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Games & Pop Culture

“Encounter Legendary Pokémon: Legend Research in Nihonbashi & Yaesu” Underway, With More Than 100 Pokémon Appearing Across the District

“Encounter Legendary Pokémon: Legend Research in Nihonbashi & Yaesu,” an event set across the Nihonbashi and Yaesu districts, began on September 9, 2026. Marking Pokémon’s 30th anniversary, it runs through November 29. More than 100 Pokémon appear in and around buildings in the two districts, and a program combining a walk through the streets with...

Art & Culture

On-site report: AniBeat brings an intimate anime music concert to Kyoto nights, with live performances of music from Ghibli films, NARUTO and Attack on Titan for international visitors

Where would you send a visitor from overseas who said they wanted to attend a concert in Kyoto? A new evening option has opened in Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-Gojo area. AniBeat | KYOTO ANIME MUSIC NIGHT, scheduled to hold regular performances from October 2026, is an intimate concert of anime music performed by a soprano, violinist and...

naked-garden-nights2026 (4)
Art & Culture

“NAKED GARDEN NIGHTS Higashi Honganji and Shōsei-en Garden” will be held at Higashi Honganji, the head temple of the Shinshū Ōtani-ha, and Shōsei-en Garden (Kikoku-tei) in Kyoto from October 31 (Saturday) to December 6 (Sunday), 2026.

A New Evening Tourism Program Within Walking Distance of Kyoto Station The event offers autumn visitors an opportunity to enjoy Kyoto’s scenery and culture after a day of sightseeing through a new evening tourism program that is easy to visit. Shōsei-en Garden was created as a detached precinct of Higashi Honganji. The Japanese garden served...

Japan Events

Tokyo Game Show 2026 draws 257,642 visitors over four days; 1,138 companies and organizations exhibit, with a record 3,673 business meetings

Tokyo Game Show 2026 (TGS2026), marking its 30th anniversary, drew 257,642 visitors over four days from September 17 to 20, 2026. A record 1,138 companies and organizations exhibited from 53 countries and regions. Meetings arranged through the business matching system also reached a record 3,673. The in-person public day scheduled for September 21, 2026, was...

pre-antb2026
Japan Events

Tourism businesses from Kyushu and overseas startups to gather in Fukuoka for Asia New Travel Bootcamp on October 6, 2026; capacity set at 150

Asia New Travel Bootcamp (ANTB), a global conference connecting Asian travel technology startups with regional businesses in Japan, will be held in Fukuoka for the first time on October 6, 2026. It will be the event’s first edition outside Okinawa Prefecture. Discussions and pitches on emerging developments will address rapidly growing fields including well-being and...

satfes2026
Art & Culture

“Tanegashima Space Art Festival 2026” Tickets Now on Sale; Event Opens November 21 on Tanegashima, the Island Closest to Space

Tanegashima Space Art Festival 2026 will take place in November and December 2026 on Tanegashima in Kagoshima Prefecture, known as the island closest to space. The art festival will be held in Minamitane Town, home to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Tanegashima Space Center, Japan’s largest rocket launch complex. It offers visitors an opportunity to...

Japan Events

“Meet Legendary Pokémon: Legend Research in Nihonbashi & Yaesu” Now Underway, With More Than 100 Pokémon Appearing Around the City

“Meet Legendary Pokémon: Legend Research in Nihonbashi & Yaesu,” an event spanning the entire Nihonbashi and Yaesu districts, began on September 9, 2026. The event commemorates Pokémon’s 30th anniversary and runs through November 29. More than 100 Pokémon are appearing inside and outside buildings throughout Nihonbashi and Yaesu, alongside an activity combining a city walk...

Services for MICE

[Contributed Article] What Is a Ninja Experience Without Shuriken Throwing? “Ninja Zen Meditation,” a Program Worth Considering for MICE, Offers Embodied Learning of Japanese Spiritual Culture

Corporate training and incentive travel programs for companies visiting Japan from overseas often call for cultural experiences unique to the host destination. “Ninja Zen Meditation” differs from conventional ninja experiences such as shuriken throwing. Instead, the program introduces participants to the spiritual dimension of the ninja through hand seals, breathing techniques, meditation and body control....

Japanese Mobility

Nagoya–Ise-Shima Restaurant Train Les Saveurs Shima Completed; Service Begins Nov. 1, 2026, With General Sales Starting Sept. 1 — Interior Layout, Menus and Timetable

Les Saveurs Shima, a restaurant train connecting Kintetsu-Nagoya and Ise-Shima, has been completed. Following approximately eight months of conversion work that began in January 2026, the train will begin service on Nov. 1. French cuisine featuring ingredients from Mie and Ise-Shima will be served onboard, with a French course meal offered in Car 4 and...

Art & Culture

Operating Factories Become Stages for Contemporary Art: Setouchi Industrial Art Festival 2026 to Take Place from October 3 to 31

A new form of art festival will launch in the Setouchi region, an area that has long supported Japan’s manufacturing industries. From October 3 to 31, 2026, the Japan Industrial Art Foundation will hold the inaugural Setouchi Industrial Art Festival 2026 at operating factories and industrial sites in Okayama and Ehime prefectures. Together with seven...

Games & Pop Culture

TOKYO GAME SHOW 2026 to Run for a Record Five Days, September 17–21 at Makuhari Messe; Latest Exhibitor News from Capcom, Konami, Bandai Namco, Sega and More

This article presents the latest information on TOKYO GAME SHOW 2026, scheduled to take place from September 17 to 21, 2026, at Makuhari Messe and TKP Tokyo Bay Makuhari Hall in Chiba Prefecture. Organized by the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association, the event marks its 30th anniversary this year and has been expanded to a record...

Art & Culture

Himeji Otemae-dori Illumination 2026–2027 to Illuminate Himeji with Approximately 510,000 Lights

The “Himeji Otemae-dori Illumination” will be held from November 20, 2026, to January 11, 2027, around Himeji Station and Himeji Castle in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. Entering its fourth year, the illumination event will expand its area and feature approximately 510,000 LED lights, an increase of 260,000 from the previous year’s 250,000. Set against the backdrop...

AICHI NAGOYA ART&LIGHTS あいち・なごやアート&ライツ
Art & Culture

AICHI NAGOYA ART&LIGHTS: Important Cultural Property Buildings in Nagoya to Be Transformed by Digital Art from September 17, 2026

From September 17 to October 24, 2026, the outdoor event “AICHI NAGOYA ART&LIGHTS” will be held in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, combining digital art and illuminated displays. The event will use the Aichi Prefectural Government Main Building and Nagoya City Hall Main Building, both designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan, as its setting. Admission is...

kyomaf
Art & Culture

Kyoto International Manga and Anime Fair 2026 (KYOMAF): September 19–20, Featuring Special Collaborations with Kyoto Landmarks and Popular Anime

The Kyoto International Manga and Anime Fair 2026 (KYOMAF 2026), one of western Japan’s largest manga, anime, and game events, will take place on September 19 and 20, 2026. The event will be held across three venues: Miyako Messe and ROHM Theatre Kyoto as the main venues, and the Kyoto International Manga Museum as the...

tokyocomiccon
Japan Events

Tokyo Comic Con 2026 to Take Place at Makuhari Messe from December 11–13, with Nicolas Cage and Giancarlo Esposito Announced as First Celebrity Guests

Tokyo Comic Con 2026, one of the world’s largest pop culture events, will be held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture from December 11 to 13, 2026. The event marks its 10th anniversary since its inaugural edition in 2016 and is expected to attract significant attention as a milestone edition. Organizers have announced the first...

tokyomiku
Art & Culture

HATSUNE MIKU Comes to Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building on July 25, 2026: New Program at One of the World’s Largest Permanent Projection Mapping Displays

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has been presenting projection mapping throughout the year as a new nighttime tourism attraction. A new program featuring HATSUNE MIKU, the internationally popular virtual singer, will debut on July 25, 2026. Combining advanced visual technology and music against the nighttime skyline of Shinjuku, the program offers a new form of nighttime...

NoMaps
Japan Events

NoMaps 2026: Dates, Theme “GALAPAGOS,” and Volunteer Opportunities for Sapporo’s Cross-Industry Festival

NoMaps 2026, a citywide festival that brings together technology, entertainment, business, and culture, will take place across central Sapporo, Hokkaido, from September 23 to 27, 2026. Now in its 11th year, the five-day festival has announced “GALAPAGOS” as its main theme for 2026. This article explores the concept behind the theme, the diverse programs that...

Japan Events

Tourism EXPO Japan 2026: September 24–27 at Tokyo Big Sight—Admission Tickets Go on Sale July 10

Tourism EXPO Japan 2026 (TEJ), one of the world’s largest travel and tourism exhibitions, will be held from September 24 to 27, 2026, at Tokyo Big Sight. Bringing together destinations from across Japan and around the world, the four-day event welcomes approximately 180,000 visitors and features more than 1,300 exhibition booths, creating an atmosphere comparable...

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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