TOKYO with the Season

HATSUMODE: A Shrine Visit First Thing in the New Year

The clock strikes midnight and as soon as the New Year begins, many Tokyoites visit a shrine for the old Japanese custom known as 'hatsumode' or 'first prayer of the year'. The whole city is arranged around hatsumode, as trains and buses run all night, and people either visit nearby shrines or queue for Tokyo's popular shrines like Meiji Jingu shrine and Sensoji temple in Asakusa.

Tokyo 2019: What to Expect

With the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics just around the corner, Tokyo is scrambling to put its best foot forward for a large number of visitors set to visit Japan's capital. This means a lot of changes for Tokyo, but also a lot to look forward to in 2019, including:

Various redevelopment projects are in progress in many areas of central Tokyo.

Major redevelopment of Shibuya area
Shibuya will be very busy in 2019 with the construction of its Shibuya Scramble Square East Wing skyscraper (230 m-high, 47-story), low-rise commercial buildings, and a new pedestrian passageway in September 2019. A 3,000 square meter rooftop observation deck will also be accessible to visitors, offering a magnificent view.
In autumn 2019, Shibuya PARCO shopping complex will reopen after three years of construction. Parco opened in 1973 and has been a fashion hub and the heart of Shibuya culture. Besides fashion stores, it will also include a theater, art bookshops, and art exhibition spaces.

Shibuya Scramble Square https://www.shibuyastation.com/shibuya-station-area-redevelopment-plan/
Shibuya PARCO https://www.parco.co.jp/en/business/shoppingcomplex/shibuyaparco.php

A More Accessible Shinjuku
A redevelopment project is underway in Shinjuku station areas. In August 2019, the famously complex Shinjuku area will become a little easier to navigate, thanks to a new pedestrian deck, connected directly to a new large complex building, built around its South Gate.

Rugby World Cup 2019
From September 20th to November 2nd, the Rugby World Cup will be held in Tokyo, so you can expect plenty of excitement in the city around that time, especially on the first day when Japan plays Russia at Tokyo Stadium. Eight matches will be held in Tokyo.

Official Website https://www.rugbyworldcup.com
Media contacts: Contact the World Rugby Media Office
World Rugby Head of Communications - Dominic Rumbles
dominic.rumbles@worldrugby.org

World Rugby Senior Communications Manager - Phil Wilkinson
philip.wilkinson@worldrugby.org

Rugby World Cup 2019 Organising Committee
Communications Department pr@japanrugby2019.or.jp

JAPAN SPORTS JOURNEY https://www.sportsjourney.jp/
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Japan-Sports-Journey-1852758974814499/
This website offers help in matching sports fans with cool tourist spots in the vicinity of the venue where rugby matches will take place. It also provides information on Japanese sports experience session such as karate, aikido, kendo, sumo and so on for visitors.

New Hotel Options
Various new hotels will open in 2019. In April, MUJI, the famed purveyor of off-brand, high-quality products with shops in 28 countries around the world, will open its first hotel, MUJI HOTEL GINZA in Japan. A few months later in September, the renowned Hotel Okura Tokyo will also reopen as The Okura Tokyo. It will be a prestigious hotel with a classically Japanese atmosphere.

MUJI HOTEL GINZA
https://hotel.muji.com/en/
Contact: https://www.muji.net/service-bin/feedback_eng03/formdecode.php

The Okura Tokyo
http://www.hotelokura.co.jp/tokyo/en/toward2019/
Concept Movie https://youtu.be/bggcq6aIaoI
Contact: Media pr@hotelokura.co.jp
Reservation intlsales2@tokyo.hotelokura.co.jp

And more
Hotel Zen Tokyo (In February) https://www.hotelzen.jp/
karakusa hotel Tokyo Station (June 8th) https://karaksahotels.com/en/tokyostation/
Hotel JAL City Tokyo Toyosu (Opening date will be announced later)
https://www.okura-nikko.com/press/20181009-hotel-jal-city-toyosu/

Enjoy Winter FLOWERS BY NAKED 2019 -Tokyo Nihonbashi-

The most famous traditional custom in Spring is known as hanami ("flower viewing") and it usually lasts from late March to early April in Tokyo. However, there is a place where you can experience beautiful Japanese flowers as early as January. FLOWERS BY NAKED 2019 - Tokyo Nihonbashi-is a unique flower exhibition that will be held in Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall from January 29^th to March 3^rd, 2019.

Every year when the Japanese cherry and plum trees start to bloom, people all over Japan gather to admire the beautiful nature show. This traditional custom is known as hanami ("flower viewing") and it usually lasts from late March to early April in Tokyo. However, there is a place where you can experience beautiful Japanese flowers as early as January.

FLOWERS BY NAKED 2019 - Tokyo Nihonbash-is a flower exhibition that will be held in Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall from January 29th to March 3rd, 2019. Previous shows gathered hundreds of thousands of visitors and they have shared over 50,000 Instagram photos and videos of their immersive experiences. Far from being simply a place to look at pretty flowers, the annual exhibition employs the latest technology to showcase flowers in ways that you've never even imagined before.

As light specialists, NAKED Inc. use projection mapping to create mesmerizing flower-themed digital art combined with real flowers and flower scents. Walking through the exhibition, you'll feel like you're in the middle of an Alice in Wonderland set or some kind of wonderful dream that you won't want to wake up from. Words can't fully do justice to what NAKED can do with light and flowers. It really needs to be experienced in person to be fully appreciated.

https://flowers.naked.works/news/1996/

Contact: pr@naked.co.jp

Family Destinations in Tokyo to Escape the Cold

As temperatures continue to drop around the country, parents in Tokyo might feel like they have no places left to take their kids to, but nothing could be further from the truth. The city actually offers plenty of indoor entertainment options that the whole family will love.

CENTRAL

ASOBono!
Part of the Tokyo Dome City entertainment complex, ASOBono! is a fully children themed play area that includes forest, sea, train station theme zone and more.
https://www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/en/tourists/asobono/

NAMJA TOWN
Made up of three themed towns; Western-styled town, an old Japanese town from the Showa period and a Ghost Hunting town. NAMJA TOWN offers a lot of entertainment, good food, and shopping.
https://event.bandainamco-am.co.jp/namja/en/
Contact: https://bandainamco-am.co.jp/form/press.php

TOKYO ONE PIECE TOWER
Eat, shop, play interactive games, or take photos with characters from the famous anime ONE PIECE in this Tokyo Tower® theme park.
https://onepiecetower.tokyo/?lang=en
Contact: pr@amusequest.jp

Tokyo Toy Museum
Let your kids play and learn about toys at this Tokyo Toy museum housed inside a former school building.
http://goodtoy.org/ttm/pdf/ttm_pamphlet_e.pdf

EASTERN

Kodomo no Yu
Enjoy this massive, 88,000-ball pit in the shape of a traditional Sento (Japanese public bath) located at Tokyo Solamachi® in TOKYO SKYTREE TOWN®.
https://www.fantasy.co.jp/kodomoku/en/

WATERFRONT

KidZania Tokyo
Aimed at children aged 3-15, KidZania offers kids the chance to experience work at a gas station, fire department, call center, courthouse, a shoe factory, and more.
http://www.kidzania.jp/tokyo/en/
Contact: info@kidzania.jp

Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa
Take a relaxing stroll among fish from every corner of the water world. In this aquarium, you can also enjoy video projection with sound and lighting.
http://www.aqua-park.jp/aqua/en/

MEGA WEB
A theme park in Odaiba where children can both learn about cars and have fun riding a real electric go-cart, and so on.
http://www.megaweb.gr.jp/about/english.html

Miraikan
Located in Odaiba, Miraikan is a national museum of emerging sciences and innovation that's as educational as it is entertaining.
http://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en/
Contact: https://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en/contact/
Special Exhibition The "Under Construction"

MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: teamLab Borderless
Experience a different, digital reality with the teamLab Borderless artworks that form one borderless world.
https://borderless.teamlab.art/

TOKYO JOYPOLIS
A famous amusement park offering one-of-a-kind entertainment like simulated roller-coasters, a virtual half pipe skate boarding, and VR experiences.
http://tokyo-joypolis.com/language/english/

Sony ExploraScience
A hands-on science hall where children can learn all about light, sound, and basic science principles.
http://www.sonyexplorascience.jp/english/
Contact: Ses@antil.jp

SUBURB

Sanrio Puroland
Enjoy games, shopping, parades, and shows featuring the cast members of Sanrio, the creators of the world-famous Hello Kitty.
https://en.puroland.jp/
Contact: Sanrio Entertainment Co. Ltd. Overseas PR Agency, Bluemoon Marketing Inc.
SET@bluemoonmarketing.jp

The Snoopy Museum Tokyo
The Tokyo museum dedicated to the famous beagle, Snoopy, and the whole Peanuts gang, will reopen in autumn 2019 at MINAMIMACHIDA GRANDBERRY PARK in Machida.
http://www.snoopymuseum.tokyo/en/

PLUM BLOSSOM VIEWING FESTIVALS in Tokyo

Cherry blossoms (sakura) and their short-lived beauty have become almost synonymous with Japan, but when Spring comes, there are many more blossoming trees to enjoy. Plum blossoms (ume) come before sakura and bloom from the beginning of February to the beginning of March, equally as beautiful as cherry blossoms, and lasting much longer. These heralds of Spring have their own flower-viewing festivals called 'ume-matsuri', which take place at temples and gardens that boast a great collection of plum trees.

Cherry blossoms (sakura) and their short-lived beauty have become almost synonymous with Japan, but when Spring comes, there are many more blossoming trees to enjoy. Plum blossoms (ume) come before sakura and bloom from the beginning of February to the beginning of March, equally as beautiful as cherry blossoms, and lasting much longer. They also came before cherry blossoms historically, as they were the first blossoms of the hanami (flower viewing parties) enjoyed by royalty. These heralds of spring have their own flower-viewing festivals called 'ume-matsuri' which take place at temples and gardens that boast a great collection of plum trees. Yushima Tenmangu Shrine and Kameido Tenjin are two shrines well-known for their plum blossom festivals that last for a whole month and include religious ceremonies, music and dance performances and food stalls, along with many other activities.

Koishikawa Korakuen and Keio Mogusaen are gardens famous for plum blossoms, while Shiba Park and Hanegi Park are great public places for blossom-viewing. Hanegi Park, with around 650 plum trees, is actually the venue of the popular Setagaya Ume Matsuri. The gentle plum blossoms vary in color from white and light pink to strong pink, creating tapestries of different shades, and are a joy to behold at the threshold between winter and spring.

Yushima Tenmangu Shrine http://www.yushimatenjin.or.jp/pc/ume/ (Japanese)
Kameido Tenjin http://kameidotenjin.or.jp/ (Japanese)
Keio Mogusaen http://www.keio-mogusaen.jp/index.html (Japanese)
Setagaya Umematsuri http://setagaya-umematsuri.com/ (Japanese)

Celebrate Setsubun with Beans And Sushi Rolls

February 3rd is the day of Setsubun in Japan. The day literally means, "seasonal division," and marks exactly one day before the official beginning of spring, which according to local beliefs is when people are most vulnerable to attacks by evil spirits. Here's what Japanese people do to protect themselves at that time. Setsubun is synonymous with one thing: beans.

Beans are used in an exorcism ceremony of a kind known as mame maki ("bean scattering") where people throw handfuls of beans outside while yelling Oni wa soto! ("Demons out!"), before exiting the house and throwing beans inside while yelling Fuku wa uchi! ("Luck inside!") Mame maki celebrations are also held at many major temples and shrines, including the famous Senso-ji in Asakusa, Akasaka Hie Jinja shrine, Ikegami Honmonji Temple in Ota-ku or Yakuo-in temple on Mt. Takao. Setsubun is attended by sumo wrestlers every year in Akasaka Hie jinja. Ikegami Honmonji Temple, despite not being a famous temple for tourists, gathers around 10,000 people for Setubun.

Another way to ward off evil spirits on Setsubun is to eat ehomaki (thick sushi rolls) in one go while facing this year's lucky direction. Traditional ehomaki consist of seven ingredients representing the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, but they can be whatever you want. That's why there are all sorts of varieties out there, like a traditional one with cucumber, shiitake mushroom, eel, and egg; ehomaki made with an entire snow crab; or the Chinese-style ehomaki consisting of abalone and crab meat.

Akasaka Hie Jinja shrine https://www.hiejinja.net/event/setsubun.html (Japanese)

Ikegami Honmonji Temple http://honmonji.jp/outline/gyoji.html (Japanese)

TOKYO in this Month

- SHOPPING -

Tokyo's Valentines: All About Chocolates!

Valentine's Day in Japan is an import from the West, but just like many other holidays, Japan has put its own twist on it and here the custom is - women giving chocolates to men. Yes, only women, and yes, almost always only chocolates. There is a reason why and also a way that Japanese people resolve this one-sided gift-giving on White Day.

Valentine's Day in Japan is an import from the West, but just like many other holidays, Japan has put its own twist on it. What began as a marketing campaign by a chocolate manufacturer, due to a mistranslation became the now iconic Japanese custom: women giving chocolates to men. Yes, only women, and yes, almost always only chocolates.
Furthermore, these chocolatey gifts fall into three general categories: true love chocolates (Honmei-choco), friendship chocolates (Tomo-choco), and obligatory chocolates (Giri-choco) for coworkers and family members. Unsurprisingly, around Valentine's Day, shops offer a huge array of chocolates and sales soar during this period. The most sought after are the luxury chocolates from masters of the craft that put out surprising flavors in immaculate packaging. And don't worry, women's gifts are reciprocated a month later on March 14th with men giving them various presents, on a day known as White Day.

For instance, various chocolatiers in ISETAN Shinjuku Store release limited edition chocolates before Valentine's, and Isetan also will also be holding the "Salon du Chocolat" chocolate festival from 23rd to 29th of January 2019. LE CHOCOLAT DE H, often a winner of chocolate contests, is well-known for incorporating Japanese flavours like matcha, wasabi and even miso! Stations in Tokyo are super convenient, extending and merging with department stores. Tokyo station has Gransta Marunouchi underground shopping area and Gransta inside the ticket gates. This is the venue of a Valentine's fair of luxury chocolates, as well as chocolate-themed presents.
Just to name a few, among the myriad of cholocate makers in the chocolate fever that is Valentine's Day in Japan.

Salon du Chocolat 2019
http://www.salon-du-chocolat.jp/ (Japanese)

LE CHOCOLAT DE H
http://www.lcdh.jp/global/

GRANSTA - Valentine's Market in Tokyo Station
http://www.tokyoinfo.com/en/
Contact: tokyoinfo@ssu.co.jp

Editor's Pick

TOKYO STRAWBERRY PARADISE

Strawberries are always popular, but in January it seems that there are more strawberry-flavored products than ever! This is no coincidence, as January 15th is Japan's Strawberry Day. This favorite fruit of spring heralds the season as early as January with limited edition sweets in convenience stores, hotels, restaurants and cafes.

MOVIE of this Month

THE JAPANESE SWORD MUSEUM
Forging the Future of Tokyo
The Art of the Sword

Japanese swords have a long history rooted in the culture of Japan. However, these razor-sharp blades are more than just weapons wielded by ancient warriors. The Japanese Sword Museum works to preserve these precious works as art. Witness the beauty that forged the path for modern Japanese style and craftsmanship.

https://www.touken.or.jp/english/