Photo by zakkubalan ©2022 Kab Inc.

On January 17, 2022, beloved composer Ryuichi Sakamoto celebrated his 70th birthday. The artist continues to battle cancer, and as a way to encourage and empower him, the commons label launched a special anniversary website titled 10 Favorites – Ryuichi Sakamoto. The site features appearances from major artists and creators who have cited Sakamoto as an inspiration, listing their ten favorite works by the composer alongside their unique perspectives and thoughts. The 25th and final installment features SUGA of the popular K-pop boy band BTS.

Comment from SUGA (BTS)

「어릴적 부모님 손에 이끌려 ‘마지막 황제’ 재개봉을 간 적이 있었습니다.
그 때 음악에 압도 되었다는 느낌을 처음 받았고 12살 음악을 만들기 시작하며 사카모토 류이치 선생님의 음악을 많이 듣고 샘플링을 하며 꿈을 키웠습니다.
저에게 수많은 영감을 준 뮤지션들은 많지만 사카모토 류이치 선생님은 더 많은 꿈을 꾸게 해주신 분입니다 (저는 참고로 코다 다큐멘터리의 재해대피소에서 연주한 Merry Chistmas Mr. Lawrence live 버전을 가장 좋아합니다)
부디 건강하세요 선생님.

“When I was young, my parents took me to see The Last Emperor. That was when I first experienced the feeling of being awed by music. I began composing music when I was twelve and dreamed about my future while listening to your music, even sampling some of it.

There are many musicians who have inspired me, but you are one of the people who has influenced me the most. (For reference, my favorite Sakamoto piece is the live performance version of Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence that was performed in the area impacted by the 2011 earthquake, which appears in the documentary CODA). Mr. Sakamoto, please stay healthy.”

Previous contributors to the project include Shinro Ohtake, Goro Inagaki, Banana Yoshimoto, Shiro Takatani, Yukihiro Takahashi, Akira Asada, Kiko Mizuhara, Haruomi Hosono, Yuima Nakazato, Ryu Murakami, LEO, UA, Shin’ichi Fukuoka, U-zhaan, Lee Sang-il, Ryoji Ikeda, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Kei Wakabayashi, Shinichiro Watanabe, Kiichi Fujiwara, Miki Nakatani, Daito Manabe, Taeko Ohnuki, and Hirokazu Koreeda.

Fans of Sakamoto’s works should feel free to peruse the site, which includes English translations of the guest’s selections and thoughts.

On November 18, AEON’s fashion brand Doublefocus launched six pieces of apparel inspired by the soccer series Captain Tsubasa! These items will be available at 260 AEON and AEON Style locations nationwide as well as AEON Style Online. 

Captain Tsubasa Sweatshirt

Captain Tsubasa Hoodies

Track Jacket

T-Shirts

Soccer is becoming more popular in Japan, and this is becoming apparent through its inclusion in various anime and manga series. If you’re a fan, be sure to grab one of these Captain Tsubasa shirts, sweatshirts, or hoodies!

(c) 高橋陽一／集英社・2018キャプテン翼製作委員会

SEGA’s popular ROMAPI purikura machines nationwide are currently teaming up with BTS! Fans can find some adorable Butter-inspired stamps with their favorite TinyTAN characters, useful for spicing up snapshots. The collab is running until December 12, 2022.

During this event, a total of 39 TinyTAN stamps are available, all inspired by the group’s hit song Butter. Two stamps are also available, and images can also be sent to your smartphone using Purikura ON. 

Fans of BTS shouldn’t miss this opportunity to snag some cute shots!

The eight members of BT21 are the latest to be picked up by the character-inspired Japanese confectionery series Tabemas. These tasty treats will go on sale at FamilyMart stores across Japan starting November 8, 2022. Two characters will be included in each pack, and fans can snag either KOYA & RJ, SHOOKY & COOKY, MANG & CHIMMY, or TATA & VAN. Each pack will cost ¥398 (Tax Included). 

About Tabemas and BT21

All eight characters from BT21, a globally popular character brand featured as part of LINE FRIENDS, have been transformed into Japanese sweets. KOYA, RJ, SHOOKY, MANG, CHIMMY, TATA, COOKY, and VAN are cuter than ever before in these 3D treats, and this is the first time that the Tabemas series has revealed all eight characters in a collaboration. When all of the sweets are gathered together on a plate, it will look like the characters are having a party!

Why not enjoy a fun and tasty time with your favorite members of BT21?

(C)BT21

The 13th iteration of the BT21 Cafe will open at six venues in five cities around Japan. Fans in Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka, and Sapporo will want to visit this exclusive event titled ~MAGICAL TIME~. The first cafe opens in Shibuya on November 3. In celebration of BT21’s 5th anniversary, this special cafe is filled with joy and excitement and aims to give fans the best possible experience.

Cafe Menu

Magical Tea Time Set

Food Plate

Food Plate (7 varieties)

Dessert Plate

Dessert Plate (7 varieties)

Drinks

Magical Milk Tea

Black Tea

Iced Coffee / Hot Coffee

Original Goods

Acrylic Keychain (7 varieties, Random)

Acrylic Clip (7 varieties, Random)

Satin Sticker (7 varieties)

Clear Folder (2 varieties)

Handkerchief (7 varieties)

Tote Bag

Mug

Masking Tape / Balloon on a Stick

Dolomite Coaster (2 varieties) / Mirror (2 varieties)

[Online Store Exclusive] Acrylic Keychain (7 varieties, Random)

The cafe’s new menu includes afternoon tea, perfect for warming the body and soul during the cold winter months. The colorful food items and desserts are sure to be a hit on social media, and fans will enjoy the Magical Milk Tea and other dishes inspired by the popular BT21 characters.

In addition to new merchandise and bonuses featuring newly-drawn art, a photo spot will welcome guests to the cafe and invite them to celebrate this five-year milestone. 

Why not take a break from everyday life to enjoy a magical time with these cute characters?

©BT21

Bandai’s Candy Division will open preorders for a new collection of Christmas cakes inspired by popular characters at the end of September! The five new cakes, part of the company’s Charadeco line, include Kamen Rider Geats, Precure, Sumikko Gurashi, BT21, and Avataro Sentai Donbrothers. All cakes come with original Christmas exclusive toys and bonuses, so you won’t want to miss out!

Charadeco Christmas Cake – Kamen Rider Geats / Precure Delicious Party / Avataro Sentai Donbrothers / BT21 / Sumikko Gurashi

These beautifully decorated cakes are perfect for celebrating this festive season, and each is packaged in a character-designed cake box and wrapped with a special film. 

*The Sumikko Gurashi cake does not include film. 

Customers can link separately sold toys with the special toy included with these cakes to hear exclusive character voices!

Why not grab one of these fun cakes to enjoy with your family this Christmas?

©2022 石森プロ・テレビ朝日・ADK EM・東映

©ABC-A・東映アニメーション

©テレビ朝日・東映AG・東映

©BT21

©2022 San-X Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Aeon’s fashion brand DOUBLEFOCUS has announced a unique apparel collection featuring Crayon Shin-chan and Sanrio’s popular character Cinnamoroll! The collection itself will include 14 items and will release on September 29, 2022. Those interested will be able to purchase these items at over 150 AEON and AEON-STYLE locations around Japan, as well as online. Crayon Shin-chan has been a popular series for decades, and Cinnamoroll has won first place for three consecutive years in the Sanrio Character Awards. 

Many characters from Crayon Shin-chan will be featured in the collection, including Shinnosuke, Himawari, Shiro, and Buriburizaemon. These unique items can only be purchased at AEON stores, and fans can find everything from cushions and key chains to clothing. Be sure to grab your favorite items before they sell out!

Ⓒ臼井儀人／双葉社・シンエイ・テレビ朝日・ＡＤＫ

Ⓒ２０２２ ＳＡＮＲＩＯ ＣＯ．，ＬＴＤ．ＴＯＫＹＯ．ＪＡＰＡＮⓁ

BTS fans will want to head to Nagoya! The TinyTAN Licensed Product Special Exhibition is now open at Nagoya Kintetsu Pass’e until October 2, 2022. Tons of new products inspired by Butter are available at an on-site pop-up shop!

The exhibition opened on September 17, and fans of the BTS song Butter are flocking to the event to snag some adorable new merch. In addition to new interior goods being unveiled for the first time, popular products have been released with entirely new designs. 

Many other world premiere products will also be available, including the 4 Season Blanket decorated with TinyTAN characters and inspired by spring, summer, fall, and winter. This will be available in limited quantities, so don’t miss out!

Conveyor-belt sushi chain Kura Sushi will hold its second campaign in tie-up with BT21, the globally popular character brand featured as part of LINE FRIENDS, starting October 1, 2022.

The first tie-up campaign took place in January 2022 and instantly trended on social media. This new campaign will feature newly-designed posters, clear folders, and notebooks. The first round will be held starting October 1, the second starting October 14, the third starting November 2, and the fourth starting November 18. These four giveaways will reward customers for every ¥2,500 spent. Visitors pulling a winning ticket in the Bikkurapon game can also snag some other goods with the theme ‘Home All Day,’ like pins and keychains.

Original Goods Gift Campaign

Round 1: Posters

Running: October 1 ~ Items Sell Out (400,000 total)

Round 2: Clear Folders

 Running: October 14 ~ Items Sell Out (400,000 total)

Round 3: A6-sized Notebooks

Running: November 2 ~ Items Sell Out (400,000 total)

Round 4: Clear Folders

Running: November 18 ~ Items Sell Out (400,000 total)

Bikkurapon BT21 Original Goods

Figures (7 varieties)

Rubber Keychains (7 varieties)

Pins (10 varieties)

Collaboration Menu

BT21 Traditional Japanese Sweets (7 varieties)

Available: October 1 – November 1, 2022

KOYA, RJ: Smooth Anko

SHOOKY, MANG, CHIMMY: Chocolate

COOKY, TATA: Strawberry

BT21 Milk Caramel Cafe Latte with Original Cup

Available: November 2 – November 30, 2022

BT21 Strawberry Milk

Available: November 2 – November 30, 2022

*Stickers gifted to customers will be random.

Special tie-up menu items, including Japanese sweets shaped like popular BT21 characters, will be available, along with special BT21 Strawberry Milk paired with one of 10 exclusive stickers. Look forward to the second edition of this super popular campaign where fans can win valuable original merch!

Sae Okamoto’s Mecha-Ude project has attracted worldwide attention, and now, a full anime and manga series have been announced! Okamoto’s up-and-coming anime production company TriF Studio, located in Fukuoka, will work on the series, which follows Hikaru, a normal student, and Alma, a Mecha-Ude wielder who can be activated when he bonds with a human. 

Yoshino Koyoka has also started publishing a manga adaptation of the series on LINE Manga and other ebookjapan services. Three free chapters were published on September 15, and the series will run bi-weekly. TriF Studio will supervise and provide the story.

A documentary video teasing the anime series and giving more information about TriF Studio has also been uploaded to YouTube. The video shows that the pilot’s theme song was written by Eve with a music video produced by Masayoshi Oishi. Hiroshi Matsuyama, the CEO of CyberConnect2, serves as the general supervisor of the series. Terumi Nishii, the chief animation director for the popular series Jujutsu Kaisen, worked on character designs for Mecha-Ude. 

The average staff age at TriF is 25, which is incredibly young for an animation studio. What can we expect from such a unique collection of creators? 

Be sure to keep an eye on this new anime and manga project!

(C)TriF/「メカウデ」製作委員会

Noritake, a fine china maker, has opened preorders for cup & saucer sets inspired by popular BTS songs! The DNA, MIC Drop, and Dynamite sets are currently available to order, while the Boy With Luv and Butter sets will be available on September 21. If you want one of these gorgeous sets, be quick–preorders will end once all items sell out.

The cups and saucers are made of bone china, a type of porcelain, and are decorated in bright and vivid colors inspired by some of the Korean boy band’s biggest hits. The backs of the cups and saucers are decorated with the BTS logo, so fans will want to add this to their kitchen. 

(C) BIGHIT MUSIC. All Rights Reserved.

The pancake specialty cafe Butter is collaborating with illustrator Yuu Itsuki from August 19 until September 4, 2022. Fans of Itsuki’s adorable LINE Sticker series will recognize a few characters appearing in the many dishes popping up during the event. Along with a lineup of sweets, main dishes, and beverages available to enjoy at the store, some special collaboration macarons will be sold as a takeout-only item.

Friendly Fruit Buttermilk Pancakes

Kuma-chan’s Shortcake Pancakes with Handmade Donuts

Kuma-chan’s Sleepy Omu Curry

Lemonade

Blue Lagoon Lemonade

Exclusive Macaron Box (Take-out Only)

Order Bonus for Sweet and Main Dishes: Original Postcard and Pin

Drink Order Bonus: Pin

Come enjoy this sweet collaboration menu featuring Kuma-chan and his two best friends!