From February 11 until February 28, 2022, Asakusa Hanayashiki, Japan’s oldest amusement park, will host a special Natsume’s Book of Friends event in collaboration with ATFES! The anime and game project has been held 18 times since 2017, and this is the second time in a row that it has been held at this historic location.    GoodsMenu Bonus   The title of this year’s event is ‘Natsume’s Book of Friends Collaboration Event: Setsubun Festival.’ Popular characters from the best-selling manga series will make their first appearance as part of an ATFES event. Natsume’s Book of Friends is serialized in LaLa Magazine and has sold over 16 million copies in Japan.   The event will welcome guests with limited-edition goods, a puzzle-solving rally, and a character-inspired food and drink menu. Ticket information and other details will be announced at a later date. The main visual for the event is now on display above the entrance to the park.   ©緑川ゆき・白泉社／「夏目友人帳」製作委員会

AMNIBUS, an online e-commerce site featuring original goods, has opened preorders for a new collection of products inspired by the Natsume’s Book of Friends anime series.  

Lineup

 

Roasted Sweet Potato Big Wooden Keychain 

Takashi Natsume with Roasted Sweet Potato Big Acrylic Stand 

Nyanko-sensei with Roasted Sweet Potato Big Acrylic Stand 

Cast with Roasted Sweet Potato Big Acrylic Stand 

Nyanko-sensei with Roasted Sweet Potato T-Shirt

Nyanko-sensei with Roasted Sweet Potato Hoodie

Nyanko-sensei with Roasted Sweet Potato Neon Sand iPhone Case

Nyanko-sensei with Roasted Sweet Potato Mug

Nyanko-sensei with Roasted Sweet Potato Hand Towel

Nyanko-sensei with Roasted Sweet Potato Blanket

Roasted Sweet Potato Clear Folder

Roasted Sweet Potato Card Case

  Don’t miss these items before they’re gone!   ©緑川ゆき・白泉社／「夏目友人帳」製作委員会  

Japanese anime, manga, game, and seiyu merchandise brand armabianca opened orders for a new iPhone case inspired by the popular TV anime series Natsume's Book of Friends on the online hobby store AMNIBUS on Monday (February 15)

Nyanko-sensei Glitter iPhone Case (2 Designs) | ¥3,500 Each (Before Tax)

    The glittery case is a must-grab for fans of the series, featuring everyone's favourite Nyanko-sensei surrounded by tasty illustrations of assorted fruits.     Compatible With: iPhone X/XS, iPhone 6/6s/7/8 Plus, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 6/6s/7/8/SE     Enjoy the world of Natsume's Book of Friends wherever you go with this exclusive new release.     ©緑川ゆき・白泉社／「夏目友人帳」製作委員会

An official new website opened last week confirming the release of the new anime film Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor. It has now been revealed that the film will be released in Japan next spring. Natsume's Book of Friends is a manga series by Yuki Midorikawa. It has sold over 14 million copies. The new film will come two and a half years after the release of the first film, Natsume's Book of Friends the Movie, which dropped in 2018.   A special live stream on the new will air on Aniplex's official YouTube page here on September 26 at 12:00 (JST).

Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor teaser visual

Price: ¥1,500 (Ticket ¥1,000 + Bag ¥500)

Theatergoers who buy a ticket to the film in Japan will receive the following Nyanko-sensei eco bag. They can be bought as a set online here.   ©Yuki Midorikawa・Hakusensha / Natsume's Book of Friends Production Committee

Uru's new single Furiko (Pendulum) is set to drop on October 28, 2020, and it's been announced that the song will be used as the main theme for the upcoming Japanese film Tsumi no Koe (The Voice of Sin) which will hit theatres in Japan on October 30, 2020. The film is adapted from Takeshi Shiota's novel of the same name. The story is inspired by the Glico Morinaga case, an extortion case in Japan which took place from 1984-5. The novel has over 620,000 copies in circulation.   The film stars Shun Oguri and Gen Hoshino who will play the two main characters Eiji Akutsu and Toshiya Sone respectively. Shun Oguri is known for the variety of characters he has played, from comical roles to more delicate ones. He will make his Hollywood debut in the upcoming American film Godzilla vs. Kong. Gen Hoshino is an actor, singer-songwriter, and writer who won the Japan Academy Prize for his roles in Blindly in Love and Why Don't You Play in Hell? in 2014. Tsumi no Koe is the first time the two actors have worked together.   Nobuhiro Doi (Be With You; Flying Colors) is directing the movie while screenwriter Akiko Nogi (Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu; Library War) is working on the script. Uru wrote and composed the song Furiko as the main theme for the film which will be released as her 9th single. Below are her comments on the collaboration.   Uru | Comment "When I got the call and went to see the movie, I thought long and hard about what kind of song would be fitting as the main theme. I watched the movie over and over so I could really get familiar with it, and bit by bit the song started to take shape, but when I went to write about hope, the only words and thoughts that came to mind were shallow, superficial ones, so I re-watched it again. That time, I rewrote the song several times from the perspective of the characters. We truly go through a lot in life, but say right now someone's feeling sadness and pain and is in a state of hopelessness, and can't even cry, then this is a song that I pray will give people hope: the pendulum has swung towards the bad side, but will absolutely swing to the side of light next time."

The Animate Ikeubkuro Temporary Store has announced a special exhibition for Natsume's Book of Friends which will open on July 10, 2020 and be free to enter.  

Natsume's Book of Friends

Natsume's Book of Friends is a manga series by Yuki Midorikawa. It was first published in the shojo manga magazine LaLa DX in 2003 and began serialisation in 2005. It subsequently switched to LaLa in 2008 where it continues to be published. A 74-episode anime adaptation spread across six seasons aired between 2008 and 2017. There are five illustrations of Nyanko-sensei and keywords scattered around the 2nd floor of Animate Ikebukuro Temporary Store. If you can find them all, you'll receive a free folder as pictured above in the bottom right. The exhibition will also showcase illustrations drawn by Yuki Midorikawa, drafts, sined pictures, and more.   ©Yuki Midorikawa/Hakusensha