A group of students from Prefectural University of Kumamoto developed a smartphone app 'IKOU' to support reconstruction efforts of the areas stricken by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes. By using the app, visitors can now tour around the earthquake's traces, together with the Straw Hat Pirates (characters) from the popular manga series 'ONE PIECE'. Source: ONE PIECE Kumamoto Revival Project's IKOU Official HP With 10 statues of the Straw Hat Pirates placed in 9 spots severely affected by the 2016 quake, this app is also part of the ONE PIECE Kumamoto Revival...

Admission tickets for Ghibli Park, opened at Aichi in November 2022, will be on sale for overseas individual visitors from 10 Jan 2023 on 2pm (Japan time) on a first-come, first-served basis. Visitors can buy from its English website for use in the period of 15 March – 30 April. No Face from Spirited Away, a part of Ghibli's Grand Warehouse (Source: Ghibli Park Official HP) The tickets this time will be limited to the noon admission slot for the park's main area, Ghibli's Grand Warehouse. From May onwards, overseas...

One of the largest store chains for anime-manga fans, ANIMATE, will be renovating its animate Ikebukuro Flagship Store towards the store's 40th anniversary in spring 2023. Set to open in 16 March 2023, this Ikebukuro store may just be the world's largest anime outlet yet. (more…)

GUNDAM FACTORY YOKOHAMA (GFY), where visitors can experience a dream come true of an actual moving life-sized 18m Gundam, will hold a special winter production "GFY Winter Illumination 2022 feat. 'Mobile Suit Gundam: Witch of Mercury'" on 24 November 2022 – 9 January 2023. (more…)