MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2018 in SHIBUYA promoted Japanese culture to people of the world from Shibuya on March 24^th and 25^th. The weekend event ended with huge success.

There were 5 main areas where the festival took place this year. Let’s break them down one by one and see what happened.

Tower Records Shibuya CUTUP STUDIO / MOSHI MOSHI MUSIC FESTIVAL

A music event titled Featuring Japanese new music “MOSHI MOSHI MUSIC FESTIVAL” took place. Down in the B1F CUTUP STUDIO at Tower Records Shibuya, influential artists and the music media, who had previously hooked up with many promising artists, became official curators to provide a line-up of artists.

On Day 1, MANON served as the opening act to the first half of the event, followed by the three artists recommended by music media company “Spincoaster” – SIRUP, Mizuki Ohira with Kobayashi Utena, and The Wisely Brothers. It was a thrilling string of performances as expected from Spincoaster, who showcase fresh music from both inside and outside Japan.

In the second half we saw the MC battle produced by WREP, a hip-hop radio channel, under Zeebra and Hachi Moji. 4 teams battled it out in a tournament for the title of best MC, with MC Matsushima, MC Seishain and SAM taking the crown. Winners received a cash prize, wrapping up the first day of the event.

On Day 2, Natalie Music worked as curators for the live stage event “Live Natalie meets MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON.” MISMOPE, Nemuri Haru, Monari Wakita, Atarashii Gakkou no Leaders, Luby Sparks, and SHE IS SUMMER took to the stage. Each of them offered a different genre as up-and-coming artists and sang the two-day festival into a close.

Tower Records Shibuya SKY GARDEN / MOSHI MOSHI MUSIC FESTIVAL

Up on the rooftop of Tower Records Shibuya, the Sky Garden, a selection of groups from the idol genre, a unique part of Japanese pop culture, performed on stage as artists that MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON wanted to show to the world.

On March 24^th, a total of eight idol groups performed including Yamakatsu and CY8ER, and on March 25th nine performed, such as Lucky Doll and The Dance for Philosophy, all of who enthralled the idol fans gathered at the venue.

Laforet Museum Harajuku / Harajuku Kawaii Market presented by Mynavi Baito

The Harajuku Kawaii Market was presented by Mynavi Baito at Laforet Museum Harajuku and centered on the theme of “Find Japan’s Kawaii♡”.

There was a whole collection of booths from fashion to beauty, fortune-telling, DIY and more, as well as appearances from models active in Japanese fashion magazines, artists, and a popular Youtuber.

Performers Rei Maruyama and Yuri Suganuma hosted the stage. The two of them are friends and so had a good, natural flow in directing the stage.

Talk sessions were held around fashion, cosmetics, how to be photogenic and more and saw the likes of Saki Shibata, Rinko Murata, Megane, Noah Satou, Ayaka Segawa, and Rikako Ōya from Babyraids Japan.

Mynavi Baito also presented their Challenge Award themed on fashion where school students were tasked with designing the cutest part-time work outfit to show to the world. Japanese models stepped out onto stage wearing each of the costumes.

Artist, model and actress Natsume Mito produced her first ever show for the event – a fashion show themed on a picture book. Rilakkuma attended too for his inauguration ceremony to be appointed as a Shibuya Tourism Ambassador. He handed out maps to people at the event.

MAGiC BOYZ and Amato Danshi performed live at the market with their catchy music and electrifying dance moves.

The booth area bustled with people who attended DIY workshops for making accessories and pin badges, the fortune-telling area, hair styling booth and more. Japan’s kawaii was delivered across two days through the on-stage performances and many booths.

SHIBUYA CAST / MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON MARKET

A market was held at SHIBUYA CAST called “Enjoy Hanami Early in Shibuya.” It was dotted with an array of food booths where people enjoyed strawberries from the city of Tamura in Fukushima Prefecture, the popular Kyoto souvenir “Tokyo Baum,” and Japan’s dashi stock. There were performances, people tried on kimono, there was a footbath and more. This area was particularly popular with overseas visitors.

Official tours were held called “HARAJUKU EXPERIENCE” with SHIBUYA CAST as the start and finish point. They were very well received. Aimed at foreigners, the tours took them around the fascinating areas of Shibuya and Harajuku.

It was just in time for the cherry blossoms at SHIBUYA CAST which were in full bloom this weekend, making the event even more brilliant.

RE THINK CAFÉ SHIBUYA / MOSHI MOSHI CAFÉ

The MOSHI MOSHI CAFÉ opened at RETHINK CAFE SHIBUYA with the concept of “Clean & Hungry.”

A campaign was held for people to receive free sweets from areas around Japan by taking a photo of food they ordered from the café and posting it online with the specified hashtag.

Lots of people posted their food on social media and were able to enjoy free sweets from regions across Japan that are hard to get your hands on in Tokyo. The café served up the individual charms of regions in the country.

Onden Shrine / MOSHI MOSHI ENNICHI

Onden Shrine is where the local gods of Harajuku are enshrined. An Ennichi event was held for the festival titled “Tie Links With the Gods of Harajuku.”

Harajuku-style rainbow coloured cotton candy, cute amezaiku and other treats were sold as food for Ennichi, and there was a booth for foreigners to learn Japanese shrine etiquette.

Bilingual staff lectured on the manners and etiquette to teach the proper way of praying at shrines in Japan.

Traditional Japanese performance opened the stage with taiko drums and Awa Odori. There were also character DJs, a display by pro kendama performer EASY and many other things for kids and adults alike to enjoy. At the end of the day was a large Bon Odori dance which the performers, attendees and staff joined in with.

16,000 people attended this year’s MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON Festival across the two days. Just like last year, many foreigners attended the event, but this year the variety of content at the festival was upped, the number of families increased, and we saw lots of children getting involved in the booths. MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON promoted Japanese culture to even more people this year, not just with those in attendance, but event to people on the street who were given sampling bags.

Further reports of the event for each area of the festival will be posted on the MMN website in the coming days. Stay tuned and don’t forget to check the official event page: https://fes18.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/index.html

MMN will continue to deliver Japanese popular to the world through our website and official events. On our website, we post interviews with Japanese artists active both in Japan and overseas, spots to visit and food to try in Japan as recommended by popular models, fashion trends in Japan, and much, much more. We provide information from a unique perspective, so be sure to check us out.

The MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON Executive Committee will hold the country’s biggest inbound event for promoting Japanese pop culture to the world, “MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2018 in SHIBUYA,” across the areas of Shibuya and Harajuku on Saturday March 24 and Sunday March 25. New artists have been added to the event line-up as well as their performing dates. Registration for the event is also now open. Those who register for the festival will receive an original bag as thanks.

Register Here: https://mmnf2018.peatix.com

This year’s MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL will take place in four main locations. Here are the artists　who will perform as well as the content and activities to be held at each location.

In this article, we will take a detailed look at the stage performances and booths you can expect to see at Onden Shrine.

EASY - The Kendama Performer

EASY is a professional kendama (“sword and ball”Japanese toy) performer who is performing throughout the world. Don't miss this chance to enjoy his breathtaking kentama performance!

Maidreamin

The popular cast members of the maid café, "Maidreamin" will gather at Onden Shrine! They will grab ojou-sama (ladies) and goshujin-samas’ (masters) hearts with their songs and dance performances.

Detailed information：https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/ja/98007

TOTTI CANDY FACTORY

TOTTY CANDY is popular for its giant rainbow-colored cotton candy. Cotton candy is eaten by many people as an Ennichi (hopping day) food. This cotton candy named TOTTY CANDY has the essence of Harajuku-style!

Character DJ Festival

DJs disguised as popular characters will perform on-stage at Onden Shrine and will grab audience’s hearts with their tunes and fantastic performances. DJs - Shimockey and coroton and many more.

DJ／Shimockey and coroton

＜Free Entry to MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2018 in SHIBUYA＞

Register for free entry to this year’s festival!

To register, place visit the Peatix website below and follow the instructions. Upon completing your registration, you will receive a QR Code from Peatix that you must take with you and present at each area on the day of the event.

Click here to register.

*Upon registering, you will be signed up as a MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON Member where you will receive newsletters and other information. You will also be signed up to Omotenashi Platform.

Those that register for the event in advance will receive an original bag as thanks. There are 1,500 bags available on a first-come, first-served basis. You will find in them one of either popular products from KitKat Chocolatory: the “KitKat Chocolatory Moleson” (￥500) or the “KitKat Chocolatory Moleson Matcha” (￥500). Bear in mind that stocks are limited, so don’t forget to sign up early!

ASOBISYSTEM Co., Ltd and Airbnb Japan, Inc. have joined up to promote the expansion of the appeal of Japan’s multilayered culture and regional communities. Firstly, to further interest in Harajuku’s unique culture, the two companies are offering numerous experience-based services.

ASOBISYSTEM is centered around promoting more “fun” (asobi) to today’s age. They focus on Harajuku culture, something distinctive of Japan. In doing so they have supported and helped grow the culture that is born on the streets of Harajuku including fashion, music and lifestyle. In the beginning, it was just in Japan, but since then they have continued to be active in promoting Harajuku culture worldwide. Harajuku is a town steeped in fascination, and ASOBISYSTEM are focused on it becoming a melting pot cultural area recognised by the people of the world.

Airbnb was established in 2008. They have interacted with a multitude of regional communities and offer a unique travel experience that enables people to connect with the culture of their place of destination. Airbnb aims to realise a world where you can travel to live life.

The first plan of action for ASOBISYSTEM and Airbnb is offering official tours with popular models who will serve as tour guides for MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2018 in SHIBUYA which will take place on March 24 and March 25! There are 3 models who will work as tour guides: Saki Shibata, Ayumi Seto and Yuri Suganuma. To experience each of their special tours you must book in advance, so be sure to check them out ASAP.

Full details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/ja/96761

Experience the ever-growing culture of Harajuku with Airbnb.

MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2018 in SHIBUYA will take place in Harajuku & Shibuya on Saturday March 24 and Sunday March 25. The festival will take place in 4 main areas. One of them is SHIBUYA CAST which is where we will hold the MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON MARKET where you can enjoy Japanese food while taking in the cherry blossom scenery. Maid café group Maidreamin will also appear at the market. With that in mind, Ren Koseki dropped by the café in Shibuya to see what they’re all about. Maidreamin has recently become popular with female customers too who pop in for the maid experience. Ren had her fill by trying their great food, watched a live performance and got involved in dressing up.

Maidreamin offers an experience like no other, taking on the concept of a “dream country littered with ‘moe’ and ‘kawaii’ for all customers who enter.” This is expressed in many ways as expected from a dream country. When you enter the café, it’s said that you’re entering the country. Upon entering, you are greeted, and a ceremony is held to welcome you into the country. When you blow on the candle and it lights up you become a goshuin-sama (master) if you’re male or ojou-sama (lady) if you’re female. Animal ears will ‘sprout’ from the top of your head when you enter the Maidreamin country as you’re given an animal Alice band to wear.

All food and drink items on the menu come with either a Maidreamin ‘omajinai’ service or a drawing performance. Omajinai is when you chant a spell together with a maid to make your meal even tastier. Be sure to try chanting “oishikunaare, moe moe kyun♡” (“abracadabra, become delicious♡”) together with your maid. Those who want even more fun should get the “LOVE Kakuteriimin” (\1,240). A maid will call your name while making a cocktail right in front of you and put on a truly moe performance. It’s recommended for friend groups and work colleagues. Ren ordered strawberry milk. You can order from either a non-alcoholic and alcoholic menu.

The menu is so plentiful you’ll keep saying “cute” without even thinking. You can of course omurice, a classic maid café dish where you can request a maid to draw something on it, as well as the animal parfait which was just updated at the end of February. It’s proven popular with overseas influencers and girls in Japan for its cute appearance, delicious tasty and amount. Friends get together to each order the Bear (chocolate banana), Cat (vanilla), Dog, (tea), Panda (matcha) and Rabbit (strawberry) parfaits and take a group photo.

This is the \880 “Mori no Kokage no Usa-chan Parfait” (Bunny Under the Forest Bower Parfait). You can get a “Sakura Float” to go with the parfait (\1,100. Comes with the maid omajinai). We really want you to try it!

Ren has actually been to Maidreamin before. She had been wanting to try on the maid outfit again, so she transformed into a maid with “Magical Change” (\3,240), a popular original Maidreamin maid outfit that you can wear at the café. Among the maids there are 3 different outfits: “Training,” “Original” and “Dream Outfit”. Only a select few can wear the Dream Outfit. It’s a yearned for uniform whose wearer is known to have gone through the most strict and demanding reception training in the maid café industry. Only famous and successful applicants can wear it.

After changing into your maid outfit, take a commemorative chekki photo (\800). When taking a photo on stage where the maids perform live you can get a nice photo album and a maid will draw on the photo for you. It will encapsulate your time in the country!

Maidreamin has many overseas fans, so much so that they received an offer to perform the song for Anime Expo 2017 which is held in Los Angeles every year. If you order from the ‘Live Menu’ you can see them perform live too.

Look out for the ♪ badge on maids’ uniforms. This will tell you if they are a maid that performs live and who has a repertoire of over 10 songs they can perform. Shiorin gave an energetic performance for Ren. Those who want to have even more fun with the live show can buy a “Magical Stick” penlight. If you hand over your penlight to a maid that’s off stage, they might even dance otagei for you with the penlight, a type of choreographed dance performed by fans at idol shows! All of the maids at Maidreamin can perform otagei, making it the only maid café where all the maid staff can do it.

During the MMN Festival, you can catch popular Maidreamin maids including Dorisu, who gave Ren the welcome ceremony, as well as Hinata and Amo on the live stage at Onden Shrine on Saturday March 24 at 13:30-14:00. Hinata is a member of Moe Kami 8, a group formed by popular members of the maid café. The three of them will perform together with the top 17 maids of maid idol unit QSCS, who have over 450 members.

The services below are scheduled for the Maidreamin booth at MMN Festival 2018. Since the maid dress-up time is different from the café’s normal time, this is your chance to enjoy eating a parfait and more while dressed as a maid, something you normally can’t do. This is a must-do for both first timers, regular customers and cosplayers alike.

MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2018 in SHIBUYA will take place in Harajuku and Shibuya on Saturday March 24th and Sunday March 25th. Model and artist Natsume Mito has produced her very own show titled Tobidase! Picture Book Show ～Storytime With Natsume Mito～  that she's set to showcase at  Laforet Museum Harajuku on March 24th.

This marks the first fashion show Natsume Mito has produced and will be based on a book she has chosen: Bulldog Tantei to Kieta Hoshi by Tomonori Taniguchi (BUNKEIDO Co., LTD.)

The story is as follows. The stars have disappeared from the sky. During this time, a letter arrives for the bulldog detective requesting he search for the lost stars. He accepts and heads out to find them. He's able to locate them, but why did they disappear, and who sent the letter…? This exciting story is full of heart and can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike.

In an entirely experiment, the world of the book will be brought to life through fashion! Natsume Mito will read the book aloud and models will take to the stage to thrill the audience. The line-up features a string of fantastic models representing the aomoji-kei fashion culture: Yuri Suganuma, Ema Tanioku, Eri Tanioku, Aino Kuribayashi, Chie Tsuji, Abe Akari, Saki Shibata, Rinko Murata, Manaka Arai, Alice Ikeda, Una, Anna Kawamura, and more.

Everything from the picture book to the model selection, casting and even the stage performance itself including the walking and lighting was thought up by Natsume Mito herself.

The outfit styling has also been entirely done by Natsume Mito. She dropped by some of her favourite second-hand clothing stores to pick out clothes which she made into outfits for each model while thinking about the role casting and story of the picture book. She even remade some outfits herself to fit the image of the show!

Finally, here's a message to everyone from Natsume Mito:

I love picture books and I love fashion too so I and thought it'd be fun to create a fashion show that combined those two worlds, so I decided to create a picture book fashion show. The art in this book is cute and the story is really moving. I wanted to do a show that presented a sparkly world, so I chose this book.

I did things like coordinate clothes, and I was super excited when thinking up the performance! This is my first time trying this, so there are still parts that I can't imagine how they'll turn out, but I'll work my hardest so that everybody who comes to watch will have smiles on their faces and get sucked into the world of the book. I want to create a stage performance so that people can come to be interested in picture books.

I'm also thinking up content that everybody can enjoy, so please be sure to come by! I'm also posting videos of the show being prepared on Instagram stories, so please check if out if you'd like.

Todibase! Picture Book Show ～Storytime With Natsume Mito～ will begin at 13:40 on Saturday March 24th at Laforet Museum Harajuku. Don't miss Natsume Mito's first challenge!

It’s finally March, which means “MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2018 in SHIBUYA” (MMN Festival) is almost here.

This year’s MMN Festival will move away from the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium and take place around the Shibuya and Harajuku area! We will deliver Japanese culture to the world to the fullest in the form of music, fashion, food, tourist experiences and more from Shibuya.

This year’s MMN Festival is free for all to enter! But don’t forget: you must register in advance to attend.

Register here:

https://mmnf2018.peatix.com/

This year’s main locations are Laforet Museum Harajuku, Tower Records Shibuya, SHIBUYA CAST., and Onden Shrine. All locations are free to enter upon registering in advance.

Let’s take a detailed look at the stage content and performances you can look forward to at Laforet Harajuku on 25 March.

＜Slot 1 – 13:00 Start＞

TALK: A Lesson on Being Photogenic – Hosted by Popular Models

A host of models will offer tips & tricks on taking Instagram-worthy photos as well as a range of how-to's! The line-up includes Rikako Ōya (Babyraids Japan) who has an article series on MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON, Ellie, Yuri Suganuma, Ema Tanioku and Yuna Yabe will look at cuts from each of their posts will checking their Instagrammable points. You may even get to hear about their top secret techniques and backstories behind their photoshoots.

TALK: April Horoscope Rankings: Zodiac Signs with Guest Fortune Teller

Hikari Shibata, a model who receives huge support for her fashion and lifestyle posts from girls of her generation, will have her fortune told by Chamereon Takeda through horoscopes. Chamereon Takeda has published 18 books to date. She has become famous for her predications which are so on point you’ll end up laughing. She currently has over 50,000 followers on her official LINE account, and she has appeared on TV, radio and in magazines.

In addition, the constellations will be ranked on stage in relation to love! This is your opportunity to see and experience a fortune-telling by the real-life Chamereon Takeda, who you normally have to book to see. It promises to be a fantastic stage performance. Her fresh and humour-filled dialogue can be enjoyed even with beginners to fortune-telling. Look forward to it.

LIVE: Amato Danshi

Amato Danshi will return for a second performance on 25 March. They are a six-member idol group whose concept is themed on the world’s trending sweets. Their songs too are centered around sweets, such as Shu Cream (Cream Puff) and Taiyaki. The group are also recognised for giving food reviews in their songs. A book on sweets is scheduled to be released from them in May. Their performance is a must-see as they head towards expanding their activities. Also, a café called “Amato Café” will open at SHIBUYA CAST. for the festival selling sweets recommended by the members! Sweet lovers must make sure to check out the performance and the café.

＜Slot 2 – 15:00 Start＞

TALK: “Spring Cosmetic Recommendations” with Noah Satou & Ren Koseki
Model and band vocalist Noah Satou will introduce recommended spring cosmetic items together with model Ren Koseki, who has appeared on TV and radio and has over 100k followers on Twitter.

The two of them post videos of themselves trying out cosmetics on their YouTube channel. You may get to hear about their recent finds as well as secret make-up techniques!

FASHION: Mynavi Baito presents Challenge Award
Mynavi Baito will return once more on March 25. They are known for their slogan Suki wo, baito ni (“Make your passions your job”). They are a website that posts information about part-time jobs. At MMN Festival, the company are set to present a project titled “Big Challenge of the Youth” which will have students enrolled in design schools get involved in creating kawaii part-time job outfits to promote to the world! The outfits will be exhibited on stage at the Harajuku Kawaii Market where models Yuri Suganuma, Mei Nagasawa and Anna Yano will dress in them. You will be amazed at how much these fashionable outfits will exceed your expectations. Look forward to an exciting stage event created by the youth of today.

LIVE: MAGiC BOYZ

MAGiC BOYS are a hip-hop group made up of three high school students MCs Toma, Ryuto and Mahiro, and elementary school student DJ Jo. They have earned the portmanteau nickname “Magibo” from their fans. They have released one album to date, have collaborated with recognized Japanese rappers as well as up-and-coming artists and have received support from music providers. And that popularly is growing at a fast rate! Their performance is an absolute must-see as they ride their budding momentum!

＜Slot 3 – 17:00 Start＞

TALK: Q&A with Yutaro!
Yutaro is active as a star shop assistant at the second-hand clothing store 3to2bunno1 in Harajuku, as an actor and as a model. He has been featured numerous times on TV and in magazines.

Yutaro is going to hold a public Q&A session at the festival where you might have the opportunity to hear things you normally wouldn’t be able to from him about his private life, fashion and more! If you attend, this might be your chance to have a direct conversation with Yutaro!

FASHION: Learn Japanese Spring Trend Styles with Shibasaki & Rinko♡

Saki Shibata and Rinko Murata are models who have gained immense popularity with teenage girls. They have also appeared in countless magazines. The two of them are going to hold a market onstage selling their own personal items! They will give a lecture on styling points such as introducing co-ords using the items on sale at the market and suggestions on possible co-ords you could create with them.

And of course, you'll be able to purchase their everyday clothes there too! The personal items that will be exhibited are scheduled to go up on the event website in advance so don't forget to check them out.

＜Free Entry to MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2018 in SHIBUYA＞

Register for free entry to this year’s festival!

To register, place visit the Peatix website below and follow the instructions. Upon completing your registration, you will receive a QR Code from Peatix that you must take with you and present at each area on the day of the event.

Click here to register.

*Upon registering, you will be signed up as a MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON Member where you will receive newsletters and other information. You will also be signed up to Omotenashi Platform.

Those that register for the event in advance will receive an original bag as thanks. There are 1,500 bags available on a first-come, first-served basis. You will find in them one of either popular products from KitKat Chocolatory: the “KitKat Chocolatory Moleson” (￥500) or the “KitKat Chocolatory Moleson Matcha” (￥500). Bear in mind that stocks are limited, so don’t forget to sign up early!