Art collective teamLab will open a permanent nighttime exhibition, ‘teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka,’ at Nagai Botanical Garden in Osaka in the summer of 2022.

The Nagai Botanical Garden, which originally opened in 1974, reopened on April 1, 2022, after tree thinning, tree rearrangement and replanting to accommodate new root growth, and soil improvement to create an environment where plants can thrive and grow in the far future. The garden covers over 240,000 square meters and is home to 1,200 species of plants, flowers, and trees.

This summer, teamLab will transform the garden into an art space where the past, present, and future intersect, blending with nature’s changing seasons and the presence of guests.

TeamLab’s environmentally friendly art project, ‘Digitized Nature,’ aims to show “nature itself becoming art in its natural state” by using only digital technology. Nothing in the gardens needs to be destroyed to create art.

At teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka, the daytime botanical garden will become an art space at night. The space will be transformed by actual wind and rain, as well as by the behavior of the birds and the actions of visitors to the site. 

Come enjoy an illuminated garden filled with art on a warm night this summer!

©チームラボ

Tokyo’s TeNQ Space Museum, located in Tokyo Dome City, will hold a special Cinnamoroll exhibition to celebrate the Sanrio character’s 20th anniversary! The adorable white puppy won first place at the Sanrio Character Awards for two consecutive years and has been a beloved part of Sanrio’s lineup for two decades. From July 7 until October 17, guests can visit this unique walk through Cinnamoroll’s history. The exhibition’s key visual has been unveiled ahead of the event.

Clear Folder

Face Towel

Postcard (2 varieties)

Visitors will learn tons of Cinnamoroll trivia at the exhibition and can also participate in Cinnamoroll Roulette, a fun fortune-telling event!

In addition, the first-ever Cinnamoroll Strawberry News Poster Gallery will be available to peruse. An academic exhibit unique to TeNQ where visitors can learn about the many kinds of clouds will also be opened in honor of Cinnamoroll, who was born on a fluffy cloud in the sky. Original merchandise will also make an appearance. It’s sure to be fun for the whole family!

©2022 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO. SP630141

The U-Treasure brand is known for releasing incredible jewelry for adults based on beloved brands and characters. The company is now taking orders for two pieces of Pokemon jewelry inspired by everyone’s favorite chunky roadblock, Snorlax! Orders are open until June 21, 2022. Snorlax appears in all his glory and is covered with a glossy black finish. 

Snorlax Silver Ring / Snorlax Silver Necklace

How about grabbing some Snorlax jewelry for yourself or a loved one? (Maybe it’s not the best ring to propose with, though.) 

Popular on LINE and other texting apps and illustrated by Jyuuno, mofusand is a curious collection of cute and slightly surreal cats. As with most things that go viral in Japan, these adorable characters will be featured in a themed cafe for a limited time! The Tokyo location will open on May 19 and the Osaka location will welcome visitors starting May 26, 2022.

Cafe Visitor Bonus: Sticker (6 varieties)

Drink Order Bonus: Coaster (6 varieties)

Menu

Fried Shrimp Sandwich Plate

Grilled Vegetable Curry

Nyanko Burger

Salmon Mentaiko Cream Pasta

Taiyaki

Nyanko Parfait

Black Cat Pancake

Nyan Lime Nata de Coco

Green Nyanko Float / Yello Nyanko Float / Blue Nyanko Float

Nyanko Cafe Latte / Nyanko Milk Tea

Merchandise

Sticker

Clear Folder

All menu items draw inspiration from the many mofusand characters and are perfect for posting on social media! Special bonuses will be given to those visiting the cafe and making select purchases, and a merchandise corner will be selling limited-edition goods featuring new artwork!

©mofusand

Anique has opened an online exhibition to celebrate the release of the animated film Bubble until June 30, 2022! The event is also offering limited-edition merchandise.

Merchandise Lineup

Acrylic Stand Diorama

Pin Set

Postcard Set

Clear Folder

Mug

Purchase Bonus: Round Stickers

The exhibition will serve as a deep dive into the world of Bubble, focusing on four categories: story, worldview, characters, and artwork.

Guests can enjoy browsing images from the film, and can also see valuable creation materials like storyboards and original sketches.

Jun Shison, who voices Hibiki in the film, contributed comments to the exhibition, along with director Tetsuro Araki.

Merchandise is also available to buy now! These items can only be found at this exhibition, so order while you can.

Have you watched Bubble on Netflix yet?

©2022「バブル」製作委員会

Folk Kitchen, a restaurant on the second floor of Hilton Osaka, will hold the Sanrio Characters Sweets Buffet ~Joyful Summer Festival~ from May 20 until September 11, 2022. The event is being held to celebrate Cinnamoroll, Pompompurin, and Pochakko coming in first, second, and third in the Sanrio Character Awards. A lineup of 25 different sweets will be available, including those filled with summer fruits like mango, peach, and watermelon! In addition, a “Zero Leftovers Campaign” will be implemented–so be sure to clear your plate!

Happy Festival Heart Mousse

Joyful Pink Cake / Lime & Raspberry

Fluffy and Crunchy Mango Pavlova

Decorated with chocolate and adorable character designs, the Happy Festival Heart Mousse is a scrumptious dish blending the flavor of banana, caramel, and rum. The Joyful Pink Cake will be a smash-hit with Sanrio lovers, featuring the soft taste of white mousse and raspberry compote with a fresh lime flavor. Tons of other original sweets will be available, including everything from gingerbread to orange tarts.

Visitors can also find plenty of vegan sweets. Summer Blue Sky Jello features contrasting colors of pineapple pulp and soymilk cream that look like clouds floating against a summer sky. Be sure to try the Almond & Watermelon Jello and Grapefruit and Lychee Jello too!

The first PEANUTS Cafe is now open in Osaka! Snoopy fans should head to LaLaport EXPOCITY in Suita, Osaka, to enjoy some tasty themed treats. The PEANUTS Cafe online store has also started selling exclusive merchandise.

Menu

Delivery Box

Pizza

Pancake

School Bus

グッズ

PEANUTS Cafe Plate

Bamboo Plates with Coloring Book (Limited to 100 Sets)

Crayons with Vegetable-based Coloring

Dining scenes are often shown in the PEANUTS comic strip. This new cafe in Osaka focuses on the theme of ‘mealtime,’ the time of day that Snoopy loves the most.

Taking advantage of its location next to Expo ‘70 Commemorative Park, the area is surrounded by colorful flowers and greenery. The menu offers more health-conscious selections filled with veggies and fruits, and a special takeout menu is perfect for a picnic in the park.

In the PEANUTS comic strip, school buses always appear on the way to and from school and at certain events. A school bus exclusive to PEANUTS Cafe Osaka will welcome guests, hoping to immerse them in the world of Snoopy and his friends. Visitors can enjoy taking pictures with exclusive art as they take in the sight of a real school bus from the United States.

The cafe offers a variety of tableware to make everyday dining more enjoyable, along with souvenir sweets. Certain items are only available at the Osaka location, so be sure to visit! 

© 2022 Peanuts Worldwide LLC　

An exhibition focusing on the Mugen Train and Entertainment District Arcs of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba will open at Sapporo Factory in Hokkaido from July 15 until August 7, 2022.

Fans of the series won’t want to miss this huge showing of Demon Slayer materials, including a video exhibit showing off some of the best fight scenes from the film and anime series on a massive screen. 

Stay tuned for more details!

©吾峠呼世晴／集英社・アニプレックス・ufotable

The Nakamura Keith Haring Collection in Yamanashi Prefecture will be holding a celebratory exhibition in honor of the location’s 15th anniversary from May 14, 2022 until May 7, 2023.

In April 2007, the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection opened in Kobuchisawa, located at the foot of Mt. Yatsugatake. The only museum in the world dedicated entirely to New York-based artist Keith Haring, Kazuo Nakamura collected the works and acts as the director of the museum. Over 300 works of art are on display along with 500 other pieces, from photographs and videos to merchandise. The new exhibition features approximately 150 works.

Three Lithographs (People Ladder), 1985

Icons (Radiant Baby), 1990

Untitled, 1984

Untitled, 1988

Untitled (Subway Drawing), 1981-1983

The ‘Chaos and Hope’ exhibition was originally held during the museum’s first year of operation and looks back at Haring’s first experiences in New York City in 1978. The artist was present at the dawn of the hip-hop movement and was struck by the clash between typical white art and underground minority artists. In only five years, Haring rose to stardom. Sadly, while traveling the world, he contracted AIDS, passing away at the age of 31. Behind the bright and cheerful artwork he left behind, he hid his inner suffering and desire for hope and freedom.

All Keith Haring Artwork ©Keith Haring Foundation
Courtesy of Nakamura Keith Haring Collection.

NAMJATOWN, a theme park located in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, will be holding a special BT21 event from May 14 until June 12, 2022! The ‘BT21 MerryLand ~Welcome to our Dreamy World!~’ event celebrates the popular LINE FRIENDS characters, and guests can enjoy lots of games and treats!

The event recreates MerryLand, an amusement park in the BT21 member’s dreams. Guests can participate in three unique mini-games inspired by amusement park attractions, along with a stamp rally and riddle-solving game! Original merchandise and menu items will also be available.

Original Mini-Games

BT21 MerryLand Spinning Ferris Wheel / BT21’s  Whirling Teacups ♪ / The Full Stomach Yum-yum Wagon

Mini-Game Prizes

A Prize: Relaxing Cushion (7 varieties)

B Prize: Bandana (7 varieties)

C Prize: Mini Acrylic Stand (7 varieties, random)

D Prize: Character Pin (7 varieties, random)

*The design for A Prize and B Prize will differ depending on the mini-game.
(Guests can choose the design for each game.)
*For C Prize and D Prize, the design is the same for all mini-games.

Venue Exclusive Project! Rally Game

Rally Game Prizes

Participation Prize: Mascot Rubber Charm (7 varieties, random)
*Prizes are the same for each Rally Game.

Original Merchandise

Original Food & Drinks

Soft Drink with Acrylic Coaster / Fortune Latte (14 varieties) / Icing Cookie (7 varieties)

Those unable to attend the event can head to the Namco Parks Online Store to play some web-based mini-games offering the same prizes! Certain pieces of merchandise will also be available for purchase online.

Following Tokyo, the event will head to HEP FIVE in Osaka from July 2 until July 24 and Canal City Hakata in Fukuoka from August 5 until August 28.

©Bandai Namco Amusement Inc.

TV Tokyo has revealed a flashy new visual for the Pokemon anime series! The visual features the eight trainers and their Pokemon who will be participating in the show’s Pokemon World Championships tournament, and notes that the “climax” of the show is about to begin. Pokemon airs every Friday at 6:55 PM on TV Tokyo.

Satoshi (or Ash, in the English dub) has been taking on plenty of tough trainers in Pokemon Journeys including Kibana from the Galar region. This means that he has earned his spot in the Masters Eight!

The new key visual features all eight trainers who will be participating in the upcoming tournament: Leon, the Champion of the Galar region; Cynthia, the Champion of the Sinnoh region; Steven, the Champion of the Hoenn region; Lance, the Champion of the Indigo Plateau; Diantha, the Champion of the Kalos region; Alain, another Champion of the Kalos region; and Iris, the Champion of the Unova region. Ash is currently the Champion of the Alola region.

The first 12 episodes of Pokemon Journeys premiered in the United States on Netflix in June 2020.

© Nintendo･Creatures･GAME FREAK･TV Tokyo･ShoPro･JR Kikaku　© Pokémon

From July 15 until November 6, 2022, the ‘teamLab: A Forest Where Gods Live’ exhibition at Mifuneyama Rakuen, an ancient forest at the Takeo Hot Springs in Saga Prefecture. The massive event is held each summer and fall and was named CNN World’s ‘Best Outdoor Art Exhibition to Visit’ in 2021 and one of the Top 10 Art Installations in the world by DesignboomMagazine in 2017.

Works on Display

Universe of Water Particles on a Sacred Rock, 2017

Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and Boats – Mifuneyama Rakuen Pond, 2015

Ever Blossoming Life Rock, 2017

 Life is Continuous Light – Azalea Valley, 2017

Rock Wall Spatial Calligraphy, Continuous Life – Five Hundred Arhats, 2017

Split Rock and Enso, 2017

Resonating Forest – Cherry Blossoms and Maple, 2017

Megaliths in the Bath House Ruins, 2019

Graffiti Nature – Living in the Ruins of a Bathhouse, Red List, 2017-

Resonating Forest in the Ravine, 2019

Abstract and Concrete – Forest Entrance, 2018

Flowers Bloom in an Infinite Universe inside a Teacup, 2016

Forest and Spiral of Resonating Lamps in the Forest – One Stroke, Summer Forest, 2018

Mifuneyama is said to have risen from the Ariake Sea 3 million years ago. The 500,000 square meter Mifuneyama Rakuen Park was created in 1845, at the end of the Edo period. The park is home to megaliths, caves, and forests that have been slowly shaped over thousands of years. teamLab believes that the shapes and textures of these objects are important, serving as traces of ancient people and natural changes over time.  The concept of the project is that non-material digital technology can turn nature into art without harming it.

The creative team will be holding a number of other high-profile exhibitions this year, including installations in Paris, Tallinn, Shanghai, and Geneva. Their sauna collaboration with TikTok for teamLab Reconnect in Roppongi made huge waves in 2021–guests would take alternating hot and cold baths to experience intense physical sensations while surrounded by digital art.