MTO staff

MTO staff

MICE TIMES ONLINE — Editorial Staff

Hotels & Venues

Hoshino Resorts’ Series of New Openings Toward 2026:Adaptive Reuse of Historic Buildings and New Travel Bases Rooted in Local Culture, with Potential for MICE Use

Hoshino Resorts is planning the phased opening of eight new properties nationwide by 2026. These developments include consecutive openings in the Yokohama area and Japan’s first luxury hotel created through the adaptive reuse of a former prison designated as an Important Cultural Property. Each facility reflects the unique history and culture of its location and...

Exhibitions & Events

Taipei Game Show 2026: January 29–February 1 at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.History and Highlights of One of the Asia-Pacific Region’s Leading Game Trade Shows

From January 29 to February 1, 2026, Taipei Game Show 2026 will be held at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. This year’s edition will bring together 399 exhibitors from 26 countries and regions, showcasing more than 500 game titles. The event features a hybrid format in which business matchmaking and public exhibitions are conducted within the...

Games & Pop Culture

Pokémon’s First Outdoor Theme Park, PokéPark KANTO, to Open in Spring 202626-Hectare Facility Planned Within Yomiuriland

The Pokémon Company has announced the opening of PokéPark KANTO, the first outdoor facility dedicated to Pokémon.The new park is scheduled to open in spring 2026 and will be developed on a site of approximately 2.6 hectares within Yomiuriland, an amusement park located in western Tokyo. Tickets are scheduled to go on sale starting in...

Hotels & Venues

Hilton Tokyo Completes Renovation of All Banquet Halls becoming Next Generation MICE Facility with Largest LED Wall in Japan

Hilton Tokyo, located in Shinjuku, has completed a large-scale renovation of its entire banquet floors on the 3rd and 4th levels. This renovation was conducted with a multimillion-dollar investment to meet the growing demand for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) from both domestic and international markets. With themes of flexibility, audiovisual integration, and experience-driven...

Hotels & Venues News

Japan’s MICE Venues See a Wave of Environmental Certifications: TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO and Sapporo Convention Center Earn LEED Gold

Japan’s events and MICE sector is accelerating efforts to benchmark venue sustainability against international standards. In December 2025, major facilities in Tokyo and Sapporo announced they had attained Gold-level certification under the globally recognized LEED rating system. This milestone—achieved by a newly built arena and an existing convention center with distinct characteristics—highlights significant progress on...

Hotels & Venues News

Sanrio, known for Hello Kitty and Cinnamoroll, unveils a basic plan to turn Oita’s Harmonyland into an “entertainment resort,” reimagined as a “Sky Park”

Sanrio Co., Ltd. and Sanrio Entertainment Co., Ltd. have announced a basic development concept to transform Harmonyland, a theme park in Oita Prefecture, into a resort. Under the “Sky Park” concept, the project will embark on large-scale upgrades, including an all-weather grand roof and the potential construction of a new hotel. In collaboration with Oita...

Hotels & Venues News

Toei Uzumasa Eigamura rebrands as “Uzumasa Kyoto Village”; Phase 1 opens March 28, 2026 — a full renewal into an immersive park for adults

Toei Uzumasa Eigamura Co., Ltd. has announced a full renewal of the entire “Toei Uzumasa Eigamura” facility as it marks its 50th anniversary this year. Phase 1 is set to open on Saturday, March 28, 2026, and the facility will be renamed “Uzumasa Kyoto Village (UZUMASA KYOTO VILLAGE)” in conjunction with this launch. Under the...

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Art & Culture

Japan Hobby Show to celebrate its 50th anniversary at Tokyo Big Sight, May 8–10, 2026 — In collaboration with The Asahi Shimbun Company, attendance is expected to reach 120,000 at one of Japan’s largest handmade festivals

The Japan Hobby Association has announced that “The 50th Japan Hobby Show 2026,” one of the largest festivals for the hobby and handmade market, will be held over three days from May 8, 2026, at Tokyo Big Sight. Since its first edition in 1976, the event has been supported as a place for makers to...

Art & Culture

“KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL 2026” to be held February 1–May 24, 2026 at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, Kyoto — 10th-anniversary edition featuring Mika Ninagawa with EiM and DAZZLE

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2026, “KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL,” which has shared the beauty and culture of Japan with the world, will present “KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL 2026 – Beyond time, the garden blooms –” at the historic Kitano Tenmangu Shrine (Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto) from February 1 to May 24, 2026. Artist Mika Ninagawa, the creative team...

Art & Culture

Design Festa vol.62 — One of Asia’s largest international art events — November 15–16 at Tokyo Big Sight; experience “freedom of expression” across 6,500+ booths

Design Festa vol.62, one of Asia’s largest international art events, will be held over two days on Saturday–Sunday, November 15–16, 2025, across all West & South Halls of Tokyo Big Sight. Under its principle that “anyone can participate without screening as long as the work is original,” the event brings together the diverse expressions of...

Hotels & Venues News

Imperial Hotel Kyoto Opens March 5, 2026 — A small luxury hotel in harmony with history debuts in Kyoto’s Gion

Imperial Hotel, Ltd. will begin accepting reservations for “Imperial Hotel Kyoto,” which opens on Thursday, March 5, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. on Monday, November 17, 2025. Carrying forward the architectural design of Yasaka Kaikan, a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, the property draws attention as a new-era small luxury hotel that harmonizes with Gion’s historic streetscape....

Japan Events

Japan’s largest startup conference “IVS2026” to be held in Kyoto for the fourth consecutive year, July 1–3, 2026; venues include Kyoto International Exhibition Hall “Miyako Messe” and other city locations

The startup conference IVS2026 has been confirmed. The three-day event will run from Wednesday, July 1 to Friday, July 3, 2026, with venues including the Kyoto International Exhibition Hall “Miyako Messe” and additional locations across Kyoto City. The IVS KYOTO Executive Committee (Headline Japan Inc., Kyoto Prefecture, and the City of Kyoto) announced the decision,...

Manufacturing & Mobility

One of Japan’s largest machine tool trade fairs, Mechatronics Technology Japan (MECT) 2025 — October 22–25 at Port Messe Nagoya

Held in the manufacturing hub of Nagoya every odd-numbered year in autumn, Mechatronics Technology Japan (MECT) is one of Japan’s largest specialized exhibitions for machine tools and FA technologies. Marking its 20th edition, MECT2025 is slated to host a record 524 exhibitors, making it the largest machine tool trade fair in Japan this year. The...

Exhibitions & Events

What “Expo 2030 Riyadh” Envisions for the City of the Future — The Culmination of Saudi Arabia’s national strategy “Vision 2030” and the evolving capital, Riyadh

On October 13, 2025, Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai will close. Next, from October 2030 to March 2031, a large-scale World Expo will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Expo 2030 Riyadh coincides with the pivotal year when the UN SDGs and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reach their conclusion. Bringing together countries and organizations from around...

Art & Culture

Waves of art in motion across the lake country — “International Art Festival BIWAKO BIENNALE 2025” opens September 20 through November 16 in Omihachiman, Shiga

Set against the living history and nature of Omihachiman, Shiga Prefecture, the International Art Festival BIWAKO BIENNALE 2025 will run from Saturday, September 20 to Sunday, November 16, 2025. Now in its 11th edition and curated by General Director Yoko Nakata, the festival will invite around 70 artists from Japan and overseas under the theme...

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MICE TIMES ONLINE is a Kyoto-based web media platform dedicated to MICE, conventions, and events. We deliver news and insights from Japan and across Asia, with the concept of “Capturing the Now of MICE” — staying on top of the latest trends and developments in the industry. We welcome contributions of information as well as inquiries regarding potential business partnerships.

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