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!

The five winners of the second Japanese Traditional Culture Grand Prix have been announced! The contest was spearheaded by the Japan Traditional Culture Promotion Project, established in May 2020 as a collaborative effort among companies, associations, and local governments to establish a sustainable framework for the continued development of Japanese traditional culture.

The project is headed by Seiichi Kondou, the Former Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. United Arrows Honorary Chairman Osamu Shigematsu serves as Vice-Chairman. Along with Nobuo Yoshida, the 14th generation head of the 400-year-old traditional paper fan store Ibasen, the Japan Cultural Promotion Project began this Grand Prix as a way to honor outstanding works of Japanese culture by companies, organizations, and individuals. Anyone can enter, regardless of nationality, residence, or age. The jury consists of 11 people from various fields, including Richard Collasse, the Chairman of Chanel LLC, and popular model Kozue Akimoto.

Grand Prix Winner

Dustpan x Broom

Luo Qi

Each dustpan is shaped by hand to match the special shape of the Matsumoto broom, which is then dyed with natural Tokushima indigo dye. The broom is the only one in the world made from home-grown broomcorn, and each is made by a third-generation craftsman with years of experience.

Runner-up Prizes

Japanese Lacquer Art – Ether

Takehito Sasaki

[Critique]

Both traditional and innovative. The spirit of Japanese culture and the meaning of this award seem to have taken shape in this work. The zippers do not open. The surface looks like leather, but it isn’t. When the lid is opened, the glossy lacquer seems to spread out. My expectations were surpassed. Anyone who sees it or uses it will find themselves lost in imagination, and I’m sure that thinking about that will bring a smile to the creator’s face. This beautiful craftsmanship was born from plenty of care and attention. What a pleasant surprise. (Risa Tanaka)

Sake Drinking Set – Japanese nagomi Sake Cups

Nagomi Fujita

[Critique]

There’s something about this piece that shares a spirit with Art Nouveau. The delicate plants superimposed on the bright transparent glass are a powerful image. In traditional Japanese nagomi art, the linear appearance of the plants is painted a bit more lightly, but these overlapping layers and shapes resonate and make an impact. The artist used traditional techniques such as lacquer and foil in a subtle manner, while still making the plants look alive. I’d consider this as a modern take on ecology. (Yuko Hasegawa)

Excellence Award

Floating Boat Counter

Masafumi Kodama (Registered Architect with a First-Class License) / Taiki Ishikawa (First Class Carpenter/Registered Architect with a Second-Class License)

[Critique]
The motif that inspired this piece is the traditional Japanese architectural technique of funahijiki. It’s an outstanding piece that utilizes practical architectural practices to create a piece of furniture at the center of a home, somewhere that the family relaxes. It brings the beauty of Japanese wood into the modern age. Funahijiki is a technique that has been used in incredible places, such as the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Kojoin Temple. It’s graceful and elegant, and not often seen in the current age. (Hidetsugu Horikoshi)

Folding Chair to Assist in Seiza
patol stool SEIZA

Hirayama Daily Goods Shop, Makiko & Kazuhiko Hirayama

[Critique]

The judges liked this folding chair for assisting seiza sitting, as it’s something that could be put to practical use right away. It’s sure to help people enjoy tatami culture, and will be a big help for people who seldom sit on the floor in this traditional way. The height and size of the chair, as well as its ability to be folded for easy storage, are nice touches. I’d consider this a masterpiece with incredible potential. (Yuji Akimoto)

These pieces of artwork managed to connect traditional Japanese culture with future sensibilities, so give them a look!

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Naruto anime series, Usaburo Kokeshi has created two traditional dolls modeled after Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. The original manga series by Masashi Kishimoto has become a global phenomenon, and fans won’t want to miss out on these unique pieces! Preorders are now open.

Usaburo Kokeshi makes each of these pieces by hand, transforming them from children’s playthings into traditional works of art. The wood used to create these pieces is from trees in Gunma Prefecture.

Usaburo Kokeshi Doll – Naruto Uzumaki

Usaburo Kokeshi Doll – Sasuke Uchiha

These adorable dolls completely recreate both character’s outfits and hairstyles, and the designers clearly focused on the small details. Enjoy these palm-sized versions of your favorite Naruto characters!

©岸本斉史 スコット／集英社・テレビ東京・ぴえろ

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. 

Behance, the world’s largest creative social media network, has started a new project to promote Japanese traditional culture and arts and crafts to the world. Works on Behance will be transformed into NFTs, with the goal to establish a new way for traditional craftsmen to profit from their work.

Japan’s traditional arts and crafts are well-known by many around the world. On the other hand, challenges still remain as many regions’ traditional manufacturing industries are digitized. Sharing more detailed information about these crafts with overseas markets has also been difficult.

According to the “Survey on the Revitalization of Local Traditional Manufacturing Industries” published by the Development Bank of Japan in 2018, Japan’s traditional arts and crafts industry peaked around 1980. Due to the recession caused by the burst of the bubble economy, the rise of inexpensive foreign products, and changes in lifestyle, the amount of production has been declining year by year. Compared with the peak period, current production has dropped to one-fifth or about 100 billion yen. The workers involved in traditional crafts are also aging, making it difficult to pass on their skills to younger creators.

On Behance, users can not only get inspiration from other people’s work but can also publish their own works and receive helpful feedback and comments. Marketing professionals also use Behance to find creators for campaigns and collaborations, and previously, a Japanese creator who had uploaded his work to the social media site was asked to illustrate the cover of the New York Times. 

This project is designed to promote traditional Japanese arts and crafts in the hopes of supporting their continued development in the face of many difficult conditions.

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  

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.

Fans of Doraemon and traditional Japanese artwork won’t want to miss this special collaboration! On March 30, preorders will open for ukiyo-e prints inspired by the film ‘Doraemon: Nobita’s Little Star Wars 2021.’ These limited-edition pieces were created by Iwano Ichibei, a Living National Treasure.

The prints show Doraemon and friends along with the alien Papi and the special gadget the “Small Light.” The tool is giving off light depicted in a traditional Edo pattern believed to bring good luck, and the characters are shown inside its silhouette. 

Ukiyo-e Woodblock Print Production

Engraving by Craftsman

Printing by Craftsman

First, a sketch is made, and a monochrome version of the print is carved. After carving a number of woodblocks for each color and using them to rub the painting tirelessly to bring it to life, one single woodblock print is completed. 

The extremely delicate and advanced techniques these craftsmen utilize have been passed down from the Edo period. Imagine having one of these beautiful pieces hanging in your home!

The adorable Sylvanian Families characters are the subject of a new food-inspired exhibition at Matsuya Ginza in Tokyo! Until March 21, guests can enjoy tons of new merchandise for sale at the event space.

Key Visual

Sylvanian Families is a line of collectible animals made of flocked plastic, originally released in Japan in 1985. Made to place inside dollhouses, these little creatures have remained popular in over 70 countries since release. Over 200 million units have been sold over the years.

Key Illustration

The theme of this event is ‘delicious time,’ and guests can find adorable sets featuring popular characters cooking meals, preparing desserts, and baking cakes. 

“A Delicious, Happy Life” Photo: Keigo Morii

Ash Mimi “The Fairy’s Mysterious Sweets Shop” 

“Delicious Times with Friends in the Forest” Japan Dollhouse Association

In addition to panels and photos of unique combinations featured on social media, the exhibition features the first public showing of works by members of the Japan Dollhouse Association. A large photo spot also makes guests feel as though they’ve entered the world of Sylvanian Families!

[Only for Sale at the Venue] Baby Trio (Bakery) *Price to be Decided

A special store on-site will sell original merchandise, including dolls and illustrations. A limited number of special goods vouchers are also on sale for a short time, and guests exchanging one will receive an original hand towel!