Double-walled glass pioneer GOODGLAS will be selling cute animal-themed glasses at four Tokyu Department stores for a limited time only starting from 30th May 2019. The four limited stores are Shibuya main store, Shibuya station Toyoko store, Kichijoji store and Tama Plaza Kanagawa store. 

Bear: ¥3,200 + tax

Labrador: ¥3,200 + tax

The double-walled glasses will come in the following designs: Dog, cat, duck, bear, labrador, wild boar, grape, and cherry blossom.

Shiba Inu dog: ¥3,200 + tax

Bunny: 3,500 + tax

Cat: ¥3,500 + tax

From 8th June, more mug designs will be added to the series shown above! The Shiba Inu dog mug, which was fully sold out soon after it was launched for sale back in April, is making a comeback! There will also be two more brand new designs: the bunny and the cat! The Shiba Inu, bunny and cat mugs will be sold at Tokyu Department store in advance. They will be available for general sale from 14th June.

You won’t be able to stop drinking from these cute mugs so get your hands on some!

In the cultural northern region of Japan, a tourist exchange centre will open in front of JR Odate Station in Odate city, Akita! The centre, which is called the Akita Dog Visitor Centre (Akita Inu no Sato) will open on Wednesday 8th May.

At the Akita Dog Visitor Centre, you can fully discover Akita’s most beloved furry friend the Japanese Akita dog! The centre also contains a museum where you can learn about the history of Japanese Akita and their characteristics. There is also a tourist information desk, souvenir corner and much more! You can also visit the Japanese Akita exhibition area where you can get close to the Akita dogs or pop by the large lawn area located right next to the exhibition room to play with the dogs!

A statue dedicated to the faithful Akita dog Hachiko will be located right outside the centre. Hachiko was born in Odate city back when it was called Niidamura. Hachiko is known worldwide as the dog who waited faithfully for his owner’s return in front of Shibuya station from the Taisho era to the start of the Showa era. The Hachiko statue will be moved from its current position in the front of JR Odate station to in front of the Akita Dog Visitor Centre in order to properly greet the people and dogs who come to visit. At the grand opening ceremony on the 8th May, there will be a photo stand-in board allowing anyone to transform into the faithful dog Hachiko. You can also see a red and white curtain made to take on the appearance of the fur of a Japanese Akita ー this is going to be one fluffy ceremony!

There are also two special promotion measures to support the grand opening!

The first promotion measure is an original web video series called “Akita Inu ga Odate no Miryoku o shinan!? Odate Lesson by Akita Dog”. This is an official web series released by Odate city featuring an Akita dog teaching the world about the famous cultural wonders of Akita! From local food such as Kiritanpo (rice sticks) and delicious Hinaichidori chicken to crafts made from Akita sugi cedar wood, and spots such as the mountainous region of Tashiro Dake, this dog will show you everything! The web series is available on the YouTube channel called Akita Inu no Sato (秋田犬の里).

The second promotion measure is the release of a newspaper which will feature a countdown to the grand opening. The newspaper will contain the latest information and will be launched on Wednesday 1st May and lead up to the grand opening! The contents will be like Japan’s famous newspaper Mainichi Shimbun, but its main design theme will be the Japanese Akita. The contents will really bring out the wonders of the region’s loyal Akita dogs!

Through the Akita Dog Visitor Centre, Odate city is aiming to spread the news of the beloved Japanese Akita dog. They hope to create a facility that is loved by many people, so please come attend the grand opening ceremony of the Akita Dog Visitor Centre on Wednesday 8th May!

Akita is the name of a dog (who is also of the dog breed Akita) who has been used to promote tourist information about Akita Prefecture in northern Honshu since 2016. The 4th promotional campaign will be run from September 3 to October 31.

The campaign is being taken to Shibuya in Tokyo. This is an ideal location because not only are there many tourists in Shibuya, but it’s also affiliated with the famous dog Hachiko, who was also an Akita dog born in Akita Prefecture

The campaign’s catchphrase “GO! AKITA” has been changed to “Yeah! AKITA” to express Akita the dog’s joyful voice for his hometown as well as to capture traveller’s reactions to visiting the prefecture.

Look out for the big advertising posters of Akita the dog featuring photos posted on his social media that show the beauty of Akita Prefecture such as at Nekobari Iwa and next to a Kashima (above).

10,000 free rubbish bags will also be handed out featuring an Akita the dog “Happy HalloWan!” design – with wan being the Japanese equivalent of ‘woof.’ The streets of Shibuya become very messy during Halloween, so Akita will be there to lend a paw!

Akita will be dotted all around Shibuya promoting Akita Prefecture, so be sure to find him everywhere!

In this featured series, dog lover and model Yuna Yabe heads out with her trusty partner Mozuku to visit hot spots that people and their dogs enjoy, while deepening her bond with him.

In today’s article, Yuna dresses up Mozuku with hats from a capsule toy series she likes called ‘Inu no Kaburi Mono’ (Things for Dogs to Wear).

The ‘Inu no Kaburi Mono’ series Yuna is interested in is by Kitan Club. She found capsule toy items for cats that she wanted Mozuku to try on, but she also wanted to try the dog ones, so she ended up having him wear a variety of things.

The Kitan Club hat series features 3 different designs: baseball caps, school caps and cop hats – and they all come in different colours!

First up is the black baseball caps, fittingly co-ordinated with a striped Marines uniform to complete this sporty look! A perfect outfit for exercise in the park.

Next is the white doggy cop hat. Mozuku is looking summery with the outdoor white polo shirt too. He looks like sailor!

This big dropping t-shirt gives Mozuku a kid look. He has a yellow school cap on and looks just like a Japanese kindergartener. It matches perfectly with the green!

The one Yuna wanted him to wear the most was the camo one. He’s wearing it together with a border-type Western outfit remade by her grandma. He looks like a fashionable and heroic guy!

The last look is the red and navy co-ord. Wearing matching navy caps is a lot of fun.

Yuna said, “We got to see many different sides to Mozuku today. It’s good to protect your head with a hat during summertime. If I wear a hat I can match looks with my dog, so I recommend it!”

If you’re in Japan and come across capsule toy machines, known as gashapon, then be sure to look out for this series. They’re ¥300 each.

There’s never shortage of things to do at Huis Ten Bosch, a theme park in Nagasaki absolutely packed with content from flowers to illuminations, games, music and more.

Pull out your diaries and write in the dates for these events taking place at the park in June.

“Happy Rain” – A rainbow of umbrellas stretching across each location

A whole host of events will take place at Happy Rain, and there will be plenty of food to eat and things to buy, all themed on rainbows.

Umbrellas of all colours float overhead along Rainbow Street, and the multicoloured food and merchandise on sale transform the area into a colourful creation. And if it rains, you can pick up an original poncho for just ¥100 – normally sold at ¥1,500.

“Miffy Month” – Celebrate with everyone!

 Miffy, the adorable bunny loved all over the world, is holding a birthday event this June.

Look forward to getting your hands on limited-edition Miffy merchandise and eating Miffy inspired food at the popular Nijntje Cafe. There will also be an event held with snacks thrown out to people.

“Hydrangea Festival” – 1,250 varieties of hydrangea displayed

From the 2m tall and 10m wide ‘Hydrangea Wall’ to the magical illuminated ‘Hydrangea Herbarium,’ this new spot in Huis Ten Bosch Palace will be full of gorgeous hydrangea flowers. A social media campaign will also take place to win a coupon that can be used there.

Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/102391

“Lily Festival” – 300 varieties of lilies

In the Lily Garden, you can take an absolutely gorgeous photo at a particular lily patch made to look like a lily dress. You’ll be enveloped by the sweet scent of lilies outdoors, in the palace, the hotel, and pretty much everywhere else.

“BLAZE UP NAGASAKI 2018 in HUIS TEN BOSCH” – A rock event

This rock event is aimed at invigorating the region of Nagasaki. In addition to SHANK who are organising this event, a total of ten artists will perform including HEY-SMITH, SiM, Crossfaith , dustbox, G-FREAK FACTORY, MEANING, SIX LOUNGE, 04 Limited Sazabys, and Kariyushi58.

Kichi Kichi Cat & Dog Walking

This event is organised by pet magazine Inu Kichi Neko Ichi. This is your chance to get your photo taken by a professional cameraman and printed in the magazine. This one’s a must-check for pet owners.

3rd Bosch Cosplay Collection

The third Bosch Cos Collection will allow special access to a place you normally can’t enter to be used a photo spot.

Nagasaki Prefecture is home to one of Japan’s four biggest cities and is close to Fukuoka Prefecture. There’s an express bus you can take from Fukuoka Station to gt to Huis Ten Bosch, and overall commuting there is very easy. There’s always lots of events taking place at the park, and the ones this June can be enjoyed whether it’s sunny or rainy.

Begin your summer with a trip to Huis Ten Bosch!

The silicon sundry brand, “p＋g design Circus” will sell a new series of “Mimi POUCHI Friends” named “Taremimi (floppy ears)” series from early April of 2018.

Gamaguchi is Japanese pouch bag which has a mouth ring and was invented in the early Meiji Period.

The name “gamaguchi” came from gamagaeru (Japanese toad) since the mouth ring looks like the mouth of a toad. Gamaguchi is often used as a purse/wallet but you can put many kinds of things inside it.

mimi POUCHI Friends is the name of the gamaguchi series which has the ears of animals. The new series includes 4 varieties including Labrador Retriever which is known as a guide dog and a cute Pug.

The soft touch of silicon and the cute facial expressions of the animals match very well. The item can be used as a coin purse or mini pouch bag which comes in handy for carrying small things like keys, medicine and accessories.

This item is water-proof since it is made of silicon which means you can wash it when it gets dirty!

Why not get your very own cute gamaguchi?

Yuna Yabe is new to pet ownership. With her eyes set on becoming a better owner, Yuna is going all out with by starting up a brand new regular article series. For her first entry, Yuna is introducing a fun café she visited together with her puppy!

The café the two of them visited is called “Bondi Café Yoyogi Beach Park” and it’s located in the Okushibu area. It’s 324m from Yoyogi-koen Station via the Chiyoda Line and 5 minutes by foot from Yoyogi-Hachiman Station via the Odakyu Line. It’s easy to get to from either station. What’s better is that it’s close to places like the Bunkamura museum, Tokkyu Hands and NHK meaning you can make a day out of your trip on a stroll with your dog.

First of all, let’s learn a little bit about the protagonist of our story. Mozuku-kun is a 1-and-a-half-year-old male long coat chihuahua. His latest interests include chasing the robot Roomba vacuum cleaner. His charm points are his brown eyes and nose and sticking his tongue out. Please treat him well♪

The café has a service that includes a rug and water bowl for dogs. But it seems like Yuna’s lap is where Mozuku-kun feels most at ease!

Behind the café is a promenade where you can take a leisurely walk without having to worry about incoming cars. It’s generally a quiet area, making it a peaceful and pleasant stroll for even scaredy-dogs.

The roads in this area are paved beautifully so it’s a perfect spot to snap a photo with your puppy for Instagram.

The café looks out onto Inokashira-Dori, so you can get a view of Yoyogi Park and the green ambience of the tree-lined streets. The lavish greenery is gorgeous, it’ll make you forget you’re even in Shibuya! Even Mozuku-kun was in pretty high spirits. I wonder if he noticed all the green too?

On the café’s list of recommendations is their homemade tofu pancake with coconut butter for ￥900 (tax included). You can get a heap full of fruits like in the photo above to top your pancake for an extra ￥500. If you’re a fruit lover then definitely try ordering this.

There are 5 sauces to choose from to top your pancake, including the classic maple syrup and even chocolate. Yuna went with caramel sauce, her absolute favourite.

Mozuku was well behaved at first, but after seeing Yuna enjoying her food so much he stuck his tongue out in complete captivation and begged. But the pancake is a little too rich in flavour for Mozuku-kun, so he was given his favourite dog food later on.

This is a caramel macchiato (￥700 tax incl.) made using speciality coffee by the barista who creates the drinks one by one to perfection. The latte art is super cute, so be sure to take a selfie with your puppy and upload it on your social media. You’ll definitely get a lot of likes.

If you’re looking to go out on a stroll somewhere a little different from usual, then we recommend Bondi Café Yoyogi Beach Park. It’s easily accessible from Shibuya and Harajuku, plus they have plenty of welcoming service for pets! The café is also close to Yoyogi Park, so it might be nice to take a walk there too. Yuna was happy with the terrace seats as they were spacious meaning you can use them without worry of other mischievous dogs. That’s all for today – look forward to next time!