The Tokyo-based girl artists and creators’ collective bala has finally launched for real! The group will release its first single barla on March 8.

bala consists of MANON, SUNNY ONLY 1, DAN, and KANO, each with their own global background. The project aims to resonate with Gen Z youth culture and to be a collective of artists that connects hybrid Japanese pop culture with audiences around the world.

The debut song barla was produced by Shinichi Osawa, who has numerous hits under the name Mondo Grosso. It was co-written by Kenmochi Hidefumi from Wednesday Campanella. With Y2K culture making a comeback around the world, the track features the house sound popular in the late 90s which is showing signs of becoming the next musical trend yet again. The groovy dance tune is a perfect theme song for these girls who will lead the next generation of pop culture.

<Comment from Shinichi Osawa>
“I’m honored to be involved in bala’s debut. The members are super unique, and collaborating with Kenmochi-san for the first time was a dream come true.”

<Comment from Kenmochi Hidefumi>
“I’m happy to be able to work with the members of bala and Shinichi Osawa. Everyone is so uniquely talented, and this song is filled with everyone’s energy and excitement inspired by their long-awaited debut!”

From February 11 to February 26, an exhibition inspired by the popular rock band CreepHyp will be held at the PARCO GALLERY on the 6th floor of the Nagoya PARCO West Building. The event is being held to celebrate the 10th anniversary of CreepHyp.

The exhibition is themed around a ‘Museum of Voices.’

A person’s voice is said to be a true expression of their personality. This exhibition will give fans a new sense of what CreepHyp is and will feature their music, their MC content, and various radio appearances.

Visitors will be able to listen to the member’s voices, but they’ll also be able to step on them, dive into them, look at them, and experience plenty of other ways to enjoy the band’s content. Completely immersed in this world of voices, this experience promises to be like no other. Come experience it while you can!

The exhibition was largely created by CHOCOLATE, the creative team behind CreepHyp’s past exhibitions. Exclusive merchandise will also be available on-site.

Art collective TeamLab has redesigned two exhibitions at Marina Bay Sands Singapore. The world’s first permanent exhibition from the creators, Future World: Where Art Meets Science, was opened in 2016 at the Museum of Art and Science. Guests can now enjoy three new works along with the Digital Light Canvas, a huge, interactive space inviting guests to share their own pieces of art.

Drawing Flight

Visitors can immerse themselves in these impressive new works while experiencing a complex, three-dimensional world. They can also create new worlds with others!

Future World

The Drawing Flight, part of the Amusement Park of the Future series, is based on the concept of co-creation, allowing visitors to not only draw an airplane that will fly but also allowing them to operate it from a pilot’s point of view using a tablet. Whether visitors draw a butterfly or a hawk, they’ll see the world from the perspective of each creature and enter a world constructed by the creature’s unique perceptions.

Aerial Climbing through a Flock of Colored Birds

In Aerial Climbing through a Flock of Colored Birds, guests are asked to perceive the world with their entire bodies. Visitors cross a space with sticks floating three-dimensionally in the air.

Autonomous Abstraction, Continuous Phenomena from the Universe to the Self

Autonomous Abstraction, Continuous Phenomena from the Universe to the Self offers a new and abstract concept. As people touch the dots, the rhythm of the dots flickers and their hue changes and disintegrates. The picture will then change dramatically, and despite these changes, the beauty remains.

Digital Light Canvas

Graffiti Nature – Red List Digital Light Canvas

Digital Light Canvas is a space consisting of a 15-meter-diameter circular link of light and a 20-meter-high cylinder of light made up of a collection of light dots.  Team Lab’s interactive artwork, which changes depending on how many people are around, is on permanent display.

Drawing Factory

By visiting the Digital Light Canvas area, guests can also enjoy the Drawing Factory, where they can turn their own drawings into pins, T-shirts, and other items!

Come fully experience this curious art exhibition!

© チームラボ

Yoshitaka Amano, known by international fans as the artist behind the legendary Final Fantasy video game series, is celebrating his 70th birthday with a unique art project from November 23 until December 8 at Myoshin-ji in Kyoto. 

On the first day of the event, the venue, decorated with autumn leaves, was crowded with visitors including foreign tourists, who marveled at the fantastic space filled harmoniously with gold and blue. The exhibition will be held at Myoshin-ji, the head temple of the associated branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism. This collection of works was designed to question visitors’ sensibilities and provide a new kind of art exhibition for fans to enjoy.

After the exhibition, the main art piece by Yoshitaka himself will be converted to 3DCG, and a Virtual Golden World will be developed in collaboration with the Yoshitaka Amano VR Museum. By integrating traditional and modern art methods, guests will be able to engage more deeply in the art by enjoying digital works, the metaverse, and NFTs.

Don’t miss this curious exhibition!

Ukiyo-e paintings became popular during the Edo Period of Japanese history. For those weaning to see some of the most rad ukiyo-e paintings around, the new book Edo Punk! The Dynamic World of Ukiyo-e is now available at bookstores nationwide and online. Luckily, the book is also bilingual in English and Japanese!

Kuniyoshi Utagawa, popular in Japan and abroad and known for his unique perspective, and Yoshitoshi Tsukioka, the inspiration for many modern manga series, are both featured in this tome. The many pieces featured combine elements of fantastical beauty and harsh realities, and fans can read commentary by Shoko Haruki. Haruki worked at the Hokkaido Museum before becoming a curator at the Edo-Tokyo Museum in 2017. She specializes in Japanese art history.

The book is now available at bookstores nationwide and online.

Craft beer subscription service Otomoni opened orders for a new Tsundere-themed Hazy IPA on November 15, 2022. The beer has a sweetness level that changes on its temperature and was brewed as part of the 15th installment of the JAPANESE BEER ODYSSEY, which aims to share aspects of both traditional and modern Japanese culture through craft beer.

For better or worse, Japan’s otaku culture is now a major part of the country’s appeal to people around the world.

Japan’s video game and anime market is now legendary around the globe, and millions flock to the country each year to become more immersed in its popular culture. Just look at the annual Comiket event–over 700,000 visitors attend each year!

To celebrate the upcoming Comiket, a new beer has been brewed that pays homage to modern otaku culture. The Tsundere Hazy IPA is perfect for otaku who love a little challenge when it comes to their love life.

Brewed with NOMCRAFT Brewing in Wakayama Prefecture, the Tsundere Hazy IPA features two distinct flavors, each coming out more strongly depending on the beer’s temperature. 

When poured, the beer has a very tropical aroma, and when ice-cold, it’s more refreshing and less sweet. 

As the temperature of the beer rises, the smell becomes more fruity and strong, with the smell of hibiscus certain to make your mouth water. Whether you like bitter or sweet, this may be the perfect beer for you. 

Would you try this tsundere-themed beer? 

The Sumida Hokusai Museum in Sumida-ku, Tokyo, will be holding the ‘Hokusai at Play with the 100 Poems’ exhibition from December 15, 2022 until February 26, 2023. The exhibition will focus on the Hyakunin Isshu, a famous collection of 100 poems integral to Japanese traditional culture.

Hyakunin Isshu Uba ga Etoki – Sojo Henjo / Katsushika Hokusai, The Sumida Hokusai Museum.

Hyakunin Isshu Uba ga Etoki – Ariwara no Narihira / Katsushika Hokusai, The Sumida Hokusai Museum. (Phase 2)

The Five Great Poets, Tsuki – Katsushika Hokusai, The Sumida Hokusai Museum. (Permanently on Display)

By the middle of the Edo period, the Hyakunin Isshu, or 100 classical poems, had become an established part of Japanese culture. Hokusai, an ukiyo-e artist of the period, painted a total of 27 of these famous poems, incorporating his own ideas and views to create unique pieces still beloved so many years later. This exhibition features 24 paintings from the museum’s Hyakunin Isshu collection along with dozens more items pertaining to this legendary collection of writings. Don’t miss it!

The historic Hotel Gajoen Tokyo, which blends a hotel and a traditional Japanese museum, will offer a tour of the Hyakudan Kaidan (Hundred Stairs) from December 3 until December 25, 2022. This Tangible Cultural Property of Tokyo is an incredible sight, and those with an interest in Showa-era architecture won’t want to miss it.

In 1988, part of the old Gajoen structure was torn down to make way for new structures along the Meguro River basin,  and the hotel underwent a large-scale renovation over a period of three years. The Hundred Stairs were originally built in 1935 and designated as a Tangible Cultural Property by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 2009.

Over the years, the Gajoen has served as a restaurant and gathering place for visitors from both the Showa-era and Heisei-era. Filled with traditional Japanese aesthetics, the location is now filled with art and pieces of cultural significance. A number of special exhibitions are held throughout the year. 

Why not come enjoy this tour of a piece of Japanese history?

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the globally popular Naruto anime series, NARUTO THE GALLERY will be held at AKIBA_SQUARE inside Akihabara UDX from December 10, 2022 until January 31, 2023. The gallery will feature collaborations with five animators. 

This will be the first Naruto exhibition held since 2015. The event will focus on the growth of the characters, the bonds they share with their friends, and the many fights that have taken place over the past two decades. 

Iconic scenes from the Naruto anime series will be on display in collaboration with five up-and-coming animators: Ai Niina, Kohei Kadowaki, que, Kosuke Sugimoto, and Kohta Morie. This will give fans the chance to see an unprecedented and unique view of the world of Naruto which can only be seen at the event. 

Admission Bonus: Gemaki-style Card

Goods

An original Gemaki-style Card featuring a newly-drawn visual will be handed out to those visiting the exhibition. 

The first lineup of exclusive event-only merchandise has been revealed and longtime fans of the series won’t want to miss adding some of these goods to their collection. 

Participating Artists / Episode

Ai Niina / Sasuke’s Ninja Way

Kohei Kadowaki / Naruto’s Path

que / The Land of Waves

Kosuke Sugimoto / Sasuke’s Vessel

Kohta Morie / Naruto and Kurama

©NARUTO THE GALLERY実行委員会

Yoshitaka Amano, known by international fans as the artist behind the legendary Final Fantasy video game series, is celebrating his 70th birthday with a unique art project in Kyoto. 

The exhibition will be held at Myoshin-ji, the head temple of the associated branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism. Stepping into the temple, guests will be met with colorful autumn leaves and a sea of gold and blue art pieces.

“I want people to enter this world of light and experience being part of it,” Amano said. “Rather than art being something flat on a wall, I want to present something new and unique.” This collection of works was designed to question visitors’ sensibilities and provide a new kind of art exhibition for fans to enjoy.

The main art piece, newly painted by Amano himself, will be on display in the Dharma Hall, which was decorated by one of Kano Tan’yu’s masterpieces. Tan’yu was an Edo-period painter. 

The three meter tall column features Amano’s own interpretation of Hiten, part of Mount Meru, a part of Buddhism cosmology considered to be the centre of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes. Four smaller pieces will be displayed on all four sides to create a three-dimensional mandala. 

Mika Pikazo is an illustrator and character designer. The artist has designed characters for many popular titles including Fire Emblem Engage, the latest in Nintendo’s Fire Emblem series, as well as book covers and CD jackets.

Starting December 10, the artist will hold his second solo exhibition in three years at the Hz event space in Shibuya.

According to a press release, the exhibition is being held to show a number of creations Pikazo has made recently, and aims to show off new animation and past illustrations to merge his past and future selves. The creator hopes to challenge himself more going forward.

The first main visual, REVENGE, can be seen on the exhibition’s official website. A total of three visuals have been newly drawn for the event and will be released sequentially. In addition, a number of collaborative works with other creators will be on display, so art fans won’t want to miss out.

Limited-edition merchandise featuring new illustrations will be on sale at the venue, and autograph sessions are planned to be held. For more details, check the official Twitter page!

Be sure to come to see Mika Pikazo’s colorful pieces in person!

Creative company NAKED is currently holding the NAKED FLOWER TOWER AUTUMN event at the Chubu Electric Power Company MIRAI TOWER Sky Deck in Nagoya until December 2, 2022. 

The historic MIRAI TOWER, formerly the Nagoya TV Tower, opened in 1954. On October 12, 2022, the tower was registered as a tangible cultural property, and many companies have collaborated with the structure over the years. Now, NAKED’s digital art is creating a new night experience for visitors and residents of Nagoya!

The NAKED FLOWER TOWER event which began this summer invited guests to enjoy Nagoya’s evening views with all five senses. The tower’s Sky Deck was decorated with fresh flowers, given that Aichi Prefecture is the nation’s largest flower producer. It was also brought to life with a special projection mapping performance, and guests could enjoy original drinks as they gazed out at the illuminated city.

This event has now been reimagined for autumn, with fall flowers and grasses brightening the space. During the projection mapping show, a massive full moon is projected on the glass. You won’t want to miss it!