From February 1 until February 28, 2022, visitors to the Weston Miyako Hotel Kyoto can enjoy a leisurely Strawberry & Blue Rose Afternoon Tea courtesy of a new partnership with Okuratouen. 

Top Row

Middle Row

Bottom Row

Okura Pottery is known for its exquisite Blue Rose tableware which features heavily in this collaboration. 

The menu features the special Blue Rose Macaroon with its distinctive high-quality taste along with a variety of sweets and savory dishes surrounded by strawberries and roses. Guests can enjoy this three-tiered selection of goodies from 12:00-16:00 during the event period at the hotel’s Mayfair Tea Lounge. 

Creative company NAKED is now providing incredible projection mapping across Matsushima Palace, located close to the many tiny islands of Matsushima, known as one of the ‘Three Views of Japan.’ 

The light show completely envelops the Retsuru Tower, the symbol of the property, along with the gardens around the palace. Guests can expect a once-in-a-lifetime experience as they wander the grounds at night. 

Matsushima has a long history, with many unique geographical highlights developing thousands of years ago. Many poets have written poems about the area since the Heian period (794-1185). The projection mapping show will highlight the past, present, and future of the area, inviting guests on a trip through time and space.

Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa has started a special seasonal event, ‘NAKED SNOW AQUARIUM.’ Beginning on December 29, 2021, the festive scenes will continue until February 27, 2022. 

The event, which brings to life the beautiful, crystal-clear world of winter, has been a popular tradition at the aquarium since 2015. The snow, ice, and aurora images created using projection mapping were made by creative company NAKED.

Bright Snow

Marine Snow Dome

Winter Color Street

Crystal Bar

Jellyfish Ramble

Harmony for Winter

Bright Crystal (Night Version)

The main attraction, the ‘Dolphin Performance,’ consists of two programs: a ‘winter orchestra’ in the daytime and a ‘mysterious world of snow and ice’ at night. The dolphin’s dynamic jumps will be performed on a seasonal stage, with a unique blend of lighting, snowfall effects by an on-site ‘snow machine,’ and projection mapping.

The ‘Patterns’ area is filled with snowflakes, and sea creatures with colors and patterns reminiscent of falling snow are on display. Watching these little critters along with the special projection mapping will create a scene visitors will never forget! 

Creative company NAKED has teamed up with students from Osaka University of Arts and Kintetsu Real Estate for a new projection mapping show at the Abeno Harukas Observatory, Harukas 300. The work is available now through February 27, 2022. 

The artwork is found on the 58th floor ‘Twin Tower,’ and serves as a hands-on presentation to foster students’ creativity. The theme for the project is ‘Towards the Future, a Journey of Hope,’ and it is intended to send a ray of hope from one of Japan’s tallest buildings to the whole country. Hope is sorely needed after two long years of the pandemic.

Those participating in this years class, which started in 2021, learned about the impact creativity can have on the world, as they also created plans, concepts, and storyboards for a projection mapping project. Now, their work has come to fruition.

In the hopes that more people will be able to see the new artwork, the projection mapping piece will be left up during another event being held at Harukas 300 focusing on the theme of ‘connection.’ Hopefully, this art will positively impact those who have had a difficult time over the past few years. 

Toei Kyoto Studio Park will hold a special collaboration event with Tokyo Revengers from December 25, 2021 until February 13, 2022. Exclusive illustrations of the main cast will appear around the park, and a stamp rally will be set up around the entire city of Kyoto. Collaborative merchandise and food will also be available during the event period. 

Walking Rally

Photo Spot #1

Photo Spot #2

Target Shooting Game Prizes

First Prize: Background Panel (6 varieties)
Second Prize: Acrylic Coaster (6 varieties)
Third Prize: Sticker (12 varieties, random)

Collaboration Menu

Coaster (Random)

Baji and Chifuyu’s’ Yakisoba (Includes a Baji or Chifuku Card): ¥800 (Tax Included)

Takemichi and HIna’s Parfait: ¥950 (Tax Included) 

Tokyo Revengers Meetup Drink (Coffee Float): ¥700 (Tax Included)

Collaboration Merchandise

Business Card Style Cards (Featuring Original Illustrations, Life-size)

Business Card Style Cards (Featuring Original Illustrations, Mini)

Stamp Rally Special Postcard

Special Gift: Towel with Purchase of Ticket to Toei Kyoto Studio Park

STORY

Manjiro Sano announces a meetup in Kyoto, but Mikey and  takemichi have their own agenda. After a number of hijinks, can visitors solve the slapstick happenings going on around Kyoto?

Ⓒ和久井健・講談社／アニメ「東京リベンジャーズ」製作委員会

From January 4 until April 30, 2022, Rihga Royal Hotel Kyoto will hold a special Strawberry Fair at its cozy lounge.

Those who love strawberries enough to want to drown in them won’t want to miss this limited-time event featuring four unique desserts and an afternoon tea set.

Strawberry Parfait ‘Drowning Strawberries’ 

Guests can enjoy pouring warm homemade confiture made from Kyoto strawberries from Uesugi Farm in Yawata City over thin chocolate hidden beneath strawberry ice cream. This is recommended by the patisserie.

‘Strawberry Shortcake ~Buried in the Glass~’

This limited-edition version of the hotel’s strawberry shortcake is filled with white meringue and soft sponge, with cherry brandy flavoring making it light and easy to eat.

‘Strawberry Afternoon Tea Set’ 

Strawberry Stack Option

The popular ‘Afternoon Tea Set’ is served in a bamboo box made by Kochousai Kosuga, a bamboo craft manufacturer in Kyoto. This special strawberry version features nine sweet and nine savory items, including strawberry shortcakes and cream puffs. For a limited time until March, guests can add a pile of strawberries to the third tier. Using the special scoop spoon, you’ll feel as though you’re harvesting strawberries of your own! Be sure to take pictures.

Overflowing Strawberry Gift Box

Although it looks like a present, this dessert is meant to be enjoyed on-site! Overflowing with strawberry mousse, strawberry jelly, and pistachio brulee, raspberry sorbet, and streusel are hidden beneath the white chocolate box. Now that’s luxury!

Digital communication company Hitohata will be holding a special Flower and Digital Art Festival at the Ito Family Historic Residence in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture from December 16 to December 19, 2021. T

he location is a recognized cultural property, and the event will feature projection mapping and flower arrangements. The location is usually closed to the public, so this is an amazing opportunity to see a piece of Japanese history up close!

The Ito family was a part of the Kawai Ito family, a merchant family during the Edo Period. The house consists of the main house, tatami rooms, and storehouses. This gives a glimpse into how people lived hundreds of years ago. The main house was completed around 1722. 

Aoki Koetsudo, a 129-year-old confectionery shop in Kyoto, and 2:00, a Kyoto-based company specializing in unique products, have come together to create some incredibly cute hamster-shaped cakes. These pastries are called monaka, and feature azuki bean jam filling sandwiched between two crisp wafers made from mochi. Each set includes 6 wafers, six helpings of bean jam, and a bag of nuts, so customers can enjoy creating the pastries themselves! 

How to Enjoy Hamster Monaka

Fill the Hamster-shaped monaka with as much azuki jam as you like. 

Cover the monaka with the wafer and add one of the nuts provided. 

Paint the eyes and ears with chocolate to give each pastry some personality!

The 13th Kyoto Historica International Film Festival has announced its screening lineup and will be held both in-person and online. In addition to all five live-action Rurouni Kenshin films being screened, five carefully-selected historical films from around the world have been chosen from over 200 applicants. These will be screened at the Japanese event and can only be seen during the festival. 

Italian film Inferno, produced in 1911 and shown at Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna in 2021, will make its Japanese premiere along with a piano accompaniment. Oshuraga: Land of Souls will also be screened in commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the Kyoto-Quebec Friendship and Collaboration Agreement. 

41 films will also be available to stream on the MIRAIL streaming service, with tickets going on sale on January 22, 2022. 

Long-time partners CONCEPTS and BAPE® have launched collaboration collection which is now available at Canada Goose Sendagaya branch and Ron Herman Kyoto ‘Canada Goose’ shop in shop.

Line-up

CROFTON HOODY 

CHILLIWACK BOMBER 

EXPEDITION PARKA 

KNIT TOQUE 

DOWN SCARF 

DOWN BLANKET

The collection includes 6 pieces inspired by the heritage of Canada Goose featuring the iconic BAPE® ABE Camo and Snow Camo to take streetwear to the next level.

One of seventeen Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto is currently being illuminated in a sea of otherworldly lights. Nijo Castle in Kyoto is the location for the One to Ten: Evening Party, using projection mapping to bring out the beauty of this magnificent locale. For those who can’t visit in person, an event on December 7 is inviting people to watch the lights online, including the illumination of the Karamon Gate and the Ninomaru Garden. Tickets for the online event go on sale on December 3, 2021. 

To capture the feeling of being on-site and to convey the incredible atmosphere, a camera will guide viewers along the normal route through the castle grounds with audio commentary. The popular ‘Special Performance,’ which only allows a limited number of people each day due to space constraints, will be available to view in its entirety during the stream. 

The live event will air on December 7 at 10:00 PM JST, and will be archived until December 26 at midnight. Tickets to watch are available from December 3 until December 26. 

NAKED’S DANDELION PROJECT has popped up at seven different locations around Kyoto, including the famous Kiyomizu-dera and Heian Shrine. From December 3 until December 5, the participatory art project for peace will come to Kosho-ji Temple at nighttime. 

Kosho-ji Temple is famous for its autumn foliage and is designated as a place of scenic beauty by Kyoto prefecture. The gently sloping path from the front gate along the Uji River to the temple gate is called Kotozaka, because the flowing freshwater sounds like a Koto, the national instrument of Japan. The event will include a nighttime viewing of the temple along with lights around the grounds and gardens. The Uji Light Path will line the streets of the town with lanterns based on The Tale of Genji. 

NAKED’s popular attractions–the NAKED Distanced Lanterns and NAKED Flower Cleansing–will also be available to participate in during the event.