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Lifelike dolls created by legendary Goyo Hirata amaze Twitter users, leave us speechless

Preston Phro
Oct 7, 2015
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Japan is full of national treasures, from beautiful nature spots to old architecture, but one of the most interesting classes of national treasures is the living kind. Masters of their crafts, these national treasures often represent the heights of Japanese arts — including doll making! But we’re not talking about G.I. Joe figures or Barbie dolls, we’re talking about works of art that look less like toys and more like real people frozen in time.

Goyo Hirata was exactly that kind of artist, and once you see some of his creations, you’ll agree that he was definitely deserving of the status of Living National Treasure. Though Hirata passed away in 1981, his work is still celebrated today and no less amazing.

Japan
(art • dolls • Goyo Hirata II • museums)

Over 20 Museums, Galleries and Zoos in Tokyo are free for today only!

Master Blaster
Oct 1, 2015

Today (October 1) is Citizen’s Day in Tokyo, celebrating the independence and welfare of the area’s residents. And what better way to do that than by giving them free access to over 20 of Tokyo’s cultural attractions from museums to art galleries to gardens and even zoos.

Now, considering it’s Citizen’s Day you might be thinking that such a deal is only open to people living in Tokyo, but no! Anyone who can get out here today and today only can get free admission to the following places.

Japan
(aquariums • Citizen's Day • free • museums • parks • sightseeing • Tokyo • travel • zoos)

Snoopy Museum scheduled to open in Tokyo’s Roppongi

Casey Baseel
Jul 31, 2015

As the glitzy center of Tokyo’s nightlife scene, Roppongi is best known for its high-profile dance clubs, high-class restaurants, and high-cover charge bars. But even if you’ve got no interest in dancing, dining, or drinking, there’s a new attraction coming to the neighborhood: the Snoopy Museum.

Japan
(museums • Peanuts • Snoopy • Tokyo)

Tokyo exhibition on cultural impact of anime and video games adds list of series to be examined

Casey Baseel
Apr 25, 2015

On any given day in a Tokyo summer, you can expect the weather to be hot, rainy, or a sticky mixture of the two. As such, it’s usually a good idea to have a couple of indoor activates in mind in case you need a break from the sweltering heat.

Thankfully, Japan’s capital is filled with museums, and one will be holding a special exhibition on the cultural impact of anime, manga, and video games. We’ve been looking forward to this event for a while, and now there’s even a partial list of titles that are scheduled to be highlighted.

Japan
(animemanga • culture • events • museums • video games)

Studio Ghibli involved in six great art exhibitions that you just have to see this summer

KK Miller
Apr 15, 2015

Waiting for the next Studio Ghibli film is like waiting for the next Game of Thrones book, it never comes soon enough! And with no new projects announced since the completion of When Marnie Was There in 2014, Ghibli fans may have a longer wait than those waiting for The Winds of Winter.

Luckily, movies aren’t the only way to lose yourself in a Studio Ghibli world. For those who can’t wait, there are six different exhibits in Japan that are connected with the fantastical Ghibli places that have become so familiar thanks to the movies and better yet, they are all being held right now.

Japan
(art • Hideaki Anno • museums • Studio Ghibli • When Marnie Was There)

Naruto art exhibition coming to Tokyo and Osaka with free, new manga for all attendees

Casey Baseel
Feb 24, 2015

The rumors of Naruto’s death have been greatly exaggerated. Sure, last November marked the end of creator Masashi Kishimoto’s manga, after an amazing 15 years of serialization collected into 72 volumes. But while manga fans no longer get to see their ninja pals in the pages of weekly anthology Shonen Jump, elsewhere Naruto and company have been popping up all over the place.

The anime TV series is still ongoing, and last December’s The Last: Naruto the Movie isn’t as conclusive as it sounds, as there’s another Naruto theatrical feature scheduled for release in August. Then, of course, there’s the highly anticipated stage adaptation of the series.

And if all that’s still not enough for you, there’s an exhibition of Naruto artwork set to open in Tokyo and Osaka soon, with a sneak peak just a week away.

Japan
(anime • art • events • manga • museums • Naruto)

The City of Angels is now the City of Samurai with Los Angeles museum’s awesome armor exhibition

Casey Baseel
Jan 25, 2015

Like clockwork, every winter I get a serious bout of home-sickness. It’s usually triggered by a call or email from someone back home telling me about taking a drive with the top down, watching football on ordinary broadcast TV, going out for some Vietnamese sandwiches, or one of the other things I miss about life in Los Angeles.

“But,” I remind myself, “Japan has lots of cool things too! Where else can you go to the museum and see massive collections of samurai armor, huh?”

Oh, right now you can do that at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art? Touché, L.A.

Japan
(art • cool • culture • events • history • Los Angeles • museums • samurai)

Japanese village converted into gorgeous open-air museum makes an easy day-trip escape from Tokyo

Casey Baseel
Jan 24, 2015

There’s a lot to love about Tokyo. Aside from the sheer energy of being the most bustling metropolis in Japan, it’s home to some amazing modern attractions, like the Skytree, Ebisu Beer Museum, and RocketNews24 offices.

Still, even we can appreciate the occasional longing for a simpler, slower-paced time. Thankfully, even if you don’t have a time machine, as long as you have access to the capital’s outstanding public transportation network, you can catch a glimpse of Japan’s traditional rural lifestyle at this beautiful open-air museum of thatched-roof houses that’s an easy half-day trip from Tokyo.

Japan
(architecture • beautiful • cool • culture • museums • travel • Yamanashi)

“2D vs. Katana” exhibition shows off recreations of swords from anime and video games in Osaka

Casey Baseel
Dec 20, 2014

Last year, Tokyo’s Ueno Royal Museum held an exhibition of Japanese swords inspired by the mechanical and character designs of landmark anime Evangelion. As cool as some of the pieces looked, though, you won’t find any scenes in the giant robot franchise where someone actually fights using a katana.

On the other hand, right now the Osaka Museum of History is holding an event that goes even further in bridging the gap between fantasy and reality, by displaying recreations of amazing blades seen in anime, manga, and light novel illustrations.

Japan
(anime • awesome • cool • cosplay • events • history • manga • museums • swords • video games)

New exhibition at Tokyo National Art Museum comes with excavated chocolate souvenirs

Oona McGee
Oct 14, 2014

There’s so much to love about Japanese customer service. Whether you’re shopping at an expensive department store or perusing the shelves at the local supermarket, you can rest assured that everything has been thought through and tailored to meet your needs and desires.

The same attention to detail will be there for visitors to the upcoming National Treasures of Japan exhibition at the Tokyo National Art Museum in Ueno this month. Clearly aware that visitors will want to dig up a national treasure of their own after viewing the exhibition, the gift shop has some unusual souvenirs for customers to take home – including chocolate artefacts.

Japan
(art • culture • exhibition • museums • souvenirs)

Science museum’s elemental lockers provide chemistry lesson while you stash your stuff

Casey Baseel
Aug 21, 2014

The Nagoya City Science Museum, being located in one of the busiest urban centers of Japan, gets most of its visitors arriving by public transportation. Without a car to store their stuff in, most of them are carrying some sort of bag with their personal belongings, plus, in the case of tourists from out of town, any souvenirs they’ve been buying while in the country’s fourth-largest city.

For those who don’t feel like lugging their things around inside the museum, there’s a bank of lockers. Of course, a drab wall of solid gray metal wouldn’t be very visually appealing. At many other tourist attractions in Japan, you’d see a brightly colored mural featuring some local mascot character, but the designers at the Science System went with something a lot more original and appropriate by plastering the chemical symbols of the elements on them.

Japan
(art • cool • museums • science)

Udon Museums set to bring oodles of noodles to Tokyo and Osaka this year

Casey Baseel
Aug 8, 2014

Compared to ramen, udon has a decidedly low-key image. Ramen is actually a comparative newcomer to the Japanese dining scene, and so it’s generally the more likely candidate for crazy experimentation. Udon, on the other hand, is simpler, and in its most basic form, the thick white flour noodles, floating in a basic salty broth, can seem almost austere by comparison.

At least, that’s the impression eating udon only in train station noodle joints and school cafeterias would leave you with. The truth is, in the several centuries Japan has been eating udon, it’s come up with dozens of different takes on the dish, and later this year, you’ll be able to sample dozens all in the same place, with the opening of two Udon Museums in Tokyo and Osaka.

Japan
(food • Kyoto • museums • Noodles • Osaka • travel • udon)

Special exhibits on Studio Ghibli’s art and architecture coming soon to two Tokyo museums

Casey Baseel
Jun 17, 2014

For any serious anime fan making a trip to Tokyo, a visit to the Ghibli Museum should be at the top of their list. Not only is the design of the building bursting with subtle references to the works of esteemed director Hayao Miyazaki and his compatriots, the on-site theater also screens Ghibli shorts you can’t see anywhere else, such as the heart-warming follow-up to My Neighbor Totoro.

This summer, though, two more Tokyo museums are getting in on the act with special exhibits focusing on the architecture of Studio Ghibli plus artwork for the animation house’s newest film.

Japan
(anime • art • Hayao Miyazaki • museums • Studio Ghibli)

Life-sized 3-D maneuver gear goes on display at Osaka’s new Attack on Titan museum

Oona McGee
Jan 31, 2014

The wildly popular manga and animated series, Attack on Titan, continues to charge on, picking up speed and treating us all to a bevy of fan-related events before its live-action film debut in 2015. Now, for a limited time only, Osaka will play host to a very special “Survey Corps Museum”, with original illustrations, exclusive merchandise and awesome, life-sized 3-D maneuver gear. If you’re a fan of Attack on Titan, then take a look at what’s waiting for you in Osaka for the next 16 days…