Twentythree

Shibuya’s Mewtwo escapes and has been “spotted” on the other side of the Pacific.

There are Pokémon Center superstores in various parts of Japan, but each one has its own special representative Pokémon, prominently displayed at the entrance. So since the opening of the Shibuya Pokémon Center in downtown Tokyo in 2019, the first Pocket Monster that visitors see is Mewtwo.

With Mewtwo having a Pokédex-listed height of 2 meters (6 feet, 7 inches), the one at the Shibuya Pokémon Center is essentially life-size, and it radiates an intimidating aura, boosted by the subtle movements it makes that imply that it’s breathing. Of course, the infamously malevolent Pokémon isn’t too scary. After all, it’s contained inside that secured tube…right?

Not anymore! Recent visitors to the Shibuya Pokémon Center have quickly noticed that Mewtwo is gone, and even the official Japanese Pokémon promotional account has put out a statement of sorts.

▼ “Whoa, the Mewtwo that was at Pokémon Center Shibuya has disappeared…why?”

え、ポケセンシブヤ行ったらミュウツーいなくなってたんだけど　なんで？ pic.twitter.com/Id7l87SU0h

— 【公式】ポケモン情報局 (@poke_times) July 9, 2026

For those without a background in Pokémon biology, it should be pointed out that Mewtwo’s powers do not include invisibility, which rules out the possibility that it’s still in the tube, but hiding. What is in Mewtwo’s list of abilities, though, is teleportation, which would explain how it got out of the tube without shattering the glass or anyone otherwise opening the containment unit.

The official Japanese Pokémon GO Twitter account has also posted that Mewtwo has disappeared from the in-game image for the Pokémon Center Shibuya’s PokéStop.

▼ “Well look at that…Mewtwo has disappeared from the PokéStop too…”

あれ、ミュウツーがポケストップからもいなくなっている… #ポケモンGO https://t.co/W7wPB1Bx2s pic.twitter.com/qUgsOhJBWL

— Pokémon GO Japan (@PokemonGOAppJP) July 9, 2026

Thankfully, the earnest tone from official channels suggests that Mewtwo’s disappearance isn’t the result of theft, vandalism, or damage, and is, in an ironically reassuring way, simply part of some nefarious ambition that Mewtwo has set out to fulfill…a theory that’s lent further credibility by the Pokémon GO account’s follow-up that “There has been a series of eye-witness reports spotting Mewtwo in New York! Just what is going on?”

「ミュウツー」の目撃情報がニューヨークで相次いでいます！
一体これは！？

ニューヨーク、アメリカ#ポケモンGO #PokemonGO10 pic.twitter.com/UolEyXjSRN

— Pokémon GO Japan (@PokemonGOAppJP) July 10, 2026

A seemingly significant aspect of all this is that the disappearance of the Pokémon Center Shibuya Mewtwo isn’t part of any larger “Where did Mewtwo go?” kind of promotion in Japan. It’s only the Pokémon Center’s Mewtwo that’s missing, and so the follow-up post doesn’t just suggest a connection between Mewtwo and New York, but also between New York and the Pokémon Center.

Though the Pokémon franchise is immensely popular in the United States, there’s currently no physical Pokémon Center store in the country. At the same time, the Shibuya Pokémon Center is massively popular with foreign tourists in Tokyo, so much so that they often outnumber Japanese shoppers within the store. The Pokémon Company has no doubt taken notice of this, and so could Mewtwo have temporarily disappeared from Shibuya in preparation for the impending announcement of the opening of America’s first Pokémon Center in New York? We’ll have to wait and see, but with Studio Ghibli specialty store Donguri Kyowakoku finally advancing into the American market, plus the Pokémon franchise currently celebrating its 30th anniversary, the timing feels right.

Source: Twitter/@poke_times via Oricon News
Top image: SoraNews24
Insert images: Soranews24, Twitter/@poke_times
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With fitting rooms, an official mascot and a takeaway stand, this is not your average Japanese convenience store.

Competition between Japan’s top three convenience stores, 7-Eleven, Lawson and Family Mart, is always fierce, but now Family Mart is setting itself apart by opening a brand new flagship store that’s more like a futuristic tourist destination.

Called Famima Park Azabudai, with Azabudai being the store’s Tokyo location, this new flagship takes the convenience store concept and reinvents it for the future, with loads of cool design features and trendy products you won’t find at a regular branch. Created under the guidance of fashion designer and creative director NIGO, creator of streetwear brands A Bathing Ape and Human Made, this is one of the coolest konbinis you’ll find in Japan, and it’s all part of a newly launched “Next Family Mart Project” to celebrate the chain’s 45th anniversary.

▼ NIGO

The store is the current centrepiece of the project, serving as the first flagship for Family Mart’s new-look “Famima” initiative, which leans into the cool culture of Japanese convenience stores. The new concept is dedicated to exploring unique store designs, novel approaches to visual merchandising, and original character-driven products and lifestyle items, and you can see that on display at the flagship location.

The building itself exudes a cool aesthetic, with a new official Famima mascot character appearing around the site, and a rooftop “forest” bringing some relaxing greenery to the streetscape.

▼  No word yet on a name for the “F” mascot.

There’s also a takeaway area called Famima Stand, where visitors can grab coffee, tea and Family Mart’s popular Famichiki fried chicken without even entering the store.

▼ Outside seating allows visitors to relax in a laid-back setting.

With counter seating placed along the glass facade to improve visibility from the outside and a sales floor that evokes the excitement of a pop-up store from the entrance, each section of the store is like a shop-in-shop.

Over in the “Convenience Wear” section, you’ll find an extensive range of Family Mart clothing and goods, but with fitting rooms and touch panels that offer suggestions for outfits and styles, as well as dedicated staff to help customers with product information.

▼ This setup is giving us Uniqlo vibes.

In addition to a full product lineup for each season, there’ll also be items exclusive to the flagship store, allowing you to coordinate an entire outfit from Family Mart goods.

▼ There’ll also be an “urban-style delicatessen” area filled with sandwiches and ready-to-eat meals, branded with the word “Famima” in English.

Even the exclusive coffee looks cool, with graphic cups fitting the streetwear-cool vibe of the store. The taste is said to be equally impressive, as the coffees have been developed in collaboration with Tetsu Kasuya, winner of the 2016 World Brewers Cup.

▼ Tea lovers can choose from a wide selection of freshly brewed teas.

Customers can also pick up some exclusive Famima merchandise, with T-shirts and stainless steel tumblers being some of the recommended items.

▼ “Start your day the Family Mart way”

To celebrate the opening, there’ll be a couple of giveaways, with stickers given to the first 2,026 custonmers who make a purchase (in honour of the year 2026) and a Famima-branded eco bag given to the first 2,000 customers who make a purchase of 5,000 yen (US$30.80) or more.

Open from 10 July, Family Mart’s new flagship is so much more than a regular convenience store. With exclusive food, fashion, merchandise and one-of-a-kind experiences, Famima Park Azabudai looks set to become a must-visit destination for Japanese convenience store lovers.

Store information
Famima Park Azabudai
Address: Tokyo-to, Minato-ku, Toranomon 5-2-10
東京都港区虎ノ門五丁目2番10号
Open 24 hours

Source, images: Press release
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The original Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue were in black and white, so these Uniqlo tees are too.

The mainline Pokémon video games customarily release as a differently subtitled pair. This tradition goes all the way back to the very first games in the series, 1996’s Pokémon Red and Green, or Pokémon Red and Blue for the international release two years later.

Ironically, though, while the different versions were designated by different colors in their titles, those very first Pokémon games’ graphics were in black and white, on account of being developed for the original Game Boy hardware. So with the Pokémon franchise currently celebrating its 30th anniversary, Uniqlo is looking all the way back to the series’ starting point with a new collection of monochrome Pokémon pixel art T-shirts.

And when we say Uniqlo is looking all the way back to the start, we really mean all the way back to the start, as one of the designs is of the Pokémon Red start screen.

▼ At the time fans in Japan first saw this screen, there was no chance of them mistakenly calling protagonist Red “Satoshi” (as Ash is known in Japan), because the Pokémon Red video game came out more than a year before the first Pokémon anime episode aired.

After hitting the start button, it wasn’t long until players learned that before they could earn the right to call themselves a Pokémon Master, they were going to have to prove their prowess by taking down the eight Gym Leaders of the Indigo League. Specifically, they were going to have to take down each Leader’s themed team of Pokémon, including a particularly powerful representative of each Type, and those eight species are the stars of Uniqlo’s next shirt.

▼ Onix, Starmie, Raichu, Vileplume, Weezing, Alakazam, Arcanine, and Rhydon

Defeating a Gym Leader is an accomplishment that any ambitious Pokémon Trainer should be proud of, and this shirt lets you wear that pride on your sleeve, literally, by displaying the eight Gym Badges, each a mark of victory, on the T-shirt’s left sleeve.

Of course, the ultimate challenge was defeating Mewtwo, and so the intimidating Psychich-type is the muse for a shirt of its own.

And, fittingly for the most elusive Gen-I Pokémon of them all, if you circle around to the back of the shirt and look way down towards the hem…

…you can find Mewtwo, too.

Mewtwo’s original in-game appearance is a little different from how he looks today, and that’s also true of the Pokémon prominently featured on the final adult-sized shirt, Pikachu.

While Pikachu has never been especially svelte, he had a decidedly chunkier physique back in the Pokémon Red and Green days, and some long-time fans have a soft spot for this old-school, heavyset version. The Pikachu shirt is also the only one with a pocket. Why? Because as the text on the shirt is localized in English-language versions of the games, “What? Pikachu is evolving!”

And as all Pokémon Trainers know, when Pikachu evolves, he evolves into…

…Raichu, who can be seen printed on the pocket’s inner-side fabric.

Now, some Pokémon historians might point out that while Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue were indeed developed for the Game Boy’s black-and-white display, colors could be retroactively added in when they were played on the Game Boy Color, which was released two years after Pokémon Red and Green debuted in Japan. Perhaps as a nod to this, Uniqlo has also crated four kids size shirts for the collection that do have more colorful designs, and can be seen in the video below along with the adult shirts.

The adult shirts are priced at 1,990 yen (US$12) and the kids at 990, with the whole bunch going on sale July 24 and orderable through Uniqlo’s online store here.

Source: Uniqlo
Top image: Uniqlo
Insert images: Uniqlo (1, 2, 3, 4)
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This Hideout is both a dessert we’d like to drink and a place we’d like to be.

Ghibli Park doesn’t have the roller coasters, parades, stage performances, or fireworks shows typically associated with amusement parks. Instead, the Studio Ghibli theme park in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture is all about artistic atmosphere, and that philosophy extends to its dining options. For example, inside Ghibli Park’s Rotunda Kazegaoka restaurant, you can enjoy a meal or snack while admiring a full-scale recreation of the Savoia S-21 “flying boat” seaplane flown by protagonist Porco in Ghibli’s Porco Rosso anime film.

In keeping with Porco Rosso’s Italian coast setting, the restaurant’s menu options include hearty pasta plates.

With summer here, though, the cafe wanted to serve up something cooling and refreshing, while still keeping with the Porco Rosso theme. The result is an absolutely beautiful dessert drink that draws inspiration from the Ghibli anime’s depictions of the azure Adriatic Sea and the skies above it.

Called the Hideout Soda, the 850-yen (US$5.25) drink references the portion of the anime in which Porco is lying low to avoid capture by his foes. “Soda” here isn’t being used to mean cola, but instead a citrus/apple cider of the sort best known in Japan under the Ramune brand, and which customarily has a sky blue color and is strongly associated with summer fun. Floating in the soda sea are bits of pineapple and what appears to be a candy/gelatin plane, and instead of sea grasses you have sprigs of dill, which should make for a uniquely complex flavor profile. Finally, up above is a cloud layer of fluffy cotton-candy like confectionary.

The scene of a seaplane tranquilly floating in the water brings to mind a quote from an interview with Ghibli co-founder and Porco Rosso director Hayao Miyazaki. Speaking shortly after Porco Rosso’s 1993 Japanese release (and later reprinted in now-defunct American anime magazine Animerica), Miyazaki was asked if, given his well-known love of flying machines, he himself had ever wanted to become a pilot. In his customarily complex way, Miyazaki said that while it might be nice, the time commitment necessary to become a pilot would pull him away from things he had a stronger desire to do, such as create films. Somewhat wistfully, he also lamented that the understandable realities of real-life aviation mean that pilots can’t simply take off and land wherever they want to, saying “I’d like to have a seaplane, but there wouldn’t be any point without a beautiful body of water to maneuver on and a place to hide out in.”

With Miyazaki’s video-documented fondness for Japan’s blue sodas, it seems like he’d enjoy Ghibli Park’s new drink, which was added to the Rotunda Kazegaoka menu this month and will be available for a limited time.

By the way, though it’s technically part of Ghibli Park, Rotunda Kazegaoka is outside the admission gates and is open to anyone, regardless of whether or not they’ve purchased a ticket. Of course, considering that the theater inside Ghibli Park is the only place in the world to see Studio Ghibli’s new short anime, a ticket would still be pretty nice to have.

Related: Ghibli Park official website
Source: Ghibli Park, Twitter/@ghibliparkjp
Top image: Studio Ghibli
Insert images: Ghibli Park
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Take it easy and enjoy some painting with Harumichi Shibasaki.

In the decades following the passing of American painter Bob Ross, there was a huge void in the beloved genre of extremely-chill-person-painting-stuff content that borders on ASMR. It wasn’t until 2017 that artist Harumichi Shibasaki, a.k.a. Grandpa (Oji-san) Sensei, started his YouTube channel and invited the world to a relaxing time making pictures in watercolor, acrylic, and crayons.

▼ Video showing how he relaxingly made the painting above.

The 79-year-old’s channel now boasts over 2.1 million subscribers and a combined social media following of more than four million people who appreciate both his friendly demeanor and soothing works. However, when looking at online videos, it’s hard to really get a sense of the subtle textures and true color that a work of art can provide. Sometimes, you just have to see it in person to get the full impact.

For Grandpa Sensei fans, that chance is coming once again to the Hiltopia Art Square in Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo, from 23 to 28 July. Several new watercolor works will be on display, alongside various creations using Shibasaki’s own Art Crayons, developed with stationery brand Pentel.

But perhaps the biggest reason to head to this exhibition is that Grandpa Sensei in the flesh will be there every day. As can be plainly seen in his videos, he is far from standoffish, and more than happy to share the joy of painting with viewers who either enjoy his art technique or simply enjoy hearing him talk about his cats.

He issued the following statement leading up to the exhibition:

Hello, I’m Shibasaki. How are you doing? In 2025, I had the privilege of holding an exhibition at Hiltopia Art Square, where I was able to enjoy wonderful encounters with so many of you. Those warm memories remain with me, and I am absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to once again meet you all in Tokyo. In this exhibit, I’m going to have a wide range of new pieces on display. The main focus is on watercolors, but works made with acrylics and Art Crayons will also be there. The goal of my art is to capture the beauty of nature and casual moments in everyday life, while bringing out the warmth and tranquility that can be found in them. I hope everyone who comes can feel inspired and soothed by them. I plan to be present at the gallery throughout the exhibition and look forward to speaking with all of you in person.

In addition to seeing Shibasaki himself and his artworks, this event will also provide a chance to purchase pieces, giclee prints, and limited edition merchandise, such as T-shirts, stuffed toys, magnets, and more. The first 5,000 guests will also get a special Harumichi Shibasaki card with artwork exclusive to this exhibition.

News of the exhibition enticed many people, as shown in online comments. Even potential haters found themselves disarmed by his pleasant demeanor and undeniable skill.

“I’m going! I can’t wait!”
“The painting of the cat is incredible.”
“I bet seeing Grandpa Sensei in person would be really moving.”
“It’s the elderly gentleman with a nice smile who sometimes appears in my recommended videos.”
“He looks really young for someone near 80.”
“I went last year, and it was incredible. You really have to see it in person.”
“I watched a video intending to make fun of it, but the art was so good it just made me smile.”
“He’s more like Alwyn Crawshaw than Bob Ross though.”
“He’ll be there the whole time? I want to go and meet him.”

General admission to the exhibition is free for everyone, but capacity is limited, so you’ll need to book a time slot in advance to ensure entry. Some slots are already filled up, so don’t delay if you plan to head down. Another alternative is to purchase a Premium Ticket for 19,800 yen ($122), which includes the ability to come and go as you please throughout a single day, some merchandise, and best of all, the ability to get your photo taken Grandpa Sensei as well as his autograph.

However, you do it, it’s a great way to really get in touch with the joy of painting.

Event information
Harumichi Shibasaki Painting Exhibition 2026 Tokyo / 柴崎春通 絵画展 2026 東京
Hiltopia Art Square
ヒルトピアアートスクエア
Tokyo-to, Shinjuku-ku, Nishi-Shinjuku 6-6-2 B1F
東京都新宿区西新宿6丁目6−2 B1F
23 – 28 July, 2026
Hours: 10:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Admission: Free (reservations recommended, premium tickets available)

Source: PR Times, Hachima Kiko
Top image: PR Times
Images: PR Times 1, 2
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Soon you’ll be able to book a flight to Toyama-Takayama Sushi Airport in Japan.

Overseas tourists have reached record numbers in Japan, but regional areas still find themselves struggling to lure international visitors away from big cities on the well-worn Tokyo-to-Kyoto tourist trail.

Toyama Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan coast, is one of those regions that remains sadly overlooked, but now it’s throwing the old rulebook out the window in an effort to attract tourists, by giving its airport an unforgettable new nickname to help put it firmly on the map.

Up until now, the local flight terminal has been known as “Toyama Airport”, with the nickname “Toyama Kitokito Airport”. “Kitokito”, a word from the Toyama dialect that means “fresh” or “full of vitality”, was chosen for the nickname in a 2012 public contest to mark the prefecture’s 130th anniversary in 2013.

However, on 8 July, Toyama Governor Hachiro Nitta announced that the airport would receive a new nickname: “Toyama-Takayama Sushi Airport”. Though a name this outrageous might sound like a joke, it really is happening, with the governor saying the new branding aims to raise the prefecture’s profile amongst overseas visitors by highlighting two words that they believe have instant global recognition: “Sushi” and “Takayama”.

▼ Governor Nitta unveiled the new nickname at a press conference earlier today.

Using “sushi” in the airport’s official new nickname will certainly help to capture the attention of travellers unfamiliar with the area, and officials hope the branding will strengthen the message that Toyama is a leading destination for sushi.

The second part of the nickname refers to Takayama, the historic city in neighbouring Gifu Prefecture, which is a more popular destination for overseas tourists. Officials say the inclusion of “Takayama” in the name reflects Toyama Airport’s role as a gateway to the wider Hida Takayama area, helping visitors to explore destinations across prefectural borders.

While details remain unclear on when and how the airport’s sushi moniker will be used, it’s likely to feature in tourism promotions, overseas marketing, and other promotional materials as part of the prefecture’s branding strategy to attract inbound tourists.

Given that the current “富山きときと空港” (“Toyama Kitokito Airport”) nickname appears on the terminal building, a new “富山高山すし空港” (“Toyama-Takayama Sushi Airport”) sign is likely to replace it soon, either in Japanese, English, or perhaps both.

The rebranding comes as Toyama Airport seeks to revive passenger numbers following a decline last fiscal year, its first annual decrease in five years. The airport has faced growing competition from the Hokuriku Shinkansen, which opened direct rail links to Tokyo in 2015, and although it once operated flights to international destinations like Seoul, Shanghai and Dalian, many scheduled overseas routes have been suspended. Flights to Taipei, however, are expected to resume in August after an absence of around six and a half years, so there may be an uptick in passengers in time for the new rebranding.

Hopefully the new name will help to reverse the declining numbers, particularly amongst international visitors who can hop on a direct flight from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, so more people from overseas can enjoy the hidden charms of the region, including vending machine sushi and a Starbucks branch deemed to be the world’s most beautiful.

Source: Yahoo! Japan News/Kyodo, Yomiuri Shimbun, YouTube/東海テレビ ニュースONE
Top image: Wikipedia/Respite
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Noto Satoyama Pokémon With You Airport wants to help bring travelers to a part of Japan that could use more visitors.

For domestic flights, the standard recommendation is to get to the airport an hour ahead of your scheduled takeoff so that you have ample time to get through any check-in, baggage-check, and security protocols, plus make your way to your gate for boarding. However, even though Japan’s Noto Satoyama Airport only has domestic routes, we strongly encourage travelers give themselves much more than 60 minutes before takeoff. This isn’t because Noto Satoyama is inefficiently run, though. No, the reason you’ll want to get there very early is because it’s Japan’s first-ever Pokémon airport.

As of July 7, Noto Satoyama Airport, located on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, is now Noto Satoyama Pokémon With You Airport. The most dramatic part of the new theming is the gigantic Pikachu in the main atrium which is surrounded by illustrations of other Pocket Monsters. Take the time to count them, and you’ll tally up 111 different Pokémon varieties, with at least one representative of every Flying-type species since the franchise began 30 years ago.

▼ The first day of operations under the Noto Satoyama Pokémon With You Airport name

In addition to the atrium, Pokémon can be found in various common-use section of the airport, including three spots outside the building with Pokémon statues. “Capture” them using your smartphone’s camera, and you can watch a special short animated video.

The airport is also the proud home of Japan’s newest Pokémon manhole cover/Pokéfuta, this one showing Bagon and its evolved form Salamence taking off from the facility.

Annon, the airport’s restaurant, is also now serving a Pokémon-themed pancake dessert set…

…and a gorgeous piece of key art has been created not only to celebrate the collaboration…

…but also to serve as a motif for exclusive Noto Satoyama Pokémon With You Airport merch being offered in the airport’s souvenir shops.

As mentioned above, Noto Satoyama Pokémon With You Airport doesn’t have any international flights, but it does have a route connecting it with Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, and flying is often the quickest way to get from the capital to this part of Ishikawa Prefecture.

The collaboration is part of the continuing partnership between Ishikawa and the Pokémon franchise to promote tourism to the Noto Peninsula, which is still recovering economically from the effects of a powerful earthquake that occurred in 2024, but is now more than ready to start receiving visitors again. Other parts of the initiative include the Pokémon hot spring footbath in Ishikawa’s Wakura Onsen district.

Like the Pokémon mailboxes in Yokohama, though, the Noto Satoyama Pokémon With You Airport won’t be a permanent theming, but Pikachu and all those Flying types are currently scheduled to be there until at least the end of September 2029.

Related: Noto Satoyama Pokémon With You Airport official website
Source: Pokémon with You, Burari Noto Net, Pokéfuta official website
Top image: Pokémon with You
Insert images: Pokémon with You, Pokéfuta official website
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