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!

Over the past few decades, Star Wars has become one of the most beloved properties with fans around the world.

Grogu, known by many fans as Baby Yoda, first appeared in The Mandalorian, a series on Disney+ currently celebrating its third anniversary. 

With his mysterious background and incredible use of the Force, the tiny and adorable character became a hit with fans around the world, quickly making him one of the most popular characters in the recent Star Wars series.

World-renowned Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli recently produced a short animation starring Grogu and Makkuro Kurosuke, also known as the Wandering Soot or, in the title for the short, Dust Bunnies. The characters first appeared in the film My Neighbor Totoro.

Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki and producer Toshio Suzuki have long been friends with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, who readily agreed to produce the short as a symbol of their longstanding friendship. The short was directed by Katsuya Kondo.

Will you give this a watch on Disney+?

（C）2022 & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.（C）2022 Studio Ghibli.

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

From November 9 until December 25, the Disney HARVEST MARKET by CAFE COMPANY Shibuya Hikarie location will be offering a special Christmas menu and exclusive holiday merchandise. 

The location’s popular Afternoon Tea Party set will see a Christmas makeover, and a limited number of original Christmas cards will only be handed out to those who order one. Other menu items include a Stew Plate with Meatballs and Vegetables, Minnie’s Berry and Cocoa Mousse, and plenty more tasty treats to get visitors into the holiday spirit. 

Menu

HAPPY CHRISTMAS! Afternoon Tea Set (Christmas Exclusive)

Original Christmas Cards (Limited quantity, not for sale)

​Meatball and Vegetable Stew Plate

Berry & Cocoa Miss Sweet Mousse ~Minnie Style~　

Berry Dot Cioccolata

Holiday Fruit & Spice Tea

Exclusive Goods

Almond Chocolate

A 2.7-meter-high pure white statue of Mickey Mouse will welcome guests to the location, which will be filled with Christmas decorations. Come enjoy a fun Christmas season

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 limited-time Christmas event ‘SNOOPY Merry Colorful Christmas’ will be held at the Grandberry Park shopping mall from November 12 until December 25, 2022. The complex is directly connected to Manami-Machida Grandberry Park Station on the Den-en-toshi Line. 

This year’s event is the most colorful one yet, focusing on diversity and individuality. Fans of Snoopy and friends are in for a treat, as the area around Grandberry Park will be illuminated in beautiful colors and decorated with unique Christmas decorations that will excite the whole family. 

Colorful Sculpture

Colorful Illuminations

Snoopy Ice Rink

Snoopy Happiness Float 2022

During the event period, a giant 8-meter-tall Christmas tree decorated with Peanuts-inspired ornaments will be set up for guests to enjoy. A huge and very colorful sculpture measuring 6 meters across and over 2 meters tall will also welcome visitors to this Christmas wonderland. In addition, colorful lights will be scattered around the entirety of Grandberry Park, and a special Christmas menu filled with cakes and hors d’oeuvres is sure to delight.

On December 10, the Snoopy Ice Rink will open at Oasis Plaza, and the Snoopy Happiness Float 2022, a giant Snoopy that has traveled across Japan, will return for another year of fun.

Come have a fun time this holiday season with Snoopy and friends! A series of events will be held over the next year to market the Colors of Peanuts marketing campaign throughout the country, so keep an eye out for more news!

*Sample images only.

The Grand Front Osaka mall has announced an incredible Christmas celebration in collaboration with the magical world of Harry Potter! Fans will want to visit the massive shopping center between November 10 and December 25 to take part in the festivities.

Standard Decorations

Showtime Decorations

Harry Potter-Inspired Decorations

The highlight of the event is the 13-meter-tall Christmas Tree, which will be set up on the first floor of the mall’s North Building. The tree will be decorated with Harry Potter-inspired ornaments like moving staircases and window frames, which will look as though they are floating in the air. At night, a light show will take place around the tree, complete with projections inspired by the four houses of Hogwarts. 

Decorated Ted E. Bear

Stamp Rally Card

House Flag Decorations

Tully’s Coffee and Harry Potter Collaboration Goods and Menu

Special Harry Potter-themed decorations will be attached to many trees in the area around the nearby Umekita Plaza, and fans can also find a Harry Potter panel exhibition. An Instagram photo campaign will be held in which visitors can enter to win collab merch, so don’t miss out!

Come make some magical memories at this Harry Potter event in Osaka this winter.

Q-pot is known for incredible Christmas cakes, and this year’s dessert might be their most glorious yet. This year’s motif is the ‘Christmas Wreath,’ meant to symbolize peace, eternity, and happiness. Featuring a massive Morello cherry, this is the perfect way to celebrate the season with friends and family.

The cake features a pistachio ganache and cheese ganache transformed to look like powdery snow, with each dessert decorated with chocolate candy canes, teddy bears, stars, and ribbon cookies.

The beautiful cross-section shows four luxurious layers: Morello cherry mousse, caramel mousse, crepe dough filled with hazelnuts and chocolate, and rich chocolate genoise. Cakes are available to order from anywhere in the country and are delivered in a beautiful box.

Orders will be accepted in-store and at the Q-pot. Online Shop starting November 1, 2022. Why not enjoy a decedent and heartwarming Christmas this year?

From November 11, 2022 until August 2023, Izu Granpal Park in Shizuoka Prefecture will host the 8th Izu Kogen Grand Illumination event!

The Izu Kogen Grand Illumination was ranked #1 in the Walker+National Illumination Ranking for six consecutive years and is beloved by visitors of all ages. This isn’t just a collection of pretty lights–the Grand Illumination also includes a number of hands-on experiences for everyone to enjoy.

In 2021, the event won first place in the Ninth Illumination Awards for the second year in a row. Known as Japan’s first ‘hands-on illumination experience,’ the park has continued to evolve year after year, adding more attractions and finding its unique style. These attractions include a zip line through the lights, Dinosaur Go-Karts, and more.

This year, the Flower Lantern Area and Sweets Lantern Area have been completely redesigned and upgraded to be even more three-dimensional and colorful. Come enjoy this incredible world of lights and have some fun with the whole family!