Model, DJ, and photographer Hikari Shibata will hold her first photo exhibition in five years, THROUGH THE WINDOW, at the FLOAT Gallery in Tokyo for four days starting September 8, 2023.

 

The exhibition’s title was inspired by Shibata’s shyness, which has always led her to photograph landscapes rather than people. Many photos were taken through windows, and both the view and reflections are meaningful and personal to Shibata herself.

 

This year’s exhibition features photos of daily life taken in Copenhagen, Denmark’s largest city, where Shibata stayed for a total of three weeks in March 2023. It will also feature photographs snapped in Berlin, Los Angeles, and New York City.

 

Shibata will visit the gallery in person to present her creations. In addition to the sale of exhibited photographs, guests will also be able to purchase T-shirts, hats, and Shibata’s first photobook, the latter of which is available in limited quantities. The self-published 112-page hardcover book was entirely designed by Shibata herself. T-shirts will be available in two colors and feature the title of the exhibition, while hats will come in three colors with an embroidered graphic image of the sun reflected in a window.

The opening theme for the new anime series Insomniacs After School has been announced as Itsu Aetara (When We Can Meet) by aiko. The series has been in the news since it was first announced, and a live-action film will also be released soon. aiko is one of Japan’s leading singer-songwriters, and fans are pumped to hear her incredible new track. The artist also gave a comment which you can read below.  

[Comment from aiko]

“I’m someone who can’t really sleep either. But I don’t really get stressed because of it, because during the time that I’m awake, I can find new feelings and more enjoyable moments.   During Ganta and Isaki’s sleepless nights, I want them to find some meaning in their insomnia. I want everyone to see the bright side.   I’d love to lend a copy of Insomniacs After School to my high school self.   I hope that the song Itsu Aetara will reach Ganta, Isaki, and anyone else who can’t sleep at night.”     PV第3弾

The third trailer and third key visual have also been unveiled.   In the key visual, Ganta and Isaki meet and sit back-to-back in the observatory, a major location in the series. The roof of the observatory has been removed to allow fans to enjoy a nighttime view of Nanao City and the starry sky above.   The trailer shows the struggle of two people suffering from insomnia who share their problems with each other and who slowly grow closer. The character designs and scenery are mind-blowing, and the high quality is already making this one of the most highly-anticipated series of the year.   More details regarding the show’s broadcast in April have also been revealed!   Insomniacs After School will begin broadcasting on TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TV Setouchi, TV Hokkaido, and TVQ Kyushu on April 10 and will air Mondays at 24:00. In Ishikawa Prefecture, the setting of the series, the show will start airing on Hokuriku Broadcasting at 25:25 on April 13. The series will also air on BS TV Tokyo starting April 10 and will air Mondays at 24:30.   An original soundtrack has also been announced featuring music by Yuuki Hayashi. Releasing April 19, it’s sure to be a must-have item for fans!   ■Story “When she’s at school, I want to go to school. What kind of relationship is this?”   Rumors about what befell the members of the astronomy club keep people away from the school observatory, and that’s what makes it the perfect sanctuary for Ganta and Isaki to get some much-needed rest. Unfortunately, the school faculty can’t allow its unsanctioned use. But if there were a new astronomy club, maybe these two insomniacs could have a place to call home! Makoto Ojiro’s manga series is finally coming to life on the small screen.   <Your sleepless nights have meaning.>   ©オジロマコト・小学館／アニメ「君ソム」製作委員会

Starting March 4, the permanent museum teamLab Forest Fukuoka will transform its artwork into a stunning spring theme. Guests will be able to enjoy gorgeous cherry blossoms for a limited time, and starting March 24, the Catching and Collecting Forest will also be transformed in the same way.

 

TeamLab’s works are created in real time by procedural generation, meaning that they are always changing and evolving. Each work changes depending on the season.

▼Starting March 4

Both Shifting Valley, Living Creatures of Flowers, Symbiotic Lives – A Whole Year per Year and Animals of Flowers, Symbiotic Lives II – A Whole Year per Year are only available to see during spring. Come and see animals made entirely of cherry blossoms as they roam through the museum!

The work titled Soft Terrain in Granular Topography shows multicolored grains of light pouring from the sky, while Flutter of Butterflies, Ephemeral Life surrounds visitors with brightly colored butterflies

 

▼Starting March 24

In the Catching and Collecting Forest, visitors can explore with their smartphones and catch various animals made entirely of cherry blossoms.

The upcoming anime adaptation and live-action film versions of Insomniacs After School have been a hot topic since both projects were announced. Ahead of the anime’s premiere on TV Tokyo in April, a themed train will begin running on the Noto Railway line in Nanao City, the setting for the series.

 

The train design has been unveiled and features beautiful Nanao scenery from the anime series along with the starry sky and the main characters.

 

Fans can find the train running between Nanao Station and Anamizu Station in Spring 2023. Check the schedule on the Noto Railway official website for more information.

  Insomniacs After School (Trailer #2)

Makoto Ojiro’s coming-of-age manga series is set in Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture. It follows Ganta Nakami, a high school boy suffering from insomnia, and Isaki Magari, a girl with the same problem.

 

Insomniacs After School is only two months away. Will you be tuning in?

 

©オジロマコト・小学館／アニメ「君ソム」製作委員会

©永井豪／ダイナミック企画　©ダイナミック企画・東映アニメーション　©ダイナミック企画　©東映アニメーション　©松本零士／零時社・東映アニメーション

 

From March 21 until April 5, 2023, Matsuzakaya Nagoya will host The World of Super Robot & Hero: Kazuhiro Ochi Art Exhibition, celebrating the creator’s 45th anniversary as an artist. Ochi is well-known for his work on Mobile Suit Gundam and dozens of other popular anime series, from Martian Successor Nadesico to Urusei Yatsura.

 

Ochi has personally selected over 100 items to be put on display at the exhibition, including illustrations from Mazinger Z and Devilman, both of which are celebrating their 50th anniversaries. Fans can also expect to see illustrations from the newly-announced UFO Robot Grendizer project along with original sketches, promotional materials, and much more.

Available merchandise will include an art book signed by Kazuhiro Ochi himself, prints, and character goods. New Cutie Honey and Cosmic Fantasy products will also be available for purchase.

 

The animator himself will also be in attendance on select days, so don’t miss this rare opportunity to meet an anime legend!

Guests spending over ¥5,000 (including tax) at the exhibition during days in which Ochi is in attendance will receive an autographed illustration card only available at the Nagoya venue.

 

Exhibition Merch at a Glance

 

©Go Nagai／Dynamic Planning Illustration by K.Ochi

　©KAZUHIRO OCHI

 

イラスト／越智一裕 ©永井豪／ダイナミック企画

From March 14 until April 23, 2023, Tokyo Midtown Hibiya will hold Hisashi Eguchi’s Tokyo Girlfriend illustration exhibition, set to show off the artist’s unique perspectives on people and cityscapes. The exhibition will feature new illustrations of the titular girlfriend standing in the streets of Hibiya drawn especially for this exhibition, as well as various other girlfriends both large and small.

GING NANG BOYZ Kimi to Boku no Dai 3ji Taisen-teki Renai Kakumei CD Jacket (2005)

A LONG VACATION - Eiichi Ohtaki 40th Tribute Illustration (2021) ©2023 Eguchi Hisashi

 

Hisashi Eguchi, a manga artist and illustrator, continues to convey the charm of the city and its people by vividly depicting Tokyo and the many unique happenings within. As Tokyo Midtown Hibiya celebrates its 5th anniversary along with many other nearby businesses, the Tokyo Girlfriend exhibition of illustrations by Hisashi Eguchi is being held to celebrate.

The exhibition will feature a new painting of the mysterious girlfriend standing in the streets of Hibiya, newly created for the Tokyo Midtown Hibiya exhibition. A number of original pieces using Pantone overlay, Eguchi's favorite painting medium in the 80s and 90s, will also be on display for the first time.

During the exhibition period, guests can enjoy autograph sessions, live sketches in which Eguchi himself will draw a portrait of selected subject on the spot, and workshops where he will teach tips on how to be a better illustrator.

Don’t miss your chance to meet one of the greatest illustrators of the modern era!

  ©2023 Eguchi Hisashi