Animals & Monsters: Cute, Scary, and a Little Weird is the perfect exhibition for anyone who delights in art that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

This summer, once you’re done shopping in the trendy streets of Tokyo’s Harajuku district, you won’t have to go far to enjoy a little taste of high culture. In fact, there’s some conveniently located right in front of Tokyo Metro Meiji-Jingumae Station and just around the corner from JR Harajuku Station at the Ota Memorial Museum of Art, a preeminent museum of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints and drawings. However, this repository is offering a fun twist in its upcoming exhibition that might leave you laughing in the gallery.

From June 23-August 23, the Animals & Monsters: Cute, Scary, and a Little Weird exhibition will have 140 works on display, approximately one-fifth of which are new to the museum’s collection. The event will also be split into two parts that will display entirely different works of art during each.

So what makes it “cute, scary, and a little weird,” you ask? It’s the fact that even master artisans from 200 years ago weren’t afraid to be a little bit silly with their craft. Take this print that’s part of Yoshikazu Utagawa’s Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido series, for instance. At first glance, it appears to show some people being startled at a potato with a tail and legs (for the record, it’s actually a stone tiger–which still leaves us with lots of questions).

▼ “Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido Road: Oiso” by Yoshikazu Utagawa

If anthropomorphized animals are more your thing, you’ll enjoy the series of cat-humans (human-cats?) going about daily life in a variety of settings such as at a public bathhouse. This print would make for an excellent addition to your bathroom with the ability to potentially disturb your guests.

▼ “Cats’ Bathhouse” by unknown artist

Meanwhile, these cats seem to have rented a property with a bunch of their Japanese yokai friends and are throwing an all-night rager.

▼ “Cats’ Blowdart Stand” by Yoshifuji Utagawa

 

On the cuter side of things, there are plenty of prints of animals engaging in all kinds of antics. Take this fox that seems to be wearing the latest in cabbage couture and practicing the choreography to “Thriller.”

▼ “Dancing Fox” by Koson Ohara

Moving into the realm of the bizarre, don’t be weirded out by this chimera of all 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac that’s supposed to bring good luck to the household. Good luck in getting people to give a name to this guy, that is…

(Hey, at least it doesn’t look like it’s about to say, “Ed…ward…”)

▼ “Twelve Animal Signs of Oriental Zodiac Gathering to Form One Animal” by Yoshitora Utagawa

Finally, the jury’s still out on whether the below image is bizarre versus downright scary, but we’ll let you decide for yourselves. In all honesty, though, hopefully the museum will be selling merch with this print so that we can commemorate our visit to the real-life pond in Japan where human-faced fish are supposed to live with one.

▼ “Goldfish Resembling Kabuki Actors” by Yoshiiku Ochiai

Admission to the Ota Museum of Art is by cash only, at 1,200 yen (US$7.53) for adults and 800 yen for university and high school students. Junior high school students and younger enter for free, though you’ll have to be the judge of whether any kids you take with you will find the artwork to be hysterical or terrifying.

Come to think of it, our team of writers will have to take a field trip to see the exhibition when it opens. They’ll fit right in with all of the strange antics being depicted.

Exhibition information
Animals & Monsters: Cute, Scary, and a Little Weird / アニマル＆モンスター  かわいい・怖い・ちょっと変
Ota Memorial Museum of Art / 太田記念美術館
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingumae 1-10-10
東京都渋谷区神宮前 1-10-10
Duration: June 23-August 23 (Part I: June 23-July 20, Part II: July 25-August 23)
Open: 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (last entry at 5 p.m.)
Closed: June 29, July 6, July 13, July 21-24, July 27, August 3, August 10, August 17
Website

Source, images: Ota Memorial Museum of Art press release
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Our resident sticker-collecting writer shares why she’s saying “enough is enough” and is extricating herself from a sticky situation.

Sticker collecting and trading as a hobby has been sweeping Japan among kids and adults alike for a while now, to the point that puffy stickers were sold out last year and people were shelling out ridiculous amounts of money to get their hands on them. Our Japanese-language reporter Haruka Takagi also got all in on the fun herself, even making new friends through this shared interest…until recently, that is. She suddenly stopped collecting them last month for one simple reason–she got tired of the hassle.

Now, there are still plenty of stickers that she hasn’t gotten her hands on yet, such as those from the 3-D Bon Bon Drops brand, anything featuring her beloved pandas, Sanrio’s Pompompurin, and more that she’s seen on social media. The company behind Bon Bon Drops recently announced that it increased its production by 2.5 times due to popular demand…which sounds like she should be able to easily get her hands on them, no? The truth isn’t quite so simple.

▼ Keep calm and stick on

As a homebody, Haruka prefers purchasing most of her stickers online on places like Amazon and Rakuten through the official manufacturers’ pages. Until not that long ago, she was able to purchase stickers by occasionally browsing these sites and placing an order. Even if some of them sold out in five minutes, that still gave her enough time to look through the options and use her loyalty points. However, that practice changed completely with the advent of “breaking news” sticker social media sites, where certain accounts give notifications at the exact moment popular stickers go on sale, causing tens of thousands of fans to flood the shopping sites all at once. She can barely even buy stickers online at all now as a result.

She could try proactively patrolling her usual pages before these kinds of announcements are made, but that practice is unsustainable. Although she’s a freelance writer, that doesn’t mean she has the time to obsessively check these sites every hour, especially when she’s wearing her “mom hat.” The situation is also unrealistic for physical store locations, where stickers might sell out in five minutes and then customers have to either store-hop from place to place or wait for hours on-site for workers to restock them. It doesn’t make any sense to go to these extreme lengths for what’s supposed to be a simple hobby.

A further concern is that the stickers Haruka orders might not arrive–if she even manages to buy them in the first place. She’s been hearing more and more about such cases recently, and has even personally experienced not getting a set that she went through a lot of trouble to order that never came and the ensuing emotional letdown. She’s realized that when a site lists things like “reserve now” or “estimated restock time,” sometimes the stickers don’t materialize for months, or the store might even cancel the order after a certain amount of time.

That frustration led her to consider making purchases from third-party sellers on auction sites. Initially she was enthusiastic about the idea because the prices weren’t that far off from the manufacturers’ prices, and she should be able to find her favorites more easily. However, she then learned that the tradeoff is that counterfeits abound. Take the Tamagotchi sets pictured below, for instance, which appear to be almost indistinguishable at a glance. However, she received the fake version from a third-party seller, which made her lose trust in such sites.

▼ Genuine set (left) versus counterfeit set (right)

However, the final straw that broke the camel’s back for Haruka’s sticker collecting was the official manufacturers announcing that they would be releasing dozens of new sticker sets, seemingly all at once, too.

While the prospect of new stickers may sound exciting, Haruka had a completely different natural reaction to the news along the lines of the following:

“That probably means they’ll be discontinuing the ones I want and have been waiting for forever.”
“It’s not like I’ll be able to get my hands on any of the new ones anyway…”
“I’m so tired of this.”

Since then, all of the fiery passion that she once had for growing her collection dimmed until it was nothing more than a whiff of smoke. Now she feels strangely sad when she hears about newly released sticker sets, which is why she’s decided to take a break from stickers altogether.

That doesn’t mean Haruka’s given up all hope, though. She has faith that someday she’ll be able to pick her hobby back up again, whenever she can leisurely browse through the options and not have to jump through all kinds of hoops to get them. In the meantime, we hope she’ll consider starting a new collection–ideally something that won’t become just as complicated.

All images © SoraNews24
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A new model of urban community collaboration in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho area connects the generations using mint as a bridge.

Senior citizens probably aren’t the first demographic that comes to mind when you think of Shinjuku’s Kabukicho neighborhood, which is much more commonly associated with younger crowds, nightlife, and bars. Yet, the area is home to a sizeable population of older folks who depend on facilities such as Shinjuku Day Service for lifestyle support and social activities.

“Day service” is a Japanese term that describes a place akin to a senior center where outpatient services are offered to senior citizens who are still capable of living independently but could use help with certain tasks or socialization activities. Shinjuku Day Service has recently partnered with Smappa! Group, which operates a large number of restaurants, bars, host clubs, and other entertainment facilities throughout Shinjuku, to bring a refreshingly new partnership to Kabukicho tables called the Shinjuku Day Service Mojito.

This initiative, which is one of the first of its kind in a major metropolitan area, connects farms, day service facilities, and restaurants/bars together in a community chain of compassion. Senior citizen volunteers grow mint plants organically using seedlings provided by Pipichan Farm in Ome, Tokyo Prefecture, which are then harvested and distributed to several Kabukicho restaurants, bars, and host clubs. Each of these participating locations has designed its own unique cocktail using the mint and is committed to sharing the story of its cultivation with customers.

The beauty of Shinjuku Day Service Mojito is that it creates a sense of purpose for many of the seniors so that they can feel their impact not only within their own community but in the larger Kabukicho community as well. Project organizers have commented that cultivating plants also has important physical and mental benefits for the seniors such as keeping their senses and cognitive abilities sharp. Best of all, involvement in the project is completely voluntary, participants can grow the herbs at their own pace, and they can be involved in other parts of the distribution process if they so choose.

▼ It’s fitting that mint means “virtue” or “warmth of emotions” in Japan’s language of flowers (hanakotoba).

If you’d like to support seniors by purchasing one or more of the collaborative mint cocktails, please see the list of participating businesses below. We think this is an excellent way for seniors to stay active and connected to the community–tied right up there with having their own line of collective trading cards.

Participating restaurants and bars (all located within Kabukicho)
● 人間レストラン (Ningen Restaurant)
● 麦ノ音 (Mugi no Oto)
● MISO SOUP
● BRIAN BAR
● red.
● 世阿弥 (Zeami)
● ありんす (Arinsu)
● デカメロン ギャルバー (Decameron Gyaru Bar)
● PEGASUS
● BAR CACCO
● クラブ春 (Club Haru)

Participating host clubs (all located within Kabukicho)
● APiTS
● AWAKE
● CURE
● SMAPPA! HANS AXEL VON FERSEN
● OPUST

Source, images: PR Times
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Three Star Wars-themed collaborations from a galaxy far, far away appeal to both longtime and newer fans of the franchise.

We’ve known about Japanese dessert chain Ginza Cozy Corner‘s penchant for mini cake sets for a while now. From home-grown cuties such as Pokémon to international collaborations like Marvel’s Avengers and Pixar films, it seems no characters are safe from getting the Cozy Corner cake treatment–which now includes iconic members of the Star Wars franchise.

In celebration of the simultaneous U.S. and Japanese premiere on May 22 of The Mandalorian and Grogu film, a direct sequel to the three seasons of the hit Disney+ live-action TV series The Mandalorian, three special Star Wars-themed items are currently available at Ginza Cozy Corner locations throughout Japan and on its online shop. The pièce de résistance is a Nine-Piece Mini Cake Set for 3,564 yen (US$22.49) that pays homage to classic heroes and villains that appear in Episodes I through IX of the core Star Wars film series, spanning over 40 years of film history.

▼ Star Wars Nine-Piece Mini Cake Set

 

Pictured below, the character contents and flavors are as follows:

● Chewbacca (top left): chocolate and caramel whipped cream cake
● Ahsoka Tano (top center): coffee sponge cake with a layer of caramel whipped cream
● BB-8 (top right): mango whipped cream and yogurt-flavored whipped cream roll cake
● Stormtrooper (middle left): cheese-flavored cream tart
● Darth Vader (middle center): cocoa sponge cake with a layer of chocolate whipped cream
● C-3PO (middle right): tropical mousse cake topped with orange and lemon-flavored jelly
● Darth Maul (bottom left): cake topped with raspberry jelly, berry jam, and mousse
● Yoda (bottom center): matcha whipped cream and matcha-an (sweet bean paste) tart
● R2-D2 with a Porg (bottom right): yogurt-flavored whipped cake with freshly whipped cream

▼ Darth Vader getting the kawaii treatment wasn’t on our bingo card, but we’ll take it.

Meanwhile, for viewers who have fallen in love with the more recent cast addition of Grogu, popularly dubbed “Baby Yoda,” a single serving-sized Grogu Chocolate Cake is available for 777 yen.

▼ Grogu Chocolate Cake

This treat is a fluffy cocoa sponge cake stuffed with a layer of chocolate flake-filled cream and chocolate cream adorning the top.

Finally, for those who want a keepsake once the dessert is gone, the Star Wars Sweets Box is the perfect grab for 1,320 yen. It contains eight individually packaged baked goods including two butter madeleines, three Earl Grey madeleines, and three cookies printed with an illustration of the Mandalorian and Grogu that come inside a metallic box designed to look like it was made from Beskar, aka Mandalorian iron.

▼ Star Wars Sweets Box

A stylish two-sided charm reflector keychain is a bonus souvenir.

The above items will be available for purchase through approximately June 25, so place your order before they vanish from this galaxy.

The anticipation for the new film coming out also has us hoping that the Star Wars kabuki play will make a comeback in due time…this time with Grogu.

Source: Ginza Cozy Corner via Entabe
Images: Ginza Cozy Corner
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A new line of decorative mini figures made from gold pay homage to pioneering manga artist Osamu Tezuka’s massive influence on anime and manga.

U-Treasure, a Japanese jewelry brand that frequently partners with pop culture franchises for fun but classy keepsakes, is now taking preorders for the first three pieces in a new collaborative series paying homage to manga legend Osamu Tezuka.

The Osamu Tezuka World Gold Collection celebrates the 80th anniversary of the God of Manga‘s 1946 debut manga The Diary of Ma-chan (a four-panel newspaper comic strip). Tezuka continued to churn out classic works of manga for the rest of his life that revolutionized the genre and Japanese popular culture forevermore.

The standout piece of U-Treasure’s trio of offerings is undoubtedly the miniature figure of Tetsuwan Atom, better known as Astro Boy to English-speaking audiences. Tezuka’s original Astro Boy manga was serialized from 1952-1968, inspiring a groundbreaking 1963 TV series that is considered to be the first-ever serialized Japanese TV anime. Countless adaptations and collaborations have been produced since.

▼ Astro Boy, the robot boy whom we can thank for modern manga and anime

 

Costing 121,000 yen (US$760), the figure is crafted from 18-karat yellow gold and stands only 15 millimeters (0.59 inches) tall.

Nevertheless, it’s a faithful creation of the character, with Tezuka’s trademark large eyes and Astro Boy’s pointy, distinctive hairstyle.

The figure comes specially packaged in a black box inscribed with “Osamu Tezuka World” and “Testsuwan Atom” in gold, retro-style font.

Precisely because of its small size, it’s an elegant trinket that will upgrade any desk or shelf without taking up too much space.

While Astro Boy is undoubtedly the most recognizable of the new pieces, the two other characters in this release also hold a space place in Tezuka’s legacy. First, the 9-millimeter-tall Hyoutantsugi is a gourd-like character that was originally inspired by a doodle made by Tezuka’s younger sister. It became a visual gag that randomly appears in almost all of his works.

▼ Hyoutantsugi miniature gold figure (165,000 yen)

Second, the 12-millimeter-tall Buddha captures the likeness of Tezuka’s rendition of the life of Siddhartha Gautama in his 1972-1983 eponymously titled masterpiece.

▼ Buddha miniature gold figure (220,000 yen)

All three miniature figures are available for preorder between May 20 and June 22 on U-Treasure’s online shop and at U-Treasure Concept Stores Ikebukuro in Tokyo and Shinsaibashi in Osaka (location information here).

We’re looking forward to seeing what the next set of characters will be in U-Treasure’s The Osamu Teszuka World Gold Collection–and something tells us it definitely won’t be any of the erotic animal sketches that his daughter discovered locked in his desk drawer just over ten years ago.

Source, images: PR Times
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This annual procession is the perfect stop for samurai buffs who enjoy traditional Japanese festivals with a warrior twist.

The streets of Sakai, Fukui Prefecture, are about to be packed when the city’s Mikuni Festival kicks off on May 19 for three days. Considered one of the Hokuriku region of Japan’s “three great festivals,” the annual festival spans approximately 300 years of tradition. This year, six newly crafted floats over six meters (6.6 yards) in height that depict historical samurai of legend as well as famous scenes from kabuki plays and historical battles will be paraded around different districts of the city.

▼ Kamakura Gongoro Kagemasa (born 1069), as depicted in the play “Shibaraku,” one of the 18 Best Kabuki Plays

▼ Keiji Maeda (1543-1612)

The new floats were first unveiled to the public on 9 May. Festivities will officially begin at 6:30 p.m. on 19 May when the Maeda Keiji float will be showcased in the vicinity of Mikuni Shrine by the harbor. Then, at 1 p.m. on 20 May, all six floats will join in a procession around the city beginning at Mikuni Shrine. On this day, a special mikoshi portable shrine will also leave from the shrine, along with a procession of locals donning warrior-inspired garb.

▼ Magistrate Kinshiro Toyama (1793-1855)

▼ Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-1189)

In addition, this year’s festival marks a first as the newly assembled Sakai City Board of Education’s Mikuni Festival General Investigative Committee, comprised of 11 expert individuals from the municipality, will begin conducting a multi-year, comprehensive study of the festival. Their investigation will examine everything from the craftsmanship of the floats and how they’re pulled around, to the various musical accompaniments in different districts of the city. It will also seek to answer overarching questions such as why the floats came to include figures of samurai in the first place and why those are destroyed upon the conclusion of the festival every year. As the first study of its kind to be funded by governmental aid, a formal written report is expected to be published in 2029.

▼ Taira no Tomomori (1152-1185) with the anchor he used to drown himself upon losing the Sea Battle of Dan no Ura (1185)

▼ The assault of Naganori Asano (1667-1701) on Yoshinaka Kira (1641-1703) in the Pine Corridor of Edo Castle, the trigger that led to the legend of the 47 Ronin (1703)

Another new feature of this year’s festival is the creation of a special seated viewing area in the Echizen Railway’s Mikuni Station plaza. Between 4:30-6:30 p.m. on 20 May, spectators can view all six floats in succession as they approach the station and circle the intersection. 40 seats are available for purchase for 5,000 yen ($31.55) each in advance or for 6,000 yen on the day of the event. The viewing area will be split into four levels, with the highest one at 1.8 meters for prime viewing. Seats can be reserved by contacting the Mikuni Community Center at mikuni-cc@city.fukui-sakai.lg.jp or (+81) 0776-82-6400.

While you’re in town, you may also want to see what Fukui has to offer in the gastronomic delights department, such as the sasazuke preserved fish that’s popular among the locals.

Source, images: PR Times
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Watch the competition or sample multiple burgers in the sales area during this weekend celebration of gourmet burgers from around the world.

Although burgers are often associated with the U.S., we’ve got beef with anyone who says that a quality burger can’t be found in Japan. In fact, finding one is about to get even easier with the return of the prestigious Japan Burger Championship next month in its fifth edition. The event has attracted a total of 170,000 attendees over the past four years and promises to be a bun-believable showdown once again.

From June 12 through 14 at Yokohama’s landmark Akarenga Soko–otherwise known as the Red Brick Warehouse–visitors can enjoy a variety of festivities related to gourmet burger appreciation, which includes watching the competition, sampling a variety of burgers, and voting on which burger should be crowned the inaugural winner of the new Sales Division Award for the best gourmet burger being sold in the sales area. Entrance to the event is free, though individual food and drink purchases are not.

For the competition portion of the event, 12 competitors from around Japan who have already passed an initial screening round will take part in the semifinals on June 12 and 13, after which the top six will proceed to the finals on June 14. This year’s theme for the finals is “Energy Burger,” and competitors will be expected to concoct a gourmet burger that can be eaten for stamina in the hot summer. The overall winner of the competition earns the honor of becoming the Japanese representative to compete in the Hamburger Category for the World Food Championships to be held in the U.S. in October.

▼ Flow of the competition

At the same time as the competition, 27 gourmet burger shops will be in full operation in the sales area for visitors to conduct their own taste tests. The representatives include a mix of international gourmet burger chefs, past competition winners, famous steakhouses, and Japanese chefs making use of local and regional ingredients from their areas of origin. Some will even offer burgers crafted exclusively for this event.

While we’ve never encountered a burger that we couldn’t topple, we also understand that visitors will likely want to sample as many burgers as possible. Thankfully, the event has designed a system for visitors to request cutting a full burger into either halves or quarters or a half-burger into halves for a small additional fee. This makes for the perfect solution to share with family and friends so everyone doesn’t fill up on one shop’s burger alone. Anyone who is really up for the full undertaking, however, can participate in a social media challenge by taking a photo of a burger (full or half-sized OK) from every single shop and posting it on social media with a special hashtag. Anyone who clears this test will receive a limited prize–and as a bonus, the profound respect of the SoraNews24 writing team.

▼ A variety of ways to share burgers for a small additional fee (an extra 200 yen for a full burger cut into quarters, or 100 yen for the other options)

For a sneak peek of what you may want to taste test, pictured below are two previous Japan Burger Championship winners that will be selling their culinary crafts in the sales area. The 2024 champion, Harry’s Junction from Miyagi Prefecture, has a burger that combines the local zunda (sweetened, mashed edamame) specialty with sour cream (it’s also one of the 12 semifinalists competing in this year’s championship!). Meanwhile, the 2025 champion Brisk Stand from Hyogo Prefecture is offering a double cheeseburger with alternating layers of cheddar cheese and onions.

▼ Burgers from Harry’s Junction (top) and Brisk Stand (bottom)

A handful of gourmet burger shops from abroad will also be on site, including:

● One More The Burger House Dubai (UAE): Making its Japanese debut, the shop that previously won first place in the World Food Championships offers a burger featuring Japanese-style milk buns infused with truffle fragrance and wild arugula.

● Melting Soul (South Korea): This shop won the 2023 Korean Championship with its two smash patties, thick cheese, and bacon skirt gourmet burger.

● Zesty Saloon (South Korea): This shop won the 2026 Korean Championship with its smash patty, double cheese, and bacon skirt gourmet burger.

▼ Burgers from One More The Burger House Dubai (top), Melting Soul (middle), and Zesty Saloon (bottom)

For anyone who reaches their burger limit (if such a state of satiation is even possible), the event will also have plenty of fries, sweets, and drinks for you to order while you give your stomach a burger break.

Finally, food isn’t the only thing on the menu as several forms of entertainment will also be available to enjoy. For instance, Yokohama-based rock band Aonowa will hold a live performance on June 13 at 10:30 am at the venue.

▼ Aonowa

Other family-friendly activities will be the chance to see the elite, all-female White Angels police motorcycle unit and a performance by the 35-member Kanagawa Prefectural Police Band.

This isn’t the first time that the Akarenga Red Brick Warehouse has hosted a large-scale gastronomic event, and we certainly hope that it won’t be the last. We’re certain that the Japan Burger Championship 2026 is going to be well done, too.

Event information
Japan Burger Championship 2026 / グルメバーガー日本一決定戦
Address: Kanagawa-ken, Yokohama-shi, Naka-ku, Shinko 1-1-1, Red Brick Warehouse (Event Plaza A/B)
神奈川県横浜市中区新港 1-1-1 横浜赤レンガ倉庫（イベント広場A/B）
Duration: June 12-14, 2026
● Friday, June 12: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (food last orders at 8 p.m., drink last orders at 8:30 p.m.)
● Saturday, June 13: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (food last orders at 8 p.m., drink last orders at 8:30 p.m.)
● Sunday, June 14: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. (food last orders at 7 p.m., drink last orders at 7:30 p.m.)
Website

Source, images: PR Times
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