THE JAPAN NEWS
Employees of the Hasebe Engei flower farm trim cyclamen flowers and leaves on Monday in Mizuho, Tokyo. Cyclamen shipments are almost at their peak, as the flowers sell well during the year-end and New Year’s holiday season. About 3,000 cyclamen of 50 varieties are grown at Hasebe E...

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JAPAN TRENDS
 
HMV continues to roll out its comeback strategies, and it has a decidedly analog flavor.
The overseas music retailer has been owned in Japan by a subsidy of the convenience store giant Lawson since 2010. It is now hoping to tap into the retro music scene as domestic music sales fal...

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JAPAN TRENDS
 
Earlier this year we reported on the opening of Archi-Depot, Japan’s first architecture models museum. The company behind the museum, Warehouse Terrada, is actually pioneering a whole new art district where the museum is located on Tennozu (also spelt Tennoz) in Tokyo Bay.
Archi-De...

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Last week we reported on the growing bookstore boom in Tokyo that has seen Book and Bed, a bookshop-hotel, become such a hit that its customized pajamas sell out in minutes.
 
Book and Bed Tokyo opened in Ikebukuro in November last year, riding on a book-themed accommodation trend ...

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We have been following recent developments in the Tokyo book store world with interest.
From gimmicks like Book and Bed Tokyo — a bookstore-themed hotel — and the actual opportunities to stay overnight at Junkudo, a real book shop in Tokyo, to the revamp of the Muji store in Yuraku...

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After already breaking records for inbound tourism last year, the government hopes to double the number to 40 million by 2020.
So far this year, more than 10 million non-Japanese visitors have entered the country, indicating the government is on track to hit 20 million or more for ...

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JAPAN TRENDS
 
A new stage in the redevelopment of the beloved Setagaya district of Shimokitazawa includes a restaurant and event space opening under the railway tracks.
In a similar way to how the western areas of Tokyo along the Chuo Line are somewhat defined by their use of the raised railway ...

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Just under a year ago, Shinjuku Station was taken over by 100,000 “pop-able” bubbles as a promo for the PlayStation game Dragon Quest.
Once again Dragon Quest will be hijacking the same underground concourse at Shinjuku Station, this time to promote the new game Dragon Quest Builde...

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JAPAN TRENDS
The gentrification of east Tokyo continues with the opening of Bunka Hostel Tokyo in December.
As we have already seen with the likes of hostel and “bar lounge” Nui and dining hub Mirror, the old working-class districts of Bakurocho and Kuramae have been slowly transforming over the ...

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JAPAN TRENDS
Universal Studios Japan is cashing in on Japan’s soft power, hoping to attract new domestic crowds to the Osaka theme park as well as inbound tourists familiar with Japan through its pop culture.
Universal Cool Japan will run from January 15th to June 26th next year. Exact details ar...

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