On February 22, the popular rock band SCANDAL will release the documentary MIRROR on Blu-ray and DVD. In April, the artists will embark on the SCANDAL TOUR 2023 - Unlimited UTOPIA, performing in seven cities across Japan.   The new song Line of Sight was written by the band to serve as the theme song for the arcade card game Mobile Suit Gundam Arsenal Base LINXTAGE, scheduled to release in late February. Read SCANDAL’s comment below!  

Mobile Suit Gundam Arsenal Base LINXTAGE〈LINXTAGE SEASON:01〉PV

--- “We’re pleased to announce that we’ve been put in charge of the theme song for Mobile Suit Gundam Arsenal Base LINXTAGE. This summer, SCANDAL will celebrate our 17th anniversary. What a great time to get this incredible offer! We met with the team behind Arsenal Base and shared our thoughts and feelings before starting production on the song. In the game, music is played during battle scenes, where players’ emotions are heightened. Considering that, we wrote a fast-paced, danceable track. In the end, we combined our own thoughts and feelings with the world of Gundam. Be sure to listen to the lyrics closely! Please enjoy our music as you play Arsenal Base! --- Mobile Suit Gundam Arsenal Base is a real-time strategy arcade card game in which players take on the role of a commander in control of five mobile suits and five pilots fighting to destroy a collection of enemy battleships. Found in many arcades across Japan, players place pilot cards on the terminal in dedicated boxes. The terminal then reads a QR code on each card. The series will soon introduce tons of new content including the LINXTAGE BATTLE system, in which two players can enter battle at the same time. Be sure to listen to a snippet of Line of Sight in the new PV!

Released in 1988, the film Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack remains popular with fans of the series over 30 years later. A rerelease of the original soundtrack on vinyl has been announced, coming on February 18, 2023. The record will be cut by Bernie Grundman and will feature Shigeaki Saegusa’s magnificent score and the theme song BEYOND THE TIME ~Beyond the Mobius Universe~ by TM Network. The three-sided panoramic jacket for the record was illustrated by Naoyuki Kato, and fans will love the red record itself reminiscent of Char’s personal emblem and Gundam. (C)創通・サンライズ

UWS AQUARIUM GA☆KYO, an aquarium inspired by Japanese traditions and legends, opened at Aqua City Odaiba on July 13, 2022. The curious aquarium and art facility is split into five spaces, each based on a particular Japanese legend or tradition.    Area 1 - WABISABI     Area 2 - OIRAN   Area 3 - MANGEKYO   Area 4 - YURAKU   Area 5 - RYUGU   Virtual Goldfish ScoopingThis mixture of aquarium and entertainment venue was produced by GA☆KYO. Each of the five spaces invites guests to understand and appreciate a particular part of Japanese traditional culture, as well as to experience the beauty of living things. Come enjoy this unique installation the next time you’re in Tokyo!

On July 13, UWS AQUARIUM GA☆KYO, an aquarium inspired by Japanese traditions and legends, will open at Aqua City Odaiba. Separated into five unique sections, this curious aquarium is located in a shopping complex popular with locals and tourists alike. UWS AQUARIUM GA☆KYO will depict five aspects of traditional Japanese life and history: Wabi-sabi, Oiran, Mangekyo (Kaleidoscope), Yuraku, and Ryuugu. These will be explained below if you aren’t familiar.  

Area

  WABISABI Wabi-sabi is a Japanese aesthetic in Japanese art centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. In the aquarium, this is shown by using delicate driftwood, bonsai, and crystal. Characteristics of wabi-sabi include asymmetry, simplicity, and roughness. OIRAN An Oiran was a high-ranking courtesan in Japanese history. In this work, goldfish are surrounded by beautiful and enchanting features inspired by these gorgeous women. MANGEKYO Mangekyo is the Japanese word for kaleidoscope. This collaborative work invites viewers into a unique space filled with paintings by Tsuyoshi Nigamushi along with disco balls. You’ll want to snap some trippy pictures! YURAKU This special exhibition invites guests to experience virtual goldfish scooping and fortune-telling. Made using modern technology in a space inspired by Japan’s four seasons, yuraku means pleasure in Japanese. RYUGU Ryuugu refers to the Palace of the Dragon King found in the ancient tale of Urashima Taro. This spatial work will utilize the sea around Odaiba and transport visitors to another place and time.   Come enjoy these five unique spaces with your five senses and become more acquainted with traditional Japanese beauty.

ULTRA JAPAN 2022 will be held at TOKYO ODAIBA ULTRA PARK II in Tokyo on September 17 and 18, 2022!   ULTRA JAPAN is the Japanese version of ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL (UMF), one of the world's largest urban dance music festivals held yearly in Miami since 1999. This year marks the 7th event in Japan, and the festival has been held in over 21 countries around the world. In 2016 and 2017, it was named the #1 festival in the world in a fan poll by DJ MAG.    ULTRA JAPAN has become a staple of the dance music community in Japan, attracting over 530,000 people since it was first held in 2014. The festival has been number one in terms of attendance among all dance music festivals held in Japan, bringing together some of the world’s best DJs and delighting fans with intense special effects. The festival is only 15 minutes from Shibuya!   Stay tuned for more information about the artist lineup for ULTRA JAPAN!

teamLab Borderless, a digital art museum currently housed in Odaiba’s Mori Building, will be moving to a more central location in Tokyo in 2023. In preparation for the move, the Odaiba location will close on August 31, and tickets for July and August are available now. Each ticket must be purchased ahead of visiting, and each specifies a date and time for entry. Tickets are available while supplies last. 

 teamLab 'Forest of Resonating Lamps - One Stroke' ©teamLab

 

teamLab Borderless opened in Odaiba in June 2018 and features a group of artworks that form one borderless world. Artworks move out of rooms and communicate with other works, influencing other pieces and sometimes intermingling with each other with no boundaries. They also shift depending on the season. In its first year, the museum attracted 2.3 million visitors, surpassing the Van Gogh Museum in the Netherlands to become the most popular single artist’s museum in the world. People from over 160 countries and regions visited, and in 2019, teamLab Borderless broke a world record for the most visitors to a museum showcasing art from a single artist. Borderless received numerous national and international awards, including being named one of the World’s Greatest Places 2019 by Time Magazine and receiving a Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement at the 25th Annual Thea Awards.

Highlight Video: https://youtu.be/VowWhpZzH24 The 10,000 square meter complex will be open until August 31, offering visitors a singular experience through a borderless world of art. Expectations are high for the museum’s new location, scheduled to open in central Tokyo in 2023.  teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM will be open in Toyosu until the end of 2023.