The globally popular anime series Chainsaw Man will get a mini-exhibition at TSUTAYA and TSUTAYA Books locations nationwide from December 23, 2022 until January 22, 2023. A special poster is being prepared for the exhibition and original drawings will be on display. New merchandise will be available during the event period. For more information, follow MAPPA’s official Twitter page (@MAPPA_Info) for updates!

Original Reproductions to be on Display

One original reproduction will be displayed at each of the approximately 300 participating stores. 

Original Goods

Details on MAPPA x TSUTAYA Chainsaw Man Mini-Exhibition Goods

Acrylic Keychain (4 varieties), ¥935 each / Pin (4 varieties, random), ¥550 each / Acrylic Figure (4 varieties), ¥1,925 each / Clear Folder (4 varieties), ¥440 each / Leather Sticky Note Book (4 varieties), ¥605 each / Premium Postcard Holder (1 variety), ¥1,760 each / Mobile Accessory Case (1 variety), ¥2,200 each

As a purchase bonus, guests spending ¥2,200 (including tax) or more will receive a limited edition postcard (4 varieties).

©藤本タツキ／集英社・ ＭＡＰＰＡ

The first Evangelion-themed Edo faceted glasses were released in November 2021, and Tsutaya Books Daikanyama will soon be selling limited quantities online! These items were previously only available to purchase locally.

Evangelion Unit 1 Edo Faceted Glass: ¥64,900 (Tax Included)

The Evangelion Unit 1 Edo Faceted Glass was designed along with a traditional pattern inspired by chrysanthemums, which symbolize longevity in Japanese culture. While the standard colors of faceted glass are red and blue, the gold and purple colors used in this unique item are extremely difficult to create, with only a few factories capable of producing them.

The glassware is designed and cut by Kosho Nemoto at Nemoto Glass, which has produced the finest Edo faceted glass in Tokyo for three generations. The webpage below also explains how these glasses are produced.

The product is scheduled to be released in late June 2022 and is currently available for pre-order. The amount available is extremely limited, so be sure to order as soon as possible if you’d like to add one of these valuable glasses to your collection.

A popular stationery event held last year is back! The pop-up space on the first floor of Tsutaya Books Nara has been filled to the brim with unique stationery items from a number of creators. Guests can grab these inspiring items from March 15 until April 17, 2022.

echos

Visitors can use a variety of printing techniques like letterpress and foil stamping at echos. Connect with your loved ones through printing and design, and show your creativity!

These nostalgic yet new paper products pull from Showa-era illustrators to give an authentic antique feel. 

Osoblanco

This general store and gallery is located in Nanba, Osaka. The shop mainly deals in original handmade goods, antique European tools, and merchandise by illustrator makomo. Both store owners are stationary lovers, and they have recently begun offering a wide selection of paper products of all genres and styles.

Otome Printing

Otome Printing makes paper goods by printing each sheet of paper one color at a time on a letterpress! The handmade printing gives each sheet a one-of-a-kind feel by virtue of the indentation of the printing plate, ink blurring, and crooked prints. The lineup includes postcards, letterheads, pouch bags, and gift bags decorated with these unique prints.

Printing Studio Tan

Printing Studio Tan has been making Nara-inspired letterpressed pieces since it opened its doors. The symbol for ‘tan’ refers to the color of red earth, symbolizing the values of ancient Nara, once the central city of Japan. The company’s products feature ancient patterns associated with classic Japanese culture. 

Kei Printing

Kei Printing, with a factory in Kobe, offers delicate items with incredible attention to detail. With the goal of designing ‘memorable printed materials,’ customers are sure to find items that will help them to express themselves. 

Yonagadou

With a storefront located in Tenmabashi, Osaka, Yonagadou also has a small gallery in the back featuring items from both Japan and abroad. The shop offers a wide variety of small items, from Taisho and Showa-inspired paper goods, handkerchiefs, and more. 

This year, paper lovers will find an array of products using letterpress printing. Many items were also inspired by Nara, so travel lovers will also be thrilled!

Ginza Tsutaya, located on the 6th floor of the GINZA SIX department store, is now holding a Spring Ceramic Fair until March 7, 2022.

Many popular ceramic artists are coming together for the event. This year’s lineup includes dishes and mugs with botanical patterns and animal motifs in spring-like colors to add color to tables and living spaces. A large number of works, from vases to tableware and even ceramic brooches, will be on display, including works by Wato Maekawa and Oda Pottery. 

Participating Ceramic Artists

Ritsuko Imai

After studying pottery in England, Imai currently lives and works in Mashiko, Tochigi Prefecture. This year’s exhibition will show off her dyed works, including Zougan works, a technique in which different materials are inlaid into one material. Enjoy her small plates and teapots with soft colors.

Miki Furuhata

Miki Furuhata is a pottery artist in Nagano. Using gentle colors and unique self-made glaze, her colorful pieces are a lovely addition to one’s daily life.

Hanako Sakashita

Hanako Sakashita uses a ‘kneading’ technique, in which colorful clays are kneaded together to create patterns, marbles, stripes, checks, and countless other patterns. Enjoy the many textures, shades, and patterns found in her works!

Wato Maekawa

A ceramic artist living in Toyama Prefecture, Wato Maegawa creates works inspired by the four seasons. Her flower-shaped plates are reminiscent of Japanese sweets.

Toutousya

Using candle wax to make prototypes, these ceramic brooches and boxes are made with a technique adapted from candle making. These hand-painted pieces are very popular, and those on sale in this year’s exhibition are covered with flowers, birds, and animals in spring colors.

Oda Pottery

Oda Pottery was founded in 1921 in Mizunami City, Gifu Prefecture. Their lineup features vases that are easy to incorporate into any interior. 

From January 15 until February 4, 2022, an exhibition of Naoki Nomura’s works will be on display at the Tsutaya location in Ginza, Tokyo. The art show will feature ten ceramic works created between 2015 and 2021, tracing Nomura’s history and growth as an artist. 

Rain. 2020

Strawberry Girl. 2020

Naoki Nomura was familiar with clay before he became an artist. Fascinated by the firing of clay and the beautiful colors of finished ceramics, Nomura’s works are inspired by daily life. Fans of the artist’s work have fallen in love with his strangely adorable ‘creatures,’ each featuring a strange appearance. Some are wearing seasonal fruits, others have distinctive hairstyles, and all of them have ambiguous and unreadable expressions. 

Visitors are invited to imagine their own stories as they wander the exhibition.

Comment from the Artist

There are so many little discoveries to be made in our daily lives.

Through our encounters with various objects and people, through our casual conversations, our imagination expands and we invent our own stories. 

The characters from my own stories take up residence in my mind and using my hands, I have brought them into the real world.

Naoki Nomura

From December 21, 2021 until February 13, 2022, TSUTAYA Nara will hold the HAPPA STAND Fair to coincide with the traditional holiday season. This special location will highlight traditional Japanese teacups under the concept of ‘Be Classic, Not Old.’ Enjoying traditional tea doesn’t have to be old school–it can be chic and fit into a modern lifestyle as well.

HAPPA STAND is located on a corner in Mino, Gifu Prefecture, surrounded by classic Japanese homes. This area is an important traditional building preservation district and aims to blend the chic with the classic to attract visitors and show off local artisans and food.

The creator of this event previously lived abroad, and after experiencing ‘fake Japanese food culture,’ he decided to return to Japan to find a way to highlight the reality of Japanese cuisine. HAPPA STAND was initially begun in 2018.

The stylish store was renovated from an old house built over 150 years ago, and is filled with delicious tea grown in Uji, Kyoto, and local Mino ware ceramics. For those thinking of enjoying a taste of authentic Japan, this won’t be a place to miss.

BE:FIRST, scheduled to make their debut on November 3, will serve as the managers of Shibuya’s Tsutaya location for a limited time. Visitors can enjoy some exclusive privileges and see special videos only at this location during the event. 

The group was assembled during BMSG’s ‘THE FIRST’ audition and will release their first single Gifted next month. The sales floor of Shibuya’s Tsutaya location will be decorated to celebrate, with huge panels of each member lining the aisles and a huge monitor showing videos of the band. 

Those who purchase the Gifted single at this location will be given a special Store Manager member card (7 varieties) at random. Those who purchase the CD from the Shibuya Tsutaya official online store will also receive this special gift!

Sunshine City Prince Hotel has revealed a new “Uramichi Oniisan” themed plan, available to reserve for a limited time between October 2 and December 31.

Hotel Staff Costume Illustration

 Pajama Costume Chibi Illustration

©Kuze Gaku・Ichijinsha / Uramichi Oniisan Production Comittee

Star Can Badge / Hotel Keychain / Mask Case (URA & OMOTE ) / Original Notepad / Hotel Key Card 

Cafe & Dining ‘Chef’s Palette’ Original Drink with Bonus Coaster

‘URA-Room’ with Chibi Character Illustration

The ‘Uramichi Oniisan’ anime became a hit in Summer 2021, known for its cast of famous voice actors.

The new artwork produced for the hotel features the characters in hotel staff uniforms and pajamas, perfect for the hotel-themed collaboration. The ‘OMOTE ROOM’ is designed using the new illustrations, while the ‘URA ROOM’ uses the chibi characters. Each room features a sound clip from Uramichi Omoteda (CV: Kamiya Hiroshi). Original merchandise and drinks are available to guests, plus the famous “Bird Finding Game” is available to play in each room, making it a must-see for fans!

Dive into the ‘Uramichi Oniisan’ world with this new collaboration hotel room!

Animate Cafe Stand Hareza Ikebukuro has announced a collaboration with the ongoing TV anime series Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan which will see the cafe served up a themed menu, sell exclusive merchandise, and decorate the interior with original illustrations from August 25 to September 27.

Animate Cafe exclusive illustrations

Animate Cafe exclusive chibi illustrations

Collab Menu (Excerpt)

Parfait | ¥700 (Tax Included)

Latte | ¥600 (Tax Included)

Soda | ¥650 (Tax Included)

Original Merchandise

Big Acrylic Stand Keyrings | 3 Designs | ¥1,600 Each (Tax Included)

Cookies | ¥1,000 (Tax Included)

Acrylic Stand Keyrings | 6 Designs | ¥700 (Tax Included)

Rubber Keyrings | 10 Designs | ¥700 Each (Tax Included)

Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan is a dark comedy manga series by Gaku Kuze that’s been serialised in Comic POOL since 2017. An anime adaptation began airing on July 6, 2021.

(Ｃ)久世岳・一迅社／「うらみちお兄さん」製作委員会

In promotion of the anime adaptation of Gaku Kuze’s manga series Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan, a merchandise collection was released in collaboration with Nippon Animation’s series Rascal the Raccoon on July 9 at Shinjuku Marui Annex. The items will also be released at Nanba Marui and Hakata Marui on July 24 and August 7 respectively.

A little look at some of the items

Name Badges | 5 Designs | ¥660 Each (Tax Included)

Pins | 8 Designs | ¥440 (Tax Included)

Keyrings | 8 Designs | ¥770 (Tax Included)

Keyrings | 6 Designs | ¥1,100 Each (Tax Included)

Keyrings | 8 Designs | ¥880 (Tax Included)

Acrylic Stands | 8 Designs | ¥880 (Tax Included)

Wooden Reversible Keyrings | ¥660 (Tax Included)

Hand Towel | ¥1,100 (Tax Included)

Onigiri Case | ¥1,320 (Tax Included)

Pass Case | ¥2,970 (Tax Included)

Tote Bag | ¥1,650 (Tax Included)

T-Shirts | Sizes: M, L, XL | ¥3,850 Each (Tax Included)

Exclusive artwork was illustrated for the collection featuring the characters Uramichi Omota, Tobikichi Usahara, Iketeru Daga, Utano Tadano, Kotori-san, and Rascal. The designs are featured on the merchandise sold at the pop-up shops.

©久世岳・一迅社／「うらみちお兄さん」製作委員会 © NIPPON ANIMATION CO., LTD.

In commemoration of Tendo Mokko’s 80th anniversary, DAIKANYAMA TSUTAYA BOOKS is hosting the “Tendo Mokko & Japanese Modern” fair from July 7 to August 6 where the new products from the interior design brand is being sold. This includes a new book titled the same as the fair which details the brand’s most famous furniture works. New furniture by Hiroshi Nakamura, Koichi Futatsumata, and Wataru Kumano is also being exclusively sold there.

Each participating artist’s signed nameplate

Tendo Mokko is a Japanese furniture maker. After the Second World War, they made huge developments the country’s architect and design culture in collaboration with architects and designers by creating products rooted in the climate and natural features of Japan. One of the spearheads of this movement was Kenmochi Isamu, a modernist designer who played a pivotal role in the development of Japanese industrial design after World War II. Through the history of Japanese architecture, Tendo Mokko has joined hands with countless famous designers to manufacture furniture.

Last year, the company turned 80 years old. As part of the commemoration, it is looking to dive deep into and rethink Japanese modernity at the Tendo Mokko & Japanese Modern fair where visitors can see their latest wares as well as learn about the process of developing new furniture and more. All of this, along with interviews, is also detailed in the book. Those who pre-order products at the fair will also receive one of the above-pictured nameplates depending on who designed it.

NARA TSUTAYA STORE is set to host an exhibition in promotion of Japanese artist Aki Kondo’s new artbook Koko ni Aru Shiawase (The Happiness Here) which is running from July 1-15.

Front cover of Aki Kondo’s artbook Koko ni Aru Shiawase

Koko ni Aru Shiawase “A Hundred Flowers” Special Edition

Examples of drawings at the exhibit

Koko ni Aru Shiawase hit the shelves in March of this year as Aki Kondo’s first artbook release. Her colourful, imaginative, and humorous works have captured the hearts of many. But her works also touch on the deeper topic of her view on life and death, having experienced the suffering wrought by the Great East Japan Earthquake as well as knowing loss.

Her new artbook focuses on her paintings of flowers as well as themes of fleeting life and our relationships with others. Everything from the book’s design to the works shown, the printing, and so on were crafted with the utmost care to capture the full essence of Aki Kondo and to create a book the owner will always want by their side.