JR Kyushu has signed a promotional license agreement with Walt Disney Japan to launch the “GO! WAKU WAKU ADVENTURE with PIXAR” project, which will see the shinkansen bullet trains decorated in characters from the Pixar animated filmography starting on September 12, 2020.

The project comes at a time when Pixar celebrates the 25th anniversary of the original Toy Story film, which released back in 1995 as the first entirely computer-animated feature film.

New details have been released for the upcoming project, including the unveiling of the key visual, the content of the collaboration, campaigns that will be held, and limited-edition merchandise which will be sold.

Key Visual

The key visual is a colourful Pixar creation which is shaped to look like the seven prefectures that make up Kyushu—Japan’s south-westernmost island where the JR Kyushu WAKU WAKU ADVENTURE Shinkanen bullet train will run.

Character Visuals

Poster Design

All major stations along the JR Kyushu Line display the key visual along with the above-pictured poster featuring various Pixar characters. Each of Kyushu’s seven major prefectural train stations listed below will also have additional posters for different Pixar films.

Hakata Station: Toy Story
Saga Station: Up
Nagasaki Station: Finding Nemo
Oita Station: The Incredibles
Kumamoto Station: Cars
Kagoshima-Chūō Station: Monsters, Inc.
Miyazaki Station: Wall-E

Tabloid Distribution

For illustrative purposes only. Distribution from September 12, 2020.

At all major stations running the JR Kyushu Line, commuters can get their hands on a free tabloid inspired by the “My Adventure Book” from the Pixar film Up. The content of the tabloid features information related to the collaboration and where you can find Pixar characters at stations throughout Kyushu, so you too can have your own adventure.

Photo Spots

Cars photo spot

The seven JR Kyushu prefectural stations will also have their own photo spots where you can snap a picture. You’ll also spot Woody and Buzz dolls and Hakata Station and Sully and Mike ones at Kagoshima-Chūō Station.

Participating Stations: Hakata Station, Saga Station, Nagasaki Station, Oita Station, Kumamoto Station, Kagoshima-Chūō Station, Miyazaki Station

Special Site & Official Instagram

A special site opened which features the departure schedule for the JR Kyushu WAKU WAKU ADVENTURE Shinkansen, details on campaigns, the latest details on the collaboration, and more. Waku Waku ADVENTURE now also has its own Instagram page which includes reports on event, pictures of merchandise, and other details.

Special Movie

A special collaborative movie will be released in September centred on the themes of Pixar’s movies such as bonds between people, family, friends, and adventure. It will be shown at JR Kyushu stations and the special site.

Campaign: Find the Pixar Ball

Original sticker designs

If you spot a station staff member at any of the JR Kyushu prefectural stations wearing a Pixar ball badge, call out to them and they’ll give you one of seven possible Pixar stickers as pictured above. All seven can be put into your “My Adventure Book,” so try collecting them all!

Participating Stations: Hakata Station, Saga Station, Nagasaki Station, Oita Station, Kumamoto Station, Kagoshima-Chūō Station, Miyazaki Station

*Depending on the time, platform staff may not be wearing the badges

*Stickers are available while supplies last

GO! WAKU WAKU ADVENTURE Digital Stamp Rally

A digital stamp rally will be held on the official JR Kyushu app. Board the JR Kyushu WAKU WAKU ADVENTURE Shinkansen, visit JR Kyushu Stations, and get some original stamps.

1st Stamp Rally: September 12, 2020 – January 31, 2021

Limited Edition Merchandise

Merchandise lineup

A special collection of merchandise has been created featuring designs of Kyushu and the Pixar characters. The items will be sold at shops around JR Kyushu stations and online in Japan.

Release Date: September 12, 20202
Merchandise List: https://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/train/wakuwaku-adventure/goods/

Those who ride the very first departing train will receive an original Pixar design train ticket. The Tsubame 363 train bound for Kagoshima-Chūō Station will depart from Hakata Station at 12:19 on September 12, 2020.

©Disney/Pixar

My Neighbor Totoro is one of Studio Ghibi’s most celebrated animated feature films, adored by people around the world. If you’ve visited Japan, you’re bound to have run into something Totoro-related, but did you know there’s actually several locations in Kyushu which takes it to the next level, bringing the world of the film to life?

Today, we are joined by Rie who posts her Kyushu travels on her Instagram page. She has provided us with photos of these amazing spots, which are must-visits for Totoro fans, along with her thoughts.

Tataragi Bus Stop | Hita, Oita Prefecture

When you roll up to Tataragi Bus Stop (多々良木バス停) in Oita’s city of Hita, you are welcomed by a giant piece of wall art made into the moss that grows on the wall. This bus stop is actually a stop used exclusively by school buses, so ordinary people can’t actually catch a bus here. And unfortunately, you won’t see any cat buses running down the street if you wait long enough in the rain, but it’s still a must-visit for fans.

Address: Amagasemachi Gota, Hita, Oita, Japan (In Japanese: 大分県日田市天瀬町合田)

Totoro’s Forest | Saiki, Oita Prefecture

This area is visited by many tourists and sightseers throughout the year because of how similar it looks to something from My Neighbor Totoro. There is a small park near the bus stop which is known as Totoro no Mori (Totoro’s Forest).

Being surrounded by nature, enveloped by the green trees and foliage, makes you feel like Mei and Satsuki from the movie. It’s like being transported back to my childhood. It’s a strange place that makes you feel nostalgic even if it’s your first time visiting.

Address: 1368 Ume Oaza Minamitabaru, Saiki-shi, Oita Prefecture (In Japanese: 大分県佐伯市宇目大字南田原轟1368)

Takahara, Miyazaki Prefecture

The next spot I want to show you is where an ordinary person made their very own Totoro statue. If you hold up an umbrella in the rain you can take a photo that recreates that one scene from te movie. There is a sign nearby the statue with a caution written on it as the Totoro is actually inside a family garden. When visiting to take a photo, please make sure to follow the caution and not cause any trouble for people in the neighbouring area.

Address: 7538-6 Kamamuta, Takaharu, Nishimorokata-gun, Miyazaki Prefecture (In Japanese: 宮崎県西諸島県群高原町大字蒲牟田7538-6)

Rie posts photos of all her visits around Kyushu on Instagram, so if you’re thinking of ever visiting there, be sure to follow her for ideas on where to go.

Photos by Rie

*The information listed in this article is correct at the time of publishing

Japanese tea shop Susumu Chaya started up a takeout service for shaved ice on Tuesday (July 7) at all of its branches including in Kagoshima as well as Jiyugaoka and Shibuya’s DESCENTE TOKYO in Tokyo.

The shaved iced takeout service was originally only available at the two Tokyo branches, but now customers in Kagoshima can enjoy the tea-flavoured desserts.

Matcha Shaved Ice: ¥750 (Before Tax)

Made using Susumu Chaya’s “koicha,” a rich and full-bodied matcha variety.

Houjicha Shaved Ice: ¥750 (Before Tax)

The houjicha shaved ice is made using only first-grade tea leaves picked by Susumu Chaya. It has a refreshing taste.

The shaved ice can be ordered for takeout or eaten inside the cafes. Enjoy the full flavour of Japanese tea coupled with a refreshing portion of shaved ice.

Sakura, Chiba is home to important cultural heritage and even what is also known as the “Samurai Town”. Now you can stroll around the beautiful old streets of Sakura dressed as a Samurai, attend a relaxing zen session and even take part in a tea ceremony as part of a limited period tourist plan. The Samurai tour is mainly aimed at foreigners, however Japanese people who are curious about samurai culture are also more than welcome to join. 

Sakura Castle Samurai Stroll

In 2016, Sakura became one of the four cities of the Hokuso region to be designated as a Heritage site under the title “An Edo Travelogue through Four Hokuso Cities” for its preservation of the old Edo culture. Old buildings full of secrets can be spotted all over the town, creating the old atmosphere of the Edo period. Embrace the elegant remnants of the Edo period with a relaxing stroll in Samurai clothing. Who knows what you might discover.

Your relaxing stroll will be led by a tour guide who knows a lot about the history of Sakura. This is a wonderful opportunity to take beautiful pictures of the historical Samurai house (Bukeyashiki). Your tour guide will also show you Hiyodorizaka, which is a natural path lined with a dense forest of tall bamboo trees where Samurai are said to have often pass by. Every year, the bamboo and wooden sword martial arts sessions in the program are also very popular. 

◇ Running:

October 26

 November 9, 23

 December 14, 21

January 11, 25

February 8, 22

March 12, 28

April 9, 25

May 9, 16

◇ Times: 9:30 ー 12:30

 *The program will still run in bad weather excluding stormy or severe weather.

◇ Prices:

¥6,500 per person (Includes lunch voucher and entry to the samurai house)

* ¥6,000 per person when you purchase tickets as a group of 3 or more.

◇ Tickets

Reservation Website: https://www.govoyagin.com/ja

Apply Directly to Sakura City Tourism Association

TEL: 043-486-6000

Email: sakurashi-kankou@catv296.ne.jp

* Phone calls will be answered in Japanese only.

Zen Meditation and Tea Ceremony in the House of a Feudal Lord

There are also guided zen meditation and tea ceremony sessions which are available for a limited period only. These guided zen meditation and tea ceremonies will take place in the Kyuhottatei ー one of Japan’s most preserved traditional-style feudal lord residences. This luxurious Edo-style mansion was built 130 years ago and is classified as an Important Cultural Property.  

◇ Running:

October 16,

November 7, 19

December 6, 18

◇ Times: 9:00 ー 12:30

 *The program will still run in bad weather excluding stormy or severe weather.

◇ Prices:

¥10,000 per person (Includes lunch voucher, entry to the Kyuhottatei and tea ceremony participation fee.)

◇ Tickets

Please enquire directly to the Sakura City Tourism Association

TEL:  043-486-6000

Email Address: sakurashi-kankou@catv296.ne.jp

* Phone calls will be answered in Japanese only.

If you are curious about Edo Samurai culture, you won’t be disappointed by this program.

Both Sengan-en, Shoko Shuseikan Museum and Satsuma Kiriko Glassworks have been nominated for “Best Attraction” in the 2019 Travel & Tourism Awards, which are held in London every year as part of World Travel Market London (WTM).

This year marks the 40th run of WTM London, which brings together over 50,000 travel and tourism professionals from 186 countries to spread the latest tourism trends and must-visit locations around the world. The Travel & Tourism Awards is a universally recognised stamp of approval, held in front of over 500 seniors in the travel industry.

Sengan-en, Shoko Shuseikan Museum, and Satsuma Kiriko Glassworks have been recognised and nominated for their renovation efforts which have increased tourism. They are up against six other facilities in the same category, including Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter by Warner Bros Studios.

With only one entry from Japan, which location will take home the award? Japan will be watching intently for the reveal on November 5.

SAMURAI ROCK ORCHESTRA opened its all-new Samurai Rock Restaurant at Pasela Resorts Akiba Multi Entertainment in July and went into full throttle on August 5. This ‘show restaurant’ offers a dining experience like no other, serving not only food but thrilling entertainment from world class artists from a wide range of backgrounds including samurai, ninja, acrobats, and many more, all of whom are rallied and ready to put on a show you will never forget.

Children and adults from around the world can look forward to experiencing what Samurai Rock Restaurant has to offer as their performances transcend language barriers, needing only to be seen to be appreciated. The restaurant has also cooked up one delicious menu with many options to pick from, including some meals inspired by something specific such as samurai.

Expect to see acrobatics from the vaulting box to baton performance, rhythmic gymnastics, ropes and more, all sure to make you go “wow!”

You can even meet and speak to the performers, and maybe ask them how on earth they were able to do what they did!

Experience a new form of nightlife in Akihabara at the Samurai Rock Restaurant.

Hirakawa Zoo is home to 12 koalas, the most of any other zoo in the country. Last month, one of the mothers gave birth to three baby koalas who have now crawled into her pouch.

The zoo is located in Hirakawacho, Kagoshima. It houses 1,000 animals of around 140 different species. Some of their most popular residents are the koalas and white tigers. The giraffe site is a popular spot too as people like to snap photos with them and Sakurajima in the background, an active volcano.

The marsupial babies are growing slowly day by day. They are weight each day to keep an eye on their health.

The zoo is now currently taking suggestions from the public to help name the three babies. One is male and the other two are female. Each of them were born on different days and are not related.

Head to the zoo and to the koalas for yourself and help them come up with a name. Full details on how to submit can be found below.

Saki Shibata loves travel, both in her personal and work life. She was recently appointed ambassador of the Tokunoshima Island Gem Project.

Her position runs until March 31, and during that time she is going to introduce to all of us the “gems,” or things made on the island, as well as its allures and charms.

Saki receives her official ambassador certificate. “I will put my all into promoting the appeals of Tokunoshima. Let’s all work hard, together!” she says with enthusiasm and a smile.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

しばさき 柴田紗希さん(@shibasaaki)がシェアした投稿 – 2019年 1月月21日午前3時05分PST

To know the products, Saki must first learn about the people making them and where. She gets her hands on a tourist guidebook of Tokunoshima and studies. The island is approximately 470km south of mainland Kagoshima. It takes about an hour to get from there to the island in a plane. It’s also famous for triathlons and bullfighting.

The main produce farmed on Tokunoshima is sugarcane. You can see sugarcane growing all over the island, and there are lots of different products made from sugarcane in souvenir shops.

There is a rare and unusual product made from the island’s sugarcane “Shima no Napoleon.” It’s a type of sugarcane shochu sold on the island, outside of which only Amami Ōshima has special approval to make it, a neighbouring island. Saki saw the alcohol in shops and restaurants on Tokunoshima.

Sugarcane shochu demands delicate control and management in the production process. Multiple types of storage vessels are used to contain it. Saki felt even more so just how special Shima no Napoleon is when she saw the place it was being made.

There are plenty more special products being made from the sugarcane too. This includes additive-free cookies. They are sold in various flavours and are made on Tokunoshima. The manager said that the cookies came about from a desire to stock more products in the island’s souvenir shops using things available on the island. Much trial and error was put into crafting the best possible cookies.

You can get them in stylish pouches or high quality packaging for that proper souvenir feel. The box type is really cute!

The manager also kindly showed us around the factory. He has a wonderful smile!

Saki was healed by the harmonious and peaceful atmosphere of everybody working.

The next place Saki headed to was Tomita, an industrial association in Tokunoshima where they make raw peanuts. Tokunoshima is a producer of peanuts which has earned them the name Jimame, or “land of legumes.”

The reason they sell the peanuts raw is because they want people to eat them with the flavour of their choosing at home. They also come with some simple recipes. Also, when planted, the raw peanuts give rise to sprouts in just a few days. People planting their own peanuts is something they want to encourage too.

Let’s take a look at some of the other wonderful products. The Papaya Spice, a product of Okayama, goes well sprinkled lightly on meat, helping to bring out the meat’s full flavour. It’s packed with papaya enzymes and is supposed to be good when dieting.

The Buta Miso is an accompaniment to a meal and is made from Berkshire pig, ginger, peanuts and other ingredients.

If you want to visit Tokunoshima but haven’t got time then we’ve got some good news for you! If you’re in Tokyo between February 9 and March 8 this year, all of the “gems” you’ve seen up to now and more can be bought at Rito Kitchen in Nihonbashi. These are available for a limited time only, so head on over ASAP and enjoy the flavours of Tokunoshima.

■Information

Rito Kitchen Nihonbashi

Address: YUITO Nihonbashi Muromachi Nomura Building Floor B1F, 2-4-3 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo Ward, Tokyo

TEL: 03-6225-2095

Here are the products that Saki was most interested in when visiting Tokunoshima.

The first is Shima no Hachimitsu, or “Island Honey” made by Shigeaki Maeda. This raw honey contains no sugar or additives. It has a very organic flavour that lets you taste the nature of Tokunoshima.

Mr. Maeda handles every part of the manual labour effort when creating his honey, from collecting bees to operating the centrifuge to packaging. He understands customers may become worried as the concentrated honey solidifies when it’s stored below 14℃ (though this does not affect its quality, he explains), so he sells it from springtime.

Contact：Shigeaki Maeda #201 5553-8 Kamezu Tokunoshima-cho Oshimagun Kagoshina

This is called a Great Green Turban. You often see them spanning 20cm on Amami Ōshima, and you can even prep and cook them. Saki made them herself during her stay and enjoyed pasta and curry.

Blue Shell, a Great Green Turban workshop, uses their mother-of-pearls to create beautiful stamps. Each and every one is handmade by the owner Umeyama, so all of them have their own unique forms and shapes.

You can’t miss out on products made with oranges native to Tokunoshima either. The Dressing Candy, a brand of ponzu, is made with orange juice and fine powder and uses absolutely no agrochemicals. It’s a product that’s hard to get your hands on anywhere else.

The 100% orange juice too is full of nutritional value and has even been called a “high power food.”

Tokunoshima Airport is nicknamed Kodakara Kuukou, or “the airport treasured with children.” This comes from the high birth rate up and down the island. When you exit the airport you see women dubbed Nesugatayama as they look like the mountains when laying down. The airport is supposed to give you very good luck!

Try discovering the beautiful charms of Tokunoshima yourself too like Saki, the ambassador of the Tokunoshima Island Gem Project, and be sure to visit Rito Kitchen too to enjoy the natural flavours of the island if you can’t make the trip.

Japanese telecommunications operator KDDI is setting up photo spots based on the INFOBAR mobile phone at “au” branches across Japan, beginning in Tokyo before moving to Nagoya, Osaka and Sendai. People are free to snap pictures at these spots and post them to social media.

The exhibition is being held to commemorate the release of the INFOBAR xv which hit the market on November 29, 2018. The photo op spots are inspired by the colourful buttons on the phone, an iconic part of its design.

The set was designed by Japanese balloon artist Emi Jinguu who has competed and won in US competitions.

Head to one of the au branches below and snap some stylish pictures!

Yuna Yabe and MIOCHIN bring the second entry to their featured article series. In the first article, they visited 6 different second hand clothing stores in Harajuku. This time, they head to various photogenic places around Harajuku. The locations they visited were submitted by their followers on social media who were asked to recommend Instagram-worthy locations in Harajuku. They took plenty of photos, so let’s see how their trip went!

Instagram Worthy Spots in Harajuku Recommended by People

Yuna Yabe and MIOCHIN go through Harajuku almost every day. But just because they’re always there, they may still be unaware or not know about some spots. So here’s some spots recommended by their followers!

Yuna: “This is from @killer_princess2. Doesn’t it look amazing?! It’s completely black! You’ll be able to take a super cool picture if you wear a monotone outfit! Personally, I definitely want to go and see this.”

Yuna: “This is from @misa.s.world. Is it a shop display? What an extremely cool place! It made me think that although I’m in Harajuku almost every day there’s still place I don’t know ahout.”

MIOCHIN: “This is from @kanon_thx. This is the World Clock monument at the MOSHI MOSHI BOX Harajuku Tourist Information Center managed by the MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON Project. It’s a famous spot for photos in Harajuku. It’s easy to find and colourful so I definitely recommend it!”

MIOCHIN: “This is from @twintail.g__. The colourful graffiti is cute! It looks like a place where you could take an Instagram photo if you match outfits with a friend♪”

Thank you to everyone who submitted recommendations. Yuna and MIOCHIN will now set off into Harajuku to take some pictures!

Visiting the Recommended Places!

The first place they went to is the “Now Is Forever” graffiti located just a short walk from Family Mart on Shibuya Cat Street. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call this place the most popular with people visiting Harajuku for taking Instagram photos. It’s a bit of a walk form the station, but its colours make it stand out so it’s very easy to find and an easy location for snapping shots for your page.

Next, they headed in the direction of Takeshita Street with the “Now Is Forever” to the back of them. They went through Cat Street and took the first left to find the black concrete wall.

Yuna: “When I looked at the photo of this that a follower sent, I really wanted to come here! It’s simple but you don’t really see walls like this, so I recommend it to people!”

★TIP
When taking a photo of something black, you can make the black colour more compact and take a better photo by lowering exposure. Depending on what app or device your using the interface will be different, but most use a sun icon for exposure.

Cat Street is a graffiti gold mine. You’ll run into many great photo opportunities just by walking.

↓

★TIP
Harajuku’s streets are narrow and there’s a lot of obstructions, but if you take advantage of that you can take some very different looking photos from other people. This photo is made gorgeous with the flower bed in a blurry foreground.

Yuna: I put on the VSCO C1 filter on my app. Normally I’m the type to not add flashy things, but the VSCO filters look natural and stylish so I recommend them!

The brick wall at MICO Jingumae*, a commercial complex in Cat Street, is also a recommended spot. It’s easy place to take simple photos in full outfits. *Address: 4-25-4 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo

↓

★TIP

When taking a photo try to make skilled use of blank spaces. By adding stamps later on it’s easy to incorporate more of your style into it!

MIOCHIN: “I used the LINE Camera app and added stamps. The colourful stamps are cute and stand out because the photo has a simple background!”

↓

There’s a sudden refreshing path when you climb the stairs at MICO Jingumae. You can get away from the hustle and bustle of Harajuku and have a breather.

This street has a European vibe to it. From Cat Street it’s close to Omotesando Crossing along Meiji-dori. Walk along the little path beside Laforet Harajuku.

This street goes by the names Mozart Street and Fontaine Street. The two of them discovered a water fountain in front of the building with the beauty salon. Despite being smack in the middle of Harajuku it had an exotic atmosphere.

Did you enjoy this trip? Yuna and MIOCHIN went to stroll around photogenic spots in Harajuku and there were many they hadn’t been introduced to yet. Part of Harajuku’s appeal is how shops, displays and graffiti/illustrations change every day. No matter when you go, you’re sure to have a great time. Why not visit yourself this summer?

This series can also be enjoyed on YouTube. Be sure to check it out below!

Following up from his popular HEART WASH! Flamenco in the Rain video which was shown at Japan Expo in Paris this year, Ken Nagata has released his next dance piece, Samurai x Flamenco.

Japan is the second most popular country for flamenco after Spain. Despite this, there’s actually not that many people who know about or have seen flamenco. That’s where Ken Nagata comes in, a flamenco master who begun making this series to spread the word about it and raise people’s interests.

Ken Nagata is a leading Japanese flamenco dancer and the first to win a unanimous honourable mention from the judges at the 22nd Asociacion Nipona de Flamenco in 2013. His new video maintains the surreal entertainment of Spanish flamenco while mixing it with Japanese culture.

It’s a battle between a samurai sword wielder and a dancer holding a cane used in flamenco. Check out the fun video yourself!

Vinyl Museum―a participation-based art exhibition―will make its return at BALLY Ginza, running from July 21 to August 5.

We previously covered the first holding of this event which brings together a variety of art displays specifically intended for people to take photos of for their Instagram pages. Last year’s event in Omotesando drew in 5,500 people and over 7,000 posts were posted on Instagram.

This second event will take place in Ginza and hopes to bring in more foreign tourists. They have increased the number of booths on show, and the attendee rate is expected to be around 7,000.