Discover insider tips, travel guides, and inspiring stories for your next adventure in Japan
The Sgt. Frog x Sanrio Characters pop-up store is expanding to Kyoto Station, S-PAL Sendai, and JR Ikebukuro Station starting September 11, 2026, with new Sgt. Frog merchandise going on early sale at the Kyoto location.
Marukoma Onsen Ryokan, a 111-year-old hot spring inn on the shores of Lake Shikotsu in Hokkaido, has opened stay reservations for the 2027 Chitose - Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival, running January 30 to February 23. Guests can see the ice sculptures glow “Lake Shikotsu Blue” by day and transform under colorful lighting after dark, then warm up in the inn's lakeside hot springs.
SHOGUN STUDIO JAPAN - HOTEL EMION KYOTO STUDIO opened on the first floor of Hotel Emion KYOTO on August 8, 2026, one train stop from Kyoto Station, a new cultural experience venue where guests can wear authentic samurai armor or hand-painted Kyo-Yuzen kimono for a tea ceremony and professional photography.
From October 2 to 26, 2026, Fuji-Q Highland hosts "SKZOO in Fuji-Q Highland Produced by GiGO," featuring Japan's first SKZOO drone and fireworks show, Stray Kids-themed rides on ZOKKON and Par-tea CUP, a stamp rally, collaboration food, and photo spots.
From October 2026, Glamping Souten Kaihou -SOUTENKAIHOU- in Joetsu, Niigata is offering two seasonal plans — a "Sauna Retreat" built around its newly renovated ocean-view saunas and six added perks, plus a seasonal BBQ plan pairing Niigata-branded meat and seafood with a cheese fondue for dipping the local Bakauke rice cracker.
Square Enix has introduced a new collectible card series called SQUARE ENIX GALLERY CARDS, and pre-orders have opened today for its first release, a FINAL FANTASY "40th Anniversary" Collection. The 180-card set spans 97 illustrations and includes a rare card bearing artist Yoshitaka Amano's digital signature, plus NFC-embedded cards that link to music.
studio CLIP is teaming up with the beloved TV anime Ranma ½ for the brand's first-ever collaboration, turning the series' characters into cute Chinese-style home goods and everyday accessories. The collection launches September 18, 2026 at the official web store and studio CLIP stores nationwide.
SUNSOFT is reviving four of its earliest Famicom titles, including the original "kusoge" Ikki, The Mystery of Atlantis, Super Arabian, and Maharaja, in SUNSOFT is Back! Retro Game Selection 2, launching December 17, 2026 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Steam with save and rewind support, a gallery mode, and a limited collector's box.
In Tamano, Okayama, whole-house rental kominka retreat "The Nature Uno" has welcomed guests from eight countries in the roughly five months since its May 2026 opening, pairing a "do-nothing" retreat with easy access to the art islands of Naoshima and Teshima.
A Japan beta test is coming soon for Three Kingdoms Tactics: Go, a new SRPG×SLG smartphone game from Qookka Games that is officially licensed by ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS XIV, featuring turn-based tactical battles and large-scale real-time alliance wars across historic Three Kingdoms battlefields.
Toei Animation is teaming up with Lagos-based CR motion+, the video production arm of Nigeria's Comic Republic, to co-produce an original spinoff anime titled The Storyteller ~The dawn of Legend（仮） - the studio's first collaboration with an African animation studio, targeting completion in spring 2027.
Tokyo Bay Maihama Hotel First Resort, an official Tokyo Disney Resort hotel, is decorating guest rooms for Christmas and offering three seasonal dinner menus from November 11 to December 25, 2026.