Musical artist Licaxxx can be seen in KINGS with BEAMS SPORTS, a special concept movie made to promote the collaboration between BEAMS SPORTS and the Ryukyu Golden Kings, a B. League professional basketball team.

This project aims to expand the community surrounding both collaborators. BEAMS SPORTS creates opportunities for people to become more familiar with the positive energy generated by modern sports culture while the Ryukyu Golden Kings is known for celebrating the people and culture of Okinawa.

The concept video was planned and supervised by 92, a member of the artist collective GReeeeN. The star-studded cast includes Kabuki actor Matsuya Onoe and other basketball enthusiasts.

KINGS with BEAMS SPORTS

<Comment from Planner and Supervising Director GReeeeN’s 92>
“I want to share my home of Okinawa with both Japan and the world.
The concept of this video is one of hope. I want the appeal of basketball to merge with tons of other cultures.
I’m thrilled to be able to show my own take on historical backgrounds and culture in this new way!”

<Comment from Licaxxx>
“There are so many musical artists who love basketball! But when compared to overseas fans, they’re much quieter and less open about it. I’m sure they blend in pretty well courtside. (Laugh)
I hope everyone enjoys wearing these fashionable original items while cheering as hard as you can!”

Five popular characters from the popular horror fantasy series GeGeGe no Kitaro have been transformed into Daruma dolls! Two Daruma Land locations in Fukushima Prefecture have begun selling these curious items, with sales going live on August 26, 2022. Fans can choose from Kitaro, Neko Musume, Nezumi Otoko, Sunakake Babaa, or Konaki Jijii, and each Daruma doll features an entirely new image of each character’s face drawn by popular illustrator and creator Tsumupapa. 

The company producing the dolls, Shirakawa Daruma, has been creating Daruma for over 300 years, and each authentic Japanese piece is produced by a craftsman adhering to traditional techniques. The palm-sized Daruma is around 45mm, perfect for displaying on a desk or shelf. Each comes with a cushion made of Aizu cotton, a well-known craft in Fukushima. These cushions were made to resemble Kitaro’s sleeveless kimono jacket from the series!

BEAMS MUSIC FESTIVAL 2022 ‘BE FES!’ will be held at Zepp concert halls in Sapporo, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Fukuoka from July 5 to August 10, 2022. 

The artist lineup and performance venues have been partially changed following the event’s postponement. The lineup will include a variety of unique artists that are all up-and-coming in the Japanese music scene, and the official T-shirts that were previously available for preorder are now available to order again at the BEAMS online store.

Areas around the venue will also offer events, and the BEAMS HAPPY TICKET will be available for guests to enjoy. The ticket is part of a collaboration with restaurants and shops in the area recommended by BEAMS staff. 

The festival will be livestreamed so that those unable to attend the venues in person will still be able to enjoy!

BEAMS is a company that loves music and wants to bring happiness to the people of the world with the power of music. Who are you most excited to see perform?

BEAMS COUTURE, a BEAMS label focused on upcycling and handmade items, has teamed up with sweets brand RURU MARY’S for a special apparel collaboration collection.

Dress

Knit Sweater

Bag (Large)

Bag (Small)

Pouch

Chocolate Sable

The iconic floral illustrations used in RURU MARY’S packaging appear throughout the collection. The tote bag and pouch are made of insulating material, perfect for carrying chocolates! Each item also comes with a tag featuring a special rose sticker.

Shirakawa Daruma Souhonpo in Fukushima Prefecture, which has been in business since the end of the Edo period, is now selling seven Tokyo Revengers-themed daruma. These good luck items are available both at Daruma Land on the second floor of S-PAL Koriyama in Shirakawa City and at the Shirakawa Daruma online store. 

Some characters available in Daruma form are Takemichi, Mikey, and Draken. Shirakawa Daruma Souhonpo, which has been in business for 300 years, makes use of Japanese traditional techniques to form each doll by hand. These palm-sized dolls are only 45mm long and are perfect for decorating any room. 

Let these Tokyo Revengers-themed good luck charms make this the best year ever!

Leather brand OJAGA DESIGN will release a line of Daruma keychains inspired by the popular series Chibi Maruko-chan! Maruko and Cojicoji keychains are now available for preorder at the brand’s online store.

OJAGA DESIGN features goods made in Japan, with each piece dyed, cut, and hand-sewn at a workshop in Tachikawa City, Tokyo.

These new keychains show the popular characters as Daruma, symbols of good luck in Japan. 

These lucky items come in six colors total, with Maruko available in red, white, or yellow, and Cojicoji available in red, white, or black. They can be used not only as a normal keychain, but as a bag charm or luggage tag!

©さくらプロダクション／日本アニメーション
© さくらももこ

BEAMS Japan has collaborated with 13 businesses to develop nearly 100 unique products to highlight the wonders of Aomori Prefecture. Under the title ‘BEAMS EYE on AOMORI,’ these products are now available to purchase from the BEAMS Official Online Store. They will be available at the BEAMS Japan shop in Shinjuku starting January 19, 2022. 

BEAMS EYE on AOMORI Products at a Glance

BEAMS Japan travelled to Aomori to search for inspiration and to learn more about the prefecture famous for its blue skies and apple orchards. The areas rich nature and traditions come to life in this new line of merchandise, so why not enjoy some of these products for yourself?

BEAMS Japan will hold an event highlighting the wonders of Okayama Prefecture in both Shinjuku, Tokyo, and Taipei, Taiwan! The event will feature specialty products from 11 businesses in Okayama, and is now open in Shinjuku, with the Taipei event beginning in February 2022. Certain items are also available at the official BEAMS online shop.

Selected Products

Okayama prefecture is known for its mild climate and nature. BEAMS Japan has developed 81 unique products, with some highlighting the denim creation in the region and others showcasing local crafts.

As Okayama is closely associated with Momotaro, a figure out of Japanese folklore, peaches are very prominent in the region and can be seen in a number of these special products. 

Selected products from the collection will be available at the Taipei location from February 24 until March 13, 2022. Although travel has been made incredibly difficult during the pandemic, this pop-up shop was made possible by Okayama prefecture and BEAMS Japan. 

From October 13 to October 27, artists are flocking to BONUS TRACK Gallery in Shimokitazawa to display some incredible works based on daruma, a type of lucky Japanese traditional doll. These works will also be up for sale in an online auction happening during the event period!

October 2020 Exhibition

October 2020 Exhibition

The motif of BONUS TRACK is the daruma, which are seen as symbols of perseverance and good luck in Japanese culture. This marks the third time that artists have been invited to create and sell their daruma-inspired works.

20% of the final bid price for each piece will be donated to various organizations. 30% will be given to the venue, while 50% will be given to the artists themselves. 

During the first event, donations went towards the Nippon Foundation’s Emergency Relief Fund for Coronavirus. Other organizations supported include the Kitazawa Osekkai Club, a group involved in PTA and youth committee activities in the area, and Peace Wanko Japan, a dog protection organization in Hiroshima. 

Ryusenji no Yu is a chain of bath facilities throughout Japan, offering saunas, bedrock baths, and artificial hot springs. Saunas are surprisingly popular throughout the country, and recently, a beverage called Oropo has been called the perfect drink to enjoy after sitting in the heat. A mixture of the vitamin drink Oronamin C and sports drink Pocari Sweat, it’s a perfect blend to refuel after all that sweating. 

The Nagoya Moriyama location will begin selling Oropo-branded goods by BEAMS starting September 16!

Merchandise sold in the odd collaboration will include mugs featuring markings to help mix the perfect amount of Oronamin C and Pocari Sweat to make the ultimate Oropo. T-shirts with pop-up store character Oropo-kun are already the talk of social media. Those who purchase a certain amount of goods will be given a bonus sticker. 

As expected, Oropo will be served during the campaign, along with Oropo Shaved Ice, created by the queen of shaved ice Asako Harada!

BEAMS is set to have its own booth at Virtual Market 6 (Vket6) which will be hosted by HIKKY from August 14-28. At the BEAMS booth, they will be showcasing must-visit sento bathhouses. Vket is one of the biggest virtual events in the world, and uses Web to VR technology so you don’t need a VR headset, meaning people can access it simply by connecting via mobile, PC, or other smart device. This will be BEAMS’ second attendance at the event, and shop staff will appear inside as avatars.

Inside BEAMS ‘Recommended Sento 2021’ Booth at Vket 6

Inside BEAMS ‘Recommended Sento 2021’ Booth at Vket 6

Vket-chan wearing the free towel you get at the BEAMS booth

BEAMS is taking their ongoing ‘Recommended Sento 2021’ project, which is running at Kotobukiyu in Ueno, Tokyo, until September, to the virtual realm in a collaboration with COW BRAND SOAP. As well as collaboration merch, players can use Vket-chan’s 3D avatar and combine it with the free towel to bathe in the bath as her.

The virtual space is decorated with sento pictures illustrated by manga artist and calligrapher Mari Yamazaki. Users can also launch fireworks, and there are various Japanese summer-themed attractions.

The official Vket merchandise will be available on the Merch by Amazon service and can be shipped to Japan, the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

Next spring will Oakland Group open the new sento bathhouse Ryusenji no Yu Spa Metsä Okata. The bathhouse is has teamed up with Japanese fashion brand BEAMS and released a collection of original items at Ryusenji no Yu’s online store on June 28.

Original Items

Mesh Tote Bags: ¥2,970 Each (Tax Included)

Mesh Satchels: ¥2,420 Each (Tax Included) / Mesh Pouches: ¥1,980 Each (Tax Included)

Salt Pillow: ¥2,970 (Tax Included) / Salt Eye Mask ¥3,300 (Tax Included)

Shower Sandals: ¥2,200 Each (Tax Included)

Towels: ¥1,980 Each (Tax Included)

Socks: ¥1,980 Each (Tax Included)

Acrylic Keyrings: ¥1,540 Each (Tax Included)

Dakimakura Hugging Pillow: ¥3,850 (Tax Included)

T-Shirts: ¥2,970 Each (Tax Included)

Pins: ¥300 Each (Tax Included)

Water Bottles: ¥1,650 Each (Tax Included)

The merchandise line-up was overseen by Kazuyoshi Minamimagoe, Executive Director at BEAMS. It includes durable mesh bags, shower sandals, and other must-have items when enjoying a day at the spa. There’s also a t-shirt collection illustrated by Kao Okata, a hugging pillow, salt eye mask and pillow which are said to cool you down after a hot bath, face towels, socks made in collaboration with the old-time brand GLEN CLYDE, and more.

BEAMS has held many projects and been active in creating know-how solutions for other brands and businesses at their select shops. In 2019, they created a Business Production Team which enabled them to expand their business reach by developing products, content, promotional material, and so on. Their work doesn’t stop at the products featured in this article – they also create work uniforms, interior design, create signs for facilities, produce e-commerce sites, and much more.