For four days only starting in February 2023, fans of Hatsune Miku will want to take an incredible night cruise around Tokyo Bay. The virtual singer will collaborate with the popular Tokyo Bay Night Cruise which travels between Yokohama and Tokyo. The event will include special tickets, exclusive bonuses for guests, collaborative goods, and onboard decorations. Collaborative goods will be available to purchase on the ship or from the Shimapochi online store.

Outline

Dates: February 19, February 26, March 5, March 12

Night Cruise Itinerary:

Osanbashi, Yokohama / Check-in 16:00-18:00

Osanbashi, Yokohama / Departure 18:10, Enjoy the night view from the ship

Takeshiba Wharf, Tokyo / Arrival 19:45

*Guests will be led by a special MC narrating the night scenery. Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase.

Special Ticket Fare:

Adults ¥2,000 / Children ¥1,500 (Includes consumption tax and fuel price adjusted for inflation)

[Includes Hatsune Miku Collaboration Sticker and Postcard (6 varieties, random)]

Special tickets featuring Hatsune Miku will only be available to those reserving their spot online. Reservations can be made two months prior to the boarding date. Space is extremely limited, so grab a spot while you can!

Those not interested in bonuses can also enjoy a night cruise during this period, with adult tickets costing ¥1,000 and children’s tickets costing ¥500. More details will be released at a later date.

Qatar Museums recently announced Qatar Creates, a year-round cultural project overseeing, promoting, and encouraging diverse cultural activities throughout Qatar. Currently, over 40 pieces of art by prominent local and international artists are on display in Doha and throughout the country.

A large-scale outdoor exhibit titled My Soul Blooms Forever, designed by iconic Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, has just been installed on the grounds of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA). The exhibition includes a large-scale work on display for the first time in Qatar, expressing the artist’s well-known reverence for the natural world through a spectacular installation of colorful, fantastical plants and a three-dimensional sculpture of a pumpkin with Kusama’s iconic polka-dot pattern. My Soul Blooms Forever will be on display at MIA Park until March 1, 2023 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Qatar’s Years of Culture program, as well as to commemorate the 2012 Qatar-Japan Year of Culture.

Photo by Iwan Baan. Artwork © YAYOI KUSAMA. Courtesy David Zwirner, Ota Fine Arts, and Victoria Miro.

Felissimo’s Museum Department has teamed up with Ad Museum Tokyo to release a collection of nail stickers inspired by famous works of art from the Edo Period. They also released an incense collection inspired by classic matchbooks on November 21, 2022. Nishiki-e is a type of Japanese multi-colored woodblock printing, and those interested in traditional art will love showing off their new style with these easy-to-apply stickers. 

Edo Trend Nishiki-e Gel Style Nail Stickers

One Hundred Beauties from Famous Places of Edo – Ninghocho

Sixteen Female Sennin

Keisei Oyodo – Ichikawa Masunojou

Showa Modern Incense with Matchbox Labels

These incense sets were inspired by classic matchboxes, each featuring ads from the time. Each stick burns for about 10 minutes, making them perfect for use in your spare time. After using the incense, these are perfect for using as boxes for jewelry or other small items!

The Sumida Hokusai Museum in Sumida-ku, Tokyo, will be holding the ‘Hokusai at Play with the 100 Poems’ exhibition from December 15, 2022 until February 26, 2023. The exhibition will focus on the Hyakunin Isshu, a famous collection of 100 poems integral to Japanese traditional culture.

Hyakunin Isshu Uba ga Etoki – Sojo Henjo / Katsushika Hokusai, The Sumida Hokusai Museum.

Hyakunin Isshu Uba ga Etoki – Ariwara no Narihira / Katsushika Hokusai, The Sumida Hokusai Museum. (Phase 2)

The Five Great Poets, Tsuki – Katsushika Hokusai, The Sumida Hokusai Museum. (Permanently on Display)

By the middle of the Edo period, the Hyakunin Isshu, or 100 classical poems, had become an established part of Japanese culture. Hokusai, an ukiyo-e artist of the period, painted a total of 27 of these famous poems, incorporating his own ideas and views to create unique pieces still beloved so many years later. This exhibition features 24 paintings from the museum’s Hyakunin Isshu collection along with dozens more items pertaining to this legendary collection of writings. Don’t miss it!

The Sailor Moon franchise’s 30th-anniversary museum is open from July 1 to December 30 at Tokyo’s Roppongi Museum. The series became a global phenomenon in the 1990s and remains incredibly popular with audiences around the world to this day. The museum itself is located near Azabu-Juban, where Sailor Moon took place.

　
Volume 3 of the museum, the final installment, will take place from November 12 until the museum closes on December 30. During this period, fans can see over 100 pieces of rare Sailor Moon goods from its run in Nakayoshi magazine.

All of the original color drawings currently on display will be replaced, with over 60 new pieces being added including previously unreleased works. Fans will also get a glimpse of the original drawing that appeared on the cover of Nakayoshi when the final chapter of Sailor Moon was published!

Christmas Menu

Sailor Moon Museum Christmas Pancake

Sailor Moon Museum Cheese Melt Muffin

Latte Art featuring Famous Quotes

THE ALLEY Collaboration Drinks

Christmas Tapioca Banana Pumpkin

Princess Serenity Cream Cheese Yogurt

New Christmas menu items will also be available during Vol.3. Guests can enjoy the cafe’s original Christmas tree-inspired pancakes and collaboration drinks with THE ALLEY. The main menu has also been overhauled and now includes plenty of dishes perfect for the cold winter months. The drink menu will also feature original coasters and straw tags only available at the museum.

Will you be visiting the museum during its last few weeks?

(c) Naoko Takeuchi

The word ‘kawaii’ is now commonly used around the world. Sanrio is largely to thank for this, and the beloved company has announced that the 60th Anniversary Sanrio Exhibition will open at the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art from February 11 until April 2, 2023. Advance tickets will include a discount and will be available until November 14 online. 

“Sanrio celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2020, and the company continues to share Japan’s character culture with fans around the world,” Sanrio said in a comment. “Kawaii is now a universal language, and this is very much thanks to the over 450 characters that are part of Sanrio’s history, from Hello Kitty to My Melody. 

This exhibition traces the history of Sanrio and guests can enjoy seeing rare materials including merchandise, publications, and early designs from the company’s founding. We want to continue to grow and develop our characters while valuing communication with our fans, ensuring that our adorable characters are loved by generations to come.”

The Sanrio exhibition is something that generations of fans can enjoy, so come immerse yourself in this kawaii world! For more details, visit the official website. 

In conjunction with the autumn segment of Setouchi Triennale 2022, the Yokai Halloween 2022 event will be held for the first time at the Yokai Art Museum in Shodoshima in Kagawa. During the event, guests can take part in the Halloween Night Yokai Tour on Saturdays, which will invite them to transform into terrifying ghouls! Each guest will receive a yokai mask and will be tasked to test their courage in this unique Halloween event. Those visiting the museum in costume will receive a discount, and visitors can also enjoy some spooky treats at the Yokai Bar. This is one museum horror fans won’t want to miss!

Visit the Yokai Art Museum at Night 

Unlike daytime, the Yokai Art Museum is filled with a mysterious energy at night. With a flashlight in hand, staff members will lead guests on a tour through the museum, which exhibits more than 800 yokai sculptures. Visitors can wear yokai masks and costumes, and unlike a haunted house, you won’t need to worry about yokai jumping out at you. However, the staff may ask you to keep an eye out for anything mysterious. Guests are permitted to take as many photos as they like inside the museum, so be sure to share your experience on social media!

Too Realistic! Enjoy Finger Cookies at the Yokai Bar

At the Yokai Bar attached to the museum, guests can find these terrifying finger cookies! These were made in collaboration with FUJI, a popular snack shop in Shidoshima. While tasty, they might be a little too realistic for some people. These will be available in two flavors: spicy and sweet. 

Rent a Halloween Lantern for Free

A Night Walk through the Shidoshima Maze will invite visitors to carry a Halloween-themed lantern through the town. This event is being held to promote tourism in the town at night, and lanterns will be free to rent! These will be available in different colors from the first floor of the nearby Shodoshima International Hotel. Shodoshima, known as the City of Mazes, has over 60 streets with three-way intersections and many mysterious alleys. Walking through the town at night will be an experience you’ll never forget, especially during the spookiest time of the year!

Yokohama Coffee Festival is coming back for the first time in three years! The event will bring together the best coffee from around Japan, showing off the personality and individuality of each shop. The festival was created to build bridges between shops and customers and to spread coffee culture in Yokohama. Coffee fans should head to Yokohama Park on October 23, 2022. 

Coffee tickets–four cups for ¥1,000–will be available to purchase on the day of the event, allowing visitors to compare different shops. From those who are just starting to enjoy coffee to those who are coffee fanatics, this event will allow everyone to enjoy coffee to the max! Be sure to chat with the charming baristas as you explore the festival!

From October 1 until October 31, Yokohama Royal Park Hotel will hold a special Halloween Fair at its delicatessen and lounge Coffret. In addition to six playful sweets from the Halloween Frankenstein to the Halloween Mummy, two types of autumn bread featuring pumpkin and purple sweet potato will be available, allowing guests to enjoy the taste of the season!

Halloween Frankenstein

Halloween Cat

Halloween Mont Blanc

Halloween Mummy

Halloween Pudding

Halloween Pound Cake

Pumpkin Cream Fondue / Halloween Anpan

Come enjoy this Halloween with some cute and silly sweets!

From November 30, 2022 until January 22, 2023, the Suntory Museum of Art in Tokyo will hold the ‘Treasures from the Chishakuin Temple in Kyoto’ exhibition.

National Treasure. Maple Tree. Hasegawa Tohaku. (Four of Six Sides) Momoyama Period / 16th Century.

Chishakuin Temple. [On display during the entire exhibition.]

Chishakuin Temple is located in Higashiyama, Kyoto, and is the headquarters of the Chisan School of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. This originated with Kobo Daishi (774-835), and the sect now has 3,000 temples around Japan. Founded during the Muromachi period (1095-1143) the temple was originally built in Wakayama Prefecture in memory of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s son Sutemaru, but the builds were brought to Kyoto in 1598 on the orders of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Kobo Daishi Scroll

Muromachi Period, First Year of Bun’an Era (1444)

[On Display from November 30 until December 26, 2022]

Kyoto Prefecture Designated Tangible Cultural Property –  Kogyo Daishi Scroll

Kamakura Period / 13th Century

[On Display from November 30 until December 26, 2022]

National Treasure. Cherry Blossoms. Hasegawa Tohaku. (Four of Five Sides) Momoyama Period / 16th Century.

[On display during the entire exhibition.]

The temple is best known today for its panel paintings and gardens, the latter of which was inspired by tea master Sen-no-Rikyu. Half of the original paintings remain, with some having been lost to fire and some simply being degraded over time.　

National Treasure. Diamond Sutra (Partial) – Zhang Jizhi

Southern Song Dynasty, First Year of Houyuu (1253)

[On display during the entire exhibition]

Important Cultural Property. Mahamayuri Scroll.

Kamakura Period / 14th Century

[On Display from December 28, 2022 until January 22, 2023]

Important Cultural Property. Green Maple and Waterfall. Song Dynasty / 13th Century

[On Display from November 30 until December 26, 2022]

Ladies at Tea. Insho Domoto. 4 sides. Showa 33 (1958)

[On display during the entire exhibition]

This exhibition will mark the first time that many of the paintings are shown simultaneously outside of the temple, including Cherry Blossoms, Maple Tree, and Pine Tree with Autumn Plants. Visitors can also enjoy National Treasures and items from the temple’s treasure trove of Buddhist Art. Would you like to come and browse these incredible pieces?

The Sailor Moon franchise’s 30th-anniversary museum is open from July 1 to December 30 at Tokyo’s Roppongi Museum. The series became a global phenomenon in the 1990s and remains incredibly popular with audiences around the world to this day. The museum itself is located near Azabu-Juban, where Sailor Moon took place. 

The museum is divided into three volumes, with the second starting on September 10. During this phase, the many original color drawings currently on display will be replaced by 60 color drawings mainly from the third and fourth parts of the original work. All 10 main characters will be on display, including Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, Sailor Pluto, and Sailor Saturn.

New Merch at a Glance

Hand Cream

Clear Shoulder Bag

Fluffy Socks (Super Sailor Moon)

MA01 (NV) ※Available to Order

StyleDoll Princess Serenity

Postcard Set (B)

Clear Folder (Set of 2, B)

Sailor Moon & Tuxedo Mask Plushie Set

Bento Box with Cutlery

Sailor Moon Case

Cafe Menu at a Glance

Outer Senshi Plate

Sailor Soldier Duo Soda Float

With the start of Vol. 2, new goods and a new cafe menu will be available. More than 70 goods will be available, including a wide variety of items using original drawings of the 10 Sailor Soldiers. A cafe menu featuring the four Outer Senshi will also be revealed, so why not come show your love of this classic series?

© Naoko Takeuchi

Jun’ichi Nakahara had a fascination with dolls, and this fascination is something he tried to share with as many people as possible during his lifetime. The upcoming Jun’ichi and Dolls Exhibition will focus on his work as a dollmaker and will be held at the Yokohama Doll Museum from July 16 until October 16, 2022. Filled with treasures, fans will be abe to see dolls made by Nakahara himself, along with original drawings and publications. 

A number of prolific creators from numerous fields have also contributed their thoughts on Nakamura’s work, including fashion designers, doll researchers, and artists.

The first 1,000 people to purchase tickets to the exhibition on opening day will receive an original sticker!

Nakahara is known for inspiring the eye style of shojo manga characters, so fans of the medium won’t want to miss this impressive exhibition.