Naked’s DANDELION PROJECT is now open at the Taiwan Lantern Festival until February 28, 2022! Visitors to the Weiwuying Metropolitan Park in Kaohsiung City can enjoy the popular installation along with Naked’s Flower Cleansing experience during the event. 

The Taiwan Lantern Festival is the main event of the Chinese New Year festivities in Taiwan. Established by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau in 1990, the 2022 event will be held on an even larger scale. It will also be the first time the Lantern Festival is being held in Kaohsiung City.

The DANDELION PROJECT has been set up in the Children’s Area of the park, inviting both young people and their parents to enjoy the experience together. By blowing on a dandelion displayed on visitors’ smartphones, dandelion fluff will be carried digitally to other locations around the world. This symbolizes peace and togetherness in a time of separation, and it’s no wonder that these powerful installations have been so inspiring to so many people.

This also marks the first time that Naked Flower Cleansing will be available to experience overseas. The act of Tsukubai, or cleaning your hands in a basin before entering a tea room, has been updated by NAKED to suit the modern era, shining colorful floral imagery across visitors’ skin.

Far Yeast Brewing Co., Ltd., a craft beer maker that shares original Japanese beer with the world  beer, will be opening their first directly managed overseas store in Taiwan. The Far Yeast Taiwan Craftbeer Gasteopub will be celebrating its grand opening in Taipei City, Taiwan on October 16 2021. 

The Far Yeast Taiwan Craftbeer Gastropub is the fourth directly managed store following the Tokyo-Gotanda, Shizuoka-Atami, and Fukuoka branches, as well as the first overseas location.

The Far Yeast Taiwan Craftbeer Gastropub” will have 15 taps, offering not only the core brands Kawa KAGUA and Far Yeast, but also their special Japanese craft beer that can’t be found anywhere else in Taiwan. You can enjoy the beer alongside a selection of modern Japanese-themed meals.

Far Yeast Lychee Haze 

To commemorate the opening, the company has brewed the Fruited Hazy IPA ‘Far Yeast Lychee Haze’ in collaboration with Taiwanese brewery UGLY HALF BEER, using Taiwanese lychee to flavor. The drink will be pre-released in Japan, available from  September 30 with preorders opening from 13:00 on September 21.

The combination of Nelson Sauvin hops with a grape-like aroma and the tropical scent of the citrus and coconut Sabro hops compliment the gentle and sweet flavor of lychee, enticing all craft beer enthusiasts to Taipei.

Far Yeast Taiwan Craftbeer Gastropub is expected to have an international customer base, as the gastropub is located in Taipei’s East District, an area with a high population of foreign nationals and business people. Now that overseas travel has become much harder, the new branch will allow customers to enjoy the varied tastes of Japanese craft beer and the richness of Japanese food.

Hotel Gracery Taipei, which can be found inside Taiwan’s TOKYU HANDS Tailung, have opened the new ‘HANDS CONCEPT ROOM’ which offers the experience of visiting Japan without having to get on a plane.

‘Take a Vacation to HANDS’ Room

‘Go Camping at HANDS’ Room

Coupon

TOKYU HANDS Tailung have created two new concept rooms, the ‘Take a Vacation to HANDS’ room and the ‘Go Camping at HANDS’ room. While it is difficult to visit Japan at the moment, these rooms provide an authentic Japanese experience which allows guests to experience the culture and feel the charms of Japan.

The ‘Take a Vacation to HANDS’ room is based on Mount Fuji, Japanese railways, and vending machines, which are popular even in Taiwan. Popular tourist spots are also recreated using famous characters. 

The ‘Go Camping at HANDS’ room is inspired by glamping, which has become popular in Taiwan, using outdoor equipment to create a fun, indoor camping experience.

The guest-limited service also offers guests two 10% coupons, one that can be used while shopping at TOKYU HANDS Tailung and one that can be used for accommodation. During the campaign period, guests who spend over 5,000 Yuan at TOKYU HANDS Tailung will be entered into a lottery to win a one-night stay in the new themed rooms.

 Try Japanese-inspired indoor camping with the new ‘HANDS CONCEPT ROOM!’

TOKYO 23, a shop promoting basketball culture, is set to reopen as a large-scale shop in Harajuku on September 18, 2021. 

TOKYO 23 x JUN INOUE TEE (Black/White): ¥5,500 each (Tax Included)

Guests will enter the space to find a basketball court at the center, both keeping with the theme of the shop and maintaining a minimalist vibe. The location is bold, using a balance of different upcycled materials and gray-tone colors reminiscent of the Tokyo streets. 

JUN INOUE was in charge of designing the lanterns throughout the store, giving a more traditional Japanese feel to the modern storefront. The store is dotted with artworks by Inoue as well as Reina Koyano, both located in Los Angeles. 

The coffee shop “LATTEST” will also be a permanent fixture in the store, and is the perfect place for visitors to relax and take in the art and feeling of the TOKYO 23 store. To commemorate the opening of this massive space, special collaborative JUN INOUE x TOKYO 23 T-shirts will be on sale for a limited time. 

In celebration of their 10th anniversary, Taiwanese design gift site Pinkoi has launched a commemorative project, with pre-orders for a series of items open until July 25. The collection will release on July 26.

Pinkoi x Noritake Beer Glasses (Set of 3) | ¥8,930 (Tax Included)

Pinkoi x Noritake PVC Vinyl Bags | 3 Designs | ¥5,070 Each (Tax Included)

Pinkoi x Noritake Drip Coffee (10 Bags) | Flavours: Classic, Mandheling, Brazil | ¥3,440 Each (Tax Included)

Pinkoi x Noritake Folders | 3 Designs | ¥1,200 Each (Tax Included)

Pinkoi x Noritake iPhone 12 Smartphone Cases | 3 Designs | ¥4,460 Each (Tax Included)

Pinkoi Navy

Pinkoi Salmon

The first entry to the project invites Noritake on board, a popular Japanese illustrator, who is supervising the “Pinkoi x Noritake Limited Collaboration” and its capsule collection which features the theme “In The City.”  The collection is based on the three cities Tokyo, Taipei, and Hong Kong and features two of Pinkoi’s brand colours: Pinkoi Navy and Pinkoi Salmon, both created by Pantone.

In an interview on this collaboration, Noritake expressed his desire to love in a city filled with all kinds of gorgeous illustrations.

The all new Matsuyama Tourist Information Centre is set to open in the heart of Matsuyama—the capital city of Ehime Prefecture in Japan— in Okaido on May 27. In celebration of its opening, this new featured series by MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON will explore the wonders of Matsuyama, a city abundant with places to shop, leisurely hot spots, must-visit restaurants, and opportunities to dive deep into its history and culture. You’re sure to discover something new and exciting about Matsuyama in this series.

Machia in Matsuyama Gintengai offers support for the machipay Service

In Episode 2 of All About Matsuyama, we’re looking at ‘machipay,’ a special service exclusive to Matsuyama that opens opportunities for a great value shopping experience.

Matsuyama’s shopping districts serve as the foundation of the lives of those residing in Matsuyama. Even visiting as a tourist for shopping and sightseeing you can enjoy an inherently ‘Matsuyama’ experience. Something that will make that experience even better is using the city’s machipay service which combines points, electronic money, and coupons all in one place. The service was created for both locals living in the city as well as tourists to create a more convenient shopping experience.

The machipay card and app feature three functions: Points, Electronic Money, and Shopping Coupons. It is compatible at countless popular stores around Matsuyama including Okaido, Gintengai, Matsuchika Town, Matsuyama Ropeway Shopping Street, and elsewhere. Every ¥100 of electronic money spent using the service nets you one point, and one point is equivalent to ¥1. Putting money on the card and paying with it means you’ll start collecting lots of points which can be used at these various stores. Coupons offered around the shopping districts and its stores can also be saved onto your machipay app, making it a very handy shopping companion.

But shopping isn’t the only way to earn machipay points. Attending events in the city, getting involved in voluntary work, and other activities that involve living in or like the people of Matsuyama will also garner you points.

The “machica Card” which is used for the service is sold at the machia shop (pictured above) in Matsuyama Gintengai everyday from 10:00-19:00. There’s also an app. As of April 30, 2021, there are 1,200 stores in Matsuyama that are participating in the service.

If you’re planning a trip to Matsuyama, make sure to use machipay.

The popular Taiwanese face mask brand JIUJIU was released in Japan for the first time on Friday (February 26) via the company’s new Japanese website.

We now live in a time where face masks are a part of everyday life when commuting, going to the shop, walking in public places, working at the office, and so on. Japan is no stranger to face masks as they were always a part of the culture for hygienic reasons in the workplace when an employee is ill, as a fashion statement, for those suffering from hay fever, and so on, but even there has seen a major increased demand for face masks since the pandemic began.

JIUJIU’s face masks are used in medical professions in Taiwan. They are noted for not only they quality but fashion sentiment too, with over 60 style variations available. These masks are now available to buy in Japan in packs of 5.

BAYCREW’S STORE has unveiled its Spring/Summer 2021 Collection which is now available for pre-order.

Line-Up Excerpt

IENA

IENA brings French-like stripes for the forthcoming warm seasons in the form of a cut and sewn. This is layered with short pants and wedge sandals to complete this marine look.

SLOBE IENA

SLOBE IENA is serving beauty and sophistication with a laced patchwork skirt, resulting in some inevitable double-takes as a gaze at the silhouette and textures of the skirt leaves you loving the cuteness of the look from every angle. The tucked-in shirt bring that in-right-now element while the slipper shoes help to elevate the length of the legs.

Spick and Span

This look by Spick and Span centres on this year’s must-have long green coat. The interior blue tones balance the whole outfit out. The coat sleeves are rolled up, allowing the stripes of the shirt to come through stylishly. This colour scheme is definitely a springtime delight.

Tama Plaza Terrace, a shopping centre in Yokohama, opened a limited-time pop-up shop on Tuesday (February 9) called ISE SHOP which is selling goods and products from Japan’s city of Ise.

The shop opened in response to the reduction of sales of foodstuff, traditional handicrafts, and more in Ise due to the pandemic. Ise is known for its bounty of diverse products, and so this is a way to continue supporting it. Free tourist pamphlets are also being handed out detailing information about the city’s wonders.

Some of the must-grab items

The store is a showcase of Ise’s history, traditional, and food culture. Shoppers will find staple souvenir items like Ise udon, sea lettuce, hijiki seaweed, pearls, and more. Other touches of Ise include a popular hand cream made with water drawn from the Isuzu River, a fragrance mist also made from the same water, all-new cosmetic items, cookies inspired by the oshiraishi stones spread over the most holy part of Ise Grand Shrine—the list goes on. 58 Ise-based businesses are stocking around 100 products inside the store, so it’s a must-visit for anyone interested in the ancient city.

JAPAN POSTEC, a wholesaling company in Japan, is now an authorised dealer of products from the popular Taiwanese gift shop Lai Hao. The first product to enter the Japanese market from the company is a colourful collection of blotting papers which hit the country last Thursday (January 28).

Lai Hao Blotting Paper (8 Designs)

Taiwanese Scents: Oolong Tea / Gardenia / Yulan Magnolia / Hinoki / Pineapple

Size and Ingredients

Lai Hao’s products are a display of Taiwanese creativity and high quality and are sure to leave an impression on buyers.

The blotting paper designs are based around a variety of different foods, with eight different picks to choose from. Each one comes scented with fragrances that remind one of Taiwan.

Japanese webstore Capsule Kuji welcomed a new collection of items last Thursday (January 21) by popular Japanese artist Chiisanpo.

Chiisanpo Capsule Kuji Line-Up

Chiisanpo has over 100,000 follows across their social media pages. For this capsule collection, they draw an original line-up of artwork. Items on the website are entered into a lottery, with the top prize being a work of canvas art, following by a 45cm cushion, tote bag, handkerchief and mug, and more.

Heso Production, the company that manages the glue and cream store Fueki Shop, erected a pop-up shop for one of its mascots on Friday (January 22) at Tokyo Character Street in Tokyo Station.

Fueki Figure

Fueki postcard for customers

The figure was created by Tomohiro Yasui, an artist at Kami Robo which is known for producing lots of figures of popular characters. The popular character, which is in fact a yellow puppy, went viral in Japan when the figure was first unveiled, garnering over 50,000 likes on Twitter.

Those who spend over ¥1,100 (tax included) in a single transaction at the pop-up shop will receive a free Fueki postcard.

©️FUEKINORI KOGYO/EFFORT