th Memories~

A special 30th anniversary rendition of the park’s Parade Parallel will take place, taking songs and performances from past runs of this event which has been held since the park first opened.

30th Anniversary Night Party

Hello Kitty, Dear Daniel, Cinnamoroll, Kuromi, and 10 dancers will host a special anniversary night show to give thanks to guests for the past 30 years.

Running: July 17th-18th, 22nd-24th / August 7th-8th, 13th-15th, 21st-22nd, 28th-29th

Character Menu: Hello Kitty’s Cheese in Hamburger Curry – Cinnamoroll’s Beef Stew Rice – Smiling Pompompurin’s Pork Cutlet Curry | ¥1,380 Each

Wish Me Mell’s Heart Korokke White Sauce Omurice | ¥1,400

Acrylic Stand Keyrings | ¥748 Each

Guests can get their hands on exclusive anniversary merchandise and enjoy some limited-time dishes too.

ⓒ 2021 SANRIO CO., LTD.　S/D･G

Sanrio’s popular character duo Kiki & Lala, also known as the Little Twin Stars, are have brought their dreamy, pastel-coloured world to Tokyo Tower with a special summer event titled “Little Twin Stars Summer Night Fantasy Meets Kiki & Lala Exhibition produced by LIDDELL” which began on July 10.

At the event entrance, guests are given a special ‘passport’ notebook which is stamped before entering, allowing access to Kiki & Lala’s world in the clouds above.

Guests are guided by Kiki & Lala’s voice through the rose-coloured “Star & Rose-Coloured Cloud Fantasy Gate” were they are met with five different booths.

At Kiki’s Star Catching booth, visitors can experience one of Kiki’s favourite past times by ‘catching’ stars. The stars that are caught can be taken home as a fun memory.

There’s also the Starry Sky Light Shower booth which is decorated with mirror balls that reflect the light as well as a wall featuring words and phrases said by the twins, the pink and light blue-coloured Kiki & Lala’s Playroom where you can snap cute photos, the Glittering Moviegenic booth which uses your smartphone to watch an animation of Kiki & Lala, and more.

Fans of the twins can enjoy an exhibit of various artworks too, including the 8-meter tall Fantasy Wall which depicts the world above the clouds.

The day before the exhibition began, on July 9, Tokyo Tower was lit up in blue and pink Kiki & Lala colours from 19:30 to midnight. It was a special one-night experience.

If you’re in Tokyo this summer, soar up high into Kiki & Lala’s world at Tokyo Tower.

©‘21 SANRIO 著作（株）サンリオ

In commemoration of Tendo Mokko’s 80th anniversary, DAIKANYAMA TSUTAYA BOOKS is hosting the “Tendo Mokko & Japanese Modern” fair from July 7 to August 6 where the new products from the interior design brand is being sold. This includes a new book titled the same as the fair which details the brand’s most famous furniture works. New furniture by Hiroshi Nakamura, Koichi Futatsumata, and Wataru Kumano is also being exclusively sold there.

Each participating artist’s signed nameplate

Tendo Mokko is a Japanese furniture maker. After the Second World War, they made huge developments the country’s architect and design culture in collaboration with architects and designers by creating products rooted in the climate and natural features of Japan. One of the spearheads of this movement was Kenmochi Isamu, a modernist designer who played a pivotal role in the development of Japanese industrial design after World War II. Through the history of Japanese architecture, Tendo Mokko has joined hands with countless famous designers to manufacture furniture.

Last year, the company turned 80 years old. As part of the commemoration, it is looking to dive deep into and rethink Japanese modernity at the Tendo Mokko & Japanese Modern fair where visitors can see their latest wares as well as learn about the process of developing new furniture and more. All of this, along with interviews, is also detailed in the book. Those who pre-order products at the fair will also receive one of the above-pictured nameplates depending on who designed it.

YohaS is set to collide the real and digital worlds at Chiba Park with an event titled YohaS 2021 Night Park Gallery which will run from July 6 to 10.

Lightning artwork (*For illustrative purposes only, art will be different for the event)

The event held back in 2019

YohaS is a collaborative project between Chiba City and Tsubakimori Komuna. It was launched to boost and develop the nighttime economy of Chiba, with its first event having taken place as the evening portion of the Ooga Hasu Flower Festival held in Chiba back in 2018. YohaS was unable to be held last year due to the pandemic and so an event was held online. This year sees its return with an event taking on the theme of “Silent Lips” which refers to the current situation with COVID-19 and how we cannot see peoples’ smiles or lips due to them wearing face masks.

The title of the YohaS 2021 event is “Night Park Gallery” which will turn Chiba Park into an art gallery and fuse it with breathtaking lighting and illuminations by Sun Effects. There will be six stages produced by Hiroaki Kumagai, a former member of Cirque du Soleil, each of which will offer equally incredible performances with their own stories from July 6-9. Visitors can also purchase YohaS wristbands, t-shirts, anti-bacterial sprays, and more.

For those still unable to attend in person, YohaS will also open an online version of the event called Virtual YohaS in Chiba Park which can be accessed via a PC or smart device.

An event titled ‘MAPPA STAGE 2021 – 10th ANNIVERSARY -‘ was held in Japan on June 27 where a teaser visual was released for Part 2 of the Attack on Titan anime’s final season which shows Eren together with a mysterious girl.

Attack on Titan The Final Season Part 2 Special Teaser Promo

The event was attended by Yuki Kaiji (Eren Yaeger), Marina Inoue (Armin Alert), Ayane Sakura (Gabi Brown), the anime series director Yuichiro Hayashi, and composer Kohta Yamamoto who gave their thoughts and impressions on The Final Season.

The final volume of the Attack on Titan manga released on June 9 which saw comments trending from fans around the world on the ending. Attack on Titan The Final Season Part 2 is set to air this winter.

©諫山創・講談社／「進撃の巨人」The Final Season製作委員会

In promotion of Studio Chizu’s upcoming animated film Belle, Animate is holding a free online tour which will begin on July 15.

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, which will be released in Japan on July 16, 2021. All the films are directed by the Academy Award-nominated Mamoru Hosoda.

The online tour will be offer early-access digital entry to Animate’s upcoming Studio Chizu Exhibition which is set to open at Animate Yokohama Vivre on July 16. Shotaro Otan, the store manager of Animate Yokohama Vivre who is also active as a YouTuber, will guide viewers through the exhibition as well as show products that will be sold online as part of the event.

Ten random people who purchase Studio Chizu-related goods from Animate once the tour ends will be randomly chosen to win some free Belle merchandise too.

©スタジオ地図　©2021 スタジオ地図