Il Volo, an Italian operatic pop trio known for its incredible tenors, will be the first foreign artist to be filmed at Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto. The concert will be held without an audience and will be filmed, with proceeds going to charity.

The musical trio is known around the world for its mesmerizing harmonies. Their music manages to sound modern while still channeling tradition, making them an excellent choice to perform at the center of Japanese cultural traditions in Kyoto. The group will also perform in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya.

The music video for the group’s song Grande Amore, released in 2015, has racked up over 200 million views on YouTube. Loved by fans around the world, Il Volo’s music transcends language barriers, and the group is sure to impress on their Japan tour.

Last year, Chiikawa Land, the first official Chiikawa shop, opened at the Harajuku and Osaka Umeda branches of KIDDYLAND. Both locations will celebrate the 1st anniversary of the shop’s opening with a special fair on August 5, 2022.

Chiikawa is a popular character first revealed by Japanese illustrator Nagano on Twitter. In December 2020, the official online store Chiikawa Market opened, and Nagano released a book compiling the manga panels they drew and posted on Twitter. The characters have become massively popular, with the artist’s social media accounts racking up over 1.1 million followers. From collaboration cafes and exhibitions to a recent anime series, the sky’s the limit for these adorable characters!

Purchase Bonus

「Holographic Sticker (Not for Sale) *Designs will differ between the Harajuku and Osaka Umeda locations.

Holographic Pin (Not for Sale) / For guests spending ¥3,300 or more (including tax)

Picnic Blanket (Not for Sale) / For guests spending ¥5,500 or more (including tax)

Mug (Not for Sale) / For guests spending ¥8,800 or more (including tax)

Limited Edition Chiikawa Land Harajuku x Marion Crepes Collab

Limited Edition Chiikawa Land Harajuku x Marion Crepes Goods

Chiikawa Land Osaka Umeda Limited Edition Goods

Both the Harajuku and Osaka Chiikawa Land locations are visited by fans each day, and each store has developed unique products to celebrate the first anniversary.

The Chiikawa Land Harajuku location will offer products in collaboration with Marion Crepes, while the Osaka Umeda location will sell limited edition products featuring the characters in cute traditional costumes. Special bonuses will also be handed out to guests spending particular amounts, so why not come out and grab some new goods?

©nagano / chiikawa committee

Reebok has appointed a number of popular artists in Japan and abroad to take part in their new campaign titled ‘Life is Not a Spectator Sport -Move, Move!-’ This collaboration started in March 2022.

As a part of this collaboration, Reebok is teaming up with the manga series Eren the Southpaw. Kappa’s popular ensemble drama highlights a number of creators, and has a very poignant tagline: “To all those who couldn’t become geniuses.” Reebok’s brand message matches this and is meant to be a manifesto for life, telling people to never give up, act on their own convictions, and find their own path. 

Reebok Classic Store – Harajuku Interior

Stickers / Pins

Original Scene from Eren the Southpaw 

To commemorate the release of Reebok’s flagship model INSTAPUMP FURY 95 in Sax Blue, a huge piece of window art was redrawn by Kappi. The artist also provided an original manga featuring an entirely new story. Fans can find this at the Reebok Classic Store Harajuku and on the official Reebok Twitter page. The Reebok stores in Harajuku and Shibuya have also been completely taken over by Eren the Southpaw, completely decorated from top to bottom in images from the series. 

The Hololive Summer event, first held in the summer of 2019, will return this year! 

A ton of new content and special panels will be shown at the 2022 event, so check the official Hololive Production Twitter account often for more information!

Hololive will also have a booth at this year’s Comiket on August 13 and 14! A number of exclusive commemorative Hololive Summer 2022 goods will be on sale.

The back cover of the Comiket 100 catalog, on sale July 16, shows the official Hololive Summer 2022 key visual. Be sure to keep an eye out for more details!

The Toy Story Aliens Cafe will be opening for a limited time in Tokyo starting July 23, in Osaka on July 27, and in Nagoya on August 4. Fans of the film series will remember the adorable Alien characters, originally shown as prizes in a crane game. This pop-up cafe will feature themed dishes and merchandise, and Pixar fans should be sure to attend!

Menu

Food

Space Curry

Green Pasta

Alien Burger A (Teriyaki Soy Meat) / Burger B (Tomato Soy Meat) / Burger C (Chicken & Potato)

Moon Landing?! Potato & Bread

Kids Plate

Fruit Bread

Drinks

Alien Smoothie

Space Soda

Melon Milk

Space Crane Game Cider / Grape Juice

Hot Tea / Hot Milk

Goods

The food menu includes a tasty black curry, a green pasta featuring broccoli, edamame, spinach, and snap peas, and three types of alien burgers featuring either teriyaki soy meat, tomato soy meat, or chicken and potato. Even the drinks stick to the Alien theme, and the menu includes an Alien Smoothie with a tasty banana yogurt flavor. 

Guests will also be able to purchase event-exclusive merchandise from keychains and stickers to tote bags and letter sets. 

©Disney/Pixar

The second cour of the Orient anime series began airing on July 11, and the opening theme is here. The song, titled Break it down, was created by Da-iCE member Sota Hanamura and FAKY’s Lil’ Fang. Check out the lyric video below!

Break it down Lyric Video

The Orient manga series was written and illustrated by Shinobu Ohtaka, the creator of the popular Magi series. It was serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine from May 2018 to January 2021 before being moved to Bessatsu Shonen Magazine. The story follows 15-year-old Musashi during an alternate version of Japan’s Sengoku Period where the country is ruled by demons. While many believe the demons to be their saviors, Musashi knows the truth. 

Upon the release of the powerful opening track, social media exploded with excited comments, with many noting that the collaboration was unexpected and the two singers are some of the most powerful in recent memory.

Hanamura previously wrote the lyrics for Promise, the theme song for the Kamen Rider 50th anniversary movie Kamen Rider: Beyond Generations, as well as Break Out, the opening theme for the first season of Orient, which was performed by Da-iCE. Lil’ Fang wrote the lyrics for It’s a small world, the theme song for the 36th Annual East Japan Women’s Long Distance Relay Race, as well as the theme songs for the film Rika and the drama series Rika -Rebirth-.

The lyrics were inspired by the characters in the series, and it’s clear that both artists truly love Orient and feel strongly about its story and message. The lyric video depicts Musashi’s courage as his group takes on the largest battle of their lives. 

Have you been keeping up with the anime series? Be sure to check out the theme song on your favorite music streaming service now!

A special event is coming to Tokyo and Osaka this summer to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Kuroko’s Basketball anime series. Fans will want to visit Tokyo in July and Osaka in September.

Kuroko’s Basketball is a manga series by Tadatoshi Fujimaki which was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump until 2014 and tells the story of a high school basketball team trying to make it to the national tournament. The anime adaptation began airing in April 2012.

Kuroko’s Basketball ~A Miracle One Day in the City~

Kuroko’s Basketball ~ Kyoto Exhibition

Gallery Corner

Voice Guide

Admission Bonus – Invitation Card (9 varieties)

Exclusive Goods – F6 Character Board

Goods

Acrylic Stand (9 varieties)

Mini Acrylic Charms 1 (Random)

Mini Acrylic Charms 2 (Random)

Pin (9 varieties, random)

Purchase Bonus – Shopping Bag

The event will feature exhibits highlighting the history of the series and will feature a special voiceover. Exclusive merchandise will be on sale and guests will be welcomed by Kuroko and his friends at the entrance, all wearing special costumes drawn for the event.

Are you a Kuroko’s Basketball fan?

© 藤巻忠俊／集英社・黒子のバスケ製作委員会
© 「黒子のバスケ」アニメ10周年プロジェクト

The Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli Exhibition finally opened on July 1, 2022 at Warehouse Terrada in Shinagawa, Tokyo. 

First held at Kanda Myojin in 2019, the reception for the exhibition was incredible, and after popping up in Nagasaki and Kyoto, the newest Tokyo exhibition will be the first held in three years. It features significantly more exhibits and content, so Ghibli fans won’t want to miss it. 

Toshio Suzuki, a producer at Studio Ghibli, has worked with both Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata on a number of beloved masterpieces. The exhibition will feature a large bookshelf housing 8,800 of Suzuki’s publications. Many of these were published before Suzuki joined Studio Ghibli, and guests are invited to see how the producer was inspired to join the legendary studio.

This exhibition was realized after Suzuki himself proposed the idea of exhibiting his books for the first time following the 2019 event. The giant bookshelf containing 8,800 tomes was based on a brick-and-mortar store that once served as Suzuki’s ‘hideout.’

The Massive Abura-ya Annex

Chihiro’s Bathhouse – Chilled Footbath

No-Face AR

As a limited event, the Tokyo exhibition will also feature the Abura-ya Annex, a huge space that recreates the world of Spirited Away. Visitors can transform themselves into No-Face using AR or enjoy the Chilled Footbath after getting their fortunes told at the Yubaba and Zeniba Luck and Love Fortune Telling Corner. 

8,800 of Toshio Suzuki’s Favorite Books

Valuable Documents, Behind-the-Scenes Details, etc. 

No-Face perches atop one of the many bookshelves at the exhibition, lost in a tome of his own. All 8,800 books were read by Suzuki, and all of them influenced the creator’s decision to join Studio Ghibli. The wallpaper was designed by William Morris, a favorite of the producer since his youth. Some of the books can be picked up and enjoyed, so be sure to flip through some of these inspiring pages!

Rare materials and copy that led to many of the studio’s blockbuster hits are all on display, and visitors can trace the secret story behind the establishment of Studio Ghibli and how the company created everything from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind to their latest release Earwig and the Witch. Suzuki is known for his incredible scripts, such as the many lines he wrote for the title character in The Tale of Princess Kaguya.

On June 30, an opening ceremony was held with Suzuki in attendance. “I’ve stored away so many items that have been important to me in my life, and while it can be somewhat embarrassing to have them on display, I’m glad that so many can appreciate them,” he said. “My dream was to collect all the books I’ve read over the past 70 years and display them in one room. I was so happy when I realized that we could fit all 8,800 books in one space. I hope as many people as possible come to enjoy the exhibition.” 

Kirby Cafe TOKYO and Kirby Cafe HAKATA will begin selling special summer-themed food and drink items on July 7. The Kirby Cafe Summer 2022 event will introduce seven peach-themed goodies to the menu through September 11. 

Menu

Transform! Carby Cake ~WELCOME TO THE NEW WORLD!~

Kirby’s Peach♡Peach Parfait

Summer Souvenir Parfait Glass

Awoofy’s Footsteps in the Desert Pizza

Waddle Dee’s Friendly Rice Croquettes

King Dedede’s Full Tummy! Massive Beast King Plate

Rolling ♪ Peach Soda

(Includes Summer Souvenir Parfait Glass)

Rolling ♪ Summer-Colored Pineapple Soda

Summer Souvenir Acrylic Muddler (3 varieties)

Visitors to the two cafe locations can enjoy peach-flavored treats like Kirby’s Peach Parfait and an adorable cake based on the pink puffball’s Carby form seen in the new game Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Those wanting something more savory can enjoy Waddle Dee’s Friendly Rice Croquettes and the absolutely huge King Dedede’s Full Tummy! Massive Beast King Plate. 

Come enjoy the warmer months with Kirby and friends!

Story

Summer is returning to the Kirby Cafe. Thinking of the warmer months, Chef Kawasaki has created a special menu! As a Waddle Dee, filled with great excitement, wandered through the forest…it saw tons of lush, ripe peaches. 

“Huh? That pink, round peach reminds me of something…” 

Then came Kirby, who was looking forward to the summer menu more than anyone else. 

“Ah, that’s right! The peach looks just like Kirby!”

Happy to have solved the riddle, Kirby smiled brightly at Waddle Dee. Gazing at this glorious summer scene with tons of juicy peaches ready to be eaten, he couldn’t help but imagine tons of tasty treats! Peach parfait, sparkling soda, blue jelly sparkling like the ocean…not wanting to forget these ideas, Kirby and Waddle Dee gathered the peaches and began cooking.

Please come and enjoy this summer with Kirby and his friends under the dazzling sunshine!

©Nintendo / HAL Laboratory, Inc.

The popular character Opanchuusagi, created by illustrator Kawaisoni, has inspired two collaboration cafes! Fans of the adorable rabbit will be able to grab themed dishes and goods in both Tokyo and Osaka from July 7 until August 21. Does the character look familiar? You’ve probably seen her on social media or on LINE!

Opanchuusagi does her best for everyone but tends to fail in hilarious ways. The melancholy character has been getting increasingly popular lately, leaving comments like “poor thing,” or “so cute!”

Cafe Visitor Bonus / Menu Order Bonus

Menu

Opanchu Curry

Opanchu Omurice

Opanchu Burger

Opanchu Shaved Ice

Opanchu Pancake

Opanchu Parfait

Opanchu Missing-Underpants Soda

Opanchu Pink Soda

Opanchu Strawberry Milk

Opanchu Latte

Goods

The Opanchuusagi Cafe will offer a lineup of cute menu items perfect for posting on social media, from the curry and burger to the shaved ice and latte. The cafe will also sell original merchandise, so don’t miss your chance to snag some!

Why not come relax at this unique cafe on a hot summer day? 

©KAWAISOUNI!

During late spring and early summer, Japan enters the rainy season. From mid-June until early July, Tokyo City View, the indoor observatory at Roppongi Hills, will be giving people a way to enjoy this dreary time. From photo spots to afternoon tea and cute menu items at the on-site restaurant and cafe, this is one of the best places to spend time in Tokyo. 

Photo Spot Transforms Rainy Weather into Sunny Weather

Starting June 13, three photo spots featuring colorful umbrellas will appear around Tokyo City View. Even if it’s pouring rain outside, it’s always sunny under these pop-art umbrellas! Take some shots 250 meters above the streets of the city and post them on social media!

Normally, Tokyo City View ticket holders can enter the Sky Deck rooftop deck for an additional ¥500. For a limited time, a special set ticket including Sky Deck will be available at the on-site ticket counter! On rare sunny days during the rainy season, guests can enjoy the open-air Sky Deck, a perfect place to refresh and unwind.

Running: June 13 – July 4, 2022

Admission: ¥2,000 (General Admission, Weekdays) 

Details: https://tcv.roppongihills.com/jp/news/2022/06/5723/

*Certain areas of the indoor observatory will be closed during this period. 

Spend a Rainy Day at THE SUN & THE MOON Cafe & Restaurant

NY Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce: ¥1,280 (Tax Included)

Banana Split: ¥1,150 (Tax Included)

THE SUN & THE MOON Cafe and Restaurant is attached to Tokyo City View. At the cafe section, guests will be able to order some cute new items from the dessert menu to sweep away the rainy day blues. 

The restaurant section offers a spectacular city view and is filled with greenery, intending to make guests feel like they’re in a forest in the sky. On a rainy day, you may feel like you’re in the rainforest! Come enjoy a cup of tea and gaze out at the city.

The Roppongi Hills Observation Deck regularly hosts the Roppongi Astronomy Club. On July 7, the Tanabata Special Viewing Event will invite guests to enjoy a sparkling night view of Tokyo and the stars above. On July 15, a special Moonrise Viewing will be held, where visitors can watch the moon rise from the direction of Tokyo Skytree.

How would you like to spend a rainy day in this spectacular Tokyo landmark? 

The National Museum of Western Art, located in Ueno Park, reopened in April 2022 after being closed for renovations for 18 months. The first special exhibition post-reopening will feature Van Gogh’s works in Japan for the first time, along with paintings depicting modern nature from both the National Museum of Western Art and the Museum Folkwang in Essen, Germany.

To commemorate the post-renovation reopening of the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo, this exhibition traces the development of modern art born out of the dialogue between nature and humankind.

The event was realized in collaboration with the Museum Folkwang, and both institutions were founded on private collections: that of Karl Ernst Osthaus (1874–1921) in Germany and Matsukata Kojiro (1866–1950) in Japan.

The exhibition will feature over 100 paintings, drawings, prints, and photographs from both museums, spanning from German Romanticism to the art of the twentieth century, ranging from Impressionism to Post-Impressionism. 

Guests can enjoy all aspects of the infinite expanse of nature as shown in both collections, from the smallest roadside flowers to the vast universe and all humanity contained within. Would you like to come and experience this unique exhibition?