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Hey Japan!
@hey-japan.com
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Explore the best of Japan with us! Follow for event updates, travel guides, and insider tips. Hokkaido to Okinawa, we've got it all. https://hey-japan.com
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Otaru's canal warehouses exist because of herring fertilizer and citizen defiance. Built to store fish ground into crop feed, they made the city one of Japan's richest. When the government tried to demolish them for a highway in the 1960s, residents fought for a decade — and won.
Snow-covered stone and mortar warehouses line the right bank of the Otaru Canal in Hokkaido, their roofs blanketed in thick snow with icicles hanging from the eaves. The still canal water reflects the buildings' facades — a mix of weathered beige and brick-red walls typical of Meiji-era construction that used timber frames with stone exteriors. On the left bank, a snow-covered walkway with vintage gas street lamps stretches into the distance, where a few pedestrians walk near a small arched bridge. Snow-laden evergreen trees dot the left side. Mountains rise in the background under a partly cloudy blue sky. Japanese characters reading 倉庫 (sōko, "warehouse") are visible on signs attached to the nearest building.
February 10, 2026 at 9:30 PM
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A powerful winter pressure system is burying Japan right now. Northern regions recorded over 180 cm of snow in 24 hours. Tokyo saw 5 cm Sunday — enough to close expressways and halt trains. Even typically mild Kyushu is under rare snow warnings. February 2026 is hitting different.
A snow-covered Japanese street intersection during a heavy snowstorm. Thick snow blankets every surface — the road, sidewalks, rooftops, and power lines are all coated white.
February 9, 2026 at 9:30 PM
hey-japan.com
The “Ukiyo-e Cat Encyclopedia: Lazy, Round, and Totally Cat” exhibition opens at The Eki Museum Kyoto from April 4 to May 10, featuring over 100 ukiyo-e prints exploring cats in Japanese art and culture.
More: www.hey-japan.com/event/ukiyo-...
Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Cat as a Mouse Repellent © 株式会社ジェイアール西日本伊勢丹 Utagawa Hiroshige, One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: Asakusa Rice Fields and the Rooster Market, Collection of Watanabe Woodblock Printing Co. © 株式会社ジェイアール西日本伊勢丹 Thirty-two Aspects of Women: Appearing Irritated — A Young Woman of the Kansei Era, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi © 株式会社ジェイアール西日本伊勢丹 Fifty-three Stations: The Monster Cat, Utagawa Yoshifuji © 株式会社ジェイアール西日本伊勢丹
February 9, 2026 at 2:30 PM
hey-japan.com
We present our Song of the Week! #HeyJapanSOTW

People In The Box - Seijatachi

Listen on Apple Music: music.apple.com/song/%E8%81%...
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People In The Box - Seijatachi ℗ 2014 日本クラウン株式会社
February 8, 2026 at 1:47 PM
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Shiranui Monogatari (The Tale of Shiranui) was a popular Edo-period story blending samurai honor, revenge, and the supernatural. This ukiyo-e by Toyokuni III depicts a scene based on a Kawarazaki Theater performance from Kaei 6 (1853), showing Wakana-hime atop a giant spider amid churning waves.
Ukiyo-e print showing a woman riding a giant spider in stormy seas while another figure struggles beneath a large temple bell.
February 7, 2026 at 9:30 PM
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The "Shimane Crafts: Iwami Nagahama-yaki & Nagahama Dolls" exhibition at the Shimane Prefectural Art Museum, running until March 9, focuses on Nagahama-yaki pottery and Nagahama dolls, once distinctive products of the Iwami region.
“Nagahama Doll: Shirabyōshi” – Hamada City Board of Education Collection. © Shimane Prefecture Iwao Nagami, Nagahama-yaki: Gama (Toad) – Private Collection © Shimane Prefecture Iwao Nagami, Nagahama-yaki: Horse – Private Collection. © Shimane Prefecture Iwao Nagami, Nagahama-yaki: Hotei – Private Collection. © Shimane Prefecture
February 7, 2026 at 9:57 AM
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Zoorasian Brass Anime Carnival, performed by the Zoorasian Philharmonic Orchestra, will be held on May 6 at Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo.The concert features symphonic arrangements of anime songs from Digimon Adventure, Dragon Ball, Detective Conan, Zootopia, and more.
The full Zoorasian Philharmonic Orchestra stands for applause in a grand concert hall, with pipe organ towering above and stuffed animal gifts lining the stage. © Super Kids Inc. Okapi the Conductor takes a bow as the masked members of the Zoorasian Philharmonic Orchestra strike a festive masquerade pose in their elaborate costumes. © Super Kids Inc. The rabbit-masked violin section plays in unison as the conductor leads from the podium in his signature golden jacket and top hat. © Super Kids Inc. The woodwind soloists of 'Zu~fonii' (ズーフォニー) take a curtain call in their cat masks and princess gowns, surrounded by plush toy gifts from fans. © Super Kids Inc.
February 6, 2026 at 9:30 PM
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“Doraemon: Nobita and the Castle of the Undersea Devil and the Secrets of Adventure Exhibition” is on view at the Fujiko·F·Fujio Museum through June 21, featuring original artwork from the Doraemon film Doraemon: Nobita and the Castle of the Undersea Devil (1984).
Key visual for Doraemon: Nobita and the Castle of the Undersea Devil and the Secrets of Adventure Exhibition. ©Fujiko-Pro An exhibition room designed with an undersea theme for Doraemon: Nobita and the Castle of the Undersea Devil and the Secrets of Adventure Exhibition at the Kawasaki City Fujiko·F·Fujio Museum. © Kawasaki City Fujiko·F·Fujio Museum / Fujiko-Pro Cover illustration for Doraemon: Nobita and the Castle of the Undersea Devil — Doraemon, wearing a captain's hat, leads Nobita, Shizuka, Gian, and Suneo in a underwater escape as the menacing Undersea Devil's Castle looms behind them. © Fujiko-Pro Original manga manuscript page by Fujiko Studio, depicting Nobita exploring the ocean depths on a propulsion device alongside dolphins. The lower panels reference the 1975 Okinawa International Ocean Exposition (EXPO '75), with the line: 「海ってのはね、あらゆる生物の故郷なんだよ。」 — "The ocean, you see, is the homeland of all living things". © Fujiko-Pro
February 5, 2026 at 10:30 PM
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Hina tsurushi kazari are hanging decorations made of small, colourful fabric ornaments displayed during Hina Matsuri. The exhibition is free to view at the Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel, Main Lobby (15th floor), from February 3 to March 3.
The full tsurushi kazari display in the Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel's 15th-floor lobby — a pavilion of hanging ornaments surrounding a traditional hina-ningyo tiered platform, framed by lanterns reading "Hina no tsurushi kazari". © 株式会社ジェイアール東海ホテルズ A close-up of the Higashi-Izu-chō (東伊豆町, Shizuoka Prefecture) style — delicate pastel-toned ornaments of flowers, animals, and temari balls suspended from bamboo-framed mobiles. © 株式会社ジェイアール東海ホテルズ The Yanagawa (柳川市, Fukuoka Prefecture) "sagemon" (さげもん) style — vibrant strands featuring colourful temari balls with geometric thread patterns, fabric animals, and small charms. © 株式会社ジェイアール東海ホテルズ A close-up of a handcrafted horse ornament with white fur, pink ears, and red tassels with golden bells. © 株式会社ジェイアール東海ホテルズ
February 5, 2026 at 1:01 PM
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Ehomaki is a thick sushi roll eaten on Setsubun. The custom is to eat it silently, without cutting it, while facing the year’s lucky direction to bring good luck and good health. This year’s lucky direction is south-southeast.
A colorful ehomaki cross-section reveals layers of fresh sashimi (salmon and tuna), cucumber, tamagoyaki (sweet egg omelet), and seasoned fillings wrapped in nori and sushi rice © AP Holdings Co., Ltd. Two hearty ehomaki rolls featuring ebi (shrimp) tempura, tamagoyaki, cucumber, and leafy greens. © Green House Foods Co., Ltd.
February 3, 2026 at 4:00 AM
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Setsubun is a Japanese festival held on February 3rd that marks the day before the start of spring in the traditional calendar. People throw roasted soybeans while shouting “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” (Demons out! Good luck in!) to drive away bad luck and invite good fortune.
Setsubun essentials: fukumame (fortune beans), a wooden masu box for catching beans, a cheerful oni mask, protective amulets, and ema prayer plaques from Ichihatasan Yakushiji Temple. © Ichihatasan Yakushiji Temple An oni in a red cape and tiger-print pants flees from a shower of soybeans thrown by eager participants during the mamemaki ceremony at the Setsubun Mamemaki Festival at Ichihatasan Yakushiji Temple on February 1, 2026. © Ichihatasan Yakushiji Temple A yellow-clad oni with a purple wig playfully menaces the crowd as beans fly through the air. The tradition symbolises driving out evil and welcoming good luck for the year ahead during the Setsubun Mamemaki Festival at Ichihatasan Yakushiji Temple on February 1, 2026. © Ichihatasan Yakushiji Temple
February 2, 2026 at 9:09 PM
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The special exhibition “The Happiness of Netsuke” is currently on view at the Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum through March. The exhibition focuses on netsuke that express humour and playful ideas.
Netsuke are small carvings originally used as toggles to secure personal items worn with kimono.
Key visual for the special exhibition “The Happiness of Netsuke” at the Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum © Sagawa Printing Co., Ltd. “Beckoning Book” (招本), a netsuke at the Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum depicting six cats working on a bookbinding. © Sagawa Printing Co., Ltd. “A Break” (ひと休み), a netsuke at the Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum depicting a kappa seated before an open book and drinking from a cup. © Sagawa Printing Co., Ltd. “Hippopotamus Kabayaki” (河馬蒲焼), a netsuke at the Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum depicting a hippopotamus preparing kabayaki. © Sagawa Printing Co., Ltd.
February 2, 2026 at 2:03 PM
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Godzilla × Hokusai “collaboration”: Godzilla Ukiyo-e Giclée Prints featuring Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji: The Great Wave off Kanagawa, Sudden Shower beneath the Summit, and Nihonbashi in Edo.
A Hanzō Co., Ltd. production in collaboration with the film Godzilla Minus One.
Godzilla Minus One promotional art featuring Hokusai-style ukiyo-e prints of Godzilla attacking Edo-period Japan. Giclée print merchandise from Toho. ™＆ © TOHO CO., LTD. A Godzilla ukiyo-e by Hanzō Co., Ltd., created in collaboration with Godzilla Minus One, featuring Godzilla in Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji: Nihonbashi in Edo. ™＆ © TOHO CO., LTD. A Godzilla ukiyo-e by Hanzō Co., Ltd., created in collaboration with Godzilla Minus One, featuring Godzilla in Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji: The Great Wave off Kanagawa. ™ & © TOHO CO., LTD. A Godzilla ukiyo-e by Hanzō Co., Ltd., created in collaboration with Godzilla Minus One, featuring Godzilla in Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji: Sudden Shower below the Summit. ™ & © TOHO CO., LTD.
February 1, 2026 at 9:30 PM
hey-japan.com
We present our Song of the Week! #HeyJapanSOTW

7th Vega - Hey! Crush!

Listen on Apple Music: music.apple.com/song/hey-cru...
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7th Vega - Hey! Crush! ℗ 2025 7V
February 1, 2026 at 5:16 PM
hey-japan.com
A new attraction for cat lovers: a giant glowing cat lights up the Daiwa House Premist Dome Observation Deck in Sapporo, Feb 4–11.
Night view of the illuminated giant green cat filling the glass dome, with snow visible on the surrounding grounds. © Experimental Facility ZOKZOK Interior night view of the illuminated giant green cat filling the glass dome. © Experimental Facility ZOKZOK Exterior night view showing the glowing giant green cat filling the glass dome against Sapporo's cityscape. © Experimental Facility ZOKZOK Daytime interior view showing the giant yellow-green cat with city views through the glass. © Experimental Facility ZOKZOK
January 31, 2026 at 9:30 PM
hey-japan.com
For cat lovers:
“The Terrible Things My Cat Did to Me” — an exhibition by illustrator 'poshichi'.
Humorous and affectionate scenes from everyday life with cats.
Feb 14–Mar 8, 2026, Galerie GEEK/ART (Shibuya, Tokyo)
Admission: Free
Key visual for the exhibition “The Terrible Things My Cat Did to Me” by poshichi, Galerie GEEK/ART © poshichi 2025 The artwork "This Sucks" by 'poshichi', depicting a woman holding a cat as the cat pushes its paws against her face. © poshichi 2025 The artwork "To Capture a Rainbow" by 'poshichi', depicting a kneeling woman bowing toward a cat with a rainbow emerging from its mouth. © poshichi 2025 The artwork "When You Are Sleeping" by 'poshichi', depicting a woman and a cat lying face-to-face, with the cat pushing the woman’s face with its paws. © poshichi 2025
January 31, 2026 at 2:01 PM
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KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL at Kitano Tenmangū Shrine runs from February 1 to May 24, dedicated to Japanese aesthetics, history, and seasonal change through immersive art installations and performances. www.hey-japan.com/event/kyoto-...
Key visual for KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL at Kitano Tenmangū Shrine © 2026 KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL “Garden of Light and Flowers”, installation at KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL 2026, Kitano Tenmangū Shrine © Mika Ninagawa with EiM, “KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL 2026” “Afterglow” installation, KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL 2026, Kitano Tenmangū Shrine © Mika Ninagawa with EiM, “KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL 2026”
January 30, 2026 at 9:30 PM
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"Takashi Yanase Exhibition: Life Is a Joy-Bringing Game", a traveling exhibition, comes to Nagoya from Feb 6 to Apr 5. The exhibition marks the 30th anniversary of the Yanase Takashi Memorial Anpanman Museum and brings together approximately 200 original artworks. www.hey-japan.com/event/takash...
“Takashi Yanase Exhibition: Life Is a Joy-Bringing Game” — Key Visual © Takashi Yanase Takashi Yanase © Yanase Takashi Memorial Anpanman Museum Promotion Foundation Yanase Rabbit and Anpanman © Takashi Yanase “The Legend of Anpanman” — “Baikinman Appears” (1997). Collection of the Yanase Takashi Memorial Anpanman Museum Promotion Foundation (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation) © Takashi Yanase
January 30, 2026 at 2:00 PM
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Kanto’s Largest-Class Illumination, Sagamiko Illumillion, runs until May 10, with a special spring immersive show starting on February 6 featuring popular music artists and Tamagotchi collaboration installations. More www.hey-japan.com/event/sagami...
Sagamiko Illumillion at Sagamiko MORI MORI Resort, featuring a variety of colourful illumination installations at night. © Fuji Kyuko Co., Ltd "Long Table and Chairs" installation at Sagamiko Illumillion, Sagamiko MORI MORI Resort. © Fuji Kyuko Co., Ltd Trees at Sagamiko MORI MORI Resort reflecting pink and yellow illumination on the grass, with artificial illuminated flowers installed throughout the area during the Sagamiko Illumillion event. © Fuji Kyuko Co., Ltd Two women walking along a white and yellow illuminated pathway at Sagamiko MORI MORI Resort during the Sagamiko Illumillion event, with trees illuminated by hanging yellow lanterns. © Fuji Kyuko Co., Ltd
January 29, 2026 at 10:30 PM
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“Kyoto-Style Climbing Kiln: Sake Vessels and Tea Vessels” will be held from January 30 to February 11 at the Kyoto Ceramic Center, offering the public an opportunity to experience both historical craftsmanship and contemporary ceramic expression in an accessible setting. Admission is free.
The multi-chambered structure of a traditional Kyoto-style climbing kiln (noborigama), with arched firing chambers, ventilation hoods, and stacked fire bricks. The sign reads "火通要慎" — a fire safety warning. © Tachikichi Co., Ltd. Inside the kiln chamber, an artisan carefully load pottery into saggars (protective cylindrical containers) before firing, ensuring each piece is properly positioned within the tunnel-like space. © Tachikichi Co., Ltd. A craftsman tends the kiln fire, using a long iron rod to stoke the flames through a stoking port. Bundles of pine firewood stand ready nearby. © Tachikichi Co., Ltd. A selection of finished Kyoyaki and Kiyomizuyaki ceramics — tea bowls, cups, and vessels showcasing the variety of styles from rustic, hand-formed chawan to delicate blue-striped porcelain. © Tachikichi Co., Ltd.
January 29, 2026 at 2:02 PM
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ANIPLEX POP UP SHOP is being held until March 15, at Animate Ikebukuro Main Store, 7F NORTH (Tokyo), featuring exhibitions and merchandise from popular titles such as Fate/strange Fake and Gnosia.
Key visual: TV anime Fate/strange Fake / TV anime Gnosia © 成田良悟・TYPE-MOON/KADOKAWA/FSFPC / Petit Depotto/Project D.Q.O.
January 28, 2026 at 9:30 PM
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Android Opera "MIRROR – Deconstruction and Rebirth" by Keiichiro Shibuya will be held in Osaka on May 16. The vocal performer is Android Maria, accompanied by a live orchestra and Buddhist monks from Mount Kōya’s Kongōbu-ji Temple performing shōmyō. www.hey-japan.com/event/keiich...
Android Maria performing in the opera “MIRROR – Deconstruction and Rebirth”, accompanied by an orchestra, with a large background screen displaying a live close-up image of her. © 新津保建秀 Android Maria standing before four monks from Mount Kōya’s Kongōbu-ji Temple performing shōmyō, with the orchestra in the background. © 竹久直樹 Close-up image of Android Maria during the opera “MIRROR – Deconstruction and Rebirth” performance. © 新津保建秀 Android Maria and composer Keiichiro Shibuya at a press conference, with Shibuya speaking into a microphone. © 福家信哉
January 28, 2026 at 2:01 PM
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A kotatsu is a mostly low wooden table with a heater fixed underneath and a thick blanket draped over the frame. People sit on the floor, slide their legs under the table, and trap warm air inside. The blanket does most of the work, keeping the heat in so the whole body warms up, not just the feet.
The Nohara family characters (from right to left): Shinnosuke, Misae, Hiroshi, Himawari, and Shiro the dog, from the Crayon Shin-chan anime, sitting around a kotatsu table. © Bandai Namco Experience Inc. A kotatsu table with a coffee pot, a tray, and two mugs in the middle of the room. © Nitori Holdings Co., Ltd. An outdoor kotatsu with a green blanket and a wooden table. © Alpen Outdoors A kotatsu with six people lying around it, surrounded by fluffy pillows. © Senshukai Co., Ltd. / Belle Maison
January 26, 2026 at 9:30 PM
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Hokora (祠) are small shrines found by roadsides, in villages, on mountains, at field edges, or within larger shrine and temple grounds, dedicated to local kami, guardian deities, or nature spirits for protection and veneration. Their charm lies in bringing the sacred into everyday life.
Small hokora shrine in a park. A small hokora shrine with geta shoes lined up on the altar. Small hokora shrine made from snow, dedicated to the water deity (水神様), with offerings of sake and oranges. Small hokora shrine honoring Inari.
January 26, 2026 at 2:30 PM
hey-japan.com
We present our Song of the Week! #HeyJapanSOTW

LUNA SEA - Rosier

Listen on Apple Music: music.apple.com/album/mother...
Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/track/5zDJTh...
Listen on YouTube Music: music.youtube.com/watch?v=iV6x...
LUNA SEA - Rosier ℗ 1994 UNIVERSAL J, a division of UNIVERSAL MUSIC LLC
January 25, 2026 at 5:14 PM