Discover insider tips, travel guides, and inspiring stories for your next adventure in Japan
Lifestyle brand Her lip to, operated by heart relation Co., Ltd., will open its long-awaited first street-level store in the Osaka area at Shinsaibashi on September 26, 2026, following Tokyo's House of Herme with a SECOND HOUSE concept space featuring canal blue as its signature color.
On September 27, 2026, Hotel Chourakukan in Kyoto will hold a one-day-only exhibit exploring the ties between the TV anime Sparks of Tomorrow and its Important Cultural Property building, featuring comparison panels and a life-size standee of the character Yosuke Mizoe, as part of the "Art Festival in CHOURAKUKAN 2026."
JR West's ICOCA mascot Icochan the Platypus is teaming up with denim brand EDWIN for a five-item collaboration collection launching September 18 at JR West station shops and the Train Box online store. The lineup features plush toys, a mascot, a pouch, a mini tote bag, and a sneaker keyring, all built around EDWIN's signature denim details.
Kokaen, a Chinese restaurant led by Four Seeds Executive Chef Jiro Kimura, opens on September 17, 2026 on the fourth floor of JIYUGAOKA MUSE SQUARE, a new commercial landmark in front of Jiyugaoka Station.
Kanro's Marosh gummy brand and music band ZUTOMAYO return for a third collaboration with "Zuto Marosh Lime Ginger Ale Flavor," a new flavor supervised by ZUTOMAYO's ACAne, arriving exclusively at 7-Eleven stores nationwide on September 22, 2026.
Plott's popular anime KAREKORE OF MIXED BLOOD marks its 7th anniversary with the KAREKORE LUCKY 7★WEEK campaign from September 14 to 20, 2026, featuring daily content, a quiz rally, a special video, and commemorative bromides, alongside the ongoing KAREKORE DI7ER collab cafe at MARY BURGER Seibu Shibuya.
Kuguru, a shabu-shabu and obanzai restaurant, opens in Akashi, Hyogo on September 14, 2026. The restaurant buys whole Hayashi SPF pigs from Chiba and lets diners compare the loin, belly, shoulder loin, and leg in shabu-shabu, switching to an obanzai menu after midnight.
A limited-time antenna shop selling shochu, sake, and other specialties from breweries on Oita's Kunisaki Peninsula opens in the Gift Pad Space on the second floor of KITTE Osaka from November 1 to 30, 2026, timed to "Shochu Day," with a special event day on November 7.
Le Pain Kobe Kitano is opening a pop-up bakery stand at Hankyu Umeda Main Store for a limited time from September 16 to 22, 2026, offering its best-selling Onokoro Shizuku Shio Pan alongside Chocolat Shio Pan and Truffle Shio Pan from its salt bread series, plus 18 kinds of bread and sweets in total.
Gugenka has added μ's from Love Live! School Idol Project to its HoloModels digital figure lineup for the first time, with "Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE" costume and summer uniform versions of all nine members going on sale from September 14, 2026.
As autumn foliage season begins across Yamagata, Takamiya Ryokan's Meito Takamiya group of 11 hot spring inns is offering an autumn getaway built around three themes — scenic views and art, seasonal calm, and local sake and wine — spanning Zao Onsen, Yamadera, the Mogami Gorge, Atsumi Onsen, Kaminoyama, and Yonezawa.
Massage and relaxation salon miju., located near Shinjuku Gyoen, has enhanced its staff structure, added a multilingual menu, and introduced translation devices to make its treatments easier for visitors to Japan to enjoy.