The art collective TeamLab will hold the TeamLab Fukuyama Castle Festival of Light event at Fukuyama Castle in Hiroshima Prefecture from December 2, 2022 to January 29, 2023. The exhibition will transform the stone walls, the tower, and the outside of the iconic castle, which is currently celebrating its 400th anniversary. Light art will transform the space in different ways depending on the number of guests and the weather. 

In August 2022, Fukuyama Castle recieved a major restoration with iron paneling installed on the north side, the only such restorative technique used on a Japanese castle to date. As guests walk around the keep, the included musical experience will change according to your walking speed and pace.

teamLab <Castle Tower> 

The stone walls of Fukuyama Castle will depict animals shaped by flowers as they continuously die and are reborn. When guests touch the flowers, they disperse; if they continue to touch and the flowers disperse too much, the animal dies and disappears.

Built during the Edo period, the castle survived the Meiji Restoration but was damaged heavily in WWII.

teamLab <Animals of Flowers, Symbiotic Lives in the Stone Wall>

Ovoids made of light sit at the bottom of the castle. When pushed by a person or blown by the wind, these unique creations will change color and interact with the nearly ovoids, which will change to the same color and make a similar tone.

teamLab <Resisting and Resonating Ovoids on the Stones of Oblivion>

In the Sketch Generals section, visitors can draw historical warlords associated with Fukuyama Castle, including Katsunari Mineno, the first lord of the Fukuyama domain and builder of Fukuyama Castle, Nobunaga Oda, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, Nagamasa Kuroda, Ieyasu Tokugawa, and Masahiro Abe. When the generals are touched, famous quotes appear in speech bubbles!

In addition, visitors can turn their own drawings of generals into pins that they can take home as souvenirs!

teamLab <Sketch Generals>

teamLab <Sketch Factory>

Several other works will be exhibited around the castle during the event as well.

The castle tower was designated a National Treasure in the early Showa era but was destroyed by fire in an air raid during World War II. It was rebuilt in 1966. 

teamLab’s Digitized City project has become popular across the world, allowing the art collective to utilize real-world locales to display artworks without damaging or altering the location chosen.

With its lengthy history, Fukuyama Castle is a magnificent canvas, transforming as both visitors and nature interact with the lights. People, animals, nature, and art can live side by side, without boundaries. Wouldn’t you like to come to visit this winter?

teamLab <Walk, Walk, Walk -Fukuyama Castle>

©チームラボ

Hiroshima PARCO is currently hosting Moomin Market 2022, an exhibition offering special merchandise inspired by the Finnish character Moomin. The event is open now at PARCO FACTORY in the facility’s main building until May 8, 2022. 

Selected Goods Lineup

The Moomins have continued to be loved by audiences around the world since the release of Tove Jansson’s novel The Moomins and the Great Flood in 1945. The event is offering a number of new goods, including those from the Moominmamma’s Rose series, which are perfect for Mother’s Day. Guests should also look forward to the Moomin House on display at the venue!

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of her major label debut, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is staying active in 2022. The artist will perform at this year’s Coachella, one of the largest music festivals in the United States, and released her first full-length album in three years ‘Candy Racer’ in October 2021.  On January 16, Kyary embarked on the largest tour of her career, ‘Kyary Pamyu Pamyu 10th ANNIVERSARY JAPAN TOUR 2022 CANDY WAVE,’ which will see the singer performing 30 shows across Japan. In conjunction with the nationwide tour, the “LOCAL POWER JAPAN Project” was launched to energize Japan through the appeal of regional towns and cities, and has been attracting major attention. Kyary’s tour is scheduled to visit Hiroshima on March 11, and the details of her next collaboration have been revealed!

Kyary will be collaborating with Nishikido, the largest manufacturer of Hiroshima Prefecture’s famous momiji manju. This tasty sweet is a buckwheat and rice cake shaped like a Japanese maple leaf and filled with red bean paste. Nishikido’s well-known logo has been reimagined as a tribute to Kyary’s 2014 album Family Party.

A special box of momiji manju will include five pieces in both traditional red bean paste and cheese cream, and is a perfect souvenir for fans of the singer. This special product is available for pre-order at the LOCAL POWER JAPAN Project website and will also be on sale at the tour venue, Hiroshima Ueno Gakuen Hall, on March 11. 

A collaborative T-shirt is also on sale featuring the new logo and the singer’s 10th-anniversary logo. The shirt is available on the LOCAL POWER JAPAN Project website for two weeks only. 

Headquartered in Nagoya, Kakuouzan Fruits Daifuku Benzaiten sparked the recent fruit daifuku boom. Founded in 2019, more than 70 locations have popped up throughout Japan, and these delectable sweets have been popping up on television, in magazines, and across social media. A limited-time pop-up shop is now open at Hiroshima T-SITE until February 4.

Benzaiten is also the famous birthplace of the ‘mochi-cutting thread.’ By cutting each piece with a thin string, visitors can create a beautiful cross-section perfect for posting to Instagram.

Each piece is made from white bean paste and rice to bring out the flavor of the fruit. With a light sweetness, these are treats that everyone will love.

Anime fashion brand R4G has collaborated with Tokyo Revengers to produce a lineup of limited collaboration items that will be sold in AZUL BY MOUSSY AEON MALL Hiroshima between October 8 and October 17.

TOKYO REVERSIBLE COACH JAKET ¥14,300 (Tax Incl.)

REVENGERS TEE　¥4,400 (Tax Incl.)

SCENE PHOTO TEE　¥4,400 (Tax Incl.)

SCENE PHOTO L/S TEE　¥5,500 (Tax Incl.)

REVENGERS CAP　¥3,300 (Tax Incl.)

REVENGERS RUBBER KEYCHAIN　¥660 (Tax Incl.)

REVENGERS COIN CASE　¥1,650 (Tax Incl.)

REVENGERS CREWNECK　 ¥6,600 (Tax Incl.)

REVENGERS SWEATPANTS　¥8,800 (Tax Incl.)

REVENGERS ACRYLIC STAND　Hanagaki Takemichi / Sano Manjirou / Ryūguji Ken 　¥1,650 (Tax Incl.)

REVENGERS CLEARFILE　Hanagaki Takemichi / Sano Manjirou / Ryūguji Ken / 3shot ¥550 (Tax Incl.)

REVENGERS STICKER　¥1,100 (Tax Incl.)

REVENGERS RIBBON KEYCHAIN　花垣武道/佐野万次郎/龍宮寺堅　¥1,100 (Tax Incl.)

REVENGERS FACE COVER(Reversible) ¥1,980 (Tax Incl.)

REVENGERS BADGE 75mm　¥550 (Tax Incl.)

A part of the store will be converted into a Tokyo Revengers pop up shop, with life-sized panels of Hanagaki Takemichi, Mikey (Sano Manjirou), and Draken (Ryūguji Ken) wearing the collaboration clothing. You’ll find yourself wanting to get dressed up and twin with your favorite character! A scene from the anime will also be set up as a photo spot, making it the perfect space for any Tokyo Revengers fan.

The AEON MALL Hiroshima Fuchu store will be stocking 14 designs overall, including printed T-shirts, a brand-new reversible coach jacket, keychains with pixel dotted logo and gang name designs, and a coin case with the words “TOKYO” and “REVENGERS” printed all across the fabric. These items are all limited edition and are only available for a short time, so be sure to pick them up while you can! Some pieces will be released online, so be sure to check it out.

©Wakui Ken・Kodansha / Anime ‘Tokyo Revengers’ Production Committee

Miniature photographer Tanaka Tatsuya, who has garnered attention from all across the world, will be holding the ‘MINIATURE LIFE 2 ~ Tanaka Tetsuya’s Lifelike World~’ exhibition between November 26 and December 13 in the Sougo Hiroshima 9F exhibition hall.

Event Limited Goods

Tote Bag

Mousepad

The popular “MINIATURE LIFE Exhibition” which captured the hearts of 1.5 million people within Japan and overseas, has returned with even more power than before. You’ll find a sushi roll train rolling along the tracks, a clip becoming a waiting room chair, and a hot-air balloon lettuce floating in the sky… Tanaka Tatsuya is a miniature photographer living in Kagoshima, who crafts a tiny and funny world by transforming everyday items.

Their unique and creative works will make you laugh and groan, transcending borders and attracting over 3.2 million followers on Instagram! Tanaka is spreading the joy of miniature art from Kagoshima to the world.

In this long-awaited second exhibition, around 170 works will be displayed, including some brand new pieces. Venue-limited merchandise and miniature dolls that feature in the artworks can be purchased at the event, so don’t miss out!

 Be sure to check out the ‘MINIATURE LIFE 2 ~ Tanaka Tetsuya’s Lifelike World~’ exhibition, where your everyday life will be transformed into a wonderful new world!

Illustrator Nagano’s popular character Chiikawa is coming to Hiroshima PARCO FACTORY (6F) from September 10 until September 26. Chiikawa no Mori will be the first large-scale exhibition for the tiny mouse and friends.

Guests to the venue will enter into a world taken over by the characters, and will be able to see a special movie made for the event, enjoy a Chiikawa photo booth, and more. Visitors will also be able to experience pulling weeds, as is mentioned so often in Chiikawa’s comics, and write messages to the characters.

Entrance photospot

Chiikawa Diagnosis

Trick art

Weed-pulling game

Bye Bye photospot

Message board

Entrance ticket pochette bag bonus

Weed-pulling game stickers

Exclusive shopping bag for customers spending over ¥2,200 (Tax Included)

Chiikawa x Hiroshima Toyo Carp Exclusive Merchandise

A5-size Sticker Sheet: ¥880 (Tax Included) / Face Towel: ¥2,200 (Tax Included) / Tote Bag: ¥2,970 (Tax Included)
 

Acrylic Stand & Pin from Capsule Machine (6 varieties): ¥400 per try (Tax Included)

Cap (2 designs): ¥3,960 each (Tax Included)

T-shirt (3 designs): ¥3,190 (Tax Included)

Exclusive Chiikawa no Mori Postcard Book: ¥1,430 (Tax Included)

The event will feature a special collaboration with the Hiroshima Toyo Carps baseball team, with crossover goods only available during the exhibition. Other commemorative items, including a postcard book with visuals drawn specifically for the event, will be on sale at the goods corner.

Are you a Chiikawa fan? What message would you like to leave for the characters?

The poop-themed Unko Museum is heading to Hiroshima Marina Hop for a limited time from July 17 to September 12. The museum has been around both inside and outside Japan since 2019. It has popped up in Yokohama, Tokyo, Shanghai, Fukuoka, and online.

The museum is an educational facility that teaches visitors (also called poopers at the museum) everything they ever wanted (or didn’t want) to know about poo.

All the classic installations and facilities are making an appearance including the poop-spurting Unko Volcano, the Poopteractive Area which is filled with games, the Poopogenic Area which is covered in cute sparkly poo decorations, and more.

The Moomin Comic Strips Exhibition is set to run at Hiroshima Museum of Art from July 17 to September 5, showcasing approximately 280 comic drawings and sketches by Tove and Lars Jansson which have never been shown in Japan before.

The comics by Tove Jansson (1914-2001) began publication in the British newspaper The Evening News in 1954. With the help from her younger brother Lars Jansson (1926-2000), the series continued to be published for more than 20 years. At its peak, Moomin comics were published in over 40 countries, 120 newspapers, and read by 20 million people.

The Moomins are immensely popular in Japan and have enjoyed numerous exhibitions up and down the country. Fans will be delighted to lay their eyes upon artwork from Moomin Characters’ collection which have never been displayed in Japan until now.

Famous Japanese baumkuchen confectionery brand Nenrinya is set to appear at the upcoming baumkuchen exhibition that will take place at SOGO Hiroshima from March 18 to 23.

Nenrinya is a Ginza-based baumkuchen brand known for its iconic white noren entry curtain. Its high quality cakes are loved by the people of Tokyo, and now, the people of Hiroshima will get to tuck into their delights. The brand are serving their signature Mount Baum Firm Sprout, Straight Baum Soft Sprout, and their famous spring season Cherry Blossom Country Mount Baum.

Mount Baum Firm Sprout – Single Bag ¥756 / Whole ¥1,080

Nenrinya’s Mount Baum Firm Sprout is a butter-filled delight that’s crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. This cake is baked over a long period of time to elevate its delicious flavour.

Straight Baum Soft Sprout – ¥1,080

This softer version has been described as a ‘castella-like baumkuchen.’ It’s a juicy cake made with lots of eggs.

Cherry Blossom Country Mount Baum – Slice ¥756

Each and every layer of this cherry blossom flavoured baumkuchen is carefully cooked to perfection. Its fragrance and colour is reminiscent of the Japanese cherry blossoms season and Hanami.

Sai Sai Jaran Jaran is a featured series here on MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON from the members of the all-female band SILEN SIREN (aka Sai Sai) who visit various hot spots in Japan and experience different things, the Sai Sai way.

Band bassist Ainyan enjoys a beer or cocktail, but she wants to step into the world of wine, so we will join her on her journey today as she goes to learn all about wine from the very basics.

It’s a clear sky today. Great weather for going for a drink during the day, am I right?

We visited Fukagawa Winery Tokyo in Monzennakacho, an area located in Shitamachi, Tokyo. We were looking forward to going there because it offers the full wine experience, allowing visitors to see wine brewing up close to learn all about it.

This experience is offered twice a day on weekends and national holidays at 14:00 and 16:00.

Fukagawa Winery Tokyo opened in Tokyo in 2016 as a winery where the ordinary person could go and see wine being made to fully understand its process. It has expanded its circulation in recent years and is now able to take in grapes from across Japan, including Tokyo, to craft many different wines.

On the day we visited we saw the staff bottling up the wine. On average, the winery ships out around 30,000 bottles a year.

The corks have illustrations of “Wine Man” on them, a character created by Fukagawa Winery Tokyo. Ainyan was fairly fond of him!

Time to see how the winery works!

When you step inside, the scent of grapes is the first thing to hit your senses.

The one in charge of Fukagawa Winery Tokyo is Kousuke Ueno, who was kind of enough to show us around. He taught us the process of wine making, as well as what types of grapes and tools they use.

“This machine separates the grapes and stalks using the propellers. This method has been used for 150 years,” explained Ueno.

There are periods when visitors can observe this machine being used to separate the grapes. It takes place between mid-August to November, so follow Fukagawa Winery Tokyo’s social media for announcements and details.

“Wow! It smells so good!” said Ainyan. We got to see a bucket where Cabernet Sauvignon was being made. They put in whole grapes with the skin on and add natural yeast for the fermentation process. The sweet smell of the grapes fills the air and makes you want to have a glass.

Now for what Ainyan has been waiting for: taste-testing time! She learned everything about the wine making process, so it was time to taste and compare some different wines.

The winery allows taste-testing until 17:00. You can try 3 types for ¥700. And of course, if there’s one you tried that you really liked, you can buy it there and then. So sip, scrutinise, and select!

“Please try this one first. It is wine, but it’s like a lemon sour,” explained Ueno, recommending that Ainyan first try the Yamanashi  Delaware Sparkling.

Soak up all the notes of the drink by having a good smell first before taking a small sip. “Smells really good. This sourness really is like a lemon sour! I wonder why?” said Ainyan.

This wine uses premature grapes which gives the wine a sour taste. The sourness of this wine can play the part of lemons, so it’s best paired with fried foods or meals with chicken in them.

The second drink was the Yamagata Delaware Muroka. It’s an unfiltered wine made from completely ripened Yamagata Delaware grapes.

Unfiltered means that the filtration process to take out visible solids and such is not used. This gives it a slightly cloudy appearance and an exquisite taste that’s somewhere between wine and juice.

Left: Unfiltered Yamagata Delaware / Right: Filtered Yamagata Delaware

For the third glass, Ainyan ordered the filtered Yamagata Delaware to test the difference between it and the unfiltered version.

“The filtered one has a good balance of flavours and is refreshing. The unfiltered one has a smooth juiciness to it. They’re both delicious, but I like the unfiltered one more!” said Ainyan.

Her fourth glass was an unfiltered red wine: the East Bay Assemblage Red B.

The grapes used are a combination from Hokkaido, Nagano, and Aomori. It really is an assemblage!

“The red wine has such a different taste and colour depending on the type too! This dark red wine is close to what I usually drink!” said Ainyan with a happy smile.

At the end of the session, Ainyan had tried 10 wines and bought two bottles! She was delighted with her experience, saying: “I was surprised how different each and every one of the wines I tried at Fukagawa Winery Tokyo were. I think I’m getting hooked on the appeal of unfiltered, natural wines.”

With Christmas and New Year around the corner, now is the season to indulge in wine. If you’re in Tokyo this December, pay a visit to Fukagawa Winery Tokyo for a full wine experience.

Writer：Yuki Yokoo

Photographer：Kayo Sekiguchi

Asakusaーone of the hottest spots in Tokyo for sightseeing, ever-bustling with Japanese and foreign tourists and travellers alike. This ancient district is famous not only for its sights, like Sensō-ji (the oldest temple in Tokyo) and the Nakamise-dōri shopping street leading up to it, but for its bountiful offering of gourmet restaurants.

Today, we’re taking a look at Taikenkei Dining -WASHOKU-, a restaurant which opened in Asakusa on November 19 this year. If you’re looking for the full package when it comes to experiencing Japanese food culture, WASHOKU has customers covered. Not only do they serve food, like traditional Kyoto obanzai, but they offer cultural experience plans too where you can learn to make sushi or dress up in a kimono and walk the old streets of Asakusa.

WASHOKU’s concept when it comes to both lunch and dinner centres around enjoying Japanese-style food that is colourful. And that rings tantalisingly true with their kaleidoscopic obanzai, which is formed of 12 vivid bite-sized delights. Obanzai is a traditional style of Japanese cuisine that comes from Kyoto, made up of mostly seafood and vegetables. The obanzai served at WASHOKU was conceived under the guidance of nutritionists, and so is packed full of healthy nutrients for the body. Not only that, the ingredients selected are all domestic to Japan, and are of a very high quality.

The obanzai I ate included fried beni haruka sweet potato which is sourced from Ishida Farmsーa sweet potato growerーin Katori, Chiba. It had a moist texture and rich sweetness. When I sank my teeth into it, I was flushed with feelings of the fall season.

Other foods in the assortment included sashimi, scallop and yuzu, saikyo-yaki Kyoto-style grilled fish, and more. Each mouthful of the selection offered its own distinct and unique flavours.

The obanzai is served with miso soup too with which you get to choose a miso ball from a variety of flavours to put into your bowl. I went for the sesame seed miso ball.

The miso ball is made from miso paste and various ingredients. Once placed into the hot water, it melts and turns into miso soup. The sweet light-brown miso was perfect for warming up my chilly self.

Dinner also features a dessert menu, as well as courses with an all-you-can-drink option, so I recommend these options for people who want to relax and take their time with their dining experience.

As I mentioned earlier, WASHOKU also offers a variety of experience-based plans. This includes a sushi class where you can learn to make your own hand-rolled sushi.

There are two types of “temari” hand rolled sushi you can make: the regular type, which makes use of tuna, salmon and other classic sushi toppings, and the high quality type, which uses more high-end ingredients like uni sea urchin eggs, caviar, gold leaf, and more. And for foreign customers, the restaurant has prepared a handout detailing the history of Asakusa and recipes, as well as souvenirs for them to take home.

The MMN team of course had to have a go at making our own sushi, but it proved quite difficult. You have to get the right amount of sushi rice to roll, then actually roll it perfectly into a ball before topping with your ingredients. But the sushi I made was actually really delicious! To attend this class you have to book in advance, so if you’ve never tried making your own sushi before or have an need some guidance, then we can’t recommend it enough.

As well as food-related experiences, WASHOKU provides customers with three different plans to experience Japanese culture. The first of these is the rickshaw ride, where you board a rickshaw pulled by a runner and are taken around the various sites of Asakusa. The ‘Excursion Around Asakusa Course’ takes you to the most popular spots around Kaminarimon, while the ‘Sky Tree Course’ takes you all the way to the Sumida River, and you also get to see Tokyo Skytree and various other attractions in Asakusa.

The Edo Kiriko plan gives you the opportunity to cut your own Japanese glass to drink from. You can drink from your glass if you reserve the plan with lunch or dinner.

Finally, you can rent a kimono. Select your favourite from the shop and have a professional dresser get you readyーwith both your kimono and your hair. After you’re dolled up, you can take a stroll around Asakusa to get a real feel for Japanese culture.

All three of these plans are just ¥3,500 per person, and all require reservations which you can book online.

So, if you’re looking for a taste of Japanese food and culture, why not take a trip to WASHOKU when visiting Asakusa for an all-in-one experience?