From December 1 until December 25, guests at Hyatt Centric Ginza will be able to see the first-ever Christmas tree designed by the social advocacy group HERALBONY. The Light-Hearted ART TREE will welcome guests to the 4F library and lounge area, and the tree lighting ceremony will be streamed on Instagram live.

It’s no surprise that the hotel is collaborating with HERALBONY again–from May to November of this year, the HERALBONY ART ROOM was open for guests to enjoy. This is the first time that the unit is designing a Christmas tree, and the piece is inspired by one of their most iconic pieces of art–Yukihito Okabe’s Hoo! Hey! Visitors of all ages can enjoy this beautiful piece, filled with color and sure to bring joy.

Along with the tree, the showcase and lounge will also be decorated in a number of HERALBONY pieces. Come enjoy the Christmas season in this one-of-a-kind space!

Starting October 10, the popular ice cream sandwich Biscuit Sandwich will begin a collaboration with the popular anime and manga series Spy x Family. The second season began on October 1.

The collaboration will introduce limited-edition packaging in three styles featuring close-ups of the three main characters–Loid, Yor, and Anya. Two of the designs were newly drawn for this collaboration.

While the main characters are featured on the front, the back shows Franky, Becky, and Henry Henderson. Customers will also want to search for a hidden Anya somewhere on the packaging.

Along with this special packaging, three different campaigns will be underway featuring an original QUO card, a USB featuring original voice recordings, and a cooler bag shaped like the penguin that appears in the series. For those snagging the USB, you’ll be able to hear Anya begging for ice cream and some other cute lines. This USB will be delivered in a case made to look like an ice cream sandwich, and fans won’t want to miss out on their chance to add it to their collection!

Matsuzaki Shoten will hold a special collaboration event between Ginza’s Matsuzaki Senbei and Cat’s ISSUE starting on August 6, 2022. The Cat’s Festival 2022 will be an incredible event for cat lovers, and guests will be able to grab some special hand towels and bowls produced exclusively for the festival. In addition, there will be an exhibition of works by Ayako Ishiguro, a picture book artist associated with Cat’s ISSUE.

Ginza’s Matsuzaki Senbei x Cat’s ISSUE

This Japanese-style hand towel features illustrations of unique cats based on the concept color of Matsuzaki Shoten, the main Matsuzaki Senbei shop in Ginza.

Ginza’s Matsuzaki Senbei x Cat’s ISSUE

Matsuzaki Senbei’s flagship product has been decorated with cat illustrations, each painted by hand. During the event, customers can choose four of their favorite pieces from a total of nine different patterns and pack them in a box wrapped with beautiful paper with a special design.  Guests can also purchase these goods separately. 

Collaboration with Ayako Ishiguro, a Picture Book Artist Specializing in Monster Art

This comical cat scroll created by Ayako Ishiguro will be on display during the exhibition. Hand towels made in collaboration with Ishiguro will also be on sale. These have previously been sold to huge fanfare.

If you love cats and classic Japanese art, this is the event for you!

On July 18, the upscale teppanyaki and yakiniku restaurant Honten Yamashina opened a new location in Ginza! The hybrid restaurant has taken over the entire top floor of GINZA PLACE, which is directly connected to Ginza Station. Overlooking the Ginza 4-chome intersection, it’s a gorgeous place to enjoy some authentic Japanese cuisine. 

Honten Yamashina mainly uses fully-matured Omi beef, the highest grade available among Shiga Prefecture’s top-tier beef, from Okazaki Farm. The cows are allowed to fatten for a considerable amount of time and live stress-free lives for over 40 months. Less than 1% of all Wagyu cattle are shipped after 24 months of age, and this delectable meat is characterized by its sharp taste and fattiness. 

Luxurious Wagyu and Sea Urchin Sushi

Early Summer Plate to Enjoy with Seasonal Flowers

Selected Extra-thick Beef Tongue Steak Made with Refined Attention to Detail

Grilled Spiny Lobster Made on a Charcoal Grill

The Playful Yamashina Wagyu Slider

Melt-in-your-mouth Sweet Amala Tomato (Vegetable of the Day)

Hand-selected Omi Beef Steak

Truffle Omurice

Japanese-style Teppanyaki

Guests can enjoy authentic Japanese teppanyaki cuisine with a modern twist. While sitting at the contour, visitors will enjoy a live performance by Taku Osada, a teppanyaki chef with over 20 years of experience.  

The wide variety of meat can be enjoyed in a number of different ways, whether it be raw, grilled, stewed, or properly cooked. From tongue and rump to filet and sirloin, you won’t leave hungry. Visitors can also enjoy seafood and seasonal Japanese vegetables along with their meat, and the flowers and leaves that adorn each plate will change depending on the time of year.

In addition to rare teppanyaki dishes like skirt steak and 3cm-thick beef tongue, Honten Yamashina also offers some playful dishes such as sliders. As the temperature differs on different parts of the steel cooking plate, each item can be cooked to a temperature that maximizes its specific flavor. Honten Yamashina also has a massive cellar housin over 1,000 bottles of wine and hard-to-find spirits. 

Japanese-style Yakiniku

For those looking for a more private experience, guests can enjoy yakiniku in a completely separate room. Each private room has a grill that will cook meat to the perfect temperature, and only at Honten Yamashina can you enjoy fully-matured Omi beef. The signature cutlet sandwich is made with chateaubriand cooked at a low temperature and deep-fried in a thin batter, then served on crispy bread with a soft, fluffy interior.

Teppanyaki and yakiniku are typically thought of as meat-based dishes, but the restaurant can accommodate vegetarian guests if contacted in advance. 

When Japan opens up to tourism, will you be visiting this incredible restaurant in the heart of Tokyo?

The second exhibition for the popular manga, novel, and anime series That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime will open at Matsuya Ginza on July 21. With over 30 million copies in print, the series has become massively popular both in Japan and abroad, and an anime film is scheduled to release this November. 

The exhibition will be open until August 9, 2022, and is then scheduled to begin a regional tour.

Certain scenes from the highly-anticipated upcoming film will be shown exclusively at the exhibition. Those who are having trouble waiting until November won’t want to miss this rare chance!

During the previous exhibition, guests were able to enter a lottery to win a signboard autographed by Miho Okasaki, the voice of Rimuru. Due to the large number of entries, prizes for the second lottery are even more incredible!

The following autographs, which were previously displayed during the last exhibition, will be given away to some lucky fans. More details are available on the official Twitter page!

Signboard autographed by That Time I Reincarnated as a Slime author Fuse / Signboard autographed by Tenchura! That Time I Reincarnated as a Slime author Fuse / Signboard autographed by That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Trinity in Tempest artist Tae Tono / Signboard autographed by That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: The Ways of the Monster Nation author Sho Okagiri / Signboard autographed by That Time I Got Reincarnated (Again!) as a Workaholic Slime illustrator Shizuku Akechi / Signboard autographed by The Slime Diaries: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime artist Shiba

*Prizes are awarded at random. 

The SPYxFAMILY pop-up shop, first held inside Tokyo Station’s Character Street in April, will be coming to Matsuya Ginza from June 29 until July 12, 2022. 

Limited edition merchandise will be making a return, each featuring exclusive illustrations that saw huge popularity at the Tokyo Station event. Guests will also be able to purchase eight new items!

The lineup includes a rubber coin case (3 varieties, random), a clear multi-use pouch (3 varieties, random), an acrylic keychain featuring Anya, a Peanuts T-shirt with a new Anya illustration, and a mug. Each item is accented with Anya’s pink hair, adding to the cute factor.

Bonus Sticker

Bonus Cooling Towel

Goods

Customers spending ¥3,300 or more at the pop-up shop will receive a bonus sticker. Those spending ¥5,500 can choose between a mug or a cooling towel!

©遠藤達哉／集英社・SPY×FAMILY製作委員会  

Pocky is one of the most popular Japanese snacks around the world, and a new way to enjoy it is here. Since the 1970s, Pocky on the Rocks has been a popular way to enjoy the tasty treats during the summer. A modern version has just been unveiled, and six special boxes with exclusive designs will be released on June 14 along with a new campaign, recipe submission contest, and a collaboration with select cafes around Japan. 

Pocky on the Rocks was first introduced in an ad campaign in 1976. People began putting Pocky sticks in a cool glass filled with ice or using the sticks as muddlers for alcoholic drinks. This stylish summer snack has been reimagined for 2022, and customers are inspired to pair the sticks with their favorite drink, stick them into ice cream, or add them to a cup of seasonal fruit!

Pocky on the Rocks in the 1970s

Pocky on the Rocks Today

Collaboration with 5 Cafes in Tokyo and Kansai

Cafe Roman – Takadanobaba, Tokyo

Cream Soda

Cafe Negura – Shimokitazawa, Tokyo
Dark Cherry Soda

DORSIA – Sannomiya, Kobe
Heart Strawberry Milk

Sunshine Cafe – Higashi-Umeda, Osaka
Almond Mixed Juice

Poem Cafe – Motomachi, Kobe
Lemon Squash

Pocky’s limited edition packaging, coming June 14, will feature a recipe for the 2022 Pocky on the Rocks. A recipe submission contest will also be held on Instagram, and anyone can participate. On the campaign website, fans can find collaboration recipes made in conjunction with five different cafes around Tokyo and the Kansai region. Of course, you can also grab these treats at each shop!

Fans can win retro goods in another ongoing campaign simply by snapping a picture of a Pocky receipt.

You’ve probably tried Pocky before, but have you ever tried Pocky on the Rocks? 

Bandai’s Japanese confectionary project Tabemas has been transforming popular characters into tasty treats for years. Starting April 5, over 16,600 FamilyMart stores nationwide will offer sweets inspired by illustrator nagano’s popular characters Chiikawa and Usagi!

This is the first time these characters have been featured in the Tabemas series. Fans can grab Chiikawa with sparking eyes or smiling with red cheeks, a sparkly-eyed Usagi, and the adorable cat Hachiware. It will be difficult to eat something so painfully cute, but each is sure to taste delicious! The Chiikawa sweets are milk and custard flavored, Usagi is sweetened with caramel, and Hachiware offers the taste of strawberry milk. 

(C)nagano / chiikawa committee

From April 2 until April 22, Ginza Tsutaya Books will be holding a 5th-anniversary exhibition featuring art by three young female artists! These creators specialize in drawing girls, and the event will ask one question: what is ‘Kawaii?’ The artists featured are Amane Ishii, Azusa Nozawa, and Yumi Nagata. 

These three artists have captured the spotlight with their unique styles. Ishii prefers oil painting, Nozawa has a style perfect for manga, and Nagata specializes in more Japanese-style paintings. Those who planned the exhibition noted that the reason these three artists have become so popular stems from how they depict cuteness–they don’t try to conform to society’s idea of ‘cute,’ but rather depict what they themselves consider to be cute.

Many motifs in Ishii’s works are based on the artist’s personal experiences, many stemming from childhood. Her unique characters are sure to grab your attention, and although her pieces are two-dimensional, the linework almost makes them seem 3D. 

For Nozawa, ‘cute’ is the most important element found in her works. She often uses pastels, and something about the way she draws her characters is nostalgic, harkening back to purikura filters and manga characters of the early 2000s. Her unique worldview and nostalgic characters amount to truly one-of-a-kind pieces.

The girls appearing in Nagata’s pieces are projections of herself. She draws the clothes she would like to wear and the poses she’d love to strike! Pursuing her idea of ‘cuteness’ with traditional Japanese techniques and paints, she often includes polka dots in her works, which are a feminine symbol. 

The exhibition will feature two of Ishii’s oil paintings and 13 drawings, the first time such a large number of drawings have been shown all at once. In addition, three of Nozawa’s new portrait series will be on display, along with nine of Nagata’s works. 

‘Kawaii’ is one of the most prominent keywords found in contemporary Japanese culture. What does it mean to you?

Sony Park Mini, a tiny experimental art space in Ginza, is going to hold fans over until Ginza Sony Park opens in 2024. 

Sony Park Mini is located in a small 3.5 square meter space on B1F of the Nishiginza parking lot adjacent to Ginza Sony Park, which is currently under construction. The concept of the space is to “hold events that highlight local artists.”

More than 30 experimental programs will be held throughout the year highlighting unique creators and artists from all backgrounds including music, film, art, food, fashion, and shopping. Depending on which programs are popular, the project may extend to other cities. 

The first event, ‘Ayatake Exaki presents None Session,’ will run from March 23 until April 5, 2022, and will feature the musician and his piano.

Program Schedule
1: March 23 – April 5, 2022 / Ayatake Ezaki (Musical Artist)
2: April 6 – April 19, 2022 / Takuro Tamayama (Contemporary Artist)
3: April 20 – May 2, 2022 / Chiaki Kadota (Painter)
4: May 3 – May 16, 2022 / Neo Sora (Film Director), Aiko Masubuchi (Film Curator)
*The period of these events is subject to change. Any changes will be announced on Sony Park Mini social media accounts.

The Nishiginza Parking Lot Coffee shop, located inside Sony Park Mini, will offer a lineup of drinks made from carefully selected coffee beans. Vegan donuts and cookies made with natural ingredients will also be available.

Fujiya is celebrating 111 years with a special collaboration with Hoshino Resort! The sweets company is well-known for ‘Milky,’ one of the most popular candies in Japan, and now, fans of these sweets can surround themselves completely with retro vibes. To inspire younger generations to travel again, a Milky-inspired room plan is now available to book. 

Four Unique Features of the Milky Sweet Accommodation Plan

１. A Milky Sweet Room with a Retro Feel!

This sweet room is completely covered with retro Milky style! The candy’s mascot Peko-chan takes center stage in Taisho clothing, and guests can enjoy a Milky snack set and Milky bath salts to complete this one-of-a-kind experience.

2. Become Peko-chan with Adorable Costumes!

Dress up as Peko-chan with your best friend and take some hilarious pictures! These tops and overalls are included with the room, but feel free to wear them out and about.

3.  Milky-flavored Popcorn Available in Collaboration with TAMARIBA!

Popcorn sweetened with Milky powder is now available at TAMARIBA. Enjoy this tasty treat as you explore the grounds, and enjoy the special bag featuring Peko-chan. 

Location: TAMARIBA / Available: 15:00-19:00 / Price: Free
*Available while supplies last

4.  Enjoy Special Experiences at BEB5 Karuizawa and BEB5 Tsuchiura

BEB5 Karuizawa

Find Retro Peko-chan in Karuizawa Hoshino!

All-you-can-eat French Toast with Milky Sauce

BEB5 Tsuchiura

Make a Milky Smoothy on a Bike!

Peko-chan Retro Photo Cycling Tour in Tsuchiura!

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of her major label debut, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is staying active in 2022. Next month, the singer will finally take to the stage at Coachella 2022 in California. In conjunction with the nationwide tour, the LOCAL POWER JAPAN Project was launched to energize Japan through the appeal of regional towns and cities. Finally making it to the northern Japan city of Hakodate, details surrounding the singer’s sweet new collaboration have been announced!

Kyary is teaming up with the traditional Japanese confectionary shop Senshu An in Hakodate, founded over 162 years ago. This time, the special collaboration logo was inspired by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s 2012 hit Candy Candy. The logo was originally written traditionally in black ink, but it’s recieved a major pop makeover in pastel shades of yellow and green to pay homage to the set of the Candy Candy music video.

The shop is well-known for its original Yama Oyaji, a popular souvenir from Hokkaido. The new collab product feature Kyary’s face and dancers, perfect for fans of the singer–though they might be a little too adorable to eat. Made one by one by skilled craftsman using carefully selected Hokkaido azuki beans as the base, each sweet features soft pastel colors to welcome spring. The sweets are placed in a special package wrapped in original collaborative wrapping paper. Be sure to grab them from the online store before they’re gone on April 18!

A collaborative T-shirt is also on sale featuring the new logo and the singer’s 10th-anniversary logo. Get one from the LOCAL POWER JAPAN Project website by March 30!