Plain Talk
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD AUG 21. 2026Calling All Food Lovers: Hokkaido Awaits by Keito Ando
Seven years after its opening, I finally made my way to Moomin Valley Park in Hanno, Saitama. Nestled beside a lake and surrounded by trees that seem to hum with quiet stories, the park feels less like a theme park and more like a gentle invitation into the quiet world of adventures. We wandered slowly, letting the forest path and soap bubbles guide us toward the heart of the valley.
The Moomin House was even more charming than I imagined! Its blue walls and round windows looked like they’d been lifted straight from Tove Jansson’s illustrations. Inside, every room was a tiny world of its own: Snufkin’s cozy nook, Moominmamma’s kitchen with its warm wooden shelves and nostalgic jars with jam, and Moominpappa’s room full of curious treasures. I only wish we’d had more time to linger. The tour moved quickly, and I found myself wanting to pause and breathe in the details: the tiny teacups, the different lamps (there are reportedly 50 of them, and I probably noticed only 3 or 4!), the quiet magic of it all.
Before entering the park, I recommend stopping by Metsa Village, just next door, and free to enter, for a bite to eat. The meatballs there are huge, warm, and just the right kind of comforting. It feels like something Moominmamma might have served on a chilly day. There is also a Nordic buffet there, and overall, we felt that eating just outside of Moomin Valley Park is more budget-friendly and gives you more choices. That said, we tried the overpriced items on the menu at Kokemus, but were quite disappointed by the bland taste. I could have spent hours in the cafe area though, relaxing and reading Moomin books while drinking coffee. Actually, you don’t even need to order anything to stay and read.
We left with a heart full of warmth, a few Moomin-themed souvenirs, and Finnish chocolates tucked into my bag.
A small tip for fellow travelers: if you visit the day-trip onsen next door after your time in the park, your parking fee will be waived. A warm soak after a day of wandering through Moomin Valley Park? It’s the perfect ending, and you can look at the park, illuminated in the evening, from the open terrace with hammocks.
開園から7年を経て、ようやく埼玉県飯能市のムーミンバレーパークを訪れることができました。湖のほとりに佇み、静かな物語をささやいているかのような木々に囲まれたこの公園は、テーマパークというよりは、穏やかな冒険の世界へと誘ってくれるような場所です。私たちは、森の小道とシャボン玉に導かれるまま、ゆっくりと散策しながら、谷の奥へと進んでいきました。
ムーミンの家は、想像していた以上に魅力的でした！青い壁と丸い窓は、まるでトーベ・ヤンソンのイラストからそのまま飛び出してきたかのようでした。中に入ると、どの部屋もそれぞれが小さな世界そのものでした。スナフキンの居心地の良い隠れ家、温かみのある木製の棚と懐かしいジャムの瓶が並ぶムーミンママのキッチン、そして不思議な宝物でいっぱいのムーミンパパの部屋。もっとゆっくり過ごせたらよかったのに、と心底思いました。見学のペースは速く、私は思わず足を止めて、細部をじっくりと味わいたくなりました。小さなティーカップ、さまざまなランプ（50個とのこと、私が気づいたのは3つか4つだけだった！）、そしてそこにある静かな魔法のような雰囲気。
公園に入る前に、すぐ隣にある「メッツァ・ビレッジ」に立ち寄って、軽食をとっておくことをお勧めします。入場は無料です。ここのミートボールは大きくて温かく、まさに心温まる味わいです。まるでムーミンママが肌寒い日に振る舞ってくれそうな一品です。そこには北欧風のビュッフェもあり、全体的に見て、ムーミンバレーパークのすぐ外で食事をするほうが予算に優しく、選択肢も豊富だと感じました。とはいえ、私たちは「コケムス」のメニューにある割高な料理も試してみましたが、味気ない味にかなりがっかりしました。ただ、カフェエリアでは、コーヒーを飲みながらリラックスしてムーミンの本を読むだけで、何時間も過ごせたでしょう。実際、座って本を読むだけなら、何も注文しなくても構いません。
私たちは、心温まる気持ちと、ムーミンをモチーフにしたお土産をいくつか、そしてバッグに忍ばせたフィンランドのチョコレートを持ってその場を後にしました。
これから訪れる方へのちょっとしたアドバイス：公園での時間を終えた後、隣にある日帰り温泉を訪れると、駐車料金が無料になります。ムーミンバレーパークを一日中散策した後の温かいお風呂？ これほど完璧な締めくくりはありません。ハンモックが設置されたオープンテラスからは、夕暮れにライトアップされた公園を眺めることもできます。
Plain Talk
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD TNB Throwback APRIL 24. 2020“Monkeying-Around” at Inokashira Park Zoo by Curt Neilson
Got a free Saturday? Tired of Frisbee at Yoyogi Park and not too hung over a Friday night in Shibuya or the Pong?
Head on down to Tokyo’s other zoo, the smaller and arguably more charming Inokashira Park Zoo in Musashino/Mitaka, a five-minute walk from Kichijoji Station (JR Chuo Line)or a one-minute walk from Inokashira-Koen Station (Keio-Inokashira Line). While the larger zoo in Ueno may house the king of the beasts or a panda or two, its long lines and crowds can be unpleasant.
There are several different areas in the Inokashira Zoo to please everybody:
The entrance area has the glass enclosures of the cute creatures, most notably the guinea pigs. Along the side are the larger beasts of giraffes, elephants, and a larger open area more like a pasture to home the gorgeous spotted deer. The open areas between enclosures provide a more refreshing feeling for both animals and humans.
While the goats and sheep greet you as you approach their area and invite you to reach over the short fence to give them a little scratch behind the ears, the penguins have their own water area to swim and slide and remind you not to take life so seriously. Raccoons, foxes, capybaras, raccoon-dogs, porcupines, snowy miniature leopard-ish cats, otters and other creatures also live within the zoo.
Then towards the end of the larger beast area, you have a nice break as you enter into the bird enclosure itself and observe you’re your fine feathered friends under a tall rather mysterious canopy. Some water creatures are also included on the bottom floor of the enclosure. This is a nice spot to slow down and meditate a bit on life with your special friend as you slow down your walk and inhale more deeply.
As you leave the enclosed canopy area―after saying farewell to your bird friends and company―you catch some trees bridged together and a large slide that instinctively draws you toward it. You see your look-a-like cousins, the Japanese Macaques (i.e. monkeys!), doing there silly antics of “king of the mountain” but on trees! You laugh at them and feel sorry for the young ones who miss out on the food. This is a nice place to have a seat and relax, enjoying your day away from the city center and all its rushing and noise.
Next to the monkey area is a few squirrel enclosures where you can enter and have the little critters climb up your legs and up your back or at least see the lightning fur-balls race across the human walking path through the enclosures that seem like miniature adolescent training grounds for the squirrels.
Surprisingly, a children’s art section is included as well as some quite wonderful bronze sculptures that will dare you not to capture them with your camera.
After your walk throughout the zoo’s open grounds, you and your friends can head up to the numerous kawaii charming places to eat around Kichijoji to put a nice ending to your afternoon now turning into early evening. If you’ve got any energy left and don’t fear the Inokashira curse, you can take one of the giant swan boats out for its foot-paddle ride and see if the curse (from a movie of course) will split you from your beloved one.
Unfinished business
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 17. 2019Farewell to a Japan Jazz Icon by David Gregory
The messages from all over Japan read aloud during the service helped us realize how widely Koyama-san touched lives and how many like us were feeling something newly missing from our worlds. But, although wonderful and sometimes saddening us, they did not trigger crying. That happened next.
Those first few notes of the "'Round About Midnight" Miles Davis version, the cut Koyama-san always used to open Jazz Tonight, performed by a live piano and trumpet duo up front near the coffin, did it: Instant recognition, recollections, sighs around the room, eyes closed, arms crossed, heads dropped back or down, and tears, at least for me. How many times had we heard, after Miles breathed his somber opening, Koyama-san's low, raspy voice welcoming us into the studio with, "Minna-san, gokigen ikaga desho-ka everybody, how are you feeling?"?and never thought that someday we would hear him ask about us no more?
Koyama-san's widow, whom, like him, had never known me, stood alone at the coffin head and bowed in silence to everyone in turn after they placed flowers around his body as the duo continued with another slow number, the trumpet sounding so strong and crisp and unusual in a memorial service hall. After we placed our flowers, she responded to my hand on her shoulder, a touch just meant to console her, by immediately turning and reaching for me?a total stranger?burying her head in my chest, and breaking down. She needed that hug that everybody sometimes needs. She let go after her respite when she was ready to face the coffin and everyone else again, and returned to her position. Going to Kashiwa in a snowstorm was worth it just for those few moments when I could do something for her.
So our Kashiwa day was both sad and good. But, why did I even want to go a funeral for a man whom I only knew by voice, and who, although linked to jazz, was not even a musician?
Koyama-san and his Jazz Tonight program I listened to since at least the early 2000s. For more than sixteen years, while my life in Japan has been filled with huge uncertainties, he has been here Saturday nights on the radio, reliable, keeping me connected to the world's music and opening my ears to music from Japan I would not know without him. Listening to him always made me feel good, no matter what had happened in my life during the week or what was coming up in the weeks ahead. Koyama-san and Jazz Tonight were my respite. How well can I replace that comfort?
Koyama-san, thank you for helping this foreigner feel good in Japan. Please rest well in jazz heaven.
NHK Radio, thank you for giving Koyama-san a way to connect with us. Please encourage other DJs to continue doing what he did so well.
To Koyama-san's surviving family members: Please care well for yourselves now, and thank you for supporting and sharing Kiyoshi with us.
The Smallest Box by David Gregory
She came over to my table and asked if I remembered her.
“That’s my boyfriend over there.”
Their table hugged a pillar blocking the sunny Tokyo Bay view enjoyed by the other customers that afternoon in Chiba’s AquaRink ice skating facility café.
“Maybe we will marry next year.”
On my way out, I stopped to congratulate the potential groom to be. What I later heard happened with Hiromi and Hiroshi that night at another place also close to the bay sounded so too good to be true that I visited that place to confirm it really happened. It did.
Hiroshi had reserved for the course menu that night at OCEAN TABLE, next to Chiba Port, on the second floor, where tables sat by the huge windows facing Chiba Port Tower and Tokyo Bay. No view-blocking pillars there. And they had a wait, even with their reservation, because it was Christmas Eve, which in Japan matters much more than the following day; the Eve is the year’s couples’ night out, and single women without dates that night can feel their whole year was wasted.
Hiroshi had changed into a suit after skating, and had urged Hiromi, against her protests about overdressing, into a plaid one-piece, raising expectations. They had never come to a place this nice, one requiring reservations. Saizeriya was more their speed: fast faux-Italian, cheap, and everywhere.
The unexpected wait made Hiroshi antsy. He relaxed and all was perfect after they were seated.
They talked. They ate the Christmas Dinner courses. They ignored the soft Christmas background music. They admired the gleaming, golden Christmas Tree rising from the first-floor buffet area through the open center space across from their table. They could see outside the sparkling flashes and half the tree in Port Tower’s Christmas Illumination, and beyond, the lights from the ships on and facilities around Tokyo Bay, appearing almost twinkling. Perfect—but not for Hiromi.
She went to the toilet. Still he had not asked. The day was done. The reservation system only allowed them two hours there. They had been together all day. He had remembered her birthday-just by coincidence, also that day-with a necklace at AquaRink. Nice, but was that all? He had pestered her since early December about what Christmas present she wanted until she had finally exploded with, “Nothing! Don’t you know I just want a proposal?!” And had added she wanted it to be a surprise. Here he had the perfect chance, and he was wasting it.
She could try enjoying what was left of the evening. Dessert was next. At least here was better than Saizeriya….She was still stuck when she returned to the table, and had no chance to do or say anything, anyway. It was his toilet turn.
Their desserts came. Hiromi sat and waited and pondered the future. Outside, the tower stood alone against the dark sky and Tokyo Bay’s inky darkness.
Their desserts waited. Maybe his tooth was bothering him again. Maybe he was just tolerating it to make the night go well. Maybe for her. Maybe she should go to check on him. Wait-maybe she just heard his voice across the room.
No, only Santa Claus, posing for photographs with diners at the far table. He then started circling the room, giving a small present from his big sack at each table. She could check after he was done.
Hiroshi still had not returned to his seat when Santa reached their table. He handed Hiromi a big, red stocking, by far the room’s largest gift, accompanied by a squeaky, “Atari! You’re a lucky one!” Yeah. She set it aside and Santa moved on. What was he still doing in the toilet?
Santa finished his round, returned to Hiromi, and pointed at her unopened stocking with squeaky, “Un! Un!” grunts. The other diners had opened their presents. She forced a smile and said she was waiting for her boyfriend to return. “Un! Un!”
When Hiromi still resisted, Santa took the stocking in his white-gloved hands and opened it himself. Out first came a big, pink box, heart shaped. He opened that and pulled out another heart-shaped box, and then, from inside that, another heart-shaped box. Another smaller, heart-shaped box followed. He removed from that an even smaller heart-shaped box, and thrust it to Hiromi with one more squeaky, “Un!”
Still gone. Well, he’d miss it. Hiromi obeyed Santa this time and opened it, the smallest box in the room …and her mind and face went blank.
After that frozen moment passed, Hiromi looked at Santa. The second shock hit, and more followed. Santa Claus had ripped off his gloves, furry hat, sunglasses, and huge, flowing beard. He took the box from her?she was still speechless?dropped onto one knee, held the open box out and up to her in both stretching hands, and said in a voice loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, “Hiromi-san, boku-to kekkon shite kudasai! Hiromi, please marry me!”
Outside, to anybody looking, Port Tower’s Christmas Illumination still flashed, and the lights on and around Tokyo Bay still appeared almost twinkling. Inside OCEAN TABLE, on the second floor, everything was happening so fast that Hiromi just did not know which was more difficult to believe: Hiroshi and the ring he first tried slipping onto the finger on her right hand, the one he had taken in his before she held out her left hand, or the following PAN! and PAN! PAN! PAN! PAN! PAN! and PAN! PAN! and PAN! explosions ripping and ribbons shooting around the room as diners at the floor’s other tables popped the party crackers they had found with the notes in their presents from Santa Claus.
Copyright © 2018 David L. Gregory All rights reserved.
I Did It! by David Gregory
She had been here before. But, those were tour-guided or hand-held visits. After living most of her life in white-bread suburban USA, driving everywhere, shopping in giant malls and supermarkets, and needing only one currency and one language, my mother ventured out on her own, within and beyond Chiba, during one trip to Japan. From her notes, here are Dorothy's...
ADVENTURES IN JAPAN
Grocery Shopping in Neighborhood―Walk five blocks...buy only one bag...walk five blocks back. Survived it!
Shopping in City Center―Walk six blocks to bus stop. Ride bus fifteen minutes. Arrive at stores. Walk around. Look. Decide: cookies.
Buying: “Ikura desu-ka how much?” Hmm. “Kakimasu kudasai write please.”
Paying options: give large bill, let clerk figure change, or open change purse, let clerk take out correct amount. Decide to just give some cash.
Clerk shakes her head (“NO! MORE!”), then counts out correct amount needed from register and shows me. I mimic her action from my change purse. Smiles! Deep bows with many, “Arigato gozaimasu thank you very much!”-es.
(My error: thought there was decimal point in Yen price....)
Open cookies, expecting pirouettes with chocolate centers. Instead, peanut butter waffle rolls, no chocolate. No wonder, now I see peanut sketch on package. “Shoganai can’t be changed,” I did it to myself. It could have been worse!
~~~
Travelling to Visit Friend’s Family on Other Side of Chiba―Walk ten blocks to train. Purchase ticket. Electronic lady on ticket machine screen says, “Arigato gozaimasu” and bows. Ride train twenty minutes, watching for correct stop, get off, walk seven blocks to house. I did it myself!
Visiting Hisae Overnight―My Japanese study partner in USA returned to Japan, now lives on other side of Tokyo Bay.
Take large purse and large tote bag with jacket, nightie, toothbrush, cosmetics. Walk six blocks to bus stop. Ride bus to train station. Ride train eighty minutes to Yokohama. Find correct exit from station. EASY. Did not even look at note in pocket explaining route and Japanese signs. And, look! Hisae and three-year old Kei are waiting! “Hello!” they say! Many hugs!
I did it!
Then, still more travel: train together fifteen minutes, short taxi uphill to lovely apartment, sunny and bright.
Returning to Chiba, just reverse process. Next time, we can meet at a station halfway in between. I can do it.
I can do it!
Copyright (C) 2015 David Gregory. All rights reserved. Chiba, Japan
Book Review
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 11 2018Cherry Blossoms in the Time of Earthquakes and Tsunami
by Rey Ventura Reviewed by Randy Swank video maker and scriptwriter Rey Ventura won the 2015 National Book Award for his third collection of essays, Cherry Blossoms in the Time of Earthquakes and Tsunami, but for some strange twist of fate you will find very little information on this book. You can’t even buy it on Amazon. This is a shame because Cherry Blossoms... is a beautiful, insightful and thought-provoking book. |
Cherry Blossoms in the Time of Earthquakes and Tsunami |
In "Miniskirts and Stilettos" we meet Ginto, a young lady who comes to Japan dreaming of making it big as a singer and entertainer but has to deal instead with a much darker reality; while "Mr. Suzuki Tries Again" and "Into the Snow Country" are tragicomic tales of arranged marriages where the dreams and expectations of bride-starved farmers from Japan's Deep North clash with those of young Filipino women who want to escape their poverty and go into marriage "as a girl goes into a convent." Ventura tells these stories with a great eye for detail and manages to find a ray of light even in the darkest corners, or poetry in the midst of a nuclear disaster. The book's first essay is called "The Slow Boat to Manila" and indeed, slowness is the first word that comes to mind when considering Ventura's approach to writing. Everything Ventura does is slow. He is no magazine reporter after all, and will spend days or even months getting to know a person he wants to write about. That's the kind of personal commitment and deep connection with his subject that one feels when reading his essays. |
Tokyo Fab
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD AUGUST 07, 2026
LEGO Festival in Marunouchi 2026
LEGO Festival in Marunouchi 2026 turns central Tokyo into a colourful playground built around creativity, exploration, and hands-on fun. Returning with an expanded programme, the festival is centred on the theme of bringing people together through play, offering activities designed to appeal to both children and adults.
At the heart of the festival are interactive workshops where participants can help build a large LEGO version of a new Marunouchi. Visitors can also create flowers inspired by the LEGO Botanicals range, while younger children can enjoy a LEGO DUPLO play area. These activities encourage visitors to build together rather than simply admire finished models.
The festival also takes visitors beyond a single venue with an area-wide LEGO ONE PIECE stamp rally. Participants explore Marunouchi while collecting stamps and can build and take home a LEGO Chopper hat inspired by the popular character. A separate photo rally encourages visitors to discover LEGO models positioned around the district.
With workshops, character greetings, building activities, photo opportunities, and interactive challenges, LEGO Festival in Marunouchi offers a playful way to explore one of Tokyo’s most prominent business districts while enjoying LEGO creativity.
August 22nd (Sun) @ Maru Bldg., 1F MARUCUBE
https://www.marunouchi.com/lp/legofestival2026/
Godzilla the Art Exhibition
Since stomping onto screens in 1954, Godzilla has become far more than a movie monster ― he's a shape-shifting symbol reinvented by every era that draws him. To mark the King of the Monsters' 70th anniversary, the Mori Arts Center Gallery high above Roppongi Hills reimagines the kaiju not through film clips but through the lens of contemporary art.
Rather than retrace Godzilla's cinematic history, the exhibition poses one deceptively simple question: what is Godzilla? Twenty-nine artists offer their own answers across paintings, sculptures, photography, and performance pieces, with names ranging from graphic-design legend Tadanori Yokoo to actor Tadanobu Asano. A diorama built exclusively for the venue by Toho Visual Arts anchors the show, treating the creature as everything from natural disaster to national memory to enduring pop icon. The variety is the point: no two artists see the same monster, and that restless, ever-changing quality is exactly what has kept Godzilla alive for seven decades.
Perched on the 52nd floor, the gallery pairs the art with sweeping city views, making it an easy, air-conditioned escape from the late-summer heat. Whether you're a lifelong tokusatsu fan or simply curious how one rubber-suited monster became a canvas for serious fine art, it's a genuinely rewarding way to spend a couple of hours.
- Sep 23rd (Wed) 10am - 8pm @ Mori Arts Center Gallery
https://macg.roppongihills.com/en/exhibitions/godzilla-exhibition/
Have You Been To...
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD AUGUST 21, 2026
Cape Kamui [Shakotan, Hokkaido]
Jutting into the Sea of Japan on Hokkaido's Shakotan Peninsula, Cape Kamui rewards visitors with rugged cliffs, impossibly blue "Shakotan blue" waters, and a windswept walking trail to its very tip. Popular with photographers and nature lovers, the cape also carries a tragic old love legend. Come on a clear day for sweeping ocean views you will never quite forget.
Ouchi-juku [Shimogo, Fukushima]
Frozen gently in time, Ouchi-juku is a former Edo-period post town where thatched-roof houses line a single unpaved street. Once a rest stop for travelers, it now offers charming craft shops, local soba, and a wonderfully calm, historic atmosphere. Especially magical under winter snow, this Fukushima gem lets you step straight into old Japan, far from the usual tourist crowds.
Aogashima [Aogashima, Tokyo]
Technically part of Tokyo yet a world away, Aogashima is a remote volcanic island roughly 350 kilometers out in the Pacific. A few hundred residents live inside a dramatic double crater, ringed by lush greenery and steep cliffs. Reaching it takes real effort by boat or helicopter, but the reward is star-filled skies and scenery unlike anywhere else in Japan.
Iya Valley [Miyoshi, Tokushima]
Hidden deep in Shikoku's mountains, the Iya Valley is a land of misty gorges, turquoise rivers, and swaying vine bridges once used by fleeing samurai. Crossing the creaking Kazurabashi high above the water is a genuine thrill. With hot springs, quiet villages, and truly dramatic scenery at every turn, this remote valley remains one of Japan's most atmospheric hidden escapes.
Tokyo Voice Column
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD TNB Throwback: FEB 16. 2026
"Inogashira Park" in Kichijoji by Curt Neilson
The moon hangs in fullness over the shallow waters.
A couple giggles in tones of discovery.
Another sits and gazes mindlessly.
Freshman-looking boys surround the swings;
The apparent leader bends his legs slowly like an aged pendulum.
They practice catch with wit, feeling their adolescence shapening into identity.
Walking I suddenly feel like Cain with GAIJIN on my forehead marking my otherness,
able to bend necks at me or cut paths through seas of dark heads.
But tonight the moon has played her trump card,
Revealing the deeper reality found beneath the surface rocks,
Making their “ar-bi-tos” and all-night cramming merely
A daydream, a yesterday, a nightmare realized for what it was:
A distracting mirage from the human, the animal, the passion―
The crickets’ song behind them, in front of them, beside them, in them―
Nature’s accompaniment to their true fairie tale.
A runner pounds the soft bricks into mud paste;
An old adobe project sprouts between my ears;
I struggle to pin a name onto my third grade teacher.
My feet zig-zag, slaloming between approachers
Seemingly unaware of walkway-as-roadway rules:
“Like a car, you idiots, walk how you drive!”
I crucify them in my head, crushing the Monet moment;
“They don’t know,” I counsel myself, “Most don’t drive . . .”
The silly beautiful boats float silently,
Slave-tied to the docks, yet smiling until their paint peels,
Their epic swan bodies and heads hiding the “Lovers’ Curse”
Of all couples who enter them and kick them through the water.
A piercing cry screeches into the midnight blue ceiling,
A peacock announcing existence.
Navy blue suits fetal curve alone on the cold wooden benches,
Awaiting Sake’s grip to soften, or Night’s icy fingers to harden
Before they stumble homeward.
I remember the previous night at the lake,
The missed moment with her, and throw my old key into the lake’s center
But miss and bury it ten meters to the left.
I smile into the beauty of the sky’s albino patches;
Cotton candy amoebas pin-cushioned
Onto a velvet sky with a thousand countable stars.
Nature holds my hand just a moment, reminding me:
A simple world where love conquers all.
MUSEUM -What's Going on?-
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD AUGUST 07. 2026
Kan: Space Brothers Exhibition (完・宇宙兄弟展)
Kan: Space Brothers Exhibition (完・宇宙兄弟展) is a special exhibition celebrating the conclusion of Space Brothers (Uch? Ky?dai), the acclaimed manga by Ch?ya Koyama that has inspired readers for nearly two decades. Held at the Seibu Shibuya Store A Building, 7th Floor Event Hall from 31 July to 23 August 2026, the exhibition commemorates the series' completion by inviting visitors to relive its memorable journey of dreams, perseverance, and space exploration.
The exhibition showcases original manga artwork, production materials, and carefully curated displays that trace the development of the story and its beloved characters, Mutta and Hibito Nanba. Visitors can explore immersive themed zones that recreate iconic scenes from the series, offering fans the opportunity to experience pivotal moments from the manga in a new way. The exhibition is designed to appeal not only to long-time readers but also to newcomers interested in discovering the inspirational world of Space Brothers.
*
In addition to the exhibition, visitors can purchase exclusive merchandise available only at the venue and enjoy a limited-time collaboration cafe´ featuring themed food, drinks, and special visitor gifts. A collaboration with Wakasa Space Mackerel Canned Food and other exclusive products further enhances the experience. Timed-entry tickets are available, with options that include limited-edition goods and special admission benefits. Together, these attractions create a comprehensive celebration of one of Japan's most beloved manga series, honouring its legacy and its enduring message of pursuing one's dreams, no matter how distant they may seem.
Period:- Aug 23rd (Sun) Venue: Seibu Shibuya Department Store 7F Hours: 10:00 - 20:00 (admission 30 minutes before? closing)
Admission: Adults － 2,300yen / College Students － 1,300yen / General: From 3,700 (advance ticket) / Under High Scholl Students: From 1,700 (advance ticket) Tickst prices vary depending on the day of the week.
For more information, please visit
https://dsnl-ticket.com/kan-uchukyodai-ten
Eiichiro Oda’s ONE PIECE / The Scroll ll (Tokyo)
Eiichiro Oda’s “ONE PIECE / The Scroll II” is a special exhibition presented by Shueisha Manga-Art Heritage, showcasing a large-scale art print based on the world-famous manga ONE PIECE. Held at the Shueisha Manga-Art Heritage Tokyo Gallery in Azabudai Hills, Tokyo, from 8 July to 29 November 2026, the exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to experience manga as fine art through advanced printing techniques and traditional Japanese craftsmanship.
The centerpiece of the exhibition, “ONE PIECE / The Scroll II,” transforms Eiichiro Oda’s iconic “Great Pirate Centennial” (Dai Kaizoku Hyakkei) illustration into a monumental horizontal scroll-style artwork. The piece is reproduced on Japanese washi paper using the traditional collotype printing process, a highly detailed technique known for preserving the richness of original artwork. The production uses multiple printing plates to accurately capture the vivid colors and intricate details of the pirate characters.
Eiichiro Oda, ONE PIECE / The Scroll II
(2025, collotype print on Japanese washi paper),
edition of 55. Detail photograph (partial view).
Alongside the main artwork, the exhibition also presents the “ONE PIECE / Covers” series, featuring comic cover illustrations printed on B4-sized washi paper. These works highlight the artistic value of manga illustrations and explore the connection between contemporary pop culture and traditional Japanese techniques.
Through this exhibition, Shueisha Manga-Art Heritage celebrates ONE PIECE as a cultural artwork, offering fans and collectors a unique opportunity to appreciate Eiichiro Oda’s creations beyond the printed page.
Period: 2026.11.29 (Sun) 20266 Venue: Shueisha Manga-Art Heritage Tokyo Gallery (Azabudai Hills)
Hours: Tue, Wed, Thu 11:00－18:00 Fri, Sat, Sun, Japanese Holidays 11:00－19:00 Closed Days: Please check the website Admission Fee: Free
For more information, please visit
Strange but True
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD AUGUST 21. 2026
Museum Car Caught Speeding?!
Staff at the Volo Museum near Chicago were baffled when a $50 speeding ticket arrived in the mail. The alleged offender? Their replica of KITT, the talking black Trans Am from the 1980s series "Knight Rider" ― a car that has sat motionless on display for over a decade. A New York City traffic camera had snapped a look-alike Trans Am doing 36 mph in a 25 mph school zone, and its novelty "KNIGHT" plate somehow traced back to the museum. Staff first assumed it was a joke, then had a good laugh, sharing security footage proving the car never moved. They even updated their Facebook page to celebrate the fictional car's imaginary road trip. The museum is now contesting the fine, still wondering how a stationary movie prop got booked.
The Mystery Creature of Seattle
When Seattle resident Kiana Hall spotted a strange creature shuffling through her Ballard neighborhood, she genuinely could not tell what she was looking at. Hunched, round, and oddly proportioned, the animal looked less like local wildlife than something from folklore. "I have never seen any other animal like it," she said, comparing it to a cryptid or yeti. She named him Jimothy, and once her videos hit the internet this summer, the mysterious beast became a viral sensation, sparking wild theories about mutants and monsters. The truth turned out gentler: veterinary experts believe Jimothy is simply a raccoon with a spinal deformity that gives him his peculiar shape. Far from a monster, he is just an ordinary trash panda dealt an unusual silhouette, now beloved by thousands of online fans.
Links
Guesthouse Tokyo
10 minutes to Ikebukuro.
Interhouse
safe and accessible solution for your accommodation needs in Tokyo.
Sakura House
1830 monthly furnished rooms at 204 locations in Tokyo.
TOKYO ROOM FINDER
Contact our international team that will assist you in finding housing
and overcoming any communication barriers in Japan!
J&F Plaza
Furnished & unfurnished guesthouses and apartments in Tokyo.
May Flower House
Tokyo furnished apartments. Ginza, Roppongi, Yotsuya and more.
TenTen Guesthouse
33,000yen/30 days for working holiday students.
GOOD ROOM TOKYO
Share room, Private room, under 50,000yen
MOVE JAPAN
Private furnished rooms in Tokyo with free internet. Call us first or call us last!
Tokyomove.com
Hassle free moving starts from 6000yen.
Tokyo Helping Hands
Very flexible working hours to effectly help you with moving, deliveries, disposal, storage and more!
AirNet Travel
We'll cut you the best air ticket deals anywhere.
Fun Travel
Discount air travel & package tours 2min from Roppongi Stn.
No.1 Travel
We go the extra mile for you. International air tickets and hotels.
JR Tokai Tours
Top-value travel to Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya from Tokyo by Shinkansen.
Matsuda Legal Office
All kinds of Visa, Immigration & Naturalization, International Marriage etc.
Futaba Visa Office
Licensed immigration lawyer & certified public tax consultant.
American Pharmacy
English speaking pharmacy since 1950.
Tokyo Skin Clinic
EU-licensed multi lingual doctors.
Tax-free AKKY
Japanese Appliance, Watch, Souvenirs
Tokyo Speed Dating
1st Sat. & 3rd Sun. at Bari n Roppongi ETC.
Tokyo Spontaneous
Picnic, Parties, Language exchange
TMA
Japanese women & Western men.
Tokyo Fab
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD AUGUST 07, 2026LEGO Festival in Marunouchi 2026
LEGO Festival in Marunouchi 2026 turns central Tokyo into a colourful playground built around creativity, exploration, and hands-on fun. Returning with an expanded programme, the festival is centred on the theme of bringing people together through play, offering activities designed to appeal to both children and adults.
At the heart of the festival are interactive workshops where participants can help build a large LEGO version of a new Marunouchi. Visitors can also create flowers inspired by the LEGO Botanicals range, while younger children can enjoy a LEGO DUPLO play area. These activities encourage visitors to build together rather than simply admire finished models.
The festival also takes visitors beyond a single venue with an area-wide LEGO ONE PIECE stamp rally. Participants explore Marunouchi while collecting stamps and can build and take home a LEGO Chopper hat inspired by the popular character. A separate photo rally encourages visitors to discover LEGO models positioned around the district.
With workshops, character greetings, building activities, photo opportunities, and interactive challenges, LEGO Festival in Marunouchi offers a playful way to explore one of Tokyo’s most prominent business districts while enjoying LEGO creativity.
August 22nd (Sun) @ Maru Bldg., 1F MARUCUBE
https://www.marunouchi.com/lp/legofestival2026/
Godzilla the Art Exhibition
Since stomping onto screens in 1954, Godzilla has become far more than a movie monster ― he's a shape-shifting symbol reinvented by every era that draws him. To mark the King of the Monsters' 70th anniversary, the Mori Arts Center Gallery high above Roppongi Hills reimagines the kaiju not through film clips but through the lens of contemporary art.
Rather than retrace Godzilla's cinematic history, the exhibition poses one deceptively simple question: what is Godzilla? Twenty-nine artists offer their own answers across paintings, sculptures, photography, and performance pieces, with names ranging from graphic-design legend Tadanori Yokoo to actor Tadanobu Asano. A diorama built exclusively for the venue by Toho Visual Arts anchors the show, treating the creature as everything from natural disaster to national memory to enduring pop icon. The variety is the point: no two artists see the same monster, and that restless, ever-changing quality is exactly what has kept Godzilla alive for seven decades.
Perched on the 52nd floor, the gallery pairs the art with sweeping city views, making it an easy, air-conditioned escape from the late-summer heat. Whether you're a lifelong tokusatsu fan or simply curious how one rubber-suited monster became a canvas for serious fine art, it's a genuinely rewarding way to spend a couple of hours.
- Sep 23rd (Wed) 10am - 8pm @ Mori Arts Center Gallery
https://macg.roppongihills.com/en/exhibitions/godzilla-exhibition/
Have You Been To...
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD AUGUST 21, 2026Cape Kamui [Shakotan, Hokkaido]
Jutting into the Sea of Japan on Hokkaido's Shakotan Peninsula, Cape Kamui rewards visitors with rugged cliffs, impossibly blue "Shakotan blue" waters, and a windswept walking trail to its very tip. Popular with photographers and nature lovers, the cape also carries a tragic old love legend. Come on a clear day for sweeping ocean views you will never quite forget.
Ouchi-juku [Shimogo, Fukushima]
Frozen gently in time, Ouchi-juku is a former Edo-period post town where thatched-roof houses line a single unpaved street. Once a rest stop for travelers, it now offers charming craft shops, local soba, and a wonderfully calm, historic atmosphere. Especially magical under winter snow, this Fukushima gem lets you step straight into old Japan, far from the usual tourist crowds.
Aogashima [Aogashima, Tokyo]
Technically part of Tokyo yet a world away, Aogashima is a remote volcanic island roughly 350 kilometers out in the Pacific. A few hundred residents live inside a dramatic double crater, ringed by lush greenery and steep cliffs. Reaching it takes real effort by boat or helicopter, but the reward is star-filled skies and scenery unlike anywhere else in Japan.
Iya Valley [Miyoshi, Tokushima]
Hidden deep in Shikoku's mountains, the Iya Valley is a land of misty gorges, turquoise rivers, and swaying vine bridges once used by fleeing samurai. Crossing the creaking Kazurabashi high above the water is a genuine thrill. With hot springs, quiet villages, and truly dramatic scenery at every turn, this remote valley remains one of Japan's most atmospheric hidden escapes.
Tokyo Voice Column
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD TNB Throwback: FEB 16. 2026"Inogashira Park" in Kichijoji by Curt Neilson
The moon hangs in fullness over the shallow waters.
A couple giggles in tones of discovery.
Another sits and gazes mindlessly.
Freshman-looking boys surround the swings;
The apparent leader bends his legs slowly like an aged pendulum.
They practice catch with wit, feeling their adolescence shapening into identity.
Walking I suddenly feel like Cain with GAIJIN on my forehead marking my otherness,
able to bend necks at me or cut paths through seas of dark heads.
But tonight the moon has played her trump card,
Revealing the deeper reality found beneath the surface rocks,
Making their “ar-bi-tos” and all-night cramming merely
A daydream, a yesterday, a nightmare realized for what it was:
A distracting mirage from the human, the animal, the passion―
The crickets’ song behind them, in front of them, beside them, in them―
Nature’s accompaniment to their true fairie tale.
A runner pounds the soft bricks into mud paste;
An old adobe project sprouts between my ears;
I struggle to pin a name onto my third grade teacher.
My feet zig-zag, slaloming between approachers
Seemingly unaware of walkway-as-roadway rules:
“Like a car, you idiots, walk how you drive!”
I crucify them in my head, crushing the Monet moment;
“They don’t know,” I counsel myself, “Most don’t drive . . .”
The silly beautiful boats float silently,
Slave-tied to the docks, yet smiling until their paint peels,
Their epic swan bodies and heads hiding the “Lovers’ Curse”
Of all couples who enter them and kick them through the water.
A piercing cry screeches into the midnight blue ceiling,
A peacock announcing existence.
Navy blue suits fetal curve alone on the cold wooden benches,
Awaiting Sake’s grip to soften, or Night’s icy fingers to harden
Before they stumble homeward.
I remember the previous night at the lake,
The missed moment with her, and throw my old key into the lake’s center
But miss and bury it ten meters to the left.
I smile into the beauty of the sky’s albino patches;
Cotton candy amoebas pin-cushioned
Onto a velvet sky with a thousand countable stars.
Nature holds my hand just a moment, reminding me:
A simple world where love conquers all.
MUSEUM -What's Going on?-
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD AUGUST 07. 2026Kan: Space Brothers Exhibition (完・宇宙兄弟展) Kan: Space Brothers Exhibition (完・宇宙兄弟展) is a special exhibition celebrating the conclusion of Space Brothers (Uch? Ky?dai), the acclaimed manga by Ch?ya Koyama that has inspired readers for nearly two decades. Held at the Seibu Shibuya Store A Building, 7th Floor Event Hall from 31 July to 23 August 2026, the exhibition commemorates the series' completion by inviting visitors to relive its memorable journey of dreams, perseverance, and space exploration. |
* |
In addition to the exhibition, visitors can purchase exclusive merchandise available only at the venue and enjoy a limited-time collaboration cafe´ featuring themed food, drinks, and special visitor gifts. A collaboration with Wakasa Space Mackerel Canned Food and other exclusive products further enhances the experience. Timed-entry tickets are available, with options that include limited-edition goods and special admission benefits. Together, these attractions create a comprehensive celebration of one of Japan's most beloved manga series, honouring its legacy and its enduring message of pursuing one's dreams, no matter how distant they may seem. |
Period:- Aug 23rd (Sun) Venue: Seibu Shibuya Department Store 7F Hours: 10:00 - 20:00 (admission 30 minutes before? closing)
Admission: Adults － 2,300yen / College Students － 1,300yen / General: From 3,700 (advance ticket) / Under High Scholl Students: From 1,700 (advance ticket) Tickst prices vary depending on the day of the week.
For more information, please visit
https://dsnl-ticket.com/kan-uchukyodai-ten
Eiichiro Oda’s ONE PIECE / The Scroll ll (Tokyo) Eiichiro Oda’s “ONE PIECE / The Scroll II” is a special exhibition presented by Shueisha Manga-Art Heritage, showcasing a large-scale art print based on the world-famous manga ONE PIECE. Held at the Shueisha Manga-Art Heritage Tokyo Gallery in Azabudai Hills, Tokyo, from 8 July to 29 November 2026, the exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to experience manga as fine art through advanced printing techniques and traditional Japanese craftsmanship. |
Eiichiro Oda, ONE PIECE / The Scroll II |
Alongside the main artwork, the exhibition also presents the “ONE PIECE / Covers” series, featuring comic cover illustrations printed on B4-sized washi paper. These works highlight the artistic value of manga illustrations and explore the connection between contemporary pop culture and traditional Japanese techniques. |
Period: 2026.11.29 (Sun) 20266 Venue: Shueisha Manga-Art Heritage Tokyo Gallery (Azabudai Hills)
Hours: Tue, Wed, Thu 11:00－18:00 Fri, Sat, Sun, Japanese Holidays 11:00－19:00 Closed Days: Please check the website Admission Fee: Free
For more information, please visit
Strange but True
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD AUGUST 21. 2026Museum Car Caught Speeding?!
Staff at the Volo Museum near Chicago were baffled when a $50 speeding ticket arrived in the mail. The alleged offender? Their replica of KITT, the talking black Trans Am from the 1980s series "Knight Rider" ― a car that has sat motionless on display for over a decade. A New York City traffic camera had snapped a look-alike Trans Am doing 36 mph in a 25 mph school zone, and its novelty "KNIGHT" plate somehow traced back to the museum. Staff first assumed it was a joke, then had a good laugh, sharing security footage proving the car never moved. They even updated their Facebook page to celebrate the fictional car's imaginary road trip. The museum is now contesting the fine, still wondering how a stationary movie prop got booked.
The Mystery Creature of Seattle
When Seattle resident Kiana Hall spotted a strange creature shuffling through her Ballard neighborhood, she genuinely could not tell what she was looking at. Hunched, round, and oddly proportioned, the animal looked less like local wildlife than something from folklore. "I have never seen any other animal like it," she said, comparing it to a cryptid or yeti. She named him Jimothy, and once her videos hit the internet this summer, the mysterious beast became a viral sensation, sparking wild theories about mutants and monsters. The truth turned out gentler: veterinary experts believe Jimothy is simply a raccoon with a spinal deformity that gives him his peculiar shape. Far from a monster, he is just an ordinary trash panda dealt an unusual silhouette, now beloved by thousands of online fans.
Links
Guesthouse Tokyo10 minutes to Ikebukuro. Interhousesafe and accessible solution for your accommodation needs in Tokyo. Sakura House1830 monthly furnished rooms at 204 locations in Tokyo. TOKYO ROOM FINDERContact our international team that will assist you in finding housing and overcoming any communication barriers in Japan! |
J&F PlazaFurnished & unfurnished guesthouses and apartments in Tokyo. May Flower HouseTokyo furnished apartments. Ginza, Roppongi, Yotsuya and more. TenTen Guesthouse33,000yen/30 days for working holiday students. GOOD ROOM TOKYOShare room, Private room, under 50,000yen |
MOVE JAPANPrivate furnished rooms in Tokyo with free internet. Call us first or call us last! Tokyomove.comHassle free moving starts from 6000yen. |
Tokyo Helping HandsVery flexible working hours to effectly help you with moving, deliveries, disposal, storage and more! |
AirNet TravelWe'll cut you the best air ticket deals anywhere. Fun TravelDiscount air travel & package tours 2min from Roppongi Stn. |
No.1 TravelWe go the extra mile for you. International air tickets and hotels. JR Tokai ToursTop-value travel to Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya from Tokyo by Shinkansen. |
Matsuda Legal OfficeAll kinds of Visa, Immigration & Naturalization, International Marriage etc. |
Futaba Visa OfficeLicensed immigration lawyer & certified public tax consultant. |
|
American PharmacyEnglish speaking pharmacy since 1950. |
Tokyo Skin ClinicEU-licensed multi lingual doctors. |
|
Tax-free AKKYJapanese Appliance, Watch, Souvenirs |
Tokyo Speed Dating1st Sat. & 3rd Sun. at Bari n Roppongi ETC. Tokyo SpontaneousPicnic, Parties, Language exchange |
|
TMAJapanese women & Western men. |
|
50 Shades of Yikess
