2024.12.30
Koishiya Ryokan in Shinshu Shibu Onsen, which has been in existence for 1300 years, was built with great taste by craftsmen from the early Showa period. The guest rooms have been redesigned to provide comfortable and informal accommodation in line with modern travel styles, while retaining the atmospheric Japanese-style rooms as they are.
Shibu Onsen is an area famous for its hot springs, with steamy cobbled streets. Visitors to the area can enjoy a moment of togetherness with the locals in the style of an overnight stay.
Nearby is the Jigokudani Monkey Park, famous for its snow monkeys. Many guests visit to see the monkeys soaking in the hot springs in the deep snow-covered mountains.
At Shibu Onsen, visitors can enjoy a tour of the out-spa baths, a rarity in a hot spring area. The out-spa baths, which have been carefully preserved since ancient times, are open to guests staying at Shibu Onsen, and the “Kuyu Meguri (Nine Hot Springs Tour)” allows visitors to enjoy the bounty of Shibu’s hot springs to the full, each with its own unique source and benefits.
Guests can stay in a Japanese-style room with beautiful columns and craftsmanship from the early Showa period.
There are four types of rooms: Japanese-style rooms, Japanese-Western style twin rooms, dormitories and group rooms.
Services have been simplified for your convenience.
A café and restaurant is located on the ground floor of the inn. Coffee, sandwiches and Japanese set meals are served on the breakfast menu, which is also open to non-guests.
Please relax with a cup of coffee from the only espresso machine in the hot spring resort.
An online tea party that connects people across spaces, “Tea Sky Party sakue”
[World Heritage Nijo Castle] National Treasure “Ninomaru Palace” Special entry and original wall paintings are open to the public for a limited time
“Shimajiro” and “Hello Kitty” have joined hands to provide gymnastics for children around the world that can be performed by parents and children.
Started crowdfunding to support the reconstruction of “Kosho-ji” which has continued for more than 400 years and 17 generations
The moon-viewing dumplings are available only on the night of the 15th of the lunar month, Tuesday 17 September.
Traditional craftsmanship and innovation WAZA exhibition
Nara
Countrywide
Kagawa
Kyoto
Countrywide
[Nagano Prefecture Shibu Onsen]Koishiya Ryokan, a hotel in a traditional hot spring resort with cobblestone streets, began operations on 20 December (Fri).
Nagano
Renewal and reopening of the resort hotel ‘samana hotel Yakushima’ on Yakushima Island with spectacular views.
Kagoshima
[Hoshinoya Karuizawa] Tanada Lounge, an extraordinary all-day lounge where you can enjoy the changing of time and seasons, is now open.
Nagano
Tokyu Hotels New brand hotel ‘Storyline SENAGAJIMA’ opened.
Okinawa
[Kyoto Chanoyu Meihonotei] A cafe where you can experience matcha green tea in the tea room of the historical building Meihonotei opens in Kiyomizu, Kyoto.
Kyoto
[Keio Department Store, Shinjuku]This year marks the 60th edition of the ‘Original Famous Ekiben and National Good Food Competition’.
2025.01.01
[Nagano Prefecture Shibu Onsen]Koishiya Ryokan, a hotel in a traditional hot spring resort with cobblestone streets, began operations on 20 December (Fri).
2024.12.30
[Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum]Afternoon tea in the museum café is back from 27 Jan 2025 (Mon) to 13 Feb 2025 (Thu).
2024.12.27
[Meiji Kinenkan] For a limited time only, a sweets shop boasting patisseries has been opened at Odakyu Noborito Station.
2024.12.25
Kurokawa Onsen Yuakari, a fantastic illumination of bamboo in the countryside. This season, ‘Yuakari Yokocho’ is only open for a limited time.
2024.12.23
Limited edition original gin ‘NISHI-GIN’, jointly produced by a group of restaurants in Nishijin, on sale from 25 November.
2024.12.20
Kanagawa
Food
Meiji Kinenkan’s confectionery brand ‘Kanomi no Mori’ is now available at Odakyu Noborito Station. Please take a look at the varied collection, including piece cakes, decorative cakes and other cakes perfect for Christmas, as well as standard popular sweets.
Hiroshima
Art
Simose Art Museum, located in Otake City, Hiroshima Prefecture, has been awarded the prestigious Versailles Prize as the “Most Beautiful Museum in the World.”
The award ceremony took place on December 2 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, marking a historic moment for the museum and Japanese architecture.
The Versailles Prize Website:https://www.prix-versailles.com/2024
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Food
December sees the arrival of a number of Christmas breads. The Snowman with his cute smiling face is a sweet loaf with two different flavours: pudding cream and chocolate cream. It is a heartwarming treat with flavours that both children and adults can enjoy.
Also back this year is the popular Japanese Stollen, which was a big hit last year. This is a special cake that can only be tasted at Kimuraya, using Japanese-inspired ingredients such as persimmons, figs and koshi-an (sweet bean paste). Please take this opportunity to try Kimuraya’s limited edition Christmas bread.
Hiroshima
Art
The Hiroshima Museum of Art is hosting the exhibition “ZIPANGU: Contemporary Artists Who Defined the Heisei Era” (November 2, 2024 – December 22, 2024). This showcase brings together works by some of the most prominent figures in Japan’s contemporary art scene, including Yayoi Kusama, Takashi Murakami, Makoto Aida, Yoshitomo Nara, Chiharu Shiota, Izumi Kato, Akira Yamaguchi, and Miwa Komatsu. The exhibition has already garnered significant attention, exceeding 10,000 visitors.
HYAKKEI covered the dialogue between contemporary artist Takashi Murakami and Sueo Mizuma, the curator of this exhibition, held at the RIHGA Royal Hotel Hiroshima. We also conducted an exclusive interview with Mr. Mizuma.
The discussions centered on the aspirations behind the ZIPANGU exhibition and offered forward-looking insights, not only into Japan’s art world but also into the rediscovery of value within Japanese culture by its people.
Osaka
Food
Event
From 25 Oct (Fri) to 8 Dec (Sun), 2024, a pop-up shop for miffy café tokyo will be held in Umeda, Osaka.
Hiroshima
Travel
Culture
Two types of paper seals made exclusively for autumn, ‘Chrysanthemum and Tanzaku’ and ‘Autumn Leaves and Candles’, have been available since Monday 9 September at Daisho-in Temple on the World Heritage island of Miyajima. Quantities are limited and will run out as soon as they are gone.
