Penguin Wind Chimes and a Bar With a Planetarium?! (7/9 - 7/13, 2018)
Are you sick of getting late news on the newest hot topics in Japan? This article series is a quick and easy weekly digest that'll give you the scoop on the top 3 trends making waves on Japan's social media platforms! The best photo spots, awesome new tourist places, delicious and unique foods... you'll learn about it all!
This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
1. I Put A Spell On You, Mickey Mouse!
Don't worry, your eyes aren't deceiving you. The picture does, in fact, show Mickey Mouse-shaped foam coming out of a bottle! We'd like to introduce to you Tokyo Disneyland's newest souvenir: hand soap (1,200 yen)!
The whole novelty of it and adorable, reusable packaging are the reasons why it has seen massive success in Japan. That said, beware, Disney collectors! It started selling from July 3, but stores are already low on stock, so we recommend not waiting too long to purchase one.
2. Ring! Welcome to the Perfect Japanese Summer Scene
Have you ever heard of the Star Festival (Tanabata Matsuri)? There's a long story behind it involving star-crossed lovers, but we're not going to get into that today. This festival occurs every summer in Japan, and it's happening right now until July 18th at Hakusan Shrine (Hakusan Jinja) in Niigata.
To celebrate this festival, this particular shrine exhibits several kinds of wind chimes, taking Japan by storm every year. This year brings about two themes: seasons or the sea! Did you ever think that a squid could look so cute?
The whole place lights up from the evening until late at night, making for a spectacular and romantic scene that Japanese people are dying to Instagram. Feel the breeze, concentrate, and take a shot for every chime you hear!
3. Now You Can Truly Dine Under the Stars!
You're probably wondering why Japanese people are so fascinated with this place. Sure, there's an unusual number of lights, but that seems to be around it. Oh, and some antique furniture. Nothing super special, right?
Surprise! You're dead wrong. This unique restaurant that opened in 2017 in Ginza has a ground floor that's outfitted with a planetarium-like ceiling! When what they call "planetarium time" comes around, the lights will dim and a 4K resolution video of the galaxy will start playing on the ceiling.
There are 160 seats in this restaurant and most of them are antique sofas, so it'll be easy for you to kick back and get lost in the stars whilst surrounded by the dim glow of the lights. Truly a sight that nobody, Japanese or not, can resist!
And that's that! The trends are always quickly changing, so there will always be something new from week to week. Check back in once a week and see if anything catches your eye!
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
Check out the weekly trends from the past 5 weeks!
What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (7/30 - 8/3, 2018)
What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (7/16 - 7/20, 2018)
What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (7/2 - 7/6, 2018)
What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (6/25 - 6/29, 2018)
The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.
About the author
