The official Chiikawa store, Chiikawa Land Tokyo Station, will open on September 16, 2022 on Tokyo Character Street beneath Tokyo Station!

Chiikawa is a popular character created by Japanese illustrator Nagano on Twitter. In December 2020, the character’s official online store, Chiikawa Market, was opened, and the many comics featuring the character posted on Twitter were compiled into a book. Now with a massive fanbase, Nagano’s follower count on social media has reached 1.3 million, and a number of collaboration cafes and exhibitions featuring his characters have popped up around Japan. Chiikawa even has his own anime series broadcast on Mezamashi TV!

Purchase Bonus

One Hologram Sticker included with each purchase.

Manmaru Bottled Water with each purchase of ¥3,300 (Tax Included) or more

Small Plushie Friends (6 varieties) with each purchase of ¥8,800 (Tax Included) or more

Not for Sale / Limited Quantities Available

Chiikawa Land Shopping Bag (4 varieties)

Chiikawa Land Tokyo Station Exclusive Items

Layered Acrylic Stand / Smartphone Ring

Square Magnet

Clear Folder

Washi Paper Sticker in Smartphone Size

Printed Card

Large Face Towel / Bath Towel

Towel (Set of 3)

Large Tote Bag

Cookie Set in Cube Box

Salt (Set of 5)

Japanese Paper-style Pin in Capsule (12 varieties)

Commemorative Opening Stamp

The Harajuku and Umeda, Osaka Chiikawa Land stores, which opened last August, have seen massive success. In June 2022, the Fukuoka PARCO store opened, followed by the Kyoto Shijo Kawaramachi store in July. In August, the limited-time Magical Chiikawa store opened on Tokyo Character Street, and due to its massive popularity, it will now be permanent.

The Chiikawa Land Tokyo Station store features special commemorative products using newly-drawn illustrations, including exclusive purchase bonuses and exclusive shopping bags.

©nagano / chiikawa committee

The Yo-Kai Express ramen vending machine at Haneda Airport has introduced two new menu items in collaboration with the popular ramen chain Ippudo! Guests can now enjoy Ippudo’s Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen and Ippudo’s Plant-based Tonkotsu-style Ramen. 

Guests can also enjoy Chicken Yuzu Shio Ramen, Tokyo Shoyu Ramen, Kyushu Tonkotsu Ramen, and Sapporo Spicy Miso Ramen. Each order only takes 90 seconds to prepare, so if you’re rushing to chow down before your flight, this is the way to go!

*Yo-Kai Express is a start-up company headquartered in Silicon Valley developing ramen vending machines. The company’s name comes from the word yokai (monsters) and reflects the brand’s desire to entertain people whenever and wherever they are. 

Starting on October 8, Tokyo Station Gallery will begin the 150th Anniversary of Railway in Japan Exhibition. To celebrate the opening of the event, Tokyo Station Hotel will begin offering a special lodging plan which includes a special ticket for entry starting September 15. 

2022 marks the 15th anniversary of Japan’s first railroad. The exhibition will look back at the history of railroads from their inception in 1872 to the present day, and will also feature modern and contemporary Japanese art.

Over 150 works will be on display, from oil paintings to photographs. The exhibition will also include Kawanabe Kyosai’s Jigoku Gokuraku Meguri-zu and Utagawa Hiroshige’s masterwork Steam Train Running Along the Shore at Yokohama. The train headmark was designed by Katsuhiko Hibino in 2021.

The accommodation plan will include a special tour held on the morning of check-out day before the gallery opens to the public. Visitors can enjoy the exhibition in depth while listening to explanations by the curators who planned the exhibition. After the tour, visitors can enjoy the exhibition again. The special ticket features Utagawa Hiroshige’s painting Steam Train Running Along the Shore at Yokohama and is perfect as a souvenir.

Enjoy a rare moment surrounded by the historic architecture of Tokyo Station’s Marunouchi Station Building and immerse yourself in the history of the railroad.

From August 19 until September 1, a special Chiikawa shop will open on Tokyo Character Street, located inside Tokyo Station!

Chiikawa is a popular character first revealed by Japanese illustrator Nagano on Twitter. The artist’s creations have become massively popular, with Nagano’s follower count on social media reaching over 1.2 million fans. From collaboration cafes and exhibitions to a recent anime series, the sky’s the limit for these adorable characters!

Commemorative Stamp

Purchase Bonus: Holographic Card (6 varieties, random) *Not for Sale

Bonus for Guests Spending ¥3,300 (Including Tax): Heart Fan *Not for Sale

Bonus for Guests Spending ¥8,800 (Including Tax): Bath Towel (2 varieties) *Not for Sale
*Available while supplies last.

Exclusive Merchandise

At this limited-time Magical Chikawa shop, fans can find exclusive products featuring new illustrations, as well as special purchase bonuses and commemorative stamps for guests!

©nagano / chiikawa committee

Tokyo Character Street, located within First Avenue Tokyo Station, has opened a special pop-up shop dedicated to the popular character Shirotan! The store will be open until May 26, 2022. 

Shirotan, an adorable harp seal, represents “comfort, healing, encouragement, and connectedness.” 

Aiming to cover Tokyo Station in this cute and inspiring character, the pop-up shop isn’t the only Shirotan appearance going on. Those strolling from the Nozomi Plaza in front of the Yaesu Underground Central Exit ticket gate towards Character Street will see Shirotan covering the walls, welcoming guests.

In addition to standard Shirotan products, fans can also grab 17 brand-new items being sold exclusively at the pop-up shop. 

The book Welcome to Shirotan’s World will be available on July 7, so be sure to preorder!

To commemorate the 35th anniversary of Chibi Maruko-chan, the Momoko Sakura Pop-up Shop will open from March 18 to March 31, 2022, at Ichiban Plaza on Tokyo Character Street in the First Avenue Tokyo Station mall.

The Chibi Maruko-chan manga series began in 1986, and was serialized in the popular shojo manga magazine Ribon until 2018. Written by Momoko Sakura, it tells the everyday life of the third-grade troublemaker Maruko and her family. The series is set in the Irie district in Shimizu, now a part of Shizuoka City, where Momoko Sakura was born.

About 40 never-before-seen items will be available at the shop with new illustrations by Momoko Sakura. From stationary to accessories, fans of the series shouldn’t miss it!

Ryohin Keikaku, which operates the interior design brand IDÉE, will open the ‘Life in Art: Tokyo Modernism 2022’ exhibition from February 25 until April 10, 2022. Vintage stores and galleries from all over Japan that deal mainly with furniture from the 1940s to 1960s will come together to introduce audiences to exquisite designs from around the world. Shinichiro Nakahara and Takahiro Goko have organized the exhibition in an effort to spread the word about modern design in the golden age. The exhibition will be held in three parts, beginning with a showing at ATELIER MUJI GINZA and continuing to an auction at IDÉE Tokyo. The final exhibition will be held at MUJI HOTEL GINZA.

Modernism Gallery

This exhibition is composed of items from a number of unique galleries and stores. Intended to promote the beauty of mid-century vintage furniture and interior design, each piece will be introduced alongside stories from the original designers. 

Modernism Auction #Chairs

Store owners, creators, and artists participating in TOKYO MODERNISM 2022 will be auctioning off a selection of unique chairs during this unique event.

Modernism Show

About 30 galleries and vintage shops from around Japan will transform the guest rooms on the 7th and 8th floors of MUJI HOTEL GINZA into stores for this special show. This is the main event and will gather together masterpieces of modern design from the United States, Brazil, Scandinavia, and Japan.

Tokyo Gift Palette, located near the Yaesu North Gate at Tokyo Station, offers a wide selection of unique souvenirs. From December 26, 2021 until January 11, 2022, the location will be holding the Exciting New Year’s Fair, with the Strawberry Sweets Fair coming soon after from January 5 until January 25, 2022. 

Konigs-Krone Luxury ‘Strawberry Parfait’

Patisserie Ginza Sembikiya ‘Strawberry Omelet’

Strawberry Shop by FRANCAIS ‘Strawberry Parfait’

*Only available at Tokyo Gift Palette
Tokyo Kaikan ‘Reward Parfait ~Strawberry & Chestnut~

Strawberry Shop by FRANCAIS ‘Fresh Strawberry Milk Cake’

Oosumi Tamaya ‘Strawberry Daifuku’

Oosumi Tamaya ‘Chinese New Year Daifuku’

Tokyo Kaikan ‘Chocolate & Orange Tart’ 

Paq & Mog Terrace ‘Calbee and Tokyo Banana Bonito & Kelp Umami Dashi Potato Chips

The New Year’s Fair will feature cute cakes and sweets inspired by the Chinese Zodiac, along with traditional Japanese goods. The Strawberry Sweets Fair will see a number of popular goodies on sale, including desserts that won top prizes in the ‘Favorite Fruit Survey’ conducted by Tokyo Gift Palette on Instagram in June 2021.

East Japan Railway and Mitsubishi Estate Company are teaming up for Tokyo Michi Terrace 2021, a special light-up event being held at Tokyo Station from December 14 until December 25. This year’s theme is ‘Scenery at Dawn,’ and was inspired by the phrase ‘after the night comes the day.’ 2021 was another difficult year for people around the world, and this event signifies the dawn of a new era. 

The Tokyo Station Marunouchi Station Building, the trees in the Station Square, and the trees along Gyoko-Dori Avenue will all be decorated with lights that gradually change color. Hopefully, 2022 will be an easier year!

2021 Event Theme: ‘Scenery at Dawn’ 

After all of the hardships of the year, Christmas 2021 will be the dawn of a new era. 

Tokyo will give citizens and guests a beautiful moment illuminated with the morning sunlight.

teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM, located in Toyosu, Tokyo, have completed the refurbishment of their outdoor food stand, opening Vegan Ramen UZU Tokyo on October 8 2021. The new shop allows customers to eat vegan ramen from Kyoto in a new art space from teamLab. In addition, the teamLab Flower Shop & Art will be opening, a shop where customers can purchase orchids previously used in one of the group’s art pieces to take home with them. 

Menu

Vegan Ramen Flower (Cool): ¥1,980 (Tax Incl.)

Vegan Ramen Tea: ¥1,650 (Tax Incl.)

Vegan Ramen Soy Sauce: ¥1,320 (Tax Incl.)

Vegan Ramen Miso (Spicy): ¥1,320 (Tax Incl.)

Newly Released Works

Reversible Rotation – Non-Objective Space, teamLab, 2021

Table of Sky and Fire, teamLab Architects, 2021

Floating Flower Garden: Flower, Myself and Cognate, Garden and Myself as One

teamLab Planets Original Tote Bag

The menu at Vegan Ramen UZU uses no animal products like meat or fish, instead condensing the taste of vegetables into a delicious ramen that you can enjoy in a space designed by teamLab. Vegan Ramen UZU Kyoto first opened in March 2020 to great popularity, with many customers queuing for over an hour to get inside the store. 

At the new Tokyo store, customers can enjoy a bowl of vegan ramen while enjoying teamLab’s latest art installations, the Non-Objective Space and the Table of Sky and Fire.

Not only that, you can also take home some of the orchids used in the Floating Flower Garden: Flower, Myself and Cognate, Garden and Myself as One exhibit that was held from July 2, along with a section of teamLab merchandise such as stickers, patches, postcards, and more, at the newly opened teamLab Flower Shop & Art store.

Look forward to tasting this healthy ramen while immersed in an artistic space!

Starting September 13, characters from the popular anime series Tokyo Revengers are taking over Tokyo Station in a unique new poster campaign! In addition to one main poster featuring all main characters, 47 local posters–one for each Japanese prefecture–are being displayed throughout the massive train station, with characters speaking in local dialects to promote different areas of Japan. For those learning Japanese, this is a neat way to learn more about the unique vocabulary used throughout the country. 

A fun Twitter campaign is also underway, asking fans to tweet #オレの地元が最強 (#MyHometownIsTheStrongest). The special prize will be a B0 Japan Revengers poster, given to only one winner, with the remaining 47 winners able to snag a B2-size poster. 

A special advertisement for Japan Revengers will appear in the morning edition of the September 17th edition of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. Additionally, to celebrate the release of the 24th volume of the Tokyo Revengers manga series, those who purchase the new volume will receive one randomly-selected 47-prefecture illustration card during the in-store campaign.

Be sure to check out which prefecture your favorite character is repping! 

Gion’s Tatsumi Bridge, a picturesque area plucked straight from a painting. From there, continue south and into the backstreets, you’ll find the popular Kyoto Ramen store, Ramen Muraji.

The bridge takes you over the Shirakawa River which flows into Lake Biwa, with the connecting street spanning a distance of only 180m, with paths the width of three adults. Once you head into the alley, the scenery will completely change. 

The asphalt becomes cobblestone, surrounded by Kyoto-style lattice windows. Here you’ll find Ramen Muraji, located in a renovated 100 year old Kyoto-style building, perfectly blending into its surroundings. 

At first glance you wouldn’t believe it to be hiding a ramen shop,  with many people calling their discovery of the shop a once-in-a-lifetime encounter as they wander the streets of Gion.

The back alleys of Gion retain the history of Kyoto, with hidden shops shrouded by curtains, gently glowing lanterns, and carefully handwritten signboards. Each spot has been crafted to become a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with those who visit.

Ramen Muraji was built in the alley

Tatsumi Bridge, an area famous for retaining the distinctive Gion look.

Muraji’s Speciality White Chicken Ramen

Gion has been popular with Kyoto tourists for years, surrounded by attractive buildings and cityscapes. Located here is the Yasaka Shrine, a world heritage site which hosts the annual Gion Summer Festival. 

While the locals rarely explore the area, Gion is full of traditional beauty that has inspired many novels, maintaining the culture and history that has been passed down for generations. 

Why not relive the splendor of Gion at Ramen Muraji, a shop that was born 、

With its long history and culture that weaves towns, humans, and spirits together, why not relive the splendor of Gion with a historical cup of Muraji ramen? 

Ramen Muraji is a space where anybody can enjoy ramen, surrounded by Kyoto-style interior decor and Japanese-style decorations. 

Their chicken ramen, boiled in a plain water soup, boasts a selection of carefully selected ingredients that condenses the taste of Kyoto’s unique food culture. Kyoto Sake matched to the flavor of the ramen is also available.

Enjoy the charms of Kyoto’s food for yourself at Ramen Muraji.