Over the past few decades, Star Wars has become one of the most beloved properties with fans around the world. Grogu, known by many fans as Baby Yoda, first appeared in The Mandalorian, a series on Disney+ currently celebrating its third anniversary.  With his mysterious background and incredible use of the Force, the tiny and adorable character became a hit with fans around the world, quickly making him one of the most popular characters in the recent Star Wars series. World-renowned Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli recently produced a short animation starring Grogu and Makkuro Kurosuke, also known as the Wandering Soot or, in the title for the short, Dust Bunnies. The characters first appeared in the film My Neighbor Totoro. Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki and producer Toshio Suzuki have long been friends with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, who readily agreed to produce the short as a symbol of their longstanding friendship. The short was directed by Katsuya Kondo.   Will you give this a watch on Disney+?   （C）2022 & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.（C）2022 Studio Ghibli.

The anime Star Wars anthology Star Wars: Visions is coming to Disney Plus on September 22, and ahead of release, a more detailed trailer has been released to excited audiences worldwide. Seven of Japan’s leading animation studios are participating in the highly-anticipated project, which will tell nine new stories from the Star Wars universe. Each studio will bring their own unique vision to the epic space opera, and fans worldwide have been blown away by the new teaser footage.    While details on the nine stories are still scarce, the global trailer does feature some of the show’s voice actors: English audiences recognized actors Joseph Gordon-Levitt and David Harbour, while the Japanese trailer featured such well-known performers as Masako Nozawa, Yuichi Nakamura, Junya Enoki, Yuma Uchida, Daisuke Hirakawa, and Hiroyuki Yoshino.    The project aims to introduce Japanese anime and pop culture to the world in a new way. The trailer contains fantastical lightsaber battles and unique characters along with memorable moments from the films, including the famous line “May the Force be with you.” Fans around the world are raising their expectations for the explosive final product.    Global Trailer (In Japanese with English Subtitles)

  English Dubbed Trailer (In English with Japanese Subtitles)

   Below is a list of the animated shorts featured in Star Wars: Visions, as well as the contributing studio:    The Duel - Kamikaze DougaLop and Ochō - Geno Studio (Twin Engine) Tatooine Rhapsody - Studio Colorido (Twin Engine) The Twins - TriggerThe Elder - TriggerThe Village Bride - Kinema CitrusAkakiri - Science SaruT0-B1 - Science Saru The Ninth Jedi - Production IG George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, has cited Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, and Japanese culture as a whole, as a great influence on his works. The executive producer of Star Wars: Visions, James Waugh, calls the project ‘a love letter from Lucasfilm to Japan, the country that gave the world anime culture.’   ©2021 TM & c Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Lucasfilm and Disney+ have unveiled the first look at their new anime anthology series Star Wars: Visions and revealed that all nine episodes will be released on September 22, 2021.   The announcement was shared during Anime Expo Lite 2021, the digital version of the annual Anime Expo in the US, where it was revealed that the anthology of animated short films is being created by seven Japanese anime studios that will use "their signature animation and storytelling styles to realize their own visions of the galaxy far, far away."   George Lucas has publicly expressed how Japanese folktales and the films of Akira Kurosawa have had and continue to have an influence on his work, including Star Wars, which has been poured into its themes, stories, and characters. Now things are being flipped around as Japan's animation studios create their take on the franchise. Below is the list of studios and the titles of their upcoming animated shorts:

• Kamikaze Douga – The Duel
• Geno Studio (Twin Engine) – Lop and Ochō
• Studio Colorido (Twin Engine) – Tatooine Rhapsody
• Trigger – The Twins
• Trigger – The Elder
• Kinema Citrus – The Village Bride
• Science Saru – Akakiri
• Science Saru – T0-B1
• Production IG – The Ninth Jedi

  Check out a special look of the series below which was posted on the official Star Wars YouTube channel.

The video features some of the Japanese anime industry's top creators each expressing their love for Star Wars. It also looks at how the unique style of Japanese anime is a perfect lens for expressing the franchise.   Star Wars: Visions will release on Disney+ on September 22, 2021.   ©2021 TM & c Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Japanese messaging app LINE announced that their casual puzzle game LINE: Disney Tsum Tsum has broken 90 million views. The popular game launched a collaboration with the Star Wars franchise on Tuesday which is set to run until May 31.LINE: Disney Tsum Tsum is based off Disney's collectable stuffed toy series. The game launched first in Japan on January 29, 2014, before rolling out to the US, UK, Europe, Asia, and elsewhere on July 1 of the same year. Tsum Tsum and 400-or-so characters are popular around the world with the toys having appeared in Disney films, commercials, at events, and more. In celebration of the puzzle game reaching 90 million downloads, the Today's Mission feature is offering a 10x bonus. The game is also collaborating with Star Wars until the end of May where Darth Vader and a Stormtrooper are making an appearance. And for the duration of May, the game's title logo and background music has been changed into traditional Japanese styles.   

Tsum Tsum Tenka Touitsu Event

Another in-game event is also ongoing where players can receive pins and a Princess Minnie by clearing the mission.  

©Disney 

©Disney/Pixar 

©& TM Lucasfilm Ltd.

With The Rise of Skywalker concluding the Skywalker saga of the Star Wars film franchise, fans are left craving more from the galaxy far far away.   If you're one of those people, and need a fix before season two of The Mandalorian, which is coming in late 2020, then you'll want to hit up the all-new Star Wars-themed cafes now open for a limited time at branches of OH MY CAFE across Japan in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Hokkaido, and Fukuoka.   We visited the Tokyo branch of the cafe which is located inside Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku. Here's our report of this must-see cafe for Star Wars fans, a museum-like space chock-full of concept art. Ready to greet you as you walk into the cafe is none other than Darth Vader. This life-size recreation of the Sith Lord is really striking, but don't worryーthough he is realistic, he won't use his Force choke on you, he only wishes for you to have a nice meal. Plastered across the cafe walls are pieces of concept art used during the production of the Star Wars film series. Here's a galactic showcasing of the cafe's menu. There are 7 food items and 5 drinks to choose from, all inspired by the franchise and its characters.

<STAR WARS> Far Far Away Galaxy Black Curry - ¥1,590

A signature dish of the cafe, this black curry features the Star Wars logo which is actually an edible wafer. The space design is bamboo charcoal-cooked rice which is mixed with spicy sauce and topped with peanuts for stars.

<BB-8> Seafood BB-8 Gratin - ¥1,690

Fans of BB-8 won't be able to resist this delicious gratin, served with salad and French bread for a full belly.

<Yoda> Root Leaf Stew - ¥1,590

This stew is inspired by Yoda living his final years in his little shack in Dagobah during Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. It's packed full of vegetables and will no doubt be enjoyed by both kids and adults alike.

<R2-D2 & C-3PO> Buddy Burger Plate - ¥1,990

This set of two chicken burgers comes with an R2-D2 seasoned with béchamel sauce and a C-3PO burger seasoned with meat sauce. You can take the flags home with you too. We recommend sharing this between two people.

Portion Bread - ¥500

This is the one I was most interested in personally, because I was curious to know from its appearance how it would taste. It's the portion bread that Rey tries eating in the film. At first glance it looks crunchy, but to my surprise it was soft with a subtle sweet flavour.

Lightsaber Drinks - ¥600 Each (w/ Coaster ¥1,300)

From the left, the flavours are Darth Vader blood orange, Luke Skywalker ramune, and Yoda melon. When you draw your straw from the paper wrapping, it turns into a lightsaber!

<STAR WARS > Jet Black Coffee - ¥600 (w/Bottle ¥1,750)

These limited edition bottles of black coffee feature the famous Star Wars opening crawl credits. Which one you get is randomーa must-have for all fans! After enjoying some Star Wars food and drink, it's time to check out the cafe's exclusive merchandise. There are 13 types of merch in total all bearing artwork from across the film series.

Folder - ¥350

I recommend picking up one of these folders made in collaboration with the cafe. It has illustrations of the food and drinks being sold there.

Tote Bag - ¥3,500

This tote bag has illustrations of characters from Star Wars and how they are all connected. There's plenty of other must-grab merch too, from music to stationery and more. Customers who spend over ¥1,000 (excluding tax) on any of these exclusive items will receive the above-pictured limited edition bag. These are limited in stock so are available while supplies last. There's plenty of places inside for fans to take great photos, so make sure you snap lots. Also, if you book a table in advance and order something from the menu, you'll receive one of these 25 possible A5 folders, so be sure to book before you go!     © & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.*All listed prices are pre-tax. Photos are for illustrative purposes only.

To celebrate the upcoming release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker this Christmas, a promotional event entitled "STAR WARS Marunouchi Bright Christmas 2019 - Precious for you-" is taking place in the Marunouchi area of Tokyo from November 7 to December 25.   As part of the promotion, a cafe named "RISE CRYSTAL CAFE" themed on the film will open at the Marunouchi Cafe on the first floor of the Marunouchi Building skyscraper, with meals, drinks and desserts inspired by the movie.   *Menu item names listed below are translated from Japanese.

Dark Side Pasta - ¥1,650 (Tax Included)

If you're of the Dark side of the Force, then you'll devour this pitch-black squid ink pasta served with an eggplant and bacon tomato sauce. If you sink into the darkness low enoughーor just fork far enough into your pastaーyou'll find some delicious mascarpone cheese.

Holiday Wreath Taco Rice - ¥1,650 (Tax Included)

Featured on this round Christmas wreath are familiar faces from the Star Wars franchise including C-3PO, R2D2, and BB-8. It's made with assorted rice and topped with various vegetables like tomato and avocado, as well as cheese.

Galaxy Present Sandwich - ¥1,650 (Tax Included)

A present delivered from space, this tall sandwich is layered with ham, tomatoes, and vegetables, and is served with a side of R2D2 soy milk cream cheese.

Starry Christmas Chicken (Serves 1-2) - ¥1,980 (Tax Included) *Available at dinner only

Served succulently on the bone, this gorgeous piece of chicken is served with four different kinds of sauces based on the far far away stars of the night sky.

Light Side Soy Milk Parfait - ¥1,320 (Tax Included)

If you lean towards the Light side of the Force, then you'll love this subtly sweet parfait made with soy milk soft serve ice cream and soy milk cream. It's also topped with chocolate mint ice cream and agar-agar that gets its blue colour from natural ingredients.

Dark Side Soy Charcoal Parfait - ¥1,320 (Tax Included)

This chocolate parfait is crowned with black bamboo charcoal soy milk cream and agar-agar. The gentle sweetness of the soy milk ice cream mixed with the sweet and sour blackcurrant sorbet makes for a delicious pairing.

Light & Dark Fizz - ¥880 (Tax Included)

This one's for both Light and Dark seekers, a refreshing tea drink coupled with the common mallow herb. See what happens when you pour the elderflower and lemon syrup into the beautiful blue beverage.

Blue Milk - ¥880 (Tax Included)

Chewy blue jelly floats around in this drink which is made with low-fat almond milk.

Black Ginger Ale - ¥880 (Tax Included)

This jet-black ginger ale is made with bamboo charcoal and a ginger syrup that's made in-house. Its refreshing flavour makes it the perfect meal accompaniment.   Commemorate the final film in the Skywalker saga with a Star Wars-inspired meal!    ©2019 & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.