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!

Last year, the HARAJUKU COLLECTIVE collaboration appeared at AF Gallery in Harajuku from August 10 until August 28, garnering massive acclaim from fans. The collection is now being sold at Shinsaibashi PARCO until March 12, 2023.

HARAJUKU COLLECTIVE is a Studio Ghibli-inspired apparel collection by the popular American counterculture chain Hot Topic. Bringing more Japanese culture to the ongoing Studio Ghibli collaboration launched in 2014, Hot Topic stores began selling original items produced by nine Japanese creators and brands, as well as some original American items produced by Hot Topic’s executive designers.

The lineup of Japan-original items includes T-shirts, tote bags, and other items featuring exclusive artwork by up-and-coming creators. These items depict beloved characters from Studio Ghibli’s works, as well as logos created for the collaboration. Fans won’t want to miss grabbing these unique items!

Details on the Previous HARAJUKU COLLECTIVE Pop-Up Store: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/ja/625747

Laforet Harajuku will host a pop-up shop inspired by the up-and-coming idol group FRUITS ZIPPER from February 1 until February 14! The FRUITS ZIPPER Valentine Pop-Up Shop will be found on the 5th floor MAKE THE STAGE area.

FRUITS ZIPPER debuted in April 2022 and embodies a simple concept: “From Harajuku to the World.” The group’s second single Watashino Ichiban Kawaiitokoro exploded in popularity on TikTok, pulling in over 600 million views. In February, the girls will embark on their first solo concert tour in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. This is the first FRUITS ZIPPER-inspired limited-time shop, and during the event, visuals of the group’s members will be displayed in the show windows found on the first floor of Laforet Harajuku.

◆About the FRUITS ZIPPER Valentine Pop-Up Shop

When entering the venue, fans will be greeted by a 5-meter-wide board where visitors can write and attach their messages to the FRUITS ZIPPER members on heart-shaped cards. Costumes that the members have worn on stage will also be on display, allowing fans to see each stitch up close.

Exclusive items featuring new photos of the members will be on sale at the pop-up shop. Fans can enjoy seeing the girls in their own personal style, and these items will only be available during the event! Starting February 4, tour merch for the group’s upcoming solo concert series will also be available for purchase.

◆Collaboration with Fruit Sandwich Specialty Store ‘Fruits Box Daikanyama’

Last year’s popular collaboration with Fruit Box Daikanyama, a well-known fruit sandwich shop, is happening again in 2023! Fans can find the Collaboration Gift Box for sale, including seven baked meringue goods each featuring one of the member’s colors. The box also comes with snapshots of the members, and for a few lucky fans, these snaps might be signed! The idol group and sandwich shop have also teamed up to create the Collaborative Lucky Grab Bag Lottery, including popular FRUITS ZIPPER goods and original items from Fruits Box Daikanyama. The lucky first-prize winner will receive a special set of all available February tour merchandise in all sizes.

◆Member Appearance Planned on Valentine’s Day

On February 14, the final day of the pop-up shop, the members of FRUITS ZIPPER will make an appearance! Guests will be able to participate in the first-ever hands-on event with the members, so keep an eye out for more details!

Stay up to date with the latest FRUITS ZIPPER news at the official Twitter page (@FRUITS_ZIPPER).

FRUITS ZIPPER Pop-Up Shop Exclusive Goods

Random Photo – Valentine pop-up ver. (21 varieties): ¥330 (Tax Included)

Random Pin – Valentine pop-up ver. (7 varieties): ¥500 (Tax Included)

Random Purikura Stickers – Valentine pop-up ver. (14 varieties): ¥600 (Tax Included)

The Winter 2022-2023 issue of the revived fashion creator magazine Zipper went on sale on December 23.

This issue focuses on this winter’s must-know trends and is packed with coordination tips, outfit plans through spring, snapshots, hair and makeup tips, and much more.

Zipper ended its 24-year history in December 2017. In March 2022, ASOBISYSTEM teamed up with DONUTS Inc. to revive the magazine as a quarterly release. The fashion magazine, popular with Gen Z, is known for sharing details aspects of Harajuku culture and will continue to share more from the creative center of Tokyo for years to come.

Standard Edition (Cover: Nagisa Saito)

Another Edition (Cover: FRUITS ZIPPER）

The Mine City Tourism Association has announced a Christmas & Valentine’s Day event at Akiyoshido Cave, one of the largest limestone caves in Japan. The event will see the natural wonder illuminated by a number of colorful lights. The Christmas event will run from December 21 to 25, 2022, while the Valentine’s Day event will run from February 10 to 14, 2023.

Akiyoshido Cave is one of Yamaguchi Prefecture’s most popular tourist attractions. The interior will be decorated with colorful lights and unique soundscapes, creating a once-in-a-lifetime setting for visitors. These illuminations and sounds were directed by world-renowned lighting designer Motoko Ishii, known for her work on Tokyo Tower and the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge.

Eve has announced a special YouTube LIVE scheduled to take place on December 24 at 19:00. The stream will take place on the artist’s official YouTube channel and those with YouTube Premium memberships will be able to take place in an Afterparty starting at 19:30. 

Starting at 19:00 on Christmas Eve, fans can enjoy a rare live studio performance complete with a full band. The Afterparty will include a special chat with Eve in which the artist reflects on the past year and gives hints on what’s to come. Fans won’t want to miss this exclusive opportunity!

There are plenty of events going on in Tokyo to celebrate the holiday season, but this one might be the most peculiar. Elemis, a skincare brand from England, has teamed up with bus operator Upstar for Japan’s first bus tour featuring afternoon tea! This extremely limited event will drive guests around the city to see some of the most impressive Christmas lights in Shibuya, Roppongi, Omotesando, and other spots. Only 60 seats are available each day and the bus will run from December 1 until December 25, 2022.

5 Unique Features of the Elemis Special Christmas Afternoon Tea Bus Tour

① Enjoy a Special Christmas Afternoon Tea Menu by Elemis

A special Christmas menu will be available on board, including a Santa Claus shortcake and a party popper-inspired sandwich. 

② Travel on a Bus Filled with Elemis Christmas Decorations

Inside the bus, guests can enjoy fir trees and original decorations inspired by the Elemis holiday collection!

③ Best-Selling Elemis Goods will be Gifted to Guests!

Guests will receive a trial size of Elemis’ best-selling Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm as a Christmas present!

④ A Special Gift Campaign will run from November 15 until December 25

Prior to the start of the bus tour, a campaign will be held on Instagram and Twitter. Winners will snag tickets for the bus tour and an Elemis makeup set worth over $12,000!

⑤ Travel on a Special Route to Enjoy Tokyo’s Christmas Lights!

The bus tour will take visitors to some of Tokyo’s best Christmas locales, from Shibuya and Omotesando to Keyakizaka and Roppongi. The 90-minute journey starts and ends in Omotesando.

How would you like to enjoy Tokyo’s Christmas lights on a British bus enjoying some of the best beauty products on Earth? Get into the holiday spirit with this unusual and unique tour!

Popular singer Eve will sing the theme song for the film Black Night Parade, coming to theaters nationwide on December 23, 2022. A new trailer featuring the track has also been released alongside the announcement.

Eve’s YouTube channel has over 4.2 million subscribers with video views of over 1.9 billion. The new song, Shirayuki, was written by the singer himself, who has become incredibly popular with overseas music fans as well. The track manages to be both gentle and powerful in equal measure, combining an orchestra with Eve’s unique vocals. In conjunction with the release of the trailer, an exclusive pre-release version of the song has been posted to TikTok.

Black Night Parade Trailer: https://youtu.be/57CkdVMky4o

Black Night Parade was originally manga series by Hikaru Nakamura, the creator of Arakawa Under the Bridge and Saint Young Men. The live-action film will be directed by Yuichi Fukuda, who has worked on a number of live-action film adaptations of manga series including Gintama and Kyo Kara Ore Wa! Fukuda also wrote the screenplay along with Tetsuo Kamata. The protagonist Miharu Hino will be played by Ryo Yoshizawa, while Shino Hojo will be played by Kanna Hashimoto. Taishi Nakagawa will play Kaizer Tanaka and Keisuke Watanabe will play Teppei Kohira.  

The story follows Miharu Hino, a man who is completely hopeless at everything he does. He failed his entrance exam, failed at job hunting, and has no love life to speak of. After working at a convenience store for three years, he meets a man in a black Santa suit who kidnaps him, offering him a job. Miharu then begins working at Santa Claus House, a mysterious company at the North Pole that delivers gifts to children around the world.

Comment from Eve

“I’m incredibly honored because I loved both the original manga and Fukuda’s past works. I wrote this song Shirayuki with the hope that Christmas could be an important day for everyone. I would be so glad if this song makes you nostalgic for winter, making you imagine the cold air that stings your nose and the stars in the clear night sky. I love Kunehito, so I am looking forward to seeing him in the film.”

©︎2022「ブラックナイトパレード」製作委員会　©︎中村光／集英社

The Sailor Moon franchise’s 30th-anniversary museum is open from July 1 to December 30 at Tokyo’s Roppongi Museum. The series became a global phenomenon in the 1990s and remains incredibly popular with audiences around the world to this day. The museum itself is located near Azabu-Juban, where Sailor Moon took place.

　
Volume 3 of the museum, the final installment, will take place from November 12 until the museum closes on December 30. During this period, fans can see over 100 pieces of rare Sailor Moon goods from its run in Nakayoshi magazine.

All of the original color drawings currently on display will be replaced, with over 60 new pieces being added including previously unreleased works. Fans will also get a glimpse of the original drawing that appeared on the cover of Nakayoshi when the final chapter of Sailor Moon was published!

Christmas Menu

Sailor Moon Museum Christmas Pancake

Sailor Moon Museum Cheese Melt Muffin

Latte Art featuring Famous Quotes

THE ALLEY Collaboration Drinks

Christmas Tapioca Banana Pumpkin

Princess Serenity Cream Cheese Yogurt

New Christmas menu items will also be available during Vol.3. Guests can enjoy the cafe’s original Christmas tree-inspired pancakes and collaboration drinks with THE ALLEY. The main menu has also been overhauled and now includes plenty of dishes perfect for the cold winter months. The drink menu will also feature original coasters and straw tags only available at the museum.

Will you be visiting the museum during its last few weeks?

(c) Naoko Takeuchi

Mister Donut has revealed its annual Pokemon Christmas collaboration. This marks the 5th year that the popular sweets chain is teaming up with the legendary franchise, and starting on November 9, fans can find themed sweets and merchandise for a limited time. 

Pikachu Snowman Donut

Christmas Collection Donut Set

New to the lineup in 2022 is the Pikachu Snowman Donut. This will be sold alongside the always-popular standard Pikachu Donut which will be sold in a cute Christmas sleeve. Customers can also look forward to the sleepy Pikachu Donut and the fluffy Jigglypuff Donut this holiday season.

Mister Donut Blanket (White)

Mister Donut Glasses (Set of 2)

The Christmas Set will include the Mister Donut Pokemon Blanket, which is available in two patterns, as well as a pair of Pokemon glasses. Fans are sure to enjoy these new illustrations of Pikachu and Jigglypuff made exclusively for the collaboration. 

Pikachu Donut

The popular Pikachu Donut is back! The fluffy yeast pastry is filled with whipped cream with a pudding flavor and chocolate coating. 

Pikachu Snowman Donut

Also filled with whipped cream, the Pikachu Snowman Donut is coated with white chocolate.

Be sure to check out this exclusive collection of sweets and goods before they’re gone!

©2022 Pokémon. ©1995-2022 Nintendo/Creatures Inc. /GAME FREAK inc.

ポケットモンスター・ポケモン・Pokémonは任天堂・クリーチャーズ・ゲームフリークの登録商標です。
Nintendo Switchのロゴ・Nintendo Switchは任天堂の商標です。

The second Tabekko Doubutsu Cafe Stand event opened in Omotesando on November 1, 2022. Paying homage to the classic snack first released in 1978, the cafe features a number of tasty snacks inspired by the thin animal-shaped cookies popular around the world.

This second event will run through January 9, 2023. Reservations are required, and many dates were completely sold out prior to the event’s start date, particularly on weekends. We decided to visit, anxious to see what the fuss is all about.

We were first shocked to see the popular animals enjoying oden! Original goods featuring the characters enjoying the quintessential Japanese winter dish are only available at the cafe. From acrylic keychains to figures, visitors can snag some adorable merchandise to commemorate their trip to the exclusive event. Why not snag some items that would be useful on a daily basis, like a notebook or an apron?

For food, visitors can snag a special Oden Set and Chinese Dumplings, both perfect for the winter. The oden features popular ingredients like egg, daikon, fish cake, and mochikinchaku, each branded with the popular animal characters. Drinks include soy milk, green tea milk, and milk tea. 

In addition to the exclusive Lion Cake which is limited to 25 servings a day, guests can find chocolate bananas and other sweets on the menu, including a Sweets Set limited to those reserving special seats at the venue. For every ¥1,000 spent on food and drink items, customers will receive one Tabekko Doubutsu trading card!

The exhibition space is a must-see for fans of this legendary snack, filled with rare works including an adorable and very colorful print of every animal holding a bowl of oden. Of course, a photo spot has been set up for visitors to take some prime shots for social media!

Don’t miss the animal meet and greet, which is making its triumphant return from the last event! Visitors can interact with different animals on different days, so check the official Twitter page (@tabekko_cafe) for the schedule and more information! The number of visitors per day is limited, so make a reservation as early as you can.

Come enjoy these heartwarming treats while you have the opportunity!

The global online fashion brand SHEIN has become wildly popular, shipping goods to over 150 countries. The world’s first permanent brick-and-mortar SHEIN store will open in Harajuku, Tokyo on November 13, 2022, displaying popular styles and items perfect for the Japanese market. All items on display will be available for purchase on the official SHEIN app simply by scanning the QR code on the tag. While items won’t be available to purchase in-store, the location will be a place where curious customers can try things on and explore new trends. The store has two floors and carries women’s and men’s wear, as well as kids’ wear, pet goods, and accessories. In addition to standard fitting rooms, there will also be a photo booth and SHEIN gacha machine!

This summer, the brand held its first pop-up event in Japan, traveling to five cities over two days. In October 2022, the three-month-long SHEIN POPUP OSAKA event invited customers could try on clothes and discover new styles.

 “SHEIN TOKYO is planning to hold a number of events to make the SHEIN brand more familiar to new customers. Please visit us and enjoy perusing our reasonably priced but high-quality items,” an official comment reads.