Archive for 'Shinjuku' Category

Grand opening of “NEWoMan”, department store complex in Shinjuku

A major department store chain “Lumine” opened its new commercial facility complex called “NEWoman” at the south exit of Shinjuku station Tokyo on this Mar.25. (http://www.newoman.jp/)

This new facility showed up in one of the busiest areas in Japan consists of 5600㎥of 6 floors and  2000㎥ of three floors just above the station areas connected to a part of the station facilities. NEWoMan provides about 100 shops and expected to make 20- billion- yen revenue in its first year. Foods , cosmetics, fashion shops, cafe, a daycare,  clinics, an event hall ,and so forth are there and mainly targetting working generations  of females in thier 30-40s.

Tokyo Marathon 2016 and Friendship Run

Tokyo Marathon 2016 was held on Feb.28th. (http://www.marathon.tokyo/en/) This time the marathon was the tenth and more than 36,000 people joined the big event. The start point of  the square in front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Office Buildings in Shinjuku, Tokyo was covered with the runners and specutators.

And  the forerunner event “Tokyo Marathon Frienship Run 2016” was also held on Feb.27th. (http://www.marathon.tokyo/news-media/news/news_000056.html)

In the Friendship Run, 919 foreign runners and 530 Japanese runners joined.  The public speeches at the opening ceremony were made in both Japanese and English and the international friendship atmosphere was around.  In addition, three other forerunner events of  press conferences of Men’s elite Athletes, Women’s elite Athletes, and Wheelchair Athletes were held on the same day of 27th.

Tokyo Olympics’ and Paralympics’ official emblems

The officilal emblems of the upcoming  Tokyo Olympic Games and Paralympic Games 2020 were released by The Tokyo Organizing Committee of  the Olympic and paralympic Games at a special huge eventatteded by many people and athletic celebrities held at the front square of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building in Tokyo on Jul 24, which was just the date to five years for start of the Tokyo olympic Games 2020.

 

The emblems were chosen out of 104 candidates in the design contest for this purpose. The Olympics’ emblem uses “T” form as its basic design, which symbolizes “Tokyo”, “Team”, and “Tomorrow”,while the Paralympics’ is based on a degin of “E” form,which symbolizes “Equal”. The embles will be used for related events, memorial goods,  sign borads,and so forth from now on for the  upcoming world biggest events in five years.

LAOX SHINJUKU Main Store Opening

Laox, a major home electric appliance tore chain opened a new store in Shinjuku, Tokyo on Jun.6th. (http://www.laox.co.jp/)(http://www.laox.co.jp/en/)

The new store is located on 3,4,and 5th floor of JTB Shinjuku Kyodo Building  near Shinjuku Station, which is the busiest commercial area in Tokyo. The store space is about 2140 ㎡ and the management expects mainly Chinese and Islamic tourists for huge shopping visits.

The store provides wide range of goods, such as PCs, TVs, watches, cosmetics, video games, goceries and so forth. The opening cerempony was held on the opening day and a famous Taiwanese actor, Lin Chi-ling  turned  up and did promotion of the new store, saying, Laox chain is a well-known and popular duty free and home electric appliance chain even in China. She showed  a Chinese character calligraphy, “美 ”（/beauty）.

Tokyo Governor announces launching “Omotenashi Tokyo”

Masuzoe Tokyo Governor hosted a regular press conference at the Tokyo metropolitan Government and announced the government launched a plan of volunteer city guide services called “Omotenashi Tokyo” to help foreign visitors to Tokyo as a part of special services in preparation for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics in 2020 on this May 29th. (http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/index.htm)

Masuzoe also introduced and showed the blue uniform of  Omotenashi Tokyo, the volunteer city guide groups.  He told he had impressed by the Korean volunteer guides’ warm services he had received during his stay in Soul, Korea. The Korean volunteer guides wore red uniforms and now he has chosen “blue” ones for the Tokyo guide groups, expressing the similar hospitality of the volunteer guides.  He says  he expects the new system’s volunteer guides will be a good help speaking foreign laungages for foreign tourists to Tokyo.   Omotenashi Tokyo will start its services on Jun. 19 at Shinjuku station West Exit area and area of Ueno station, with about 1,000 enrolled member guides who are housewives, students and others that meet conditions such as a ceratain English proficiency. The services hours are 11:00-17:00 on Friday,Saturday,and Sunday and services will expand to 10 venue areas withen 5 years.

The first Tokyo My Matsuri at Ueno park

The first Tokyo My Matsuri was held April.25-26 at Ueno park, which is quite famous as one of the best sites to appreciate beautiful cherryblossoms in spring in Tokyo. (http://tokyo-dance.jp/yousu)

This was a dancing festival and competitions of children’ dance teams supported by educational organizations and local commericial associations. About 50 teams joined the event and two teams of “SAKADO WINDS” and “dancecompanyREIKA組” won grandprix.  I wass there on the 26th and ate some food at  stall shops in the venue, The atmosphere there was quite lively and a lot of people were enjoying the festival. The second Matsuri is going to be held in Shinjuku on Oct.3-4.

Tokyo Marathon 2015 held, with about 36,000 participants

“Tokyo Marathon 2015” was held on Feb.22 in Tokyo. (http://www.tokyo42195.org/2015en/)  That was the 9th of the annual events with about 36,000 participating runners.

The course covered some central parts of Tokyo starting at the front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building.  Iidabashi~Hibiya Park~Shinagawa(turinig point)~Ginza~Azumabashi(turning point)~Toyosu(the Tokyo fish market is moving in here)~Tokyo Bigsight.

The runner of the Marathon Men finished first was Endeshaw Negesse from Ethiopia with the time record of 02:05:59 and that of Marathon Women was Birhane Dibaba from Ethopia at 02:23:15.  The first runner of Marathon Wheelchair men was Kota Hokinoue from Japan at 01:30:21 and that of Marathon Wheelchair Women was  Wakako Tsuchida from Japan at 01:46:28. There were some other categories of marathons in the event, all of which were popular. More than 34,000 runners successfully finished the total courses.

Cherry blossoms’ full bloom in Japan

In Japan, we have full bloom of  cherry blossoms in many rigions by the end of March this year.   In Kansai (the Western part of Japan), beautiful combinations of cherryblossoms and old cultural buildings, sush as temples and paths are seen.

In Kanto(the Eastern part of Japan) ,where full bloom situation was recognized by March 29th,  a lot of people enjoy the coloful cherry blossoms in various places, such as Ueno Park, Inokashira Park, Shinjuku Gyoen Park, Sumida River ,and other popular  cherry blossom viewing spots and facilities.

“LUPIN THE IIIRD Jigen Daisuke’s Grave Marker”

“LUPIN THE IIIRD Jigen Daisuke’s Grave Marker”,” a spin-off  anime work of a popular  anime and manga series of “LUPIN THE IIIRD” is reportedly going  to be released in this coming summer at Shunjuku Wald 9, a huge cinema complex in Tokyo.

Daisuke Jigen in one of the group members of Lupin the 3rd, a grandson of  Arsene Lupin in the manga story created by Monky Punch.  In this latest work of the series, Jigen’s young days and how he came to become Lupin the  3rd’s friend will be described. This new work is the second spin-off of the series following the first one of “LUPIN THE 3RD- A Woman called  Fujiko Mine” released in April 2012, which had been released as one of the works of the series for the first time in 27 years.

“Star Fighter”, a new type sightseeing bus attraction

Willer Travel  started a totally new type bus drive attraction called Star Fighter.The interir design of the bus is something like a replica of a cockpit of a rocket. http://travel.willer.co.jp/starfighter/

You can enjoy playing  special video games on your seat in the bus during the drive, which is a part of  the plot of the attraction. The bus service will be available in August,  between Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima, and Shinjuku and Space Center in Tsukuba , Ibaraki where you can experience a mock asrtronaut training program or Science Future Museum in Odaiba Tokyo. The travel has a concept of  futuristic experiences in a scfi-fi atmosphere.

Shibuya station will change drastically

Shibuya station which currently is used by  Toyoko-line, Yamate-line, Ginza-line, Inokashira-line, Denentoshi-line, Hanzomon-line, and Fukutoshin-line is going to undergo a drastic  remodelling on this March 16th. The station will be a totally underground facility.

A subway, Fukutoshin-line and  Toyoko-line will start  mutual exchange operation services, which will shorten traveling time a lot to serve passengers better. Then, Yokohama, Shibuya, Shinjyuku, and Ikebukuro areas will be “directly” connected and more passengers are expected to use those new services. http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/index.html   http://www.tokyu.co.jp/global/index.html http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/index.html

“Kumamon” in Tokyo advertizes the attraction of Mt. Aso in Kumamoto

Kumamon, the image character for public relations of  promoting Mt.Aso and other areas in Kumamoto Pref,  conducted special campaign in Tokyo. (http://kumamon-official.jp/)

 

Kumamon is a bear image character for “kuma” in Japanese means a bear. And Kumamoto is located on Kyushu, the southwestern part of Japan but  now is promoting attractions of Kumamoto in Tokyo putting a lot of  posters and wrapping trains for a certain term.

○Tokyo Metro Ginza Line  wrapping cars  “Kumamon U Liner”  Jan.25-Feb.8th.

○Marunouchi Line　Shinjyuku Station　Kumamon’s huge poster Jan.21-27.

○Special official website to promote Mt.Aso area Jan.17-March 31. (http://www.kininaru-k.jp/)

Animate liner bus services “Ani-ten Special Express 2012”

Animate, one of the biggest store chains of anime and manga related items, will temporarily provide special services of  liner buses between its stores and the venue of  Comic Market, the big manga event. This service is called “Ani-ten Tokkyuu 2012″(/アニ店特急2012, anime store special express ).    http://www.animate.tv/news/details.php?id=1341304868

The service started in 2007 and has been provided periodically since then. The tickets were available through a lottery for those who buy specific items. And passengers will receive special presents, services such as  radio broadcasting on the bus related to some works.

The routes and schedules are as followes;

Shinjuku line, Ikebukuro line : Aug.10-12 , Shibuya line:Aug.11-12

 

 

 

 

Naruto Pop-up Shop in Shinjuku MaruiOne

Today, Naruto may be one of the most popular character in both manga and anime all over the world.  Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower is now showing at the theater.  It is the seventh overall Naruto film and the fourth Naruto Shippuden film.

In commemoration of the theatrical release of the Naruto Movie, Shinjuku Marui One Store, the launch pad for Tokyo’s cool fashion culture, opens Naruto Pop-up Shop on the first floor during July 31 to Aug 19.

How about dropping in to visit, after seeing the Naruto movie?

Shinjuku MaruiOne

39. Its red-light district is the least dangerous – Kabukicho

Kabukicho is full of sketchy hostess clubs, airplane-themed ‘showtime cabarets’ and ‘pink salons’ (don’t ask), but also … college students hanging out with acoustic guitars? Yes, the Shinjuku red-light district is not ‘classy,’ but it’s still Tokyo. So feel free to wander through it any time of the day, maybe picking up a cone of Häagen-Dazs on the way. Read the rest of this entry »