The Harajuku-based brand KAWAII MONSTER CAFE has announced a traveling store, KAWAII MONSTER SHOP. As the project’s first event, a Halloween pop-up shop named ‘KAWAII MONSTER SHOP - Colorful Halloween’ will open for 10 days starting October 19 in the birthplace of the brand, Harajuku.   KAWAII MONSTER CAFE is an entertainment restaurant that embodies the vibe of Harajuku in Tokyo, a town that swallows fashion and culture from places around the world and reimagines them into unrestrained originality. Originally opened in 2015 and produced by artist Sebastian Masuda, the colorful and crazy space offered photogenic food and drinks, and guests were served by the iconic Monster Girls clad in future Harajuku fashion. It became a ‘new Tokyo landmark,’ attracting over 700,000 visitors from both Japan and abroad. Even after the restaurant closed in January 2021, its one-of-a-kind concept has lived on in pop-up shops, events, and collaborations with various brands and creators.   The pop-up shop, open in Harajuku for a limited time starting October 19, offers food and drinks, merchandise, special experiences, and photo spots themed around the spooky Halloween season. Additionally, a collaboration with the popular Harajuku accessory store 6%DOKIDOKI will be held from October 19-22. Colorful hair accessories will be on sale, and shop girls with Monster Girls makeup experience will be giving seasonal makeovers to visitors.  

■FOOD & DRINK

During the first half of the event, the pop-up shop will be serving food made in collaboration with the hot dog specialty restaurant HOTDOG CAFE STAND STATION TOKYO. The limited-edition menu includes the crazy Monster Dog, consisting of a monster holding a sausage in its mouth, and the monstrous Philly Cheesesteak, made with juicy tenderloin and tons of cheese.   The second half of the event will feature the Colorful Pop Burger Blue Monster (Teriyaki Chicken) from KAWAII MONSTER CAFE’s popular menu, along with French Fries with Monster Dip served with five different colorful sauces. Visitors are welcome to get into the Halloween spirit by enjoying the Monster Float during the pop-up event. <10/19~10/22 Exclusive Menu> Monster Dog: ¥880 (Tax Included) *In collaboration with HOTDOG CAFE STAND STATION TOKYO Philly Cheesesteak: ¥1,350 (Tax Included) *In collaboration with HOTDOG CAFE STAND STATION TOKYO   <10/26~10/31 Exclusive Menu> Colorful Pop Burger Blue Monster (Teriyaki Chicken): ¥1,200 (Tax Included) French Fries with Monster Dip: ¥700 (Tax Included) Monster Float: ¥800 [Rose/Passionfruit/Kyoho Grape]  

■GOODS

New KAWAII MONSTER CAFE goods will make their first appearance at this pop-up shop! Guests can visit the Sweets Factory to create their own candy assortment by filling their favorite containers with chocolates, gummies, and other goodies. Harajuku Icing Cookies will also be available in collaboration with SHONPY, a popular cake shop. Be sure to grab some incredible souvenirs!   In addition, popular KAWAII MONSTER CAFE collaboration items from years past will be available, along with adorable plushies from the globally beloved brand Ty. Visitors can also snag some unique zipit pouches and flexible PLUS PLUS blocks starting October 26.  

■EXPERIENCE

During the event, KAWAII MONSTER CAFE’s iconic Monster Girls and the character Choppy will greet guests and take photos, as well as shoot cute Halloween-inspired videos together. Visitors wishing to be transformed into Monster Girls themselves can speak to the store girls, clad in Decora fashion and rocking accessories from 6%DOKIDOKI. These ladies will provide POP Harajuku Monster makeovers featuring original tattoo stickers and unique hair accessories to get you ready for Halloween.

■PHOTO SPOT

At the event, guests will find the 3-meter tall Sweets Cake Balloon inspired by the Sweets-Go-Round Cake, the symbol of KAWAII MONSTER CAFE. Surrounded by colorful decorations and captivating monsters, visitors are sure to leave with plenty of special memories. Guests of all ages are invited to spend the Halloween season surrounded by the unique wonders of Harajuku!

ZEROTOKYO, an entertainment mecca known for heating up Tokyo nights, is teaming up with ASOBISYSTEM to create an exciting new party! ASOBIZA, named after the origin of Kabukicho, will be held on April 28.   The lineup includes music artists as well as charismatic figures at the top of their fields in fashion, beauty, and art. Transcending musical genres and generations, this night will embody ZEROTOKYO's concept of being a true “Entertainment Junction.”   Additional performers may be announced in the future.

The Metaverse Music Festival, a virtual event organized by the global Web3 platform Decentraland, took place starting on November 10, 2022, featuring a number of Japanese artists.    FRUITS ZIPPER was one of the performing acts, appearing on the MetaTokyo stage on November 11 and November 12.According to data from MetaTokyo, a total of 20,000 viewers from 101 countries around the world watched the performances, including those from the United States, Canada, Japan, Spain, Germany, and Brazil.This spring, the idol group FRUITS ZIPPER released the track Watashino Ichiban Kawaiitokoro, which racked up over 600 million views on TikTok. The music video has amassed over 5.5 million views on YouTube, and despite having just debuted, the girls performed at all major idol festivals over the summer.   In November, the group’s second solo concert at Shibuya WWW X was a major success. In February 2023, the girls will begin the FRUITS ZIPPER 1st LIVE TOUR 2023 WINTER scheduled to conclude at LINE CUBE SHIBUYA on February 12. The group will also perform at a New Year’s Eve event in Tainan, Taiwan. Keep an eye out for them in 2023!

FRUITS ZIPPER, an up-and-coming idol group from ASOBISYSTEM’s KAWAII LAB project, has a simple concept: “From Harajuku to the World.” For the past year, the girls have been transmitting what they call ‘NEW KAWAII’ from Harajuku, an area known for fashion and individuality, to their growing fanbase.   Recently, we sat down with the members to chat about their first year as idols since debuting in April 2022.   ーWhat has the past year been like as members of FRUITS ZIPPER?   Manaka Mana“The past year has been a year of love. I’ve learned so much about myself and see my own weaknesses more than I ever have before!I've been able to encounter emotions I wasn't even aware that I could, and I've even been able to recognize and verbalize a lot of new dreams and goals for the future!Thank you so much!”Noel Hayase“The past year has been the most packed year of my life. There was something to do every single day–it was so hectic and so fun! I could only think about how thankful I was to be part of FRUITS ZIPPER. I’m sure that we’ve all become stronger over the past year, and I want to keep working hard and expanding our activities more in the coming years!”   Amane Tsukiashi“Every day seemed to fly by. I met and talked with so many people, and I was finally able to do the job I had always dreamed of doing.”ーYou performed in Thailand this year, highlighting your slogan of 'From Harajuku to the World.' Can you tell us any fun stories from that time?   Yui Sakurai“I was so happy to see how many people knew about FRUITS ZIPPER–it was more than I could have ever imagined! So many fans told me how happy they were to meet me and it made me so thrilled!There were some fans who came from Japan too, and they joined the Thai fans to become Team Yui! I really felt like we had shared Harajuku with the world at that moment. ♡I hope that we’ll keep expanding this way and visiting fans around the world. It was such a warm and special day.”Luna Nakagawa“This was my first time performing overseas and I was nervous about how the audience would react. We weren’t well-known in Thailand, after all–but when we started singing Watashino Ichiban Kawaiitokoro, everyone sang along!The concert was so warm and the fans were so sweet, I immediately forgot that it was my first big overseas performance. I was full of adrenaline and it just turned out to be so much fun.That concert is still my best memory. I can't wait to go back to Thailand to perform again.Since our motto is ‘From Harajuku to the World,’ I hope that we can keep expanding to other countries soon!”ーDo you have any goals for the next year in terms of overseas activities?   Suzuka Chinzei“I want to do a European tour!I’m still studying German, but I’d love to try out my communication skills! 🥺 (I guess I could do that here too, but…)”Karen Matsumoto“I want to be friends with more overseas fans! 💖Honestly, I’d love to become like Kyary, an idol who is now recognized all over the world!”ーGive a message to your fans both in Japan and abroad!   Manaka Mana“In 2023, I hope that I can spend more time with fans from around the world in person! I want to become stronger and care for those important to me while growing my natural gifts!I hope you’re all looking forwards to a powered-up FRUITS ZIPPER!Let’s make 2023 a great one!" 🤍Noel Hayase“Even though we’ve only just debuted, we’ve already been so blessed, invited to perform in Thailand and to spend New Year’s Eve in Taiwan. How have we been abroad so many times already? I want to keep the momentum going, spread my wings and aim for an even bigger stage! To all the international fans, just wait! We’ll keep bringing Harajuku to the rest of the world!”

Popular dance and vocal unit Atarashii Gakko! performed at the Head in the Clouds music festival on December 3 in Jakarta, Indonesia, and December 8 in Manila, Philippines. Local fans showed up in droves for the incredible show.   The Head in the Clouds music festival is organized by the record label 88Rising, and the event took place in Los Angeles in August. The label is known for representing Asian artists, with YOASOBI also appearing at the two shows in Jakarta and Manila.The Jakarta show was attended by around 20,000 people, making it as large as the United States show. The members of Atarashii Gakko!, with their addictive energy and impressive talent, quickly became a talking point among fans not only in the audience but around the world.   In addition to the recent shows in Jakarta and Manila, Atarashii Gakko! recently embarked on a five-show US tour, including a solo performance at the Crunchyroll Expo in San Diego in July. Keep an eye out for what these girls will do next!Photo: Lindsey Blane

IDOLATER is known for exploring the boundary of music, fashion, and other unique aspects of culture through an idol perspective.    We interviewed the five members about their new costumes, which were unveiled for the first time on October 23, 2022.   ーTell us some highlights and stories about the new costumes!   Tsukishiro Kurumi "This is the second time we’ve gotten new outfits as a five-member group! Our first costume was a cool green, black, and white outfit, but this time the cream-colored outfits have a more soft and warm feel.Fushiki and I are showing off our stomaches this time around!I wonder if that’s a message from the management telling us that we’re the two who always eat before live shows…the thought is scary…should I ask for seconds next time or not…Okuda, Oishi, and Satsuki all got normal dresses!Also, each member's specific color is incorporated into their outfit! Some fans might not be sure about their favorite member’s color, but now that they’re easier to recognize, I hope fans will find it easier to wave the right penlights at our live shows! I’ll do my best as the one in charge of the color red!I love the skirt the most!It's fun when you're dancing–the way it flutters is a blast. The skirt’s made of more than one piece of fabric, which makes it more fluffy and beautiful.People group Satsuki and I together because we both have the kanji for ‘moon’ in our names. I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or not, but our belts have pieces that look a little like the moon! I thought it might have been a mistake and I was going to ask about it at the fitting, but I figured I was being a little too negative. There are things in this world that I don't need to know.   Fushiki Yukino“When I first saw the costumes, I thought they were really fresh. They even had our member colors incorporated in them, and the design was something that I’d never seen before in IDOLATER. I was super happy because we wanted the same style outfit!Tsukishiro always tells me that I’ve pulled my belt too tight before we go on stage! (Laugh)The costume is quite heavy despite how it looks, and I like the way the skirt flutters when I dance. This is the first time I’ve shown my stomach too! I think the silhouette is gorgeous.”   Okuda Ayu“It's a complete change from our green costumes. The five of us are all wearing neat dresses with the same design and silhouette is something we hadn’t seen before! The skirts look so fluffy and flutter so beautifully when I spin, and the high waist looks amazing. The collars have a line with the member's color and the outfit is so incredibly detailed. If you look closely, you can see that each button is different and there are small animals on the belts. Come see them in person if you can!”   Oishi Fuka“IDOLATER has a  really cool and fashionable image, and that really comes through in these new costumes. The skirt has layers of fabric and neat cutouts, and the length is long enough but also shows off our legs a little when we dance.Each button is different with designs that symbolize each member, and if you look closely, you can see each member’s color!”   Satsuki Ririka“I think these new costumes are attractive and it’s so cute how the skirts flutter when we spin! They look so incredibly good on stage.These costumes are a bit different from our previous outfits and remind me of Nogizaka’s outfits. You’ll want to come to see them in person!”Keep an eye out for IDOLATER in their new outfits!