As part of their 10th anniversary event, Tamagawa Onsen, a Showa retro-style bathhouse in Saitama, opened their ‘Real Duck Baths’ on May 29 which lets people bathe with real ducks. The experience is available on weekends and public holidays only.
Forget bathing with bright yellow toy ducks – now you can have the real thing. These ducks were hatched and raise from ducklings by the bathhouse manager Arai at their home. The ducks are still small so the hours when they will be out are not set in stone, but the bathhouse hopes that guests will watch their and support their growth as they mature over time.
Information
Real Duck Bath
Running: Weekends and public holidays from May 29, 2021
*Subject to cancellation on any day depending on the condition of the ducks
Where: Tamagawa Onsen
Address: 3700 Tamagawa, Tokigawa, Hiki District, Saitama 355-0342, Japan
TEL: 0493-65-4977
Official Website: https://tamagawa-onsen.com/
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The popular anime series Free! will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a special event at Saitama Super Arena on August 13, 2023. Cast members from the series, including Nobunaga Shimazaki, Tatsuhisa Suzuki, Mamoru Miyano, Tsubasa Yonaga, and Daisuke Hirakawa, will be in attendance. Free! -the Final Stroke- The Second Volume will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on April 5, 2023, and will include a priority purchase application ticket for the special event. Check out the official website for details! The Free! anime franchise, which is loosely based on the High Speed! light novels by Kouji Ooji, began in 2013 and includes three TV series and multiple films produced by Kyoto Animation. The three anime series–Free!, Free! Eternal Summer, and Free! Dive to the Future–have been incredibly popular around the world. The first part of Free! The Final Stroke was released in theaters last year, with the second part hitting theaters in April 2022. Fans won’t want to miss out on the exciting 10th-anniversary activities in 2023! ©おおじこうじ・京都アニメーション／岩鳶町後援会2021
Information
Free! 10th Anniversary Special Event
Date: August 13, 2023
Venue: Saitama Super Arena (8 Shintoshin, Chuo-ku, Saitama)
Cast: Nobunaga Shimazaki, Tatsuhisa Suzuki, Mamoru Miyano, Tsubasa Yonaga, Daisuke Hirakawa, more
Free! -the Final Stroke- The Second Volume Blu-ray＆DVD
Release Date: April 5, 2023
Price: ¥11,000 (Tax Included)
Official Site: http://fs.iwatobi-sc.com/
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Kawagoe Prince Hotel, located in an Edo-period castle town in northwest Tokyo, will begin offering a special afternoon tea set starting July 1, 2022. Inspired by the Japanese folktale Momotaro, the summer fruit-filled tower of treats will be available until August 31, 2022. Top Plate
Middle Plate Bottom Plate Savory The top plate of the three-tiered set features tasty peach and cheese mousse, peach meringue, macadamia nut chocolate, and Kibi Dango put together to resemble the hero of the story, Momotaro. On the middle tier, visitors will find sweets inspired by the many animals found in the story, from the monkey and dog to the pheasants. Guests can enjoy many summer fruits including mango and kiwi. Those who come to the store in a yukata (summer kimono) and follow the official Kawagoe Prince Hotel Instagram will receive a special fruit platter. Come enjoy the world of Momotaro as you wander around this historical Japanese town! Information
Japanese Folk Tale Afternoon Tea ~Momotaro~
Available: Weekdays from July 1 – August 31, 2022
Times: 2 90-minute seatings a day *Limited to 10 groups each day
Seating 1: 11:30-13:00Seating 2: 13:15-14:45
Venue: Etoile Buffet Restaurant (9F)
Reservations/Details: https://www.princehotels.co.jp/kawagoe/plan/etoile/afternoontea_momotaro/ -
Ryusenji Temple in Saitama is offering some exclusive summer goshuin! Goshuin are stamps or seals given to worshippers at shrines and temples around Japan, where somebody will stamp your goshuin-cho (stamp book) with the site’s unique seal along with the temple’s name and the day you visited handwritten in ink. The two new goshuin feature summer fireworks and a cooling fan design. These will be available from June 1 until August. They might sell out, though, so be quick!
Summer Exclusive Paper-Cut Overlaid Goshuin: Fireworks and a Wish for Peace
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The Refreshing Good Luck Charm shows a traditional Japanese summer scene with a fan and goldfish swimming in clear blue water. Fans are used by many Japanese to keep cool during the summer months, and some are even said to have the power to ward off illness and evil spirits. Goldfish are often seen during summer festivals, where visitors try to scoop them up using an easily-breakable net in a fun game with family and friends. Goldfish became popular during the Edo period and were considered to be lucky creatures capable of bringing happiness into one’s home and bringing financial fortune.If you’re heading to Saitama, why not add these intricate goshuin to your book? Information
Saitama Yakuyoke Kaiun Daishi
Address: 3712 Mikajiri, Kumagaya, Saitama
Official Site: https://yakuyoke-kaiun.jp/
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Sumiya Kihoan, a cozy inn at Yunohana Onsen in Kameoka City in Kyoto, opened a unique new guest room on April 28, 2022. The room’s concept is “where guests can stay in the middle of contemporary art,” and was inspired by the works of internationally-acclaimed contemporary artist Yukinori Yanagi. The new room, created as part of the Art Room Project, has been named ‘Kofuu.’
The Icarus Corridor Connecting Heaven and Earth
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Concept Drawing of the Art Room Project by Yukinori Yanagi
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Ryokan Sumiya Kihoan
Address: Yunohana Onsen, Kameoka City, KyotoRoom Details: https://hakutai.sumiya.ne.jp/artroom-kohoo/
Room Reservations: https://reserve.489ban.net/client/sumiya/0/plan/id/119287/stay?noSearch=1
Official Site: https://www.sumiya.ne.jp/
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Since January 2022, EJ Anime Hotel, an experimental hotel offering rooms in collaboration with various works of anime, comics, and games, has offered a Shirokuma Cafe room at participating Hotel Monterey locations around Japan. The collab is to celebrate the anime series’ 10th anniversary and is also available at Kurumayama Kogen Skypark Hotel in Nagano Prefecture. Due to popularity, the room will be available to book until May 31, 2022. This is the first collaboration room produced by EJ Anime Hotel to be developed for a resort hotel.
Guest Room (Hotel Monterey Sapporo)
Exclusive Take-home Goods - Shironuma Cafe Luncheon Towel
Original Picnic Basket Dinner (Hotel Monterey Only)
Bonus: Original Pin
In the collaboration room, guests can enjoy newly-drawn character panels, special voiceover messages for guests only, and collaboration goods that they can be taken home. Hotel Monterey locations will offer an optional picnic-themed dinner that can be brought to the room! During the collaboration period, Hotel Monterey Ginza, Hotel Monterey Osaka, and Hotel Monterey La Soeur Osaka will be holding a giveaway event to celebrate the 10th-anniversary of Shirokuma Cafe, so don’t miss it! ©ヒガアロハ／しろくまカフェ製作委員会 2012 *Actual products may differ from the above images.Information
Shorokuma Cafe Collaboration Room produced by EJ Anime Hotel
Participating Hotels:
・Hotel Monterey
Hotel Monterey Sapporo / Sendai / Ginza / Osaka / Kobe
Hotel Monterey La Soeur Osaka / Hotel Monte Hermana Fukuoka・Kurumayama Kogen Skypark Hotel
Available: April 1 – May 31, 2022
Reservations:
Hotel Monterey
https://www.hotelmonterey.co.jp/stay/shirokumacafe/
Kurumayama Kogen Skypark Hotel
https://hotel.kurumayama-skypark.com/ -
Seibuen Amusement Park in Saitama Prefecture is ready to open an attraction based on the popular anime and novel series Fushigi Dagashiya Zenitendo! The incredible experience will open on April 27, 2022. Fushigi Dagashiya Zenitendo is a children’s novel series written by Reiko Hiroshima and illustrated by Jyajya. With 16 volumes currently in circulation, an anime series was adapted by Toei Animation in 2020. The story centers on the mysterious candy shop Zenitendo, which only lucky people can find. The shop’s owner is an old woman named Beniko who can recommend the perfect candy for each person’s troubles. But things might turn out as hoped if people eat the sweets in the wrong way…whether Beniko's sweets bring fortune or misfortune is up to the people who receive them. Guests visiting the park will be able to visit Zenitendo, which is located somewhere on Sunset Hill Shopping Street–but the exact location will not be revealed. Only lucky guests will be able to find its location, but once you do, it will feel as though you’ve been transported into the story! Beniko will be handing out mysterious candy that has never appeared at the park before, so don’t miss out on this unique experience!
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Baku Baku Wafer / Dou-dou Donut
Along with this new attraction, visitors will be able to experience Zenitendo in plenty of other ways! Plenty of merchandise inspired by the series will be on sale, including apparel and sweets. *The attraction is currently under development. The final product may differ from the above images.Information
Fushigi Dagashiya Zenitendo: The Real
Opening Date: April 27, 2022
Location: Seibuen Amusement Park, Sunset Hill Shopping Street
Ride Admission: ¥110
*A separate one-day admission ticket is required to enter the amusement park.Where to Buy: Online, on-site ticket booth
Official Site: https://www.seibu-leisure.co.jp/