Art collective teamLab will open a permanent nighttime exhibition at the Nagai Botanical Garden in Osaka starting July 29, 2022. On-site video footage shows off several new works, such as Sculptures of Dissipative Birds in the Wind, a digital work impacted by the environment. Birds flying around the work and the wind’s strength impact how the art moves.

Life is Flickering Light Floating in Darkness – Sunflowers

In summer, 20,000 sunflowers bloom in the Life Garden, where seasonal flowers are transformed into an interactive space filled with illumination. This was opened to the public for a limited time to celebrate the exhibition’s opening and will be open until August 5.

The Nagai Botanical Garden covers 240,000 square meters and is home to roughly 1,200 species of plants. teamLab has transformed the space, with the digital art pieces changing according to the behavior of guests. 

In the future, teamLab plans to introduce seasonal works, making use of plants that bloom in spring, summer, fall, and winter.

Resonating Microcosms in the Common Camellia Garden – Liquified Light Color, Sunrise and Sunset

Floating Resonating Lamps on Oike Lake

teamLab’s art project Digitized Nature explores how nature can become art. The concept of the project is that non-material digital technology can turn nature into art without harming it.

Field of Light Color – Muhlenbergia Capillaris

teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka is a botanical garden by day and an art space by night. The art space transforms interactively, influenced by wind and rain, as well as by the behavior of the people and birds in it. People become a part of the artworks along with nature, and a part of the long continuity of time. The artworks, people, and nature; the self and others; the past, present, and future; all form a continuity without boundaries.

Come soothe your soul in the heart of Osaka.

©チームラボ

From August 3 until August 30, VTuber group NIJISANJI EN fans won’t want to miss two unique collaboration cafes coming to Ikebukuro and Nagoya! The cafes are being held at Animate Cafe and a number of themed dishes and goods will be available for purchase.

Menu

Pomu, Selen, and Reimu’s Favorite Things Plate

Ike, Shu, and Luca’s Favorite Things Plate

Pomu, Selen, and Reimu’s Favorite Sweets Set

HOW CAN I WORK PLEASE! Cake Set by seisoxiem

Big Powerful Pomu Energy Drink

Mango Cider That Won’t Make You Blackout

Miso Soup & Toast

fika time

Super Popular Taiyaki Drink

C&C (Cookies & Cream) Frozen Drink with Cheddar Cheese Flavored Thing

Goods

At the collaboration cafe, limited-edition goods featuring entirely new illustrations of the members will be on sale. Pomu Rainpuff, Selen Tatsuki, Reimu Endou, Ike Eveland, Shu Yamino, and Luca Kaneshiro are waiting for you!

©ANYCOLOR, Inc.

From July 22 until August 7, AMOCAFE Ikebukuro is holding a special collaboration cafe with the anime series The Devil is a Part-Timer!

A number of unique menu items inspired by the show’s characters are available, and new original goods featuring illustrations of the cast in beach house costumes are on sale.

Priority for admission is given to those with reservations, so make yours now!

Special Collaboration Menu

Serious Office Worker’s Dinner: ¥1,100 (Tax Included)

Emi is serious about her job, and her dinner is filling and simple.

The Devil’s Experiment (Honey Cucumber & Konnyaku): ¥990 (Tax Included)

Using the wits of the Demon King’s army, this tasty Konnyaku features a delicious melon and miso flavor. 

[AMOCAFE x Chiho] Special Omurice: ¥1,210 (Tax Included)

Of course, Chiho loves to draw a heart on her tasty Omurice. 

Urushihara’s Hard-earned Crystals / Daikokuya’s Shaved Ice: ¥880 (Tax Included)

This menu will make you excited to watch–or rewatch–the anime series!

Guests can expect even more themed menu items along with drinks and exclusive merchandise!

In addition, new illustrations of Mao and Chiho working at the beach house with Emi on surveillance are available from the AMOCAFE webshop. A number of products are on sale, including acrylic stands and water-resistant tapestries. Check the AMOCAFE Ikebukuro and AMOCAFE webshop Twitter accounts for more details soon!

©2021 和ヶ原聡司/KADOKAWA/MAOUSAMA Project

A limited-time pop-up shop for the manga series The Summer Hikaru Died will be held at TLC RECORDS at Sunshine City in Ikebukuro from October 8 until October 23, 2022.

Manga Synopsis

Yoshiki and Hikaru are two boys who live in a certain village. They’re the same age and have always been together growing up. But one day, Yoshiki noticed that “something else” has taken Hikaru’s place. Even after learning of this, Yoshiki still wants them to be together. And so, his life with the “something” that looks like his friend begins.

The first volume of The Summer Hikaru Died was released this year by Kadokawa and managed to sell over 200,000 copies in under three months. The series has also been nominated for the Next Manga Awards 2022.

Fans of mystery and boys’ love won’t want to miss out on this series. The pop-up shop will feature new merchandise including newly-drawn images by the manga’s creator Ren Mokumoku.

©モクモクれん/KADOKAWA

Art collective teamLab will open a permanent nighttime exhibition at the Nagai Botanical Garden in Osaka starting July 29, 2022. Tickets for teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka are on sale now at the official website, and a new group of exhibits take full advantage of the beautiful setting. In summer, 20,000 sunflowers bloom in the Life Garden, where seasonal flowers are transformed into an interactive space filled with illumination. As the flowers change each season, so will the art.

Resonating Microcosms in the Common Camellia Garden – Liquified Light Color, Sunrise and Sunset 

Life is Flickering Light Floating in Darkness – Sunflowers

Other works on display include Life is Continuous Light – Bald Cypress and Life is Continuous Light – Crepe myrtle, both taking advantage of the natural environment. The 240,000 square meter park will be completely transformed, with the digital art pieces changing according to the behavior of guests. More exhibits will be added in the future.

Crepe myrtles at Nagai Botanical Garden

Nagai Botanical Garden opened in 1974, and had its reopening on April 1, 2022 following extensive efforts to create an environment where plants can thrive and grow into the future, involving tree thinning, replanting of trees in anticipation of root growth, and soil improvement.

Nagai Botanical Garden’s Bald Cypress

teamLab’s art project Digitized Nature explores how nature can become art. The concept of the project is that non-material digital technology can turn nature into art without harming it.

Floating Resonating Lamps – One Stroke

Universe of Fire Particles – Secondary Forest

teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka is a botanical garden by day and an art space by night. The art space transforms interactively, influenced by wind and rain, as well as by the behavior of the people and birds in it. People become a part of the artworks along with nature, and a part of the long continuity of time. The artworks, people, and nature; the self and others; the past, present, and future; all form a continuity without boundaries.

Come visit another dimension right in the heart of Osaka!

©チームラボ

Blue Period Exhibition ~Art is a gift?~ will run from June 18 until September 27, 2022, at Tokyo’s Warehouse TERRADA G1 Building. The manga series, written and illustrated by Tsubasa Yamaguchi, has been serialized in Kodansha’s seinen manga magazine Monthly Afternoon since June 2017.

Blue Period follows Yatora Yaguchi, an aspiring painter trying to get into the Tokyo University of the Arts. For this exhibition, 34 students from art college prep schools around Japan drew the first six covers of the Blue Period manga series in their own unique styles. These creations were made across multiple media including charcoal, pencil, and oil paint. All 34 paintings will be on display during the exhibition period.

Selection of Paintings to be Displayed

Artist: Tomori Marimo
This angel was drawn by art club member Mori-senpai in the series and inspired Yatora to pursue art. Appears in Volume 1.

Artist: Yamamichi Shota
The painting Yatora drew based on the theme of ‘Fate.’ It was the first F100 painting and seemed like it would swallow him up. Appears in Volume 3. 

Artist: Yamazaki Yuko
Piece drawn for Yatora’s first exam. The theme was ‘self-portrait.’ Appears in Volume 4.

Artist: Tamana Moteki
Piece drawn for Yatora’s second exam. The theme was ‘nude.’ Finished at the last minute. Appears in Volume 6.

The in-person event will also invite fans of Blue Period to see 50 works of art integral to the series. An immersive theater will also be open, and visitors can see exclusive commentary from the series creator.

©山口つばさ／講談社／ブルーピリオド展製作委員会

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

Dr. Stone THE STAGE ~SCIENCE WORLD~, the stage play adaptation of Riichirou Inagaki and Boichi’s Dr. Stone sci-fi adventure manga, is being performed at Ikebukuro’s Sunshine Theater until July 18, 2022.

In the year 2019 AD, a mysterious flash suddenly petrifies nearly all human life. 3,700 years pass with the human race frozen in stone, until in April 5738, a 15-year-old prodigy named Senku Ishigami is suddenly revived. He soon sets up a basecamp and begins to study the petrified humans in order to determine the cause of the event, as well as a cure.

The Tokyo performance will take place until July 18. From July 21 until July 24, the stage play will be held at AiiA 2.5 Theater Kobe in Hyogo.

Those unable to see the performance in person can stream the July 9 performance until July 16!

Comment from Tsubasa Kizu (Senku)

“My name is Tsubasa Kizu and I play Senku. 

Less than a month into our rehearsals, we’ve been powering our way through!

I’ll do my best to make sure that there are no injuries on set, and that myself and this wonderful cast and crew successfully complete this stage run. 

I really want to share how fun science can be with the audience, even if just a little bit. 

We’ll give it our all, so please continue supporting us until the very end!”

Ⓒ米スタジオ・Boichi／集英社・「Dr.STONE」THE STAGE製作委員会

From July 15 until August 1, Ikebukuro PARCO will hold a special exhibition featuring the adorable penguin character Koupen-chan!

The exhibition will show Koupen-chan among the stars. The character has become massively popular on social media, inspiring a collection of books and merchandise. 

[Admission Bonus] Foil-stamped Art Card

Message Corner

Koupen-chan Constallations

Unreleased Original Drawings

Koupen-chan’s Video Corner

Exclusive Ikebukuro Stamp

Purchase Bonus for Guests Spending ¥2,200 (Tax Included)

Purchase Bonus for Guests Spending ¥3,300 (Tax Included)

Purchase Bonus for Guests Spending ¥5,500 (Tax Included)

New Picture Book – Koupen-chan: Summer Friends

New Picture Book – Koupen-chan & You

Original Sticker with the Purchase of a Book

Exclusive Event Merchandise

Shooting Star Koupen-chan Stuffed Animal

Koupen-chan Moon & Star Stuffed Animal

When You Wish Upon a Star Art Reproduction

When You Wish Upon a Star Art Reproduction

The venue will be transformed into a starry sky-themed space and over 100 original drawings will be on display. These have never been posted on social media, so be sure to visit if you’re a fan! The exhibition will also include a photo spot and a video corner, and visitors to the Ikebukuro venue will get a unique stamp. New picture books will be on sale, including autographed copies, and those spending a certain amount on merchandise will receive a special purchase bonus.

Come spend some time surrounded by the encouraging Koupen-chan in this magnificent space!

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

This summer, the World Heritage Site Nijo Castle will host the NAKED Summer Festival 2022 event from July 22 until August 21. Visitors can explore the incredible location at night, illuminated by colorful lights and filled with summer fun.

Festival Stalls

Virtual Content via Smartphone

The entrance gate and Ninomaru Garden will both be illuminated for the event, and a digital fireworks display will be shown on the stone walls surrounding the inner moat.  Continuing from last year, the fan-favorite NAKED Distanced Lanterns and NAKED Tsukubai will be returning.

Come make some summer memories at Nijo Castle!