As the summer heat begins to wane and the cool and comfortable autumn air arrives, why not celebrate the season with Moomin? The Moominvalley Park Harvest event is coming for a limited-time only, starting on September 4, 2021 and continuing through October 24, 2021.
Moominvalley Park is a theme park centered on the popular Swedish comic The Moomins. Announced in 2013, the complex opened on Lake Miyazawa in Hanno, Saitama Prefecture in March 2019. Moominvalley Park has two specific zones: the Metsä area, free to visitors, features lakefront dining and shops, while the Moomin zone contains different attractions, such as Moomin’s house and an art museum.
Images of Last Year’s Balloon Art
The creatures who live in the Moominvalley enjoy the bounty of all four seasons, and the harvest from summer to autumn is particularly tasty, filled with berries and mushrooms ripe for the picking. Nutritious blueberries, raspberries, lingonberries and cloudberries spring from the bushes, and the Moomin family would love to welcome you with some of these tasty snacks! Limited-time menu items and workshops will be available, so visitors can have their fill of the autumn season.
Last year’s balloon art event was hugely popular, and will be making a comeback in 2021. Berries are a symbol of the harvest throughout Scandinavia, and guests are welcomed by these sweet treats floating in the sky. Beneath the autumn sky and surrounded by lush trees beside the lake shore, the Moominvalley feels like a storybook brought to life. Don’t miss this colorful and joyous event!
Information
The Moominvalley Park Harvest
Event Period: September 4, 2021-October 24, 2021
Address: Metsä, 327-6 Miyazawa, Hanno City, Saitama
Details: https://metsa-hanno.com/event/16394/
Official Site: https://metsa-hanno.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/ -
Buffet Inspired by ‘Moominvalley Turns Jungle’ to be Held for the First Time at Keio Plaza Hotel Hachioji
From June 1 until August 31, Keio Plaza Hotel Hachioji is inviting guests to travel to the adorable world of Moomin by partaking in two tasty buffet events at the Le Clair Restaurant on the second floor. In Moomin’s home country of Finland, people start enjoying the summer following the solstice in June. The theme of this project is ‘Moominvalley Turns Jungle,’ inspiring the hotel’s chefs to create a spectacular original menu. A tasty lunch buffet will be held Tuesday through Friday during the event period, while a sweets buffet will take place on weekends and holidays. The restaurant’s interior will be decorated with artwork from Tove Jansson’s 1956 comic Moominville Turns Jungle.The Moomin Lunch Buffet is titled ‘Jungle Party in Moominville,’ and will depict a fun summer lunch get-together in the titular character’s home village. The lineup of foods includes smoked salmon canapes, marinated herring, and sardine sandwiches, all typical of Scandinavian cuisine. Plenty of spiced dishes and veggies will be available, the latter looking like they came from Moominmamma’s garden. August 9 is Moomin Day, and the chefs will be preparing some extra goodies for each guest on that day only. The Moomin Sweets Buffet will feature adorable desserts created by expert pâtissiers and will be inspired by Moomin and his friends enjoying the summer. From red velvet cake made to look like Little My’s dress to chocolate mousse in the style of Moominpappa’s Silk Hat, fans of the series will want to snap plenty of pictures before they dig in! Tons of sweets will include popular Scandinavian ingredients like red currants, raspberries, and blueberries. The welcome plate, limited to one per person, will change monthly, with a Tropical Parfait coming in July and an Edible Jungle coming in August. Light meals will also be available to compliment the sweets. The Sweets Buffet will also include a special table plan limited to three per day, using plates and mugs included in the Moomin by Arabia 2022 Summer collection. Guests participating in this plan can order a special non-alcoholic cocktail created by the restaurant’s bartender and made with rose-colored ice inspired by Moominmamma’s love for flowers. Information
Moomin x Keio Plaza Hotel Hachioji
Moomin Lunch Buffet ~Jungle Party in Moominvalley~
Running: June 1 – August 31, 2022 [Tuesday-Friday only]
Location: Le Clair Restaurant, 2F
Hours: 11:30-15:30 (2-hour seating) *Last order 30 minutes before reservation ends.
Moomin Sweets Buffet ~Moominvalley Turns Jungle Fun Summer Time~
Running: June 4 – August 28, 2022 [Weekends and Holidays only]
Location: Le Clair Restaurant, 2F
Hours: [1] 11:30-13:00 [2] 12:00-13:30 [3] 14:30-16:00 [4] 15:00-16:30Buffet Bonuses: https://www.fujibi.or.jp
Advanced Reservations begin on May 17, 14:00 for hotel email subscribers, LINE Friends only
Standard reservations begin May 19 at 10:00
Details/Reservations: https://www.keioplaza.co.jp/hachioji/event/moomin/Moomin by Arabia Product Information:
https://www.arabiajapan.jp/products/list.php?category_id=61
Sekiguchi Product Information: https://www.sekiguchi.co.jp/collection/ -
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
The Fireworks and a Wish for Peace goshuin use five kinds of paper to depict fireworks in the summer night sky. Fireworks are a popular summer tradition in Japan. It’s said that fireworks were born following the discovery of gunpowder and its use in guns when some decided to use the substance to make something beautiful rather than use it as a weapon. Because of this, many see fireworks as a symbol of peace. The current war between Russia and Ukraine has seen gunpowder used as a horrific weapon used to end the lives of many innocent people, and this special goshuin was made in the hopes that the war will come to an end as soon as possible. Gunpowder should be used in fireworks to bring people happiness instead.Summer Exclusive Paper-Cut Overlaid Goshuin: Refreshing Good Luck Charm
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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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!
Mysterious Candy ‘Possibly Lucky Cookie’
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/