Twentythree

Featuring night-lit gardens, imperial poetry, and custom digital garments.

Kyoto is home to an abundance of heritage fused with modernity: a place where you could espy a traditional building from afar only to discover a familiar mermaid emblazoned on the sign when you draw closer. Tokyo-based creative collective Naked, Inc., known for combining cinematic storytelling with cutting-edge technology, embraces this dichotomy wholeheartedly, having run several digital art exhibitions over the years in some of Japan’s most iconic landmarks, including Himeji Castle and Matsushima. Running from October 23 through December 5, the immersive art exhibition Naked Meets Nijo Castle 2026 once again transforms the castle grounds into a glowing canvas of light, sound, and interactive digital art.

Originally built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa shogun, Nijo Castle is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site famed for its stunning traditional architecture and spacious gardens. The 2026 exhibition celebrates the 400th anniversary of the 1626 Kanei Gyoko (Imperial Visit), a momentous five-day event when Emperor Go-Mizunoo visited the castle, sparking a cultural exchange between the imperial court and the samurai elite, with cultural aspects like tea ceremony and flower arrangement blossoming. The shogunate used the event as a chance to legitimize their de facto rule over the now-unified country, whereas the emperor took the opportunity to show the country that the imperial family was still relevant in the current period.

To bring this historic era to life, Naked, Inc. draws inspiration from Tokugawa Masako, the daughter of the shogun and empress consort to Emperor Go-Mizunoo. A central figure of the Kanei era (1624-1645), Masako bridged courtly elegance and samurai culture, leaving a lasting influence on Japanese aesthetic traditions, including the delicate art of the kimono.

As a collaboration with the larger Kanei Gyoko 400th Anniversary Festival, with events being held both within Kyoto and nationwide, visitors to Naked meets Nijo Castle 2026 will encounter a total of three curated zones to enjoy. The journey begins at the grand Karamon Gate (a grand Chinese-style gate featuring intricate wood carvings), illuminated with vivid digital projections displaying class Kanei-era patterns and colors.

As you wander past the Ninomaru Palace, inner moat, and Seiryuen Garden, light and sound installations weave together waka poetry composed by Masako, traditional gosho-zome (imperial court dyeing techniques), and illuminated garden scenery.

In the kitchen forecourt, guests can participate in interactive art, selecting classic design patterns to project directly onto a white kosode (a traditional short-sleeved garment that served as the predecessor to the modern kimono) to wear as digital fashion. Guests can also enjoy Masako’s Night Tea Party, combining art, atmosphere, and traditional tea culture.

The exhibition takes place daily from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., with admission nightly until 9:00 p.m. Advance tickets are available at major Japanese convenience stores and travel companies Jalan and Rakuten Travel (all links below), until October 22 starting at 1,600 yen for weekdays and 2,000 yen for weekends, but standard tickets are 2,000 yen for Mondays to Thursdays and 2,400 yen for weekends and holidays. If you are fortunate to be a student or Kyoto resident, a cashback of 500 yen is offered at the on-site booth with a valid ID.

For anyone eager to experience Kyoto’s cultural heritage through a modern lens, this event promises an unforgettable autumn evening, but for those looking to get more hands on, Naked also recently opened a traditional craft workshop at Kyoto Station.

Event information
Naked meets Nijojo / NAKED meets 二条城 2026
Address: Kyoto-fu, Kyoto-shi, Nakagyo-ku, Nijojocho 541
京都府京都市中京区二条城町541
Dates: October 23, 2026–December 5, 2026
Open 6:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. (last entry at 9:00 p.m.)
Website

Related: Kanei Gyoko 400th Anniversary Festival
Online Tickets: Family Mart/7-Eleven, Lawson, Eplus, Jalan, Rakuten Travel
Source and images: PR Times
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Bandai Namco’s store that’s all about anime Mobile Suits is moving into new territories.

There’s a Gundam-shaped, and also Gundam-sized, hole in the hearts of anime enthusiasts in Tokyo these days, as August 31 was the last day for the city’s life-size Gundam statue before the start of its dismantling process. But as Gundam fans in Tokyo dry their tears, it’s time for their counterparts in America to start smiling, because the U.S. is getting two new Gundam Base superstores this summer, and the opening of the first is happening in less than two weeks.

The Gundam Base Minneapolis will be opening inside the Mall of America on September 30, becoming America’s second Gundam Base, following the opening of Gundam Base Chicago in 2025. The harshness of winters in the American Midwest representing high potential demand for indoor activities such as anime and plastic model kits notwithstanding, it might seem a little unusual for the region to be getting both of America’s initial Gundam Bases, but the Mall of America is the biggest shopping center in the country, so it should provide ample space for a vast array of Gunpla model kits, figures, and other merch, as well as space for special in-store events and celebrations.

Opening on the same day, and right next door to the Gundam Base Minneapolis, will be a new Bandai Namco Cross Store, carrying a wide variety of otaku-oriented items from the many, many franchises the company does merchandising for, ranging from Gashapon capsule toys and high-end Tamashii Nations figures to lifestyle goods and stationery.

Bandai Namco is trumpeting that Gundam Base Minneapolis will have “exclusive merchandise,” though right now that seems to mean they’re exclusive to Gundam Base stores, not the Minneapolis branch specifically. Either way, the MG 1/100 The Gundam Base Limited RX-78-2 Ver. 3.0 [The Gundam Base Color] and RG 1/144 The Gundam Base Limited Wing Gundam Zero EW [Clear Color] do look very cool.

▼ Yes, we’ve now reached the point in the timeline where Gundam models have even longer names than the in-anime mecha.

Later this fall the Gundam Base will also be expanding outside the American Midwest to simply the American West, as Seattle is getting a Gundam Base of its own at Westfield Southcenter, though an exact opening date doesn’t appear to have been publicly announced yet.

It’s worth noting that no announcement has been made what’s going to become of the dismantled components of Tokyo’s Unicorn Gundam statue, and the whereabouts of the 1:1-scale original Gundam statue are also undisclosed following its stints in Yokohama and Osaka . Even if a full on-site rebuild wouldn’t be feasible in terms of space, the opening of new Gundam Bases in the U.S. would seem like a prime opportunity to at least display the statues’ heads, but Bandai Namco has only said that “grand opening celebrations, exclusive merchandise, and special events for each location will be announced closer to their respective opening dates.”

Source: Bandai Namco (1, 2)
Top image: Bandai Namco
Insert images: Bandai Namco (1, 2)
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Burger stand near Tokyo’s most famous temple has local partners with more than 100 years of history helping the Square Burger stick out from the crowd.

They say nobody’s perfect, but with an average out to 4.9 out of 5 stars as of this month for Kadomasu-The Square Burger, the Tokyo restaurant’s Google user reviews say the place is about as close to perfection as you can get. This isn’t a case of the restaurant lucking out with a string of its earliest customers all coincidentally happening to like the place before a larger sample pool pulls ratings down, either, as those 4.9 stars are the average from across more than 2,000 customer reviews.

As you can probably guess from its name, the star of the menu at Kadomasu-The Square Burger is the Square Burger. To illustrate just how proud they are of the sandwich, the restaurant used to just be called Kadomasu, but since the Square Burger was added to the menu last spring, the management says that it’s been generating a huge amount of positive buzz on social media among foreign tourists traveling in Tokyo. Kadomasu-The Square Burger also says that over 80 percent of their customers are visitors from overseas.

Kadomasu (which also serves steak skewers, desserts, and drinks) is located in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood, not far from the famous Sensoji Temple. For its patties, it uses A5-grade wagyu beef, but why are its burgers square? There’s at least a little wordplay involved — the “kado” part of Kadomasu is the Japanese word for “corner.” Being square, though, also lets the patties match the shape of the bread that’s used for the burgers.

Yes, that’s right, bread, not buns. As an Asakusa restaurant, Kadomasu wants to make a uniquely Asakusa burger, and they say they get their bread from local bakery Terasawa, which was founded in the neighborhood in 1950. The Square Burger’s bread is specially made for the sandwich, with golden sesame seeds kneaded into it for a nutty accent, and toasted on the restaurant’s flat grill with a generous amount of butter, cooked to achieve a crispness on its outer surface but a soft fluffiness closer to its center. Said bread is delivered to the restaurant, freshly baked, every morning, personally by Terasawa’s third-generation owner, Masahiko Terasawa, according to the management.

The partner for Kadomasu’s burger sauce has an even longer history. Sauce maker Tokiha Sauce has been part of the Asakusa neighborhood since 1923, and after a few extra ingredients are added to Tokiha’s vegetable-based Nama Sauce, it becomes the spread for Kadomasu’s Square Burger.

The Square Burger is served sliced for easier eating, cut into square quarters, naturally. A dollop of wasabi comes on the side for those that want to add some spiciness, and if you want even more decadent richness than the wagyu beef and buttered bread are going to provide, you can order it with cheddar cheese too.

Though Kadomasu-The Square Burger makes its stance very clear as to whether or not a sandwich has to have a bun in order to be called a burger, there are a few mysteries about the place. For starters, while its 4.9-star Google review average holds up as of this writing (currently from 2,028 reviews), aside from the press release images seen in this article, the only customer-uploaded photo of the signature sandwich floating around online seems to be the one on Japanese restaurant info site Tabelog here. Kadomasu-The Square Burger is also less than forthcoming about how much the Square Burger costs. The restaurant has no website (and thus no online menu), and its official Instagram account doesn’t list prices for its items. That’s not to say on-site customers don’t know how much they’re going to be charged for their sandwich, though, since there’s a signboard posted outside its entrance with prices listed. Photos taken at the restaurant in August show that the price at the time was 2,850 yen (US$18) for the Square Burger and 3,150 yen if you wanted it with cheese, though being in a tourist-oriented part of town, it’s possible that the price could have changed since then.

Restaurant information
Kadomasu-The Square Burger
Address: Tokyo-to, Taito-ku, Asakusa 2-7-13
東京都台東区浅草2丁目7-13
Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (weekdays), 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (weekends)
Instagram

Source: PR Times, Tabelog (1, 2), Google
Images: PR Times
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Officials calling for caution as Mt. Takao enters peak hiking season.

Fall is, by far, the best time of year to go hiking in Japan. Free from worries about the snows of winter, the hay fever-triggering pollen of spring, or the debilitating heat and humidity of summer, a stroll along a mountain trail is one of the best ways to spend a crisp, clear autumn day. You don’t even have to venture all that far from the big city to find good hiking. Mt. Takao is only an hour train ride west of the Tokyo city center, and the 599-meter (1,965-foot) tall mountain makes for a fun and accessible trek, taking about two hours to hike to the summit and another 90 minutes or so to get back down.

However, officials are calling for visitors to Tokyo’s favorite day-hike destination to be cautious, following a bear sighting near its most popular trail.

Out of the multiple routes to the top of Takao, Trail 1 is the most popular. Also called the Omotesando Route, it takes you through a nice mixture of natural scenery and man-made landmarks, such as the atmospheric Yakuoin Temple. On Wednesday, though, Hachioji City, the district of Tokyo in which Mt. Takao is located, announced that video from observation cameras installed on the mountain had shown an adult Asian black bear near the trail.

▼ Mt. Takao’s Trail 1

The bear’s presence didn’t come to light until sometime after the fact, with volunteers noticing it on video recorded at around 11 p.m. on August 20. The sighting was reported to the central Tokyo Metropolitan Government, who confirmed that the animal seen in the images was indeed a black bear and then informed Hachioji City.

It should be noted that the animal was roughly 70 meters (230 feet) from the path, and bears have been known to inhabit the area. Still, this is evidently closer than bears usually get to Trail 1.

▼ The bear was reported as being seen in the vicinity of where Trail 1 crosses over the expressway’s Takasosan Tunnel, which wouldn’t be far from the section seen here, which is about a 30 to 40-minute walk from the start of the trail.

With the bear having come closer to the trail than normal, and also bear attacks in general becoming more frequent in recent years, Hachioji officials are understandably concerned, especially as upcoming autumn holidays and the changing colors of the fall leaves will be drawing many people to the mountain in the weeks to come. They’re advising that visitors avoid hiking in early morning, evening, and nighttime hours, to hike with a friend or as part of a group, and to attach either a bell or a radio to their bag or belt, all to prevent startling any bears and triggering an aggressive response.

Source: Sankei Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun
Photos ©SoraNews24
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Limited-edition beverage introduces us to the magic that happens when you roast a Japanese sweet potato.

In Japan, the arrival of autumn brings with it a bounty of seasonal produce, and one of the harvest stars is sweet potato. It’s a vegetable so popular it’s become one of the season’s signature flavours, and Starbucks is celebrating its sweetness in a simple yet stunning new special release.

Called Mitsuimo Milk, this beverage is made with beni haruka, one of the most popular varieties of sweet potato in Japan, beloved for its well-rounded sweetness. Mitsuimo (literally “honey potato”), is the term used to describe sweet potatoes that are so sweet the natural sugars become densely concentrated, oozing out a honey-like syrup when baked – a quality that beni haruka is renowned for.

For locals, the word “mitsuimo” is enough to make them salivate, and Starbucks has already witnessed its powers of seduction firsthand, through the popularity of the Melty Mitsuimo Frappuccino and Melty Mitsuimo Mousse Tea Latte released earlier this month.

Whereas those two drinks (pictured above) were filled with richness and multiple layers of flavour, this new release strips away the trimmings, offering a simpler, more pared-back take on the sweet potato to showcase the depths of its honey-like sweetness.

By blending baked sweet potato paste with smooth milk, customers will be able to enjoy a deliciously creamy texture that mimics the mouthfeel of a sweet potato. The simplicity of the ingredients helps to showcase the delicate, nuanced flavours that are naturally inherent in the vegetable and unlocked through the baking process, when it sings with syrupy sweetness.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to drink a sweet potato unfettered by other seasonal ingredients, then the Mitsuimo Milk will open the door to a new realm of deliciousness. Priced at 618 yen (US$4.10) for takeout or 630 yen for dine-in, the new drink will be available at Starbucks stores around Japan from 18 September.

Source, images: Press release
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Governor asks offseason hikers to “stop waving around their freedom to climb the mountain as if it’s the only thing that matters.”

As the country’s most famous landmark, Mt. Fuji inspires musings on Japan’s history, culture, and natural beauty. Unfortunately, in recent years it also evokes thoughts of irresponsible, overconfident offseason hikers who ignore safety warnings and need someone to come and save them, and growing public frustration has lead to a new rule under which some of them will have to pay the bill for their own rescue.

To recap, the official climbing season on Mt. Fuji runs from early July to early September. Outside of that period, Mt. Fuji is said to be “closed,” but its off-season status is somewhat complicated. Technically, it’s the trails that lead from Mt. Fuji’s fifth station (where paved streets stop) up to the top of the mountain that are off-limits. The trails are classified as prefectural roads, and so Yamanashi and Shizuoka, the two prefectures Mt. Fuji straddles, have the authority to bar their use during the fall, winter, and spring.

However, ascending past the fifth station during the offseason, in and of itself, is not illegal, and in recent years an increasing number of people have been trying to summit Fuji outside the climbing season. An increasing number of them have also been failing to do so, requiring rescue teams to be dispatched to come and pick them up and carry them home. During the offseason, when there’s less daylight, more snow, and fewer support personnel on/near the mountain, rescue operations become more difficult, as well as more dangerous for the workers involved.

And so, in a press conference on September 14, four days after Yamanashi Prefecture’s Yoshida Mt. Fuji trail closed for the year, Governor Kotaro Nagasaki announced that the prefecture will be installing a new ordinance in which offseason climbers requiring evacuation by helicopter from Mt. Fuji will be charged for the operation.

▼ “Will you be paying by cash, credit, or Suica card, sir?”

The amount rescued hikers will have to pay will be based on expenses such as fuel and personnel costs. As such, the bill will likely vary depending on the complexity of the operation and the distance of the flight to necessary medical facilities. For reference, in Saitama Prefecture, which already has ordinances charging negligent hikers for their rescues, a five-minute helicopter ride carries a charge of around 8,000 yen (US$50).

▼ Governor Nagasaki’s press conference

Addressing the ostensible sentiment of offseason hikers that, because it’s not illegal, they’re free to climb Mt. Fuji outside the official season, Nagasaki said:

“In the event that they do end up needing to be rescued, we are obligated to help them, which puts rescue workers in danger, so I would like them to stop waving around their freedom to climb the mountain as if it’s the only thing that matters.”

Nagasaki did add, though, that rescue fees could be reduced or waived for offseason hikers who file an offseason hiking notification and are judged to have properly prepared for their climb. However, with the prefecture’s official stance being that Mt. Fuji is too dangerous to climb during that part of the year, it seems unlikely that the authorities will be prone to judging offseason climbers’ preparations as adequate, especially when those hikes ended up unable to get home from Mt. Fuji under their own power.

Online reactions to the plan to charge offseason hikers for helicopter rescues have included:

“There’s no need to use taxpayer money to rescue people who don’t follow the rules.”
“The people who have to go rescue them end up having to put their lives in danger too.”
“They should have done this years ago.”
“No need to reduce the charges for anyone. Whether you’re ‘prepared’ or not, if you’re hiking in the offseason, you take responsibility.”
“How about if we just say ‘Offseason hiking is dangerous, so there will be no rescue operations. Please take responsibility for yourself.”
“Freedom comes with responsibilities.”
“Honestly they should just make it illegal to hike Mt. Fuji in the offseason.”

That last idea likely is something that Yamanashi and Shizuoka would like to do, but the current system of barring access to the prefectural-road trails suggests that making the mountain as a whole off-limits during the offseason is probably something that can’t be easily done from a legal-framework standpoint.

Yamanashi’s offseason helicopter rescue charges are expected to go into effect in the fall of 2027.

Like Yamanashi, Shizuoka Prefecture is also planning to introduce a new ordinance that would require hikers to file a notification before attempting to climb Mt. Fuji in the offseason. Neither prefecture has clarified what the process for filing the notification will be, but it’s unlikely to be quick and convenient, since the notification system’s main purpose seems to be to act as a de-facto deterrent to offseason hiking by making possible penalties for noncompliance even if the prefectures can’t yet make offseason hiking itself illegal.

Source: YBS News via Yahoo! Japan News, Teleasa News, YouTube/YBS山梨放送 公式チャンネル
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert image: Pakutaso
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It’s more of a pointup than a lineup though.

On 16 September, our veteran reporter Mr. Sato was strolling through Tokyo’s Omotesando neighborhood. It was a rather wet and miserable day, as many this autumn seem to be, but at least things were cooling down from the intense summer.

He looked around at all the shops, some new, some old, but one that has really stood the test of time was the SoftBank Omotesando shop. That place was special to Mr. Sato as it was the first place he ever lined up to be one of the first to purchase the iPhone 4 back in 2010. “Has it really been 16 years?” he thought to himself.

Our writer was thinking about how a person born that year would be in high school by now, when he suddenly spotted something peculiar in front of the SoftBank… It was an orange mohawk.

Orange mohawks are a rare sight in Japan, so Mr. Sato was fairly certain it was none other than Butch a.k.a. Big Wave.

Mr. Sato: “Butch! What are you doing standing out in the rain?!”

Butch: “Oh, s’up bruh!!!”

Mr. Sato: “Aren’t you cold? What are you doing out here?”

Butch: “Pffft, like you don’t know… It’s the event of the century, bruh! The iPhone! The new iPhone is coming out! And when a new iPhone launches, that’s my cue, baby!”

Mr. Sato: “Oh, is that this week? So, it’s already time for that crazy expensive phone to come out.”

Butch: “That’s right! Don’t tell me you forgot, bruh. What happened to the guy who used to line up with me back in the day?”

Mr. Sato: “Yeah, I totally forgot. I’m actually using an Android now, so I haven’t been keeping track of the release dates.”

Butch: “Dang, I guess changing to Android makes you a really dull guy too.”

Mr. Sato: “I just lost interest. I don’t think it’s the phone’s fault.”

Butch: “If you say so, bruh.”

Not wanting to stand out in the rain any longer, Mr. Sato wished Butch well and went on his way.

As he walked, Mr. Sato looked back on those days. For a brief moment in history, iPhone launches were major cultural events, and Mr. Sato was right in the middle of it all. For two years in a row, he first person in Japan to purchase a new iPhone model after its launch, rubbing shoulders with celebrities like Ken Watanabe at the celebratory ceremony.

▼  Mr. Sato was celebrated as the first iPhone5S owner in Japan in 2013.

And it was on the iPhone line circuit that he met Butch, whose eye-catching appearance and effervescent attitude made him a constant presence on TV news coverage of iPhone releases.

▼ News report of the iPhone3G release in 2008. Butch can be seen a little under a minute into it.

He even managed to parlay that into acting and modeling work, appearing as the mascot for Taco Bell Japan at one point.

However, as the years passed, the excitement of yet another iPhone that wasn’t hugely different from the year before dwindled. At the same time, Mr. Sato grew older. Now in his 50s, he doubted he had the stamina to spend three days and nights on a sidewalk.

Butch is younger by about 10 years, but is just getting to that age where aches and pains become more frequent, and the invincibility of youth begins to falter. And yet, he still tirelessly shows up every year to camp out on the sidewalk and wait for the new iPhone, even after the rest of the world has moved on.

▼Butch in 2024

Mr. Sato began to feel bad for his friend and decided that the next day he would hold an intervention for him on the sidewalk in front of the SoftBank Omotesando.

On 17 September, Mr. Sato returned to the lineup for the iPhone18, which consisted solely of Butch. As he approached, he thought that perhaps if he could show his pal how far Android has come along in terms of performance and affordability, perhaps he could finally pack up his lawn chair and pursue a new hobby.

Mr. Sato: “Butch, it’s been raining non-stop. Are you alright?!”

Butch: “Bruh, do I look alright to you? I’m cold and wet, and my lower back is killing me, dog.”

Mr. Sato: “Butch, it’s over. The iPhone dream is dead, man. It’s time to wake up and see that!”

Butch: “But, bruh… It’s just… I…”

Mr. Sato: “Enough. Android is pretty good too, you know. If you still think it’s that sluggish phone of a decade ago, you’re wrong, man. The world has changed. The iPhone isn’t the only game in town anymore.”

Butch: “But the release date is coming up…”

Mr. Sato: “You damn fool! Even the cheapest iPhone is 219,800 yen (US$1,400) and the 2TB iPhone 18 Pro is freaking 449,800 yen ($2,900)! Forgetting about specs, you can get a brand new Android for just 22,000 yen ($141)! Don’t you see?!”

Butch: “That’s not it, bruh. I mean… I…”

Mr. Sato: “Listen to me, Butch. You’ve done enough. You led the charge on iPhone releases, made “you gotta ride this Big Wave” a popular catchphrase, and inspired the nation with your ASCII art.”

“But look around you. There are fewer and fewer young people who even know what ASCII art is, let alone an iPhone lineup. The iPhone 3G came out 18 years ago, man. Isn’t it time to hang up your mohawk? Android is really pretty decent now.”

Butch: “Bruh, you totally got it twisted…”

Butch: “It’s just that I…”

Butch: “I LOVE THE LINE!”

Butch: “I don’t care about the iPhone… I care about lining up!”

Butch’s admission gave Mr. Sato pause. Indeed, Big Wave had eluded to being more a fan of lining up for iPhones than the iPhones themselves in past years. Our reporter realized he took the completely wrong approach in trying to make Butch see the light.

Mr. Sato: “Of course… You were never lining up to buy an iPhone. You always lined up just to be in the line.”

Defeated, Mr. Sato once again wished Butch well and went on his way back to his dry and heated home. He wondered how long Butch would continue to be a lineup of one in front of the SoftBank Omotesando now that the rest of the world has moved on.

Perhaps he could find his friend something more popular to line up for these days, something with other people so that Butch could find that joy and excitement of waiting again, and something that didn’t cost as much as a used car.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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