Art collective TeamLab has redesigned two exhibitions at Marina Bay Sands Singapore. The world’s first permanent exhibition from the creators, Future World: Where Art Meets Science, was opened in 2016 at the Museum of Art and Science. Guests can now enjoy three new works along with the Digital Light Canvas, a huge, interactive space inviting guests to share their own pieces of art.

Drawing Flight

Visitors can immerse themselves in these impressive new works while experiencing a complex, three-dimensional world. They can also create new worlds with others!

Future World

The Drawing Flight, part of the Amusement Park of the Future series, is based on the concept of co-creation, allowing visitors to not only draw an airplane that will fly but also allowing them to operate it from a pilot’s point of view using a tablet. Whether visitors draw a butterfly or a hawk, they’ll see the world from the perspective of each creature and enter a world constructed by the creature’s unique perceptions.

Aerial Climbing through a Flock of Colored Birds

In Aerial Climbing through a Flock of Colored Birds, guests are asked to perceive the world with their entire bodies. Visitors cross a space with sticks floating three-dimensionally in the air.

Autonomous Abstraction, Continuous Phenomena from the Universe to the Self

Autonomous Abstraction, Continuous Phenomena from the Universe to the Self offers a new and abstract concept. As people touch the dots, the rhythm of the dots flickers and their hue changes and disintegrates. The picture will then change dramatically, and despite these changes, the beauty remains.

Digital Light Canvas

Graffiti Nature – Red List Digital Light Canvas

Digital Light Canvas is a space consisting of a 15-meter-diameter circular link of light and a 20-meter-high cylinder of light made up of a collection of light dots.  Team Lab’s interactive artwork, which changes depending on how many people are around, is on permanent display.

Drawing Factory

By visiting the Digital Light Canvas area, guests can also enjoy the Drawing Factory, where they can turn their own drawings into pins, T-shirts, and other items!

Come fully experience this curious art exhibition!

© チームラボ

To promote the 2025 Osaka Expo, hundreds of drones and thousands of fireworks lit up the sky at the planned site for the event. SKYMAGIC LIVE PTE. LTD., known for creating original shows using drones, put on the show on Yumeshima, a man-made island in Osaka’s Konohana Ward on September 25, 2022. The event was the first large-scale outdoor drone show in the Kansai region, with 800 LED-equipped drones flying through the night sky. 

Nearly 15,000 visitors were in attendance at this spectacular event. The event aims to promote a hopeful future in which Japan thrives after the impact of the pandemic, and also aims to promote the upcoming Expo to people around the world. 45,000 fireworks were set off, marking one of the largest fireworks displays in Japan. Launched to rid the area of bad luck, guests will likely never forget the unique display of futuristic technology and traditional fireworks. 

As the fireworks show began, countless drones took off one after another into the sky. As many would expect, Myak Myak, the official character of the Osaka/Kansai Expo, appeared above the crowd, standing 135 meters tall and 80 meters wide. A countdown to the Expo appeared after, with the Let’s Go Expo 2025 logo shining in the sky, made entirely by synchronized drones.

Archived live footage of the event is also available. 

Ryota Shirahama, chairman of the event’s organizing committee, made a comment regarding the impressive event. “Japan’s resurgence is about to begin,” he said. “The world has been looking down, and we want it to look up. We want people to look towards the future–that’s the goal of this project. Yes, there was a pandemic. But like the phoenix seen during the drone show, we can start over. I hope that those who saw the show will be inspired to take a new step forward.” 

One of Japan’s best fireworks extravaganzas is headed to Singapore! Star Island Singapore Countdown Edition 2022-2023 will ring in the new year on December 31, 2022 at The Float on Marina Bay. 

STAR ISLAND is a futuristic fireworks show that blends traditional fireworks with cutting-edge technology such as 3D sound, laser lighting, and unique performances in a spectacular location. The first overseas presentation was launched in Singapore in 2018, and the second in 2019 drew 20,000 people. The show was also brought to Saudi Arabia in September 2019. 

This year’s event, the third to be held in Singapore, is expected to draw 22,000 visitors. Sponsored by JCB, the only international credit card brand from Japan, and Sanrio, a prequel show will run from December 25 until December 30 at the Marina Bay Sands event plaza near the venue. This is totally free to attend, so why not come check it out?

Kiranah Resort Toyosu, an outdoor dining and leisure facility, will open in Koto-ku, Tokyo on August 26, 2022.

Kiranah Resort Toyosu is a complex perfect for families, couples, and children alike, and was inspired by Ibiza in Spain. The attractive location offers a view of Tokyo Bay and a panoramic view of the Rainbow Bridge. The site is the size of a soccer field and includes barbecue facilities with approximately 1,000 seats in three unique areas, as well as a restaurant and bar offering both a la carte and full-course meals. Visitors will also find a DJ booth, dog area, bonfire lounge, event stage, lawn, and much more.

The barbecue area spans three areas, each with a distinct atmosphere. The number of guests, the menu, and the price can be changed according to the guest’s needs.

The cabin area offers an outdoor kitchen with a grill and sofas beneath an air-conditioned pergola perfect for every kind of weather.

At the pool area, guests will find impressive DJ booths and will feel as though they have been transported to a luxury beach resort. At night, the area is lit up to give a more adult atmosphere.

The Pallet area includes activities for children and adults alike, and sports a massive lawn, bonfire area, and food trucks. A huge dog park will also welcome furry friends!

The main dining room is scheduled to open in September and will feature a bar area on the first floor and a restaurant on the second floor. The restaurant will have dishes and drinks to suit every situation, including lunch, a la carte, catering menus, and full-course gastronomic meals in an extraordinary space. Seats on the second floor overlook the Rainbow Bridge, Tokyo Tower, and Sky Tree, so be sure to visit on your next trip to Tokyo!

To celebrate six years of Pokemon Go, an incredible drone show was held during the Akagawa Fireworks 2022 presentation in Yamagata Prefecture on August 20, 2022. 

The presentation sought to get audiences excited for summer fun, with the phrase “let’s go on an adventure this summer” appearing in the air above the huge audience of 40,000. The Pokemon GO logo and popular Pokemon were recreated by around 700 drones.

Music from the mobile game played during the impressive show, as Pikachu and a 100-meter-tall Charizard moved across the sky. Alolan Exeggutor, Gengar, Wailord, and Rayquaza also appeared, creating a night to remember for Pokemon fans in the town of Tsuruoka. 

Pokemon GO Special Drone Show at Otaru Ushio Matsuri

The show itself was a surprise for the audience, with applause and excitement instantly palpable as it began. After the drone presentation concluded, the Akagawa Fireworks display began.

The Pokemon GO Special Drone Show was first held at the 56th Otaru Ushio Matsuri in Otaru, Hokkaido on July 24. Watch it in full above!

©2022 Niantic, Inc.
©2022 Pokémon. ©1995-2022 Nintendo/Creatures Inc. /GAME FREAK inc. ポケモン・Pokémon は任天堂・クリーチャーズ・ゲームフリークの登録商標です。 

From her debut in 2016 until 2021, Kizuna Ai was the most subscribed VTuber on YouTube, and the one responsible for the term ‘Virtual YouTuber.’ Now, this legendary star will be holding a concert available to fans of Japanese culture around the world, while also showing off the beauty of a Japanese fireworks festival. The event will take place on Facebook’s Oculus, on the Venues app, on September 25, 2021 in Japan. Anyone who has an Oculus Quest can view the concert for free.

Oculus Venues is a VR video platform, allowing users to enjoy a variety of concerts, sporting events, and comedy shows from the front row. There’s no need to worry about grabbing expensive tickets or dealing with crowds when you can enjoy your favorite events from the comfort of your own home!

In January 2021, Kizuna Ai announced a contract with UTA (United Talent Agency), one of the four major agencies in the United States. In April and May, she went on her first virtual US tour. Under the theme of connecting with everyone in the world, Kizuna Ai is attempting this new challenge using Oculus to get closer to fans than ever before. As a guest artist, world-renowned performers HANABI will perform, blending traditional Japanese culture with cutting-edge technological art in this one-of-a-kind DJ-directed space.

Will you be tuning in to Kizuna Ai’s fireworks concert?

Tokyo Midtown’s annual MIDTOWN ART PALETTE has returned again for the summer, opening on July 16 and running until September 5. This year, the event delivers a Digital Art Garden with gorgeous dream-like digital artwork.

Digital Art Garden

Last year’s event

Experience a distinctively Japanese way to stay cool and refreshed on a wooden veranda with light and mist dancing through the outdoor space inspired by traditional Japanese rock gardens. Find yourself bewitched by an enchanting summer evening as the digital art transforms throughout the day.

This year’s event is being held with all proper social distancing measures in place.

Take digital art home with you with AR fireworks

Locate five QR codes dotted around Tokyo Midtown which when accessed via your smartphone will award you with artistic AR fireworks, allowing you to enjoy fireworks with you wherever you point the camera on your screen, including at home.

teamLab Planets TOKYO revealed two brand new, original blue-coloured phalaenopsis aphrodite orchids on July 8 as part of its new Floating Flower Garden exhibit. The flowers are the first of its kind in the world and there are no plans for it to be sold, meaning the only way to see them is by visiting the Tokyo-based digital art museum.

Unique, never-before-seen orchids

teamLab has named the flowers Phal.‘teamLab Sunshine Star’ and Phal.‘teamLab Moonlight Star’ in cooperation with Haruhiko Kato of the Lama Orchids Center.

The flower enjoys a full bloom for around a month. The reason why this orchid is so special is because until recently only four types of phalaenopsis had been found to be blue. The fifth, Phal.lueddemanniana coerulea, was discovered in recent years, and this brand new version was born from it.

The teamLab: FIRE smartphone app lets you take flames home

The new app ‘teamLab: FIRE’ has been created for teamLab Planets TOKYO’s Universe of Fire Particles – Continuity exhibit which lets you enjoy the piece on the go. When you launch the app and approach a specific artwork or a fire held by another person, your smartphone will light up with flames. When you bring the flame close to another person’s teamLab: FIRE, the flame will connect. As you connect the flame you received with another person, and they connect that flame with someone else, the flame will spread all over the world.

Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and People – Infinity

The museum’s Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and People – Infinity exhibit will transform into bright colours for the summer season from July 21 to August 6. The digital artwork sees koi swim on the surface of water that stretches out into infinity. Visitors can walk into the water. The movement of the koi is influenced by the presence of people in the water and also other koi. When the fish collide with people they turn into flowers and scatter.

Yamaha has set up its iconic yellow LovePiano inside Toyosu Foresia in Tokyo where it will stay until April 20. The piano is for public use so anyone can show off their playing skills.

The LovePiano was built to get more people having a go at playing pianos and music in general. It has seen to over 50 locations in Japan from Shinjuku Station to Shinagawa Station, Sapporo Station, Osaka International Airport, and elsewhere.

MENBAKA Kyoto Fire Ramen, a ramen restaurant in Kyoto that’s particularly popular with foreigners in Japan, is expanding overseas by opening a new branch on the 5th floor of Singapore Orchard in Singapore on November 24, 2020.

MENBAKA Kyoto Fire Ramen

Menbaka first opened in 1984 and has gone on to become a popular ramen bar, focusing on the use of green onion in its dishes for its flavour and fragrance enhancement. In recent years, the Kyoto branch has seen a significant increase in the number of foreign visitors to Japan dining at the restaurant, and in 2017 it ranked number six in the country on Tripadvisor as the most popular restaurant in Japan with foreigners. It has gone on to be reported on in news and media outlets, including the video created by the Japan National Tourism Organization as part of its global campaign.

MENBAKA Kyoto Fire Ramen Singapore

The Singapore branch will open as a franchise of SOUTH EAST ASIA FOOD ENTERTAINMENT PTE. LTD. with carefully-selected suppliers and ingredients to ensure the taste is as close to the Japanese as possible. The restaurant will serve not only ramen but food entertainment as well.

Singapore Orchard, where the restaurant is opening, is a shopping mall and major tourist destination of Singapore. Like other countries around the world, Singapore is having to restrict the number of foreigners entering the country as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic which has also led to restaurants limiting the number of available tables, social distancing measures being put in place, and so on. The restaurant’s opening date was originally scheduled for April 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic so its grand opening is now scheduled for November 24.

If you’re in Singapore and want to try some authentic Japanese ramen at the same time, be sure to visit MENBAKA Kyoto Fire Ramen.

Nippon Animation and Crypton Future Media are set to collaborated for the 4th time by bringing together the popular character Rascal from the Japanese animated series Rascal the Raccoon and VOCALOID. The two companies will release pre-sales of collaborative merch at Magical Mirai 2020 in Osaka from November 27 to 29.

Rascal celebrate hits 40th anniversary back in 2017, the same year his collaboration with VOCALOID began. “Japanese Festival” is the theme for the merchandise line-up which sees the adorable raccoon come together with familiar faces from the VOCALOID roster including Miku, Rin, Len, Luka, KAITO, and MEIKO, all of whom are donning their appropriate festive garbs. There’s also a “Firework Festival” collection of merchandise too which was designed in collaboration with Japanese illustrator Omutatsu.

The merchandise will also be released at the official Nippon Animation shop ANi★CUTE in Ikebukuro, Tokyo on December 18, 2020.

Artwork sample

Merchandise sample

PARCO Pte Ltd, the Singaporean division of Japanese department store chain PARCO, opened the new Jurassic World Café at ION Sky on the 56th floor of the ION Orchard shopping centre in Singapore on November 6, 2020. The café comes as the first Jurassic World Café to open in South East Asia and serves an original line-up of food and drink, an exhibit of everybody’s favourite Velociraptor Blue from Jurassic World, a selection of exclusive merchandise, and more.

Jurassic World Café Singapore

The Jurassic World film series is hugely popular in Singapore, and so it’s only fitting that the country gets its own themed cafe. The menu is diverse, consisting of a special selection created by PARCO’s own The Guest Cafe & Diner as well as local food like Nasi Lemak, unique picks like the Brachiosaurus Mint Pandan beverage, and much more. There will even be a merchandise shop for fans to pick up a souvenir on their way home.

PARCO Singapore has collaborated with The Guest Cafe & Diner, a cafe which collaborates with franchises and of which there are five branches in Japan, on five separate occasions up and down South East Asia, including the Minions Cafe which opened for a limited time in Singapore in 2017. PARCO Singapore is continuing to expand its reach outside of Singapore with other collaborative cafes and exhibitions.

The Menu

Danger lurks at every corner in Jurassic World, and that fact is captured in the menu line-up.

Cafe Bonus Items

There will also be special gifts given to customers.

To see the full line-up, be sure to check out the official website below and pay a visit to Jurassic World Café Singapore.