Warner Bros. Japan LLC celebrated the grand opening of Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – Making of Harry Potter on June 6, 2023, at the former site of Toshimaen Amusement Park in Nerima Prefecture, Tokyo.
At Studio Tour Tokyo, guests can learn about behind-the-scenes film production, encounter magical animals, and see gorgeous costumes on breathtaking movie sets, including the iconic Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Diagon Alley, and the Forbidden Forest.
In addition, visitors can also take part in various experiences such as broom riding, drinking Butterbeer, becoming a moving portrait in the Hogwarts corridors, joining the crowd at a Quidditch match, and shopping for exclusive Studio Tour Tokyo merchandise.
The attraction is the first of its kind in Asia and the largest indoor Harry Potter facility in the world. Touring the entire studio is estimated to take approximately 4 hours.
Tickets can be purchased on Studio Tour Tokyo’s official website.
On the 15th of March, an event was held on Platform 9 and 3/4 with actress Mana Ashida, a well-known Harry Potter fan, and TV personality Harry Sugiyama, acting as special navigators, in preparation for the grand opening.
The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA) announced that Osaka has been selected to host the 2024 IGLTA World Congress, an international conference on LGBTQ+ tourism. This will be the first time for the event to be held in Asia.
The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association was founded in 1983 to promote tourism that welcomes LGBTQ+ people. It consists of hotel, airline, cruise, and travel companies, as well as tourism bureaus and universities from around the world.
Osaka Prefecture was an early adopter of the IGLTA partnership system, as well as the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau, which also joined the IGLTA to support LGBTQ+ tourism.
Business Events Sydney (BESydney), a MICE (Meeting, Incentive Travel, Convention, Exhibition) promoter in Sydney, a major hub in Australia, has announced a new program to support MICE in the city from April 2023 to March 2024, with grants of $50AUD per person as a measure to attract more MICE events from Japan.
The “BESydney Asia Grant” will be awarded to groups of 100 to 400 people planning to hold a corporate meeting, incentive travel, or conference in Sydney for a period of at least four days and three nights from April 2023 to March 2024, offering a grant of $50AUD per person (for groups of 401 or more, the amount will be determined based on the size of the group after individual consultation). Applications opened on February 8, and are being reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Lyn Lewis-Smith, CEO of BESydney, stated, “Not only is the number of direct flights from Japan to Sydney recovering, it is even surpassing pre-pandemic levels. By supporting our valued clients, meeting organizers and planners, we hope to re-energize the incentive travel and corporate market from Japan to Sydney, allowing people to experience the vibrancy and energy of the city and actively introduce new products and attractions, including event venues.”
Australia has seen the birth of various new event-related facilities and programs in recent years, including at the Sydney Opera House, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2023. In addition, South by Southwest (SXSW), a festival that originated in Austin, Texas in the United States, will be held for the first time in Australia in October of this year, and has been attracting much attention.
From June 28 to 30, LIVeNT 2023 and Content Tokyo 2023 were held at the Tokyo Big Sight.
LIVeNT consisted of 3 specialized shows: Events Expo Tokyo, Live Entertainment Expo Tokyo, and eSports Tokyo.
From the moment I set foot into the exhibition hall, the energy in the room was palpable. My line of sight was dominated by a nearly life-sized decorative giraffe, and excited screams from visitors enjoying a human-powered swing ride carried over the bustle of the crowd. It felt more like I was at an amusement park rather than a business trade fair.
Making my way down the aisles, I discovered more eye-catching exhibits, including a mist screen for projections by Seiko-Giken, a rotating VR 360 cinema by LEKE VR, and even a revolutionary pinsetter for “string bowling” by Funk Bowling, many booths offering hands-on experiences.
In the Promotional Product Zone, there was a noticeable trend towards goods for “Oshi-katsu,” meaning active support for one’s favorite character, actor, idol, etc., which has been gaining mainstream popularity in recent years. Products included customizable penlights and glow sticks, custom-designable acrylic keychains, and DIY accessories in every imaginable color.
I spoke to representatives of several companies at LIVeNT 2023 to learn more about what products and services they were promoting.
First, I met with Kiyomi Aizawa from grabss Inc. Grabss Inc. may be best known for running Tiget, an online platform for concert ticket sales. Aizawa was helping to promote the company’s THISIS service, which she explained helps users create a business profile that allows for telephone communication and Line messaging without the need to give out contact information.
Aizawa demonstrated how Tiget uses THISIS for customer inquiries. When she initiated a call from the app, several employees’ smartphones rang in unison. She explained that THISIS helps protect employees’ personal information, since Tiget does not issue company phones to its staff.
Next, I headed to the TCC booth, where I had the opportunity to speak briefly with Keigo Kodera, who works in the event division. At LIVeNT, TCC was promoting their live animal events, which consist of temporary zoo and aquarium exhibits, petting zoos, and educational animal shows. At these events, the company also offers options for guided tours and animal feeding.
At their exhibit, TCC showcased their life-sized stuffed animals, which can be rented for photo shoots at events, and there was even a touch tank with fish and sharks available for petting.
Lastly, I was drawn in by an array of rotating color-changing LED tubes to the Shenzhen Clen Optoelectronics Co Ltd. exhibit. Clen spokesperson Alice presented their wide variety of LED products, including video pixel bars, LED 360 tubes, and full-color LED strips, all of which are customizable and programmable to align with the user’s desired outcome. She also explained how Clen’s LED products have been applied to concert stage building and exhibition booth set up.
After fully exploring LIVeNT, I headed across the hall to the Content Tokyo exhibition.
Content Tokyo consisted of 5 sections: Licensing Japan, Creators’ Expo, Production / Studio Expo, Advanced Digital Technology Expo, and Ad Creative & Marketing Expo.
The Content Tokyo Expo hall had an entirely different atmosphere. Impressive booths with costumed mascots and moving displays from world-famous brands such as Sanrio, Bandai Namco, and Sony Creative in Licensing Japan were lined up next to the Creators’ Expo’s individual artists, game developers, and writers appealing their work to publishers and sales promoters.
The first exhibit I visited at Content Tokyo was that of Parnonym Inc., which was promoting their next-generation interactive technology, Tig. Yuri Nomura of the Paronym sales department showcased Tig’s e-commerce function. Tig Commerce allows users to select fashion items from images and videos and directs them to where these products can be purchased, revolutionizing the future of online shopping.
Continuing onward, I had the pleasure to speak with the CEO of ASAGI Inc., Atsuto Nishio. ASAGI Inc. is a video production and media consulting company based out of Tottori Prefecture. They offer video production services, all the way from planning to filming and editing, in addition to consulting for promotion of videos to increase viewership, support for livestreaming as a business, and assistance with Youtube and SNS marketing.
CEO Nishio expressed his fondness for travel and learning about various cultures, as well as his desire to expand his business to areas outside of Japan.
Finally, at Kyoda Creation Co. Ltd.’s exhibit, I had the opportunity to learn about the company’s business model from Planner / Director Erika Okada. She explained that Kyoda Creation employs individual illustrators and artists and connects them with commissions from publishers for original character design work. The company’s works cover a wide variety of media, including company mascots, picture books, advertisements, and board and card games.
Next year’s LIVeNT 2024 and Content Tokyo 2024 are scheduled to be held at the Tokyo Big Sight from July 3 to 5.
Omni-Directional VR Treadmill by KAT VRCustomizable penlights and glowsticks for “Oshi-katsu” by Ruifan JapanNew products to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of Creative Yoko Co.’s iconic seal character, Sirotan.
From February 15 to 17, The 95th Tokyo International Gift Show Spring 2023, Japan’s largest international trade fair for personal gifts and household goods, was held at the Tokyo Big Sight.
Concurrent exhibitions were: Tokyo International Gift Show Spring 2023: The 13th LIFE x DESIGN, The 33rd Gourmet & Dining Style Show Spring 2023, and TOKYO International Gift Show LIVING & DESIGN 2023. The show was held in East Exhibition Halls 1-7, and a free shuttle service was available from the Rinkai Line Kokusai-Tenjijo Station.
This year`s theme was, “Omni-Channel, Revitalizing the Japanese Economy PART II”. The event was organized by Business Guide-Sha, Inc.
2,774 companies exhibited, including 302 overseas companies from 15 countries. This was a 40% increase from the September exhibition last fall.
A total of 229,968 attendees visited the fair, including 552 from abroad. (Preliminary figures, including concurrent exhibitions)
The venue consisted of 7 categories and 3 shows, and domestic and international distributors who visited the event were able to proactively gather information and connect with new suppliers.
7 Categories
Character / License / Entertainment
Stylish Goods World
Lifestyle Goods Village
Beauty and Health Village
Personal Gifts / My Room / My Goods
Home Fashion Village
GLOBAL International Pavilion
3 Shows
Renovating to Design Your Home to Fit Your Way of Living Trade Fair (LIFE x DESIGN)
Total Interior International Trade Fair (LIVING & DESIGN)
Japan’s largest entertainment showcase, Tokyo Game Show 2023, was announced in an online conference by the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA) on February 28. Applications for exhibitors were opened on the same day.
CESA, along with Nikkei Business Publications and Dentsu Inc, will be holding the Tokyo Game Show from September 21 to 24, 2023, at the Makuhari Messe. Business Day will take place on the 21st and 22nd, and the event will be open to the public on the 23rd and 24th. In addition, Tokyo Game Show VR 2023 (TGSVR2023), held in virtual space, will be extended an extra week after the in-person event and is scheduled to be open until October 1.
Estimated to be largest hybrid event in history, the in-person event will encompass Makuhari Messe Halls 1-11, the International Conference Hall, and every event hall for the first time in 4 years. Over 2,000 booths and 200,000 attendees are expected. TGSVR2023 will allow participation via smartphone. The official broadcast will be simulcast on various platforms, including YouTube, Twitter, and Nico Nico Video. Real-time English and Chinese live streams will also be broadcast. In addition, Steam will set up a special website to support purchasing and free trial versions of games presented at the showcase.
New installations this year include the Gaming Hardware Corner, which exhibits gaming PCs and peripherals while taking into account the diversification of ways to enjoy games and the expansion of the extent of game creation, and the Gaming Lifestyle Corner, which showcases gaming furniture and gaming rooms. The previous “Game School Corner” will be renamed as the “Game Academy Corner”. It will be made easier for a wide variety of educational institutions that teach and produce gaming personnel, including high schools, technical colleges, trade schools, universities, graduate schools, and research facilities to become exhibitors.
Furthermore, the organizer’s corner, named Creator Lounge, will be newly installed as well. Here influencers can live stream or edit videos, in addition to creator management companies being offered exhibition space. The cosplay area will also return, and a stage for live appearances by prominent streamers and cosplayers will be prepared.
The Family and Kids Area will return after 4 years. A programming area for learning the fun of creating games with the themes of “Learn” and “Play,” a job experience area to learn about working in the game industry, and a game area with various titles for parents and children to play together, will all be set up.
Other events include the announcement and award ceremony for each category of the Japan Game Awards, Sense of Wonder Night, in which eight groups selected from among 80 free indie game exhibitors will give presentations, and the TGS Forum, which will occur during the 2 Business Days.
The Business Meeting area has been expanded to accommodate the many requests for face-to-face international business meetings during Business Days. All business meetings can be held in a hybrid environment of both in-person and online. The international party is planned to be brought back as a place to promote international exchange as well. Support for coming to Japan regardless of border control measures will be provided.
The regulation that required the use of a barrier sheet to separate the temporary visitor control area from the general aisles when the area in front of the stage became congested, has been abolished. In addition, the guidelines for exhibiting and displaying other companies’ products and services have been partially changed.
The deadline for exhibitor applications is May 26. Tickets for visitors are scheduled to go on sale in early July for the general public and late July for businesses. In addition to a significant relaxation of the ticket limit, admission for children elementary school age and younger will also be permitted this year.
Haruhiro Tsujimoto, CESA Director and Chairman of the Event Committee, stated, “Last year, 140,000 people visited the real event for the first time in three years. We have implemented a hybrid event with online distribution programs and VR projects that can be attended and enjoyed from afar and at any time. The Tokyo Game Show has evolved into an exhibition like no other.” The theme of this year’s show, “Games Move, the World Changes,” was meant to “convey the message that games, as one of Japan’s key industries, are making a stronger impact on the world,” explained Tsujimoto.
PIERS, an international conference on optics, electromagnetic waves and ICT, to be held in Chiba, Japan in 2025
The Chiba International Convention Bureau (CCB), an affiliate of Chiba Prefecture, announced on December 13, 2022, that the 2025 Photonics and Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS 2025) will be held in Chiba.
PIERS 2025 is an international conference on the fields of optics, electromagnetic waves, and ICT organized by The Electromagnetics Academy overseas, the IEICE in Japan, and the Science Council of Japan. Renowned researchers from around the world will present and exchange information on the latest research results ranging from basic theory to applications and related technologies. The conference contributes to the rapid development of information and communication technologies in Japan and abroad. This is the fourth time the conference has been held in Japan, following Osaka in 2001, Tokyo in 2006, and Toyama in 2018.
The event will be held for six days from November 4 to 9, 2025 at the Makuhari Messe International Convention Center. Approximately 1,300 participants from 50 countries are expected to attend, including 700 from overseas. The economic ripple effect in Chiba Prefecture is estimated at 305 million.
The CCB has been working to invite PIERS 2025 in cooperation with the Japan Tourism Agency, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Chiba Prefecture, Chiba City, and Makuhari Messe, as well as with Kazuya Kobayashi, Chairman of the PIERS 2025 Bid Committee (JNTO MICE Ambassador), who is a domestic official.
MICE venue directly connected to the airport “Haneda Airport Garden” will be fully open in January.
The opening of a multi-use facility was recently announced by the Sumitomo Realty & Development Co., Ltd.
The venue is a 12-story building on a 43,000 ㎡ site and is directly connected to Haneda Airport Terminal 3. It consists of a 1,717-room airport hotel, a natural hot spring with a view, an event hall and conference rooms, commercial facilities, and a bus terminal. The hot spring equipped with a sauna, hot stone spa and body scrub treatment is open 24 hours a day and can be used by hotel guests as well as airport users.
The core facility, Hotel Villa Fontaine Premier Haneda Airport, will open first on Wednesday, December 21.Bellesalle Haneda Airport consists of a large event hall that can accommodate up to 1,000 people and 10 meeting and banquet rooms and can be used as a MICE venue directly connected to the airport for international conferences, academic meetings and other events (1,109m2, ceiling height 4.5m).
One of the largest jewelry trade fairs in Japan the 34th International Jewelry Exhibition at Tokyo Big Sight took place for four days from January 11 to 14, 2023. The event was organized by RX Japan and the Japan Jewelry Association.
The exhibition brought together a wide range of products related to jewelry, including diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and other precious stones as well as pearls, semi-precious stones, and related accessories from Japan and abroad: Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, etc.
The fair was attended not only by trade visitors but also by designers and handmade artists.
“Technical Show Yokohama” – the gathering of the latest industrial technologies in the Kanagawa area.
The Kanagawa Industrial Promotion Center and three other organizations will hold the “Technical Show Yokohama 2023” (44th Industrial Technology Trade Fair) at Pacifico Yokohama for three days from February 1 to 3.
This year’s exhibition, a comprehensive trade fair for industrial technology and products will feature 574 booths from 753 companies under the theme of “Meet the Real, Feel the Real”. The venue will be divided into seven zones, including processing technology, equipment, devices, and products, and DX, AI, and IoT, offering the latest technologies and products.
The organizer’s special exhibition area will feature exhibits focusing on the DX and carbon-neutral efforts of various companies and organizations, as well as an SDGs matching event.
In addition to the aforementioned themes, the seminars will also cover topics such as green transformation and decarbonized society.
An online exhibition will also be set up on the official website, from January 10 to February 28.
