Today's print edition Home Delivery Located on the craggy and windblown coast of western Japan, Tottori Prefecture has long lent itself to the moody and artistic. The name of the San’in region, comprising Tottori and Shimane prefectures, literally means “the shadowy side of the mountain,” and the area is known as the “Land of the Gods,” where tales of Shinto kami and yōkai (spirits) originated Though it has long been a source of inspiration for creative minds, Tottori is Japan’s least populous prefecture and nearly the last to establish its own public art museum. That is, until March 30, with the official opening of the Tottori Prefectural Museum of Art.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); Shinji Hirai and the family of manga master and Tottori native Mizuki Shigeru were among the participants in a ribbon-cutting ceremony held March 28 on the museum’s grounds in Kurayoshi The following day was filled with festivities that attracted a crowd of 12,000 and included live performances and a street parade with 1,000 revelers The atmosphere inside the museum and outside on its grassy lawn was one of both triumph and the casual pleasure of a Georges Seurat painting In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- This year Matsui Shuzo won various top awards at the World Whiskies Awards and International Whisky Competition in the US Matsui Whisky passed scrupulous blind tastings in prestigious global competitions which recognize outstanding quality and excellence in whisky This is the 1st time that Matsui Shuzo has received international awards The quality of Matsui Shuzo's craftsmanship and whisky is reflected in these superb results Pure malt whisky in Taste Category KURAYOSHI AGED 8 YEARS       : Winner KURAYOSHI AGED 12 YEARS     : Gold KURAYOSHI AGED 18 YEARS     : Gold San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SWSC) 2019 Pure malt whisky in Taste Category KURAYOSHI                                   : Silver KURAYOSHI SHERRY CASK        : Silver KURAYOSHI AGED 8 YEARS       : Silver KURAYOSHI AGED 12 YEARS     : Gold Blended whisky in Taste Category TOTTORI BOURBON BARREL   : Silver Single malt whisky in Taste Category MATSUI SAKURA CASK               : Bronze MATSUI MIZUNARA CASK           : Double Gold MATSUI THE PEATD                    : Gold Liqueur in Taste Category WHISKY UMESHU (Plum Liqueur) : Silver BRANDY UMESHU (Plum Liqueur): Silver International Whisky Competition (IWC) 2019 Best Japanese Whisky KURAYOSHI SHERRY CASK        : 1st Place (92.6 pts) KURAYOSHI AGED 18 YEARS     : 3rd Place (91.6 pts) Best Japanese Whisky No Age Statement KURAYOSHI SHERRY CASK        : 1st Place (92.6 pts) MATSUI SAKURA CASK                : 2nd Place (90.1 pts) MATSUI THE PEATED                   : 3rd Place (89.9 pts) Best Single Malt Japanese Whisky KURAYOSHI SHERRY CASK        : 1st Place (92.6 pts) KURAYOSHI AGED 18 YEARS     : 2nd Place (91.6 pts) KURAYOSHI AGED 8 YEARS       : 3rd Place (91 pts) Pure malt whisky in Taste Category KURAYOSHI AGED 12 YEARS     : Gold Matsui Shuzo is the oldest corporation registered in Tottori Prefecture was an old family that ran a sake brewery from the Edo Period (17-19c) Kurayoshi distillery locates in Kurayoshi City in Tottori Prefecture the region has an abundance of fresh water generously supplied by snowfall on the Daisen mountain range The subtropical climate is partly infused by its proximity to the Sea of Japan Rather than merely relying on the taste of a few blenders Matsui Shuzo asks hundreds of whisky enthusiasts and other professionals to try the whisky Paying close attention to their feedback is how Matsui Shuzo develops Matsui whisky The qualities that characterize Matsui whiskies not only include the shape of the copper pot stills but the environmental conditions in which ageing takes place From testing storage conditions to experimenting with barrel types Matsui Shuzo continues to strive to bring happiness to people through the whisky [For inquiries] Matsui Shuzo An Unlimited Partnership 656-1, Kamifurukawa, Kurayoshi City, Tottori, Japan +81-6-6809-6494 (Osaka Office) Mail: [email protected] HP: https://matsuiwhisky.com/en/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/929259/Whisky_line_up.jpg https://matsuiwhisky.com/en/ Do not sell or share my personal information: Metrics details Differentiation therapy has been proposed as a promising therapeutic strategy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML); thus the development of more versatile methodologies that are applicable to a wide range of AML subtypes is desired Although the FOXOs transcription factor represents a promising drug target for differentiation therapy the efficacy of FOXO inhibitors is limited in vivo we show that pharmacological inhibition of a common cis-regulatory element of forkhead box O (FOXO) family members successfully induced cell differentiation in various AML cell lines Through gene expression profiling and differentiation marker-based CRISPR/Cas9 screening a complement of the COP1 ubiquitin ligase complex as a functional FOXO downstream gene maintaining an undifferentiated status TRIB1 is direct target of FOXO3 and the FOXO-binding cis-regulatory element in the TRIB1 promoter referred to as the FOXO-responsive element in the TRIB1 promoter (FRE-T) played a critical role in differentiation blockade we designed a DNA-binding pharmacological inhibitor of the FOXO-FRE-T interface using pyrrole-imidazole polyamides (PIPs) that specifically bind to FRE-T (FRE-PIPs) The FRE-PIPs conjugated to chlorambucil (FRE-chb) inhibited transcription of TRIB1 causing differentiation in various AML cell lines FRE-chb suppressed the formation of colonies derived from AML cell lines but not from normal counterparts Administration of FRE-chb inhibited tumor progression in vivo without remarkable adverse effects targeting cis-regulatory elements of the FOXO family is a promising therapeutic strategy that induces AML cell differentiation differentiation therapy represents a promising strategy for AML and differentiation agents are being developed that target driver genes successfully treated cases using this therapy remain limited to further expand the range of indications for differentiation therapy the development of methodologies that are applicable to a wider range of AML subtypes is desired they are promising tools for inhibition of FOXOs and in AML therapy To develop an effective FOXO inhibitor using PIPs the cis-regulatory element of a functional FOXO target needs to be identified because of the diversity of cis-regulatory elements of FOXOs depending on their target genes Although intensive research on FOXOs has revealed these target genes functional FOXO downstream genes maintaining an undifferentiated status remain unidentified This has also caused uncertainty regarding the mechanism of differentiation blockade by FOXOs we identified tribbles pseudokinase 1 (TRIB1) a component of the COP1 ubiquitin ligase complex as a functional molecule in AS1842856-induced differentiation in AML The FOXO binding cis-regulatory element in the promoter region of the TRIB1 gene plays a critical role in the blockade of AML differentiation Pharmacological inhibition of a common cis-regulatory element of FOXOs using PIPs conjugated to chlorambucil (FRE-chb) successfully induced differentiation in AML These data revealed that targeting cis-regulatory elements of the FOXO family is a potent therapeutic strategy for inducing differentiation in AML NOD.Cg-Prkdc scid Il2rg tm1Wjl/SzJ (NSG) mice were purchased from NINOX Labo Supply Inc SKM-1 cells (5 × 106 cells) were suspended in 50 µL of RPMI-1640 prior to being mixed with an additional 50 µL of Matrigel (Corning) and subcutaneously transplanted into 6-week-old female NSG mice the mice were randomly divided into three groups based on body weight and treated with vehicle or FRE-chb (1.28 mg/kg per intravenous injection every 2 days) Tumor volume was calculated using the formula (long diameter) × (short diameter)2/2 the researchers were aware of the group assignments Data are shown as mean ± SD values of the indicated number of independent experiments The sample size was predetermined based on pertinent literature Statistical differences between groups were assessed by two-sided Welch’s t-test A p value of <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant The statistical correlation of FOXO3 and TRIB1 gene expressions in AML patients’ samples were assessed by the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and U-937 cells treated with AS1842856 for 4 days B RT-qPCR for quantification of LYZ expression in individual cell lines treated with AS1842856 HL-60 cells were treated with AS1842856 (100 nM) for 3 days SKM-1 cells were treated with AS1842856 (1 μM) for 3 days MV4-11 cells were treated with AS1842856 (4 μM) for 3 days MOLM-14 cells were treated with AS1842856 (4 μM) for 4 days C NSE activity of individual cell lines treated with AS1842856 MOLM-14 cells were treated with AS1842856 (4 μM) for 3 days MV4-11 cells were treated with AS1842856 (4 μM) for 2 days SKM-1 cells were treated with AS1842856 (1 μM) for 6 days THP-1 cells were treated with AS1842856 (1 μM) for 5 days U-937 cells were treated with AS1842856 (2 μM) for 4 days D IC50s of AS1842856 evaluated in individual cell lines after treatment with AS1842856 for 6 days E Cell viability of primary AML samples after AS1842856 treatment for 7 or 12 Days F GSEA enrichment curves of gene sets associated with FOXO1 and FOXO3 NES normalized enrichment score; FDR false discovery rate These observations suggest that the inhibition of oncogenic pathways by the compound could be the cause of AML cell differentiation in various AML cell lines A Schematic diagram of the strategy of CRISPR library screening for identification of critical molecules involved in AML cell differentiation by AS1842856 B Hit candidate genes of CRISPR screening for differentiation blockade C RT-qPCR for quantification of TRIB1 expression in AML cell lines treated with AS1842856 for 6 h HL-60 and THIP-1 cells were treated with 100 nM AS1842856 MOLM-14 cells were treated with 4 μM AS1842856 D FACS analysis of CD11b in HL-60 at 6 days after induction of sgRNA E RT- qPCR for quantification of LYZ expression in HL-60 at 6 days after induction of sgRNA F Cell proliferation of HL-60 after induction of sgRNA G RT-qPCR for quantification of TRIB1 expression in TRIB1-overexpressing HL-60 cells H FACS analysis of CD11b in HL-60 treated with AS1842856 for 3 days A Western blotting of FOXO1 and FOXO3 protein levels in HL-60 at 3 days after induction of individual shRNA B RT-qPCR for quantification of TRIB1 expression in HL-60 at 3 or 4 days after induction of shRNA against FOXO1 or FOXO3 C Gene expression levels of FOXO3 and TRIB1 in AML patient samples (n = 451) D ChIP-Seq data from Cistrome Data Browser for FOXO3 binding region in TRIB1 promoter (CistromeDB: 74682) E ChIP qPCR for the interaction of FOXO3 with the TRIB1 promoter in HL-60 F Luciferase assay for identification of the FOXO3 responsive element in the TRIB1 promoter G RT-qPCR for quantification of TRIB1 expression in HL-60 at 2 days after the induction of sgRNA H FACS analysis for CD11b in HL-60 at 6 days after induction of sgRNA I RT-qPCR for quantification of LYZ expression in HL-60 at 6 days after induction of sgRNA J Cell proliferation of HL-60 after induction of sgRNA A EMSA for identification of the interaction between FRE-chb and TRE-T B ChIP qPCR for quantification of the interaction between FOXO3 and the TRIB1 promoter after 2 days of treatment with FRE-chb C RT-qPCR for quantification of TRIB1 expression in HL-60 after treatment with 400 nM FRE-chb for 4 days D Quantification of CD11b-positive population in HL-60 and MOLM-14 after 4 days of treatment with FRE-chb E NSE activity of individual cell lines treated with FRE-chb MOLM-14 and MV4-11 cells were treated with 20 nM FRE-chb for 4 Days THP-1 cells were treated with 200 nM FRE-chb for 3 Days SKM-1 cells were treated with 100 nM FRE-chb for 5 Days U-937 cells were treated with 400 nM FRE-chb for 4 Days F RT-qPCR for quantification of LYZ in individual cell lines treated with FRE-chb MOLM-14 cells were treated with 20 nM FRE-chb for 3 Days MV4-11 cells were treated with 20 nM FRE-chb for 3 Days THP-1 cells were treated with 200 nM FRE-chb for 4 Days HL-60 cells were treated with 400 nM FRE-chb for 4 Days G Quantification of CD11b-positive population in primary AML samples (Patient 1 and 2) after 4 or 7 days of treatment with FRE-chb H Quantification of CD11b-positive population in HL-60 after 4 days of treatment with FRE-chb These data indicated that FRE-chb induces AML cell differentiation through the downregulation of TRIB1 A Quantification of IC50 values after treatment with individual reagents for 3 days B Quantification of IC50 values after treatment with individual reagents for 7 days in AML primary samples C Quantification of colony formation ability after treatment with individual reagents for 12 Days D Quantification of antitumor efficiency of FRE-chb using SKM-1 xenograft mouse model these results indicate that FRE-chb is a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of AML Although the FOXO family of transcription factors represents a promising target for differentiation therapy in AML the efficacy of FOXO inhibitors in vivo is limited we developed a novel type of FOXO inhibitor targeting cis-regulatory elements of the FOXO family (FRE) using a PIP conjugated to Chb (FRE-chb) FRE-chb induced differentiation in various mutated AML cell lines FRE-chb induced differentiation by inhibiting the induction of TRIB1 expression by FOXO3 inhibiting FOXO signaling using PIPs is a promising therapeutic strategy for AML We found that AS1842856 exerts its antiproliferative effects by inducing differentiation in various mutated AML cell lines AS1842856 is known to suppress the transcriptional activity of FOXOs knockdown of FOXO3 induces differentiation in human AML cell lines harboring different types of mutations and FOXO1 overexpression is sufficient to induce differentiation blockade and a preleukemic state in HSPCs FOXO1 and FOXO3 could be crucial regulators of differentiation blockade and represent promising drug targets for differentiation therapy These findings indicate that TRIB1 is a crucial oncogene regulating C/EBPα and differentiation status in AML we identified the FOXO-responsive element in the TRIB1 promoter (FRE-T) and found that transcriptional activation of TRIB1 though FRE-T plays a critical role in AML differentiation blockade These data support that the FOXO–TRIB1 axis is an important pathway maintaining the undifferentiated status of AML the regulation of MYC expression by FOXOs varies according to cellular circumstances and environments underscoring the high therapeutic efficacy of FOXO inhibitors in AML without remarkable adverse effects on various organs we propose the repression of FOXO-related gene expression via PIPs as a novel therapeutic strategy for AML cell differentiation To improve the therapeutic efficiency of FOXO inhibitors utilizing PIPs further research identifying functional FOXO downstream genes and cis-regulatory elements is necessary The Microarray data has been deposited in the Gene Expression Omni-bus (GEO) database All data and additional information about the experiments reported in this paper will be shared upon reasonable request Retinoic acid induces proteasome-dependent degradation of retinoic acid receptor alpha (RAR alpha) and oncogenic RAR alpha fusion proteins Safety and efficacy of BAY1436032 in IDH1-mutant AML: phase I study results A proof of concept phase I/II pilot trial of LSD1 inhibition by tranylcypromine combined with ATRA in refractory/relapsed AML patients not eligible for intensive therapy FOXO transcription factors directly activate bim gene expression and promote apoptosis in sympathetic neurons FOXO3a-dependent regulation of Puma in response to cytokine/growth factor withdrawal Forkhead transcription factor FKHR-L1 modulates cytokine-dependent transcriptional regulation of p27(KIP1) AFX-like Forkhead transcription factors mediate cell-cycle regulation by Ras and PKB through p27(kip1) FOXO proteins regulate tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand expression - Implications for PTEN mutation in prostate cancer FOXO signaling pathways as therapeutic targets in cancer TGF-beta-FOXO signalling maintains leukaemia-initiating cells in chronic myeloid leukaemia Doxorubicin activates FOXO3a to induce the expression of multidrug resistance gene ABCB1 (MDR1) in K562 leukemic cells Role of FoxO1 activation in MDR1 expression in adriamycin-resistant breast cancer cells FOXO3a reverses the cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer AKT/FOXO Signaling Enforces Reversible Differentiation Blockade in Myeloid Leukemias A FOXO1-induced oncogenic network defines the AML1-ETO preleukemic program Discovery of novel forkhead box O1 inhibitors for treating type 2 diabetes: improvement of fasting glycemia in diabetic db/db mice FoxO1 inhibition alleviates type 2 diabetes-related diastolic dysfunction by increasing myocardial pyruvate dehydrogenase activity Therapeutic strategies targeting FOXO transcription factors Molecular recognition of DNA by small molecules Inhibition of RNA polymerase II transcription in human cells by synthetic DNA-binding ligands Genetic regulation of the RUNX transcription factor family has antitumor effects RUNX1-survivin axis is a novel therapeutic target for malignant rhabdoid tumors Synthesis and biological properties of sequence-specific DNA-alkylating pyrrole-imidazole polyamides Suppression of GPR56 expression by pyrrole-imidazole polyamide represents a novel therapeutic drug for AML with high EVI1 expression Inhibition of KRAS codon 12 mutants using a novel DNA-alkylating pyrrole-imidazole polyamide conjugate Identification and characterization of essential genes in the human genome RHEB is a potential therapeutic target in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia Fast and accurate long-read alignment with Burrows-Wheeler transform The sequence alignment/map format and SAMtools MAGeCK enables robust identification of essential genes from genome-scale CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screens A novel mechanism of gene regulation and tumor suppression by the transcription factor FKHR Lentivirus-delivered stable gene silencing by RNAi in primary cells Phosphorylation and regulation of Akt/PKB by the rictor-mTOR complex An Argonaute phosphorylation cycle promotes microRNA-mediated silencing Improved vectors and genome-wide libraries for CRISPR screening Functional genomic landscape of acute myeloid leukaemia Recognition of DNA by designed ligands at subnanomolar concentrations Effects of gamma-turn and beta-tail amino acids on sequence-specific recognition of DNA by hairpin polyamides Aliphatic/aromatic amino acid pairings for polyamide recognition in the minor groove of DNA Comprehensive analysis of genetic alterations and their prognostic impacts in adult acute myeloid leukemia patients Trib1 promotes acute myeloid leukemia progression by modulating the transcriptional programs of Hoxa9 Trib1 links the MEK1/ERK pathway in myeloid leukemogenesis An epigenetic pathway regulates sensitivity of breast cancer cells to HER2 inhibition via FOXO/c-Myc axis mTOR complex 2 controls glycolytic metabolism in glioblastoma through FoxO acetylation and upregulation of c-Myc Download references Present address: Laboratory of Computational Genomics Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science These authors contributed equally: Kenta Kurayoshi WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-Nano LSI) Department of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital Section of Molecular Hematology and Therapy The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Research Center for Experimental Modeling of Human Disease Kanazawa University Shin-ichi Horike & Makiko Meguro-Horike Graduate School of Advanced Preventive Medical Sciences Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (WPI-iCeMS) Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine KKurayoshi designed the study and executed all experiments with the exception of sample preparation for microarray analysis KKurayoshi also conducted most of the data analysis including the microarray analysis and CRISPR/Cas9 screening and was responsible for visualizing all data as well as writing the original draft YTakase performed data analysis for the microarray analysis and designed single-stranded sgRNA-coding oligonucleotides for the development of the sgRNA library YTakase also conducted the analysis to evaluate the effects of the compounds MU constructed the sgRNA library and analyzed data for CRISPR/Cas9 screening in addition to assisting in the design of the study and revising the original draft KO investigated the effects of AS1842856 on leukemia cell lines KF prepared samples for microarray analysis SI and TW were involved in the design and construction of PIPs YN examined the effects of AS1842856 on patient samples S-IH conducted gene expression profiling by microarray analysis YI assisted in conducting the experiments with patient samples and MIS assisted in the design of the study MM-H supports gene expression profiling by S-IH KKojima participated in the study through supervising YN and the design of the study HK assisted in conducting the experiments with patient samples through supervising Yuichi Ishikawa HS was involved in the construction of PIPs through supervising SI and contributed to the original draft Hiroki Nagase participated in the study by supervising TW AT was involved in the CRISPR/Cas9 screening through supervising KH AH designed the study and research concept and wrote the original draft The authors declare no competing interests All animal experiments were approved by the Committee on Animal Experimentation of Kanazawa University and performed according to the University’s guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals (protocol AP-204142) Informed consent for the banking and further studies including genetic analysis of samples was obtained from all patients and approval was obtained from the ethics committees of all participating institutions Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-023-06168-2 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us? who travelled to Scotland to study the process of distilling Scotch whisky Today it produces a wide range of whiskies with the Nikka Coffey Grain whisky being one of its larger releases the new Hibiki blend uses the same malt and grain whiskies used in the original and comprises a blend of at least 10 malt and grain whiskies from three distilleries (Yamazaki It has also been aged in five different cask types with some of the included whiskies believed to have been aged for upwards of 20 years No surprise then that this is a premium whisky but this distillery excels in single-grain whisky using maize distilled in column stills and aged in a variety of casks to showcase the lighter spirit which are then joined by a gorgeous hit of mango which carries through to the palate Grape also joins the palate with delicate orange blossom roasted grain character and slight oiliness on the mouthfeel Ichiro’s malt and grain whisky is produced by Ichiro Akuto Ichiro Akuto uses whiskies found while travelling around the world to perfect his blend quantities and age statements aren’t shared but they’re presumably sourced from Scotland aged in their original distilleries then finished for a few years at the Chichibu distillery Mizunara barrels make up less than 10 per cent of whisky stocks matured in Japan mainly because of how rare this wood is and how difficult it is to transform into casks But one such whisky matured in mizunara casks is this single-malt expression from the Kurayoshi distillery One of the oldest alcohol-distribution businesses in Japan and the third-largest maker of distilled beverages in the world Suntory whisky Toki is inspired by cocktail culture featuring a blend of whiskies from three famous distilleries: Yamazaki It’s marketed as a day-to-day whisky and has a unique 50-50 split between grain and malt whiskies with peated Hakushu single malt as its primary component The Kurayoshi Distillery has been producing Japanese drinks since 1910 shochu and brandy production enabling the micro-distillery to develop unique expertise The Kurayoshi’s production levels are low and stocks are thus very limited Featuring a blend of Nikka Coffey Grain (£47.95, Houseofmalt.co.uk) and a small proportion of Coffey malt and Yoichi single-malt whiskies Nikka days is an elegant whisky celebrating the fine art of Japanese whisky blending Broadly featuring whiskies aged for eight to 10 years it’s easy-drinking and has an accessible price tag making it especially suitable for Japanese whisky newcomers and connoisseurs alike The Kurayoshi Distillery’s Tottori range pays homage to the Tottori province pure waters found here play a lead role in the range’s whiskies with more than 100 years of expertise in blending and ageing spirits showcased in this blended whisky Hatazoki may be a relative newcomer to the category but it produces a range of blended Japanese whiskies that are to die for And its finest blended whisky is delicate and floral Japanese whisky was generally considered a niche category Japan has become widely renowned as home to some of the best whisky in the world with suppliers even struggling to keep up with the demand Consumption began to increase following the highball craze in 2008 then again in 2014 when the life of Nikka founder Masataka Taketsuru was portrayed in a Japanese drama After winning various awards in international competitions Japanese whisky exports increased so rapidly that demand exceeded supply For those not in the know, Japanese whisky was first developed during the 1870s. Pioneers took considerable inspiration from Scotch whisky but fast-forward 100 or so years and Japanese whisky has evolved into something unique True, the tipples you see today still resemble Scotch far more than American or Irish whiskeys but the country’s output has developed to appeal to its own market by reflecting Japanese tastes While single malt and single grain whiskies are commonly produced Japan is specifically noted for its blended whisky Blenders often use a variety of whiskies to build subtle layers of flavour generally favouring delicacy and balance over bold flavours These blended varieties then vaunt unique savoury notes and even slight bitterness 10 best recipe boxes and food delivery subscriptions for all the family Toast the Bard this Burns Night with Aldi’s award-winning whisky range Veganuary 2023: The biggest new vegan launches to know 10 best Scottish single malt whiskies for celebrating Burns Night We provisionally tasted these Japanese whiskies on their own using a blind-tasting method to avoid any bias which were ranked before we knew which glass contained which whisky The best whisky in each “round” was then tasted again (also blind) to determine the overall best Japanese whisky We conducted a blind taste test to make this selection the whisky is distilled in Nikka’s innovative Coffey still imported from Scotland and valued for its ability to retain flavours while heating the grain with indirect steam it is fresh and enticing with fruit aromas of pear before giving way to subtle floral aromas alongside coconut and vanilla the single-grain whisky is juicy and pleasant with some rum accents joining more fruit and prominent bourbon-esque vanilla which lingers on the finish with some faint bitterness honey sweetness with a suggestion of ginger alongside green apple Apple continues to build on the palate alongside red fruit notes with subtle bitterness to counteract some of the sweet notes displayed some nutty bitterness prevails but is quickly rounded by sweet coconut and chocolate notes plus a whisper of orange zest for extra balance An excellent everyday single-grain Japanese whisky Ichiro’s malt and grain world-blended whisky is fruity pear and lemon aromas alongside slight caramel Vanilla and tropical notes are also prominent on the palate with a pronounced rye spiciness prevailing An excellent world-blended whisky with a bold spicy character complete with soft vanilla and a gentle spiciness cinnamon and ginger dominate on the velvety palate all of which linger on the elegant finish with faint vanilla notes like those used in the original Yamazaki distillery Suntory whisky Toki has a smooth flavour with a vinous character while some ginger prevails and lingers on the palate it’s also surprisingly smooth and enjoyable on its own Spending at least 12 months of its maturation time in American white oak casks its 12-year-old pure malt whisky is made with fresh water from the nearby Mount Daisen’s generous snowfall with a degree of richness expected from a 12-year-old whisky Lush aromas of perfumed hazelnut and almond are joined by subtle kiwi which adds complexity to the overall taste that’s both elegant and well-balanced Featuring a blend of Nikka Coffey Grain (£47.95, Houseofmalt.co.uk) A touch of grain joins aromas of pear drops while the taste is light with gentle sweetness while wood and tannin prevail on the finish with scant bitterness Ideally sip neat or enjoy as the base of a highball the whisky is matured for at least three years in new American white oak casks non-chill filtered and bottled at 43 per cent alcohol by volume The result is a smooth blended whisky with plenty of fruit notes and vanilla and chocolate are also dominant on the palate while the finish is refined with prominent oak notes Nikka is one of the most famous Japanese whisky distilleries for a reason. And its Nikka Coffey Grain whisky uses Scottish techniques to produce something quintessentially Japanese the whisky is accessible in both taste and price with a flavour that’s complex and exceptionally well balanced celebrating the fine art of Japanese whisky blending And if whisky isn’t your drink of choice, we’ve also found a great range of champagne deals Stanford University Stanford e-Tottori is a distance-learning course sponsored by the Tottori Prefectural Board of Education and the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University Tottori Governor Shinji Hirai and Superintendent Hitoshi Yamamoto of the Tottori Prefectural Board of Education were instrumental in its establishment Stanford e-Tottori presents a creative and innovative approach to teaching Japanese high school students about U.S When I first visited Tottori Prefecture’s iconic sand dunes a few years ago that I have visited where the path seemed like an uncertain road and where the sand erased one’s footsteps The pandemic has left me feeling uncertain about many things and I imagine that this has been more intensely felt in some ways by young students Learn more about how your support makes a difference or make a gift now There is a city in Tottori Prefecture with 1,000 palm-sized Nendoroid figures displayed in a classroom of a 1960’s-era circular-shaped former school building.  has been known for its “retro” white-walled storehouses But now it is becoming famous for its “cool” pop culture.  Nendoroids are a brand of plastic figurines created in 2006 by the Good Smile Company the Tokyo-headquartered company’s figurines are based on animé and video game characters and usually depicted with a large head and smaller body giving them an appearance that endears them to fans who collect them The local government is planning an exhibition of contrasting pop culture characters in a bid to promote the fusion of its “retro” and “cool” images and attract younger tourists to the city which takes its name from the traditional white-walled kura warehouses then an association of private companies are also likely to join in creating a “town of figurines,” further establishing the small city of Kurayoshi "I was struck by the power of content,” said Kazutomo Inage “Some 25,000 people came to Kurayoshi from all over Japan in a month," he added recalling the “Figurine Expo in Kurayoshi" held in 2015 This time — six years later — the number of figurines has been doubled for the “1,000 Nendoroids Are Coming” show which has also been taken to international cities like Shanghai Fairs are usually held in big cities which draws more crowds thanks to the Good Smile Company which has maintained connections with the town since it was invited to Kurayoshi’s annual event in 2014 The Kurayoshi Figure Museum is the exhibition venue It was opened three years ago in a renovated municipal elementary school The building had been run-down and was slated for demolition but the local conservation movement succeeded in preserving it.  recalls how he had worried about how they would survive pointed out that “the shape [of the building] is interesting 15 classrooms on three floors of the former school are lined with Nendoroid figurines depicting various characters such as Detective Conan (a high school detective in a popular animé series);  Hatsune Miku (vocaloid a singing virtual 16-year-old girl with long turquoise hair); and Spider-man a fictional superhero of the animé and comic series by the same name.  “We’ve received inquiries from outside the prefecture even during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Inajima commented so my response is to please come when the restrictions on movement between prefectures are lifted.” Kurayoshi City also became a sister city with Kuranogawa City a fictitious place and home of the all-girls band in Hinabita a musical video game developed by Konami Digital Entertainment Kurayoshi City is thought to be a model for Kuranogawa City and has become a sacred place among Hinabita devotees About 6,000 fans attended a two-day spectacle here which included the participation of voice actors of the main protagonists most of our tourists are in their 50’s and older but we were surprised to see young men in their 20s and 30s crowding the white-walled storehouses The occasion also convinced me of the power of content,” Inage emphasized.  Hinabita is another pillar propping up Kurayoshi’s pop culture The city’s survey of participants in the 2016 event showed that more than half of those who came to see Hinabita were men in their 20s Their  length of stay was 1.49 nights and they spent an average of ¥37,575 JPY (just under $360 USD) during their stay.  "the economic advantages are clearly expressed in numbers." In another sign of the changing fortune of the town the number of employees at the Nendoroid manufacturing plant has increased from 60 to more than 130 recently with people coming from varied regions including France and Hong Kong “to be involved in making figures.” Commenting on how much the manufacturing plant has contributed to the city’s workforce More than 30 among the people who visited Kurayoshi several times from other prefectures to see the figurines and Hinabita liked the place so much that they decided to stay and work in the company’s factory Pop culture has become a mainstay of the town’s policy.  The Kurayoshi Chamber of Commerce and Industry established the "Association for Creating a Town of Figurines" in October of last year.  Among their first tasks was the designation of 11 sites throughout the town to display the figurines Central facilities such as temples and stations for the White Wall Storehouses were designated as “city museums” for display purposes home to the graves of a 16th century Japanese feudal lord Tadayoshi Satomi and eight martyred vassals depicted in Takizawa Okikuni’s 19th century epic novel "Minamiso Satomi Hakindan" (“Eight Dog Chronicles”) the city has taken a daring step to display figurines of deities such as Ashura and Shitenno “Pop culture is a local resource,” emphasized Yukitoshi Sasaki, executive director of the local Chamber of Commerce and the association's secretary general. Then, in a reference to the manga artist whose 1960’s series popularized yokai as folklore creatures, now memorialized in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture “We want the town museum to be an area that attracts tourists just like the popular "Mizuki Shigeru Road.” (Find access to the article in Japanese at this link.) You must be logged in to post a comment ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " An express train decorated with characters from the popular Detective Conan manga series made its first departure sporting its new look from a station in Tottori Prefecture train bound for Kyoto departed from Kurayoshi Station in central Tottori Prefecture the region which is home to manga artist and creator of the Detective Conan series Both the interior and exterior of all the carriages of a Limited Express Super Hakuto train together with the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) have been decorated with images of characters and artwork from the manga which follows the adventures of the genius boy detective Conan Edogawa.  Fans of the Detective Conan series (Japanese title damp conditions on Sunday morning to see off the new-look train during a ceremony held on the station platform was with his parents ready to see off the train who lives with his family in Kurayoshi and often comes to the station to see the Super Hakuto trains.  "I think the announcements are cool," he said referring to the in-train announcements which are delivered in foreign languages including English and Chinese.  often uses the Super Hakuto service.  "When I was young I read a number of Detective Conan volumes but not so much now I like that I can travel smoothly to my hometown in Osaka," she said the timing of the train's departure was an auspicious one with Aoyama's Detective Conan series approaching the 30th anniversary of its serialization in Japan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine and 2024 also marking the 30th anniversary of the Super Hakuto train service according to the Chinese zodiac calendar used by the Japanese The 'hakuto' in the train's name can be derived from a well-known myth among the Japanese 'White rabbit' and 'Hakuto' can be written using the same kanji characters - 白兎.  Eyes in the region are also on the 2025 World Expo in Osaka with the Super Hakuto service currently offering the only direct express rail connection between Tottori and Japan's Keihanshin region "Today marked the departure of the Detective Conan train and soon the expo will open in Osaka We hope that many people will ride on this train which connects the two regions and come here to experience the onsen and delicious food," Tottori Governor Shinji Hirai told reporters after the departure.  "We expect the economic impacts to be many and significant," he said of the project which including the train decoration and related events had a budget of around 70 million yen The new-look train is the latest effort of a region which is embracing its connection with Aoyama and his works as part of efforts to develop anime tourism In Aoyama's hometown of Hokuei the Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory which features exhibits celebrating the life and work of the artist including original drawings which can only be seen at the factory is scheduled for a revamp in 2027.  The facility is within walking distance of Yura Station which in 2013 adopted the nickname Conan Station In 2015 an airport in Tottori City was renamed Tottori Sand Dunes Conan Airport to highlight the region's connection with the manga as well as the nearby sand dunes Aoyama's Detective Conan has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday since 1994 Sales of Detective Conan series comics (English title Case Closed) have topped 270 million worldwide "I was surprised and at the same time honored to see the Super Hakuto express train which connects Keihanshin and Tottori and Kurayoshi which we connect with in many different ways will continue to be loved by us all forever," Aoyama train runs between Kurayoshi and Tottori stations and stations in the Keihanshin region including Sannomiya The train is scheduled to depart almost daily with timetables now available for December and January Chizu Express plans to publish subsequent timetables at least one month in advance Purchase of tickets for seats on the train can be made from one month in advance of the departure date For more images of the Super Hakuto Detective Conan Ver. train visit the gallery on City-Cost. To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox, subscribe here. Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription. Please check your inbox for a confirmation email. If you wish to change your message, press 'Cancel' to go back and edit. Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible. It’s fascinating to travel to one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and see how completely different life can be from the others. In my brief time in Japan, I have been to five prefectures: Tokyo, Hyogo, Osaka, Okinawa and, most recently, Tottori. Tottori is not like Tokyo and Osaka, as the air feels cleaner and it’s less congested to walk around. It’s very scenic and filled with lots of greenery, mountains and sand dunes. To me, it’s a very calming environment.  First of all, my 2-day visit to Tottori was part of a press tour to showcase the Super Hakuto Conan train, which began new expanded routes in December. Before my trip, word-of-mouth in the office was to visit Tottori’s famous sand dunes and check out the hot springs. Seemed like a good plan. But as we all know, transportation hiccups and inclement weather can hinder the best of travel plans. And, as you will find out, I had no idea I would be walking into an anime land where Detective Conan, the lead character of the popular manga by the same name, is the star. Before my trip, I did some research on the prefecture to discover that it is not only famous for its sand dunes and hot springs, but also for its delicious Tottori Beef (I had only heard of Kobe Beef) and juicy watermelon. I also discovered Tottori is the birthplace of manga artist Gosho Aoyama, who created the Chotto Mattete and Detective Conan series. And the prefecture is doing all it can to attract manga enthusiasts. When I stepped off the plane in Tottori, the first thing I noticed were the advertisements and promotions for the Japanese anime Cased Closed (Detective Conan). There were lots of posters, life-size 3D scenes and paintings of the wall. Oh, did I mention the name of the airport? Conan Airport. Conan can be spotted everywhere, not only in the airport, but throughout the prefecture. Buses, taxis, buildings and billboards carry the Conan character, and it doesn’t stop there. Conan can be found on manhole covers, bathroom signs and even toilet paper! THE SUPER HAKUTO DETECTIVE CONAN LIMITED EXPRESS The main reason of this press tour was to visit and witness the new design of the Super Hakuto Conan train that began its new route in early December 2023. One key point to this new train route is the connection point from Kyoto Prefecture to Tottori while stopping at a few places in Osaka and Hyogo. Compared to how the airport decked out with Conan characters, the appearance of the train from the outside seemed basic, as stickers were merely placed all over the frame. The interior, however, had a lot more pizzazz. The window blinds, seats and doors were adorned with Conan characters. It reminded me of the airport.  Schedule: 7 trips a day (Check Japan Transit app or Google Maps for times) Picture this, Brandon Fraser racing on a camel across sweeping sand dunes in the 1998 hit classic “The Mummy.” Tottori’s sand dunes are mountains of brown powder covered in footprints with a view of the area’s coastline just over the hill. Due to the rainy weather on my visit, there were few tourists trudging through the fine sand.  Just outside the entrance of the dunes, there are souvenir shops and an interestingly designed wooden café building where you can get some refreshments. Of course, the café, called Takahama, was closed when my group visited. Address: 2164-971 Yuyama, Fukube-cho, Tottori 689-0105 Visitor center hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mon.-Sun. Takahama Café: 2164 Yuyama, Fukube-cho, Tottori Kurayoshi City in Tottori was perfect for good night’s sleep. For those looking for nightlife, this is not the place to go. The city is incredibly quiet and dark. It was a little eerie seeing a karaoke establishment closed on a Saturday night. The only food attraction I found was a 7-11, but in Japan you can’t go wrong with convenience store food. On the bright side, the hotel, which is about an hour drive from the dunes, was on the cheap side, costing around 13,000 yen a night. Address: 1-9-2 Agei-cho, Kurayoshi, Tottori 682-0022 Visiting Shirakabe Dozo-gun Shopping Center was like walking into a video game bazaar, but with restaurants and shopping areas. The architectural design and small koi fish stream outside gave the shopping center a very historical feel. While it is possible to walk the streets and window shop in 20 minutes, it is also a great place to take your time, stroll and pop into some of the local shops. There were two places I noticed that sold alcohol, an expensive liquor store and Brew Lab Kurayoshi brewery. The brewery, which serves local beers, looked casual and fun from the outside, but was closed during our visit because it was 11 a.m. on a Sunday.  Cocorostore, a knickknacks and kitchen shop, was open. The store had a lot of handmade items like chopsticks and plates, and also authentic kitchen knives. The prices of chopsticks were a bit high, ranging from 3,000 – 5,000 yen for one set. One thing that caught my attention was the raw honey they were selling for 2,484 yen, as well as some spices and tea. All great gifts for my fiancé. Although the plaza is small, there are some nice souvenirs to pick up for your friends and family back home. Hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. closed Mon. – Tue. (Sometimes Sunday depending on the weekend.) Address: 2516 Uomachi, Kurayoshi-shi, Tottori Address: 2587 Higashinaka-cho, Kurayoshi-shi, Tottori 682-0826 Hokuei Town on the coast of the Sea of Japan is the birthplace of manga artist and “Detective Conan” creator, Gosho Aoyama. Because of its famous son, Hokuei has many references to Detective Conan. For instance, the main train stop is called Conan Station, and it sits across from Conan Street. However, the Detective Conan x Limited Express Super Hakuto train does not stop here. Instead, you hop on the JR San-in main line from Kurayoshi Station to reach Conan Station. You’ll find a Conan statue giving a point and wink, as well as a Conan-themed rest station and souvenir shop outside the station. Grab some limited Detective Conan merchandise only available here. Down the street you’ll find other manga statues and the House of Conan Beika Shopping Street leading to the Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory.  At House of Conan Beika Shopping Street, you can purchase coffee, ice cream and over 70 original Conan products exclusive to the stores here. Honestly, I could not tell the difference between some because of the amount of Conan Detective items I saw throughout my trip. In this town, if you go to the bathroom, the signs separating males and female also use silhouettes of the characters in blue and pink backdrops. Address: Yurashuku, Hokuei, Tōhaku District, Tottori 689-2221                  9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sat. – Sun.   The last stop on my trip was to the Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory. This small but incredibly interesting museum is a must for manga enthusiasts and offers free parking. It is about 1.4 kilometers away from Conan Station and the yellow Volkswagen Beetle permanently parked out front serves as a good landmark to know you’ve made it.  Inside the museum, you’ll find plenty more Detective Conan statues as well as sketches and photographs. There is a mock display of Aoyama’s art desk, which is very organized. There are also some small displays that show how some illusions work. There is even a Conan skateboard video game that is fun but hard to keep your balance.  To explore the museum and play the video game with no line took about 30 minutes. Videos and photos of the original art are not allowed. The museum gift shop also has Conan merchandise, including themed candy and postcards. For 600 yen, get a commemorative pic inside the photo booth. The dedication and pride this small coastal town has to the manga and its creator is entertaining and interesting. I enjoyed getting to know more about Detective Conan in its birthplace. Address: 1414 Yurashuku Hokuei-cho, Tohaku 689-2221 Hours: Mon. – Sun. from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission: 700 Yen for adult, 500 Yen for junior high school students. One of the restaurants we enjoyed for lunch was Townhouse Seisuian known for its mochi-based dishes.   We were instructed to take off our shoes and walk up the narrow stairs to the second floor, which felt like a low incline ladder into the attic of this old building. All the wood in the building was stained brown and it was aesthetically pleasing to sit and admire the architecture. This was the first time I ate at a low table where I had to sit on the floor, so I had to adjust my position a few times to avoid having my legs fall asleep. Soon enough, the smell of food became a distraction.  I ordered the basic mochi shabu with rice cakes and vegetables for 1,200 yen. With this lunch meal, you can dip 12 assorted flavors of mochi into the bonito broth for a smooth tasting texture. The plate was mostly vegetarian-style with rich flavors that went perfectly with steaming green tea.  One thing I wish I had done right was learn how to dip the thin mochi into the hot broth. I sadly did not get to taste all the flavors of mochi individually, since some disintegrated after holding the piece for more than 5 seconds in the hot broth while using chopsticks. Still, the melted mochi added so much extra flavor to the other mochi pieces that didn’t disintegrate. (It made the loss feel better).  About half of the group had the Tottori Wagyu Shabu and had little to no issue losing their meat slices. Other items on the menu include shrimp tempura for 1200 yen, and a Tottori wagyu beef set for 1,900 yen. I can say that even though I lost a few pieces of delicate mochi, the meal was a success. The only difficult part of this restaurant was realizing my leg fell asleep while I was eating and trying to stand up to check out. The restaurant ambiance and the food were straight out of a travel magazine. This is definitely a spot I would bring my friends and family to. Hours: Thurs.- Mon. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. Wednesday is 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. but closed on Tuesday.  As I boarded the plane to fly back to Tokyo, I reflected on my time in Tottori. The Conan obsession definitely stood out. By the second day it became a little eerie to me, but I’m sure manga enthusiasts will love it. Conan aside, I look forward to returning to Tottori on a dry day to ride camels and maybe do some sandboarding and kayaking. And there is so much more to Tottori that I didn’t have time to check out, so I did some extra research and found some places I would like to go that I have seen similarly in video games such as Sekiro Shadows Die Twice and Ghost of Tsushima (Both Rated M). Hanakairo Flower Park: Located in the western part of Tottori is Japan’s largest flower garden. There are subsections to the area such as the Circular Walkway and the Flower Dome. The Flower Hillside is also here, but the Flower Valley looked more majestic and, for some reason, wizardly (Not like Harry Potter). Mt. Daisen, inside the deep forest: As the foliage changes throughout the year, the mountains here can feel like a true escape from normal life. Some guides can help with birdwatching in the spring and snowshoeing in the winter. (Like Iceman with the tennis ball rackets for shoes). Mitokusan Sanbutsuji Shrine: In central Tottori, the beautiful grounds of Mitokusan Sanbutsuji grace the mountainside at a moderately high altitude. Although a reservation is needed, this shrine looks totally worth it. The admission price is 800 Yen for adults and 300 yen for children. The Tottori Nijisseiki Pear Museum: Learn all about the local pears and enjoy pear tasting, which is like wine tasting… but with pears.  Eternal Evening Illumination by Fireflies: In the summer, the western area of Tottori is lit up by fireflies. Flight: The flight from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport was 1 hour and 20 minutes. Tickets range from 30,570 yen with ANA, but prices vary by airline and travel site. Driving: Depending on what city you’re driving from, your time on the road will vary. From Yokota Air Force Base, the drive is about nine hours with ETC tolls starting around 9,300 yen. But, this route does take you through Osaka and Hyogo. Tottori is a manageable distance from MCAS Iwakuni, requiring about a 4-hour drive. Train: The Conan Express also travels from Osaka to Tottori and it can cut the cost of traveling down from Kyoto to Tottori at 9,110 yen per person. Sign up for our weekly newsletter of articles from Japan, Korea, Guam, and Okinawa with travel tips, restaurant reviews, recipes, community and event news, and more. considering how the land of the rising sun is home to a great number of distilleries that have not just been bottling the spirit for over decades now Whisky connoisseurs are already very fond of the Yamazaki 12 and the Hibiki 17 But when it comes to the three best Japanese whisky brands in the world Earlier this year, the eleventh edition of the coveted International Whisky Competition took place in Colorado, where a jury judged whiskies from across countries in 49 different categories The judging criteria entailed the members of the jury sipping only one whisky at a time According to the competition’s ‘Highlights,’ the judges were blind tasting judging and scoring each whisky individually for 8 minutes based on the following four main segments and eleven sub sections: • Nose: Intensity and Complexity (15 points) • Taste/Mouthfeel: Palate and Balance (10 points) Japanese whiskies obviously demanded a separate category most Japanese blends don’t even necessarily adhere to the strict standards of their Scottish counterparts and yet the country’s glorious blends will thrive on your palate Especially the below three winning whisky brands Japanese whisky - The Kurayoshi 12 Year Old The Kurayoshi 12 Year Old is a pure malt whisky hailing from the Matsui Shuzou distillery in the Tottori region of Japan It is a delicious blend of malts sourced from Scotland mixed with Japanese whisky and volcanic-rock-filtered water A spectacularly matured elixir from the house of Kaiyō The Sheri is made from malted barley and initially aged in Oloroso and Pedro Ximinez Sherry casks and finished in Mizunara oak to develop a rich and sweet note the bronze medal of Japanese whiskies was awarded to another blend from the Kaiyō brand: The Peated This brown spirit is made from imported Scottish peated malt and is aged for 8 years: 2 years in Madeira casks Its notes boast a fruity and spicy concoction These are the 13 best-selling Indian whisky brands in the world 10 single malts every whisky drinker must have on their shelves 12 fun, quick facts every whisky lover will appreciate knowing More on Drinks © 2025 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Policy and Cookie Statement The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent By Hiroki Azuma / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Tottori — A trekking course set up on the site of an abandoned railway line in Kurayoshi as visitors can enjoy different kinds of walks along the tracks such as via a bamboo grove or a dark tunnel The former Japan National Railways Kurayoshi Line ran through the city of Kurayoshi until it was discontinued in 1985 Trains on this line used to be called the “slowest in Japan” because they were once found to be slower than a marathon runner in some sections The former Kurayoshi Line started operation in 1912 with a 4-kilometer section from what is now Kurayoshi Station The line was later extended to Sekigane Station in 1941 The line came to a dead end at Yamamori Station where it was not connected to any other lines There was a plan to extend the line beyond the Hiruzen Kogen highlands to Maniwa but the number of users gradually decreased due to the rise of passenger cars The rails were ripped out quickly that night after the last train run most of the abandoned line has been transformed into roads and bicycle paths A part of the railroad track has remained between the former Sekigane Station and Yamamori Station the Kurayoshi Tourism Mice Association and other organizations established the “Lostline Trekking Course” to make use of this as a tourism resource The course includes a bamboo grove along the railroad tracks reminiscent of the one in Arashiyama in Kyoto tourists head to the area to take in the scenery and take Instagrammable photos so it’s easy to come here even during the coronavirus pandemic,” said a 31-year-old man visiting from Tottori City The association holds walking events several times a year in which visitors can take a stroll while listening to a guide explain the history of the abandoned railway “We want people to enjoy the nostalgic atmosphere as well as the extraordinary experience of walking on the railroad tracks,” said Osamu Shiokawa and walk around in the dark with a flashlight The event is so popular that it is always filled to capacity there are many other things to see along the abandoned railway The bike path between Nishi-Kurayoshi Station and Kamiogamo Station is lined with full bloomed cherry trees in spring Hiruzen can be seen from the area around Sekigane Station The Sekigane district has been designated as a “Starry Sky Conservation Area” by the Tottori prefectural government Sekigane Hot Spring is a good place to relax after a day of exploring Why not take a dip in the radium-rich onsen and gaze up at the stars To get to the abandoned site of the former Japan National Railways Kurayoshi Line at the Sekigane branch of the Kurayoshi city office It takes a few minutes on foot from the parking lot to reach the remains of Sekigane Station and about 40 minutes to an hour to reach the ruins of Taikyuji Station and the bamboo grove All the trekking courses are about 5.3 kilometers The abandoned railway track is free to enter but the Yamamori Tunnel is usually closed off except during events Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun By Shuhei Kawai / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Tottori — About 50 miniature anime and other character figures are on display at the Akagawara Building No as part of efforts by the Kurayoshi city government and other local organizations to create a “town of figures.” The building sits on a street in Shirakabe Dozo-gun which houses a collection of classic warehouses with white clay walls and red-tiled roofs that add to the city’s retro and historic atmosphere Kurayoshi has been known for this well-preserved townscape but the city is undergoing a rebirth The trigger was its invitation to Good Smile Company Inc. The plant has been in operation in Kurayoshi since 2014 and produces such figures as the popular Nendoroid series — manga and anime characters with a large head and minified form a museum dedicated to figures was completed The Enkeigekijo Kurayoshi Figure Museum is housed in a historic former elementary school building operated by a group of local volunteers in collaboration with Good Smile Company the figure museum was the only place in the city where persons could view a large collection of figures on display the Kurayoshi city government and other organizations decided to establish the Association for Creating Town of Figures Kurayoshi with the aim of encouraging tourists to tour the city and enjoy figure exhibitions at various facilities which displays figures of anime and game characters created by Good Smile Company and other firms is a souvenir store that was renovated from a soy sauce maker’s brewing warehouse 1 is one of several traditional red-tiled roof buildings that were built in the Taisho era (1912-1926) and later renovated some figures exhibited there can be found wearing traditional Japanese clothing The exhibition facility is open all year round from 9 a.m The association hopes that visitors to Enkeigekijo will also tour Shirakabe Dozo-gun and Kurayoshi Park Square They are planning to hold figure-making workshops and other events to bring together fans from all over the country The figure exhibition will be expanded to about 10 locations in the city including tourist information centers and JR Kurayoshi Station we want to promote efforts to make Kurayoshi a city that children can be proud of,” said Yoshiyuki Kuratsu head of the Association for Creating Town of Figures Kurayoshi Nearly 1,000 figurines from the Nendoroid series are currently on display at the Enkeigekijo Kurayoshi Figure Museum in a special exhibition slated to run until March 21 Connoisseurs will enjoy the impressive collection of popular plastic figures with adorably big heads and disproportionally small bodies at this exhibition which includes characters from “Star Wars,” “Pokemon,” “Touken Ranbu,” “Super Mario” and more Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information Manga & Anime Tottori Prefecture--A special exhibition here features 1,000 Nendoroid dolls modeled after characters from anime The display at the Enkei Gekijo Kurayoshi Figure Museum runs through March 21 Nendoroids are palm-sized figures produced by Tokyo-based Good Smile Co The company built the Rakutsuki Factory here in 2014 at the request of the prefectural and city governments producing one Nendoroid variety each month an exhibition featuring 500 Nendoroid figures was held at the city-run Kurayoshi Museum in 2015 Nendoroids serial numbered from 1 through 1,000 and produced between 2006 and 2019 are featured at the latest exhibition They include characters from such titles as “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya,” “Naruto,” “Super Mario Bros.” and “The Legend of Zelda,” in addition to movies like “Star Wars” and “Wonder Woman.” “Even if you are not particularly interested in figures we’d like you to find characters from manga and video games that you liked when you were younger,” factory manager Tetsuya Tanimoto said during the pre-opening ceremony held Jan For more information, visit the official website at (http://enkei-museum.com/eng/about) Nagoya exhibit hosts decorative whisky bottles made in Japan Exhibition marks 50th anniversary of Yaguchi’s manga career Academy Museum to open with special Miyazaki exhibit Handwritten ‘waka’ poems by Hirohito to be shown for 1st time Face-offs resume between famous cat and museum security guard Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission Staff members pose for photos during the launch ceremony of the Detective Conan-themed train at the Kurayoshi station in Tottori A special express train decorated with characters from the famous manga "Detective Conan" departed at the Kurayoshi station in Japan's manga hub Tottori Prefecture on Sunday as the region looked to attract tourists from home and abroad 3 (Xinhua) -- A special express train decorated with characters from the famous manga "Detective Conan" departed at the Kurayoshi station in Japan's manga hub Tottori Prefecture on Sunday as the region looked to attract tourists from home and abroad Both the exterior and interior of the Detective Conan-themed Super Hakuto train feature various depictions of the iconic characters in the manga so that passengers can immerse themselves in the Conan world The launch of the themed train service has attracted Conan fans from other parts of Japan "I am so excited to see the decorated train carriages and really look forward to the tour," said a passenger who took an overnight bus from Tokyo for the train ride the hometown of Detective Conan's creator Gosho Aoyama with Japan's Keihanshin area including the cities of Kobe As the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka approaches Tottori anticipates a surge in visitors with the special train service is a highly popular Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama The manga has been serialized in a weekly magazine since 1994 and has been adapted into animated series video games and live-action television specials The manga's worldwide popularity has inspired real-world detective cafes themed train services as well as the Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory in Tottori which has become a major tourist attraction in the region The Detective Conan-themed train is seen during the media preview in Tottori The Detective Conan-themed train waits for departure at the Kurayoshi station in Tottori The interior of the Detective Conan-themed train is seen during the media preview in Tottori Hospitality & Catering News The move will see Love Drinks initially focus on Japanese whisky before rolling out additional Japanese brands from the collection The Kurayoshi Distillery’s ‘The Matsui Single Malt’ ‘The Kurayoshi Pure Malt’ and ‘The Tottori Blended’ ranges are the first Japanese gems to be made available to the UK hospitality sector the eclectic Ikigai Collection features a veritable feast of luxury Japanese drinks including whiskies from The Kurayoshi Distillery commented: “The Japanese whisky sector has been one of the most exciting internationally in the last few years and there are definitely more UK consumers delving into the category quality over quantity approach to drinking The Kurayoshi Distillery has an incredible portfolio to suit and excite all tastes so we’re looking forward to growing the brand and the enthusiasm for luxury Japanese drinks as a whole in the UK.” Director for UK & Ireland at BBC Spirits said: “We’ve always been impressed with the Love Drinks business portfolio and team so it is now great to be part of the family and be linking up to drive interest and demand in some of the finest Japanese drink products available We’re confident this launch is just the springboard as we look to showcase some of Japan’s most innovative and alluring drink producers in the coming years.” Located in the city of Kurayoshi in the Tottori prefecture the Kurayoshi Distillery has been producing Japanese spirits since 1910 Shōchū and brandy enabled this micro-distillery to successfully move into whisky distillation in 2015 and further develop its unique expertise in creatively combining tradition with innovation Carefully sourcing and utilising the finest ingredients the distillery’s proximity to Mount Daisen enables it to draw upon fresh volcanic water from the mountain’s generous snowmelt A trio of special single malts from the Kurayoshi Distillery matured in unique wooden barrels and packaged beautifully to showcase Japanese culture With the distillery paying special attention to the blending of pure malts and utilising the underground water of Mount Daisen in the process the Kurayoshi Pure Malt selection showcases five supreme blended Japanese malt whiskies which have been aged in different wooden barrels for different time periods A duo of blended whiskies made at the Kurayoshi Distillery by combining Japanese whiskies and then aging them using artisan techniques in special barrels distribution and marketing company for premium quality spirits craft-distilled and family-owned brands that have a rich provenance Love Drinks represent Abelha Organic Cachaça The Bitter Truth Cocktail Range of Bitters and Liqueurs White Heron Drinks and the Recuerdo and ZIGNUM® Mezcal Brands Love Drinks holds the silver accreditation for Investors in People and pioneered Love Well – an initiative to help the health and wellbeing of people working in the hospitality industry The company was named Drinks Business Drinks Distributor of the Year in 2019 For more information visit www.lovedrinks.com or follow on Facebook – @lovedrinksltd – Instagram – @love_drinks_ltd or Twitter – @Love_Drinks Copyright © · Hospitality & Catering News The annual Asian Championships took place this year from Nov and athletes from Indonesia and Japan climbed to all but four spots on the Bouldering Youth stars dominated in Bouldering finals on Friday Five of the top six athletes were under 20 years old including winners Futaba Ito and Meichi Narasaki of Japan Ito edged compatriot Nanako Kura by top attempts and bested a stacked field of Japanese finalists which included Saki Kikuchi in 3rd place IFSC World Cup Bouldering season champion Miho Nonaka and Akiyo Noguchi also prevailed among IFSC World Cup standouts and joined teammate Keita Watabe and recent Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 finalist YuFei Pan of China on the men’s podium Click here to watch highlights of Bouldering finals on OlympicChannel.com which featured Ito in the Olympic Channel original series Going Olympic: Tokyo 2020 Japan, the host country, claimed 15 medals at #ACH2018 in Kurayoshi, defending the home turf! Congratulations this year’s medalists ? JMSCA/Miwako Kubota A post shared by IFSC (@ifsclimbing) on Nov 13 Indonesian athletes equally impressed on the Speed wall the following day occupying five of the top six spots like Japan did in Bouldering The men’s big final was nearly too close to call with Alfian Muhammad and Sabri Sabri slapping the finishing pad atop the 15-metre Speed climbing wall at the same moment Muhammad gained the victory by three thousandths of a second on the fastest time of the round (5.833 seconds) and Aspar Jaelolo raced past Veddriq Leonardo in a close small final Sari Agustina kept a steady pace throughout the women’s Speed final and beat YiLing Song of China in the final race Aries Susanti Rahayu scored the fastest time of the round (7.816 seconds) but settled for 3rd place after committing a false start in the semi-final Jain Kim topped four routes in Kurayoshi and earned a victory for Korea Noguchi fell just shy of the top in finals and completed tops in every other round and Mei Kotake joined them on the women’s podium Countback to semi-finals separated a three-way tie in the men’s Lead final Kokoro Fujii’s top in semi-finals handed him the win followed by Hidemasa Nishida and Tomoaki Takata Click here to watch Kim rise to the top and the thrilling Speed finish in the Olympic Channel video highlights Japan concluded the Asian Championships by placing five more athletes on the podium as in Lead and Bouldering Lead and Speed climbing between the six top men and women Noguchi and Narasaki stood tallest and joined arms with Nonaka and Rei Sugimoto Get the digital edition of Gripped for your chosen platform: National Report Tottori Prefecture--The manner in which "Shisei" was chosen for the name of a new public elementary school here has sparked an uproar among the population of 45,000 Shisei means “supreme sincereness and wholeheartedness,” but its selection has generated sincere and wholehearted indignation among residents “The way the name was decided was unnatural and untrustworthy,” said a 72-year-old woman who has signed a petition regarding the name Residents were invited to help select the name of a new elementary school set to open here on April 1 the city’s board of education in March 2021 decided to integrate three schools--Seitoku The board decided to first integrate Seitoku and Nadate from fiscal 2023 comprising local representatives and parents the panel asked residents for suggestions for the new school’s name and the integration project and the name were officially approved at the September city assembly meeting during discussions at the assembly meeting Only one person submitted the chosen name of Shisei 150 stated Utsubuki should be the name of the new school “I want the panel to think about the significance of the 150,” said the 72-year-old woman It also has a park named Utsubuki boasting spectacular cherry blossoms which will be the campus of the new integrated school the Nadate area representative preferred Utsubuki while the Seitoku area representative preferred Shisei The fact that the chair of the panel cast the deciding vote to make the name Shisei was “out of line and unfair,” said a 75-year-old man which violates the rules of democracy,” he said Shisei was the result of a lot of discussions.” The chair voting twice “complied with the panel’s rules and the panel members in attendance agreed to the procedure so there is no problem,” said a representative of the city’s board of education some residents who learned about the process said they have a deeper distrust of the selection process and they formed a group to urge officials to reconsider the name the group started a petition asking the amendment to the ordinance be scrapped “The purpose of the public solicitation was to solicit an ‘idea,’ not to see what name would get the greatest number of votes,” the representative said the website of the city’s board of education noted when soliciting submissions “The name of the school will not be decided based on which name gets the most submissions.” The signatures of one-50th or more of all eligible voters in the city are needed to allow for a direct petition from locals the group had collected more than 3,000 signatures The group was expected to submit the signatures to the city’s election board on Nov including those who graduated from Seitoku and Nadate elementary schools “Utsubuki is certainly a familiar name,” the education board representative said “but some of the panel’s members wanted a name with a philosophy The panel supported Shisei because it encompasses the feelings for the new school The city ran an article in the November issue of the city newsletter explaining the decision-making process the same way the representative described it to The Asahi Shimbun depending on the citizens’ group’s petition the education board has suspended work on deciding the new school’s song “We can’t mail a notice of admission to incoming students unless the name is decided,” the representative said “We are worried about whether things will be ready in time for the school’s opening.” Petition calls for ban on pedophile teachers getting licensed again 7 schools near Abe state funeral site to close for safety reasons Teens turn to online petitions to bring about change to society Principal breaks elementary school’s silence about tsunami Booklets touting Fukushima plant water discharge angers schools 21 (UPI) -- A suspected 6.2-magnitude earthquake shook western Japan's Tottori prefecture Friday afternoon At least 10 injuries were reported, fire officials said, and some buildings were damaged. The earthquake temporarily disrupted highway travel bullet train service and airport schedules and nearly 80,000 homes endured a temporary power blackout No injuries were reported at the region's nuclear power plants Kunio Senga of Save the Children Japan said, "We're hearing reports of homes suffering damage, several major highways have been closed off while the authorities assess their safety and tens of thousands of people have been left without power," CNN reported. El cometa Leonard y la lluvia de meteoritos de las Úrsidas tendrán lugar en la noche más larga del año At least seven people have been injured – one seriously Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A powerful earthquake with a suspected magnitude of 6.6 has shaken western Japan The Meteorological Agency said the earthquake occurred Friday at 2:10 p.m (0510 GMT) in Japan's western prefecture of Tottori about 700 kilometers (430 miles) west of Tokyo at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) underground The epicentre of the quake was at a relatively shallow depth of 11km (7 miles) below the surface Shallow quakes potentially cause more damage but most of Friday's damage appears to be minor or localised The agency said there was no danger of a tsunami from the inland temblor and television footage showed roof tiles knocked loose wall fragments from a sake brewery fallen to the ground and wine bottles and food items scattered on a store floor Japan's public broadcaster NHK said a woman cooking in a restaurant was taken to a hospital after she was splashed with oil "It shook quite violently and file cabinets fell down but luckily nobody was injured in this office," Koji Nakahara told Agence France Presse: "We felt fairly strong jolts but we have not seen any damage or things falling" Bullet train services have been suspended in the area and nearly 40,000 homes were believed to be temporarily left without power as the quake knocked out power lines NHK said switched-off nuclear reactors in the region were not affected Japan sits on the edge of four tectonic plates so earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are fairly commonplace but strict building regulations mean strong tremors rarely do damage to modern buildings But the quake comes five and a half years since a 9.0 undersea earthquake cause a tsunami, a meltdown at the Fukushima power plant and resulted in the deaths of over 18,000 people The then-Prime Minister Naoto Kan called the crisis the country "most difficult in the 65 years since the end of the Second World War" Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Japan is set to take centre stage in the global art scene with an exciting lineup of world-class exhibitions groundbreaking new museums and immersive art experiences in 2025 From the renowned Setouchi Triennale and Aichi Triennale to the much-anticipated openings of the Naoshima New Museum of Art and Tottori Prefectural Museum of Art Japan continues to redefine itself as a hub for contemporary and traditional art Newly opened on 30 March 2025, the Tottori Prefectural Museum of Art in Kurayoshi is a landmark cultural institution offering a space for traditional and contemporary artistic expression Set against the backdrop of Tottori’s famous sand dunes and coastal landscapes the museum explores the prefecture’s unique artistic heritage while also featuring rotating exhibitions of international works the museum will provide a tranquil environment for visitors to engage with the arts Highlights include exhibitions showcasing regional crafts historical artefacts and contemporary pieces inspired by Tottori’s landscapes as well as cutting-edge digital art installations The museum aims to serve as a creative hub for both locals and tourists celebrating Japan’s rich artistic traditions while embracing global influences Naoshima, often referred to as Japan’s “Art Island”, is already home to an extraordinary collection of museums, outdoor installations and architectural marvels. In early 2025, a major new addition will arrive with the opening of the Naoshima New Museum of Art designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando natural light and seamless integration with the environment Ando’s vision for this museum will further cement Naoshima’s reputation as a global destination for contemporary art TeamLab Planets – The World’s Most Visited Digital Art Museum Expands Following its Guinness World Records recognition as the most visited museum in the world, TeamLab Planets TOKYO is set to undergo a major expansion in early 2025 invites visitors to become part of the artwork floating in infinite mirrored spaces and touching living digital environments where participants use digital tools to engage with the artwork in real-time This new chapter in TeamLab’s ever-evolving art experience will further blur the boundaries between the physical and digital worlds making it an essential destination for art and technology enthusiasts Setouchi Triennale 2025 – Art across the islands Spanning 107 days across three seasons, the Setouchi Triennale 2025 (Spring: 18 April – 25 May Autumn: 3 October – 9 November) will once again transform the picturesque islands of the Seto Island Sea into an open-air art gallery known for its stunning site-specific installations integrates art with the natural beauty of Japan’s coastal landscape fostering deep connections between artists and local communities the Setouchi Triennale has played a significant role in revitalising rural island communities drawing global attention to their cultural heritage and fostering sustainable tourism Art lovers can explore works scattered across Naoshima where creativity meets tradition in a deeply immersive way With a strong emphasis on environmental restoration the 2025 edition promises to be the most ambitious yet Aichi Triennale 2025 – a celebration of contemporary art From 13 September to 30 November 2025, the Aichi Triennale will return as one of Japan’s most significant contemporary art festivals Taking place across multiple venues in Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture the event will feature a diverse range of visual arts Known for its bold themes and experimental approach the Aichi Triennale brings together both emerging and established artists from around the world fostering cross-cultural dialogue and pushing boundaries of artistic expression The festival will explore new narratives in art and society addressing contemporary issues through thought-provoking installations and performances Visitors can expect cutting-edge digital works avant-garde theatre productions and participatory art experiences With past editions featuring works by some of the most innovative artists in the world Aichi Triennale 2025 is set to continue this legacy of excellence and inspire audiences with fresh I have read and agree to the terms & conditions Contact us: info@theartsshelf.com HOMEABOUT USMEET THE TEAMPRIVACY POLICYADVERTISING INFOCONTACT the second daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito attended a national sign-language competition for high school students here on Sept The 9th National High School Sign Language Performance Koshien its Social Welfare Organization and other groups was the first competition held in person in three years “It must have been difficult at times for you to practice under the various restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic,” Kako said in a speech using sign language at the opening ceremony “I think the various efforts you made in creating your performances and working hard toward your goals were valuable experiences for you,” she told the students “I’m rooting for you so that you can show your best performance.” Fifteen teams from 12 prefectures that passed the preliminary round performed sign language while acting and dancing The joint team of the Sakado School for the Deaf and the Omiya School for the Deaf The Nara Prefectural School for the Deaf took second and the Matsuyama School for the Deaf in Ehime Prefecture placed third Kako participated via video message when the event was held online in 2020 and 2021 using sign language to signify applause after each performance Kako talked with students from the winning team: Haruka Narizuka Were you nervous?” Kako said in sign language “You didn’t look nervous,” Kako said with a smile She also asked them: “You two are from different schools (that are) far from each other Did you meet for the first time for this (competition)?” Kako learned that the two have been friends since they were kids “You discussed a lot and practiced hard in many ways I was delighted to see your wonderful performance today Narizuka said afterward: “Princess Kako actively asked us questions in her charming sign language Kise said: “Princess Kako was really good at sign language We were able to have a smooth conversation.” Kise had met Kako at another sign-language speech contest held this month “Princess Kako remembered me,” Kise said with a smile yearns to take a stroll with daughter Mako Crown prince rebukes media for coverage of Mako Father of Crown Princess Kiko dies at hospital in Tokyo at 81 Komuro finally wed after waiting more than 3 years Princess Mako turns 30; meets with emperor and empress Tottori Prefecture--Nearly 40 years after its closure the Kurayoshi Line here is drawing tourists and winning praise on social media as Japan’s “most beautiful abandoned railway track.” operated for decades by Japanese National Railways (JNR) now attracts more than 10,000 visitors a year had planned to extend the line across the Chugoku Mountains to Okayama Prefecture But the line was discontinued in 1985 because of declining passenger numbers bridges and other structures remain in some sections of the abandoned line The most popular spot is a section where bamboo groves line both sides of the tracks Some bamboo trees are growing between the rails Next big boom in Japanese food overseas .. ANA resumes flights heading to Shanghai from Kansai Airport The vast grounds of the park encompasses Mount Utsubuki a celestial maiden (hagoromo) discovers the feather robe that had been stolen from her by the man she married and flies back to heaven visitors to Hagoromo Pond can purchase special paper that melts in water for ¥400 and write down any embarrassing or painful episodes they would rather forget; they can then float it on the pond with a prayer that those memories will disappear along with the paper Sakura 100: Japan’s Best Blossoms Banner photo © Kurayoshi Tourism Mice Association.) TOTTORI--When chief curator Shinichiro Osaki sought pieces for the planned Tottori Prefectural Museum of Art artist Andy Warhol (1928-1987) seemed a natural drawing card the Tottori prefectural government’s purchase of Warhol artworks has raised anger among residents who question whether six pieces by the pop art icon are worth the high price The prefecture spent about 337 million yen ($2.58 million) for five pieces of “Brillo Soap Pads Box” and a 3-D version of the “Campbell’s Soup Cans”  as the highlight of the Tottori Prefectural Museum of Art The first prefecture-run museum is scheduled to open in spring 2025 in Kurayoshi in the prefecture The “Brillo Boxes” are replicas of delivery cardboard boxes for U.S.-made Brillo scouring pads impregnated with soap the boxes were painted in white before the design of the original was faithfully silkscreened on the cubes The red-and-blue design on a white background became popular making the “Brillo Boxes” one of Warhol's representative works the prefectural government bought a rare piece created in 1968 for 68.31 million yen and four more pieces produced in later years for 55.78 million yen each It also purchased an aluminum cast of a “Campbell’s Soup Cans” for 45.54 million yen But news of the expensive purchases caused a stir among social media users who were baffled by the decision to pay about 300 million yen for mere boxes the prefectural education board held explanatory meetings across the prefecture “It is difficult to understand why these are worth 300 million yen,” one said while another added: “Why can’t you make the wise decision to scrap the purchase when we have been thrown into difficulties due to the novel coronavirus pandemic?” some residents said it is worthwhile to see the authentic Warhol pieces in Tottori Another expressed concerns over the current situation saying that many people are ignorant about Warhol because the prefectural government has made little efforts to promote art The explanatory sessions were held at five locations in the prefecture by the end of last year attended by a total of about 200 residents The education board also hosted a lecture about the “Brillo Boxes” on three occasions since last year The education board said it will host more explanatory meetings and create other opportunities to gain understanding from the public Tottori Governor Shinji Hirai referred to the divisive issue at his regular news conference in November and made a proposal “How about deciding on whether to continue possessing the ‘Brillo Boxes’ for display at the new museum after letting visitors vote on the issue in three years or so?” several public museums in Japan previously purchased expensive art pieces which is known for its collection of Jean-Francois Millet’s works bought “The Sower,” one of the French artist’s representative paintings for 107 million yen just before the museum opened in 1977 Now boasting 70 Millet pieces in its collection the museum attracts fans from across the country The Nagoya city government spent 360 million yen in 1986 to buy Amedeo Modigliani's “Girl with Pigtails,” while the Osaka city government paid 1.93 billion yen for the Italian painter's “Reclining Nude with Loose Hair” in 1989 The Aomori prefectural government bought three scenic backdrops for the ballet of “Aleko” by Marc Chagall in 1994 for about 1.5 billion yen But an ombudsman group filed a request for disclosure of information saying that details on how the prefectural government decided to buy the artworks were unclear A panel of outside experts pointed out various factors including a lack of professional judgment stemming from the fact that there were no curators at the section in charge of the matter The Utsunomiya city government spent 620 million yen to buy Rene Magritte’s “The Large Family” in 1996 receiving criticism from the city assembly and residents who said the purchase process was unclear who is in charge of the promotion of fine art at the Tottori prefectural education board’s bureau of museum development said he regrets failing to provide an adequate explanation of how the museum intends to collect its exhibits who is leading the project to open the Tottori Prefectural Museum of Art as chief curator admitted that he should have informed residents about the Warhol purchases to gain their understanding before the news broke Osaki said it is not in the cards for a public art museum to let go of the items it has purchased with taxpayers’ money “Museums are under an obligation to pass down their collections to posterity,” he said He continued that it was only natural for residents to be perplexed by the “Brillo Boxes” because they had less opportunities to see Warhol’s works than those living in urban areas we want to improve such a situation and help them deepen their artistic knowledge,” he said Osaki remembers how everything inside the predecessor of the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art was jumbled after the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake when he was working at the museum But when he organized an exhibition in the lobby of a bank about two months after the disaster he strongly felt the importance of fine art once again as local residents said they were exposed to art for the first time in a while and were deeply impressed by artworks and that is all the more reason why I believe we must build a cultural infrastructure,” he added Warhol’s Liz Taylor portrait fetches record price in Tokyo Taxpayer anger over 20 million yen for VIP car during pandemic former secretary-general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party who has declared his bid for party presidency on Sunday adjusted his remark made the previous day about the fate of LDP lawmakers linked to the party's slush funds scandal "The new leadership team will decide" whether the LDP should endorse such lawmakers as the party's official candidates in upcoming elections Tottori Prefecture.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); "Someone who has yet to become party chief should not comment with prejudice" on the matter when he announced his candidacy in the party's Sept Ishiba said that the LDP Election Strategy Committee should thoroughly deliberate on whether lawmakers linked to the scandal deserve to be the party's official candidates This statement had drawn a backlash from former members of the LDP faction previously led by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe which was at the center of the slush funds scandal involving fundraising parties Among others whose names are being floated as possible runners in the election to pick a successor to current LDP chief and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida former internal affairs minister Seiko Noda has also touched on the possibility of the party not officially endorsing scandal-hit lawmakers the second daughter of Crown Prince Akishino attended an acting and dance competition over the weekend that incorporates sign language High school students from across the nation competed in Kurayoshi It was the first time in three years that the princess had gone in person to the event which was held online last year and the year before due to the pandemic “It must have been difficult at times for you to practice amid various restrictions caused by the pandemic I wish you all the best in your performance,” Princess Kako said in sign language at the opening ceremony Fifteen teams acted and danced using sign language Princess Kako watched with enthusiasm and talked with students from the top three teams in sign language after the competition Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version 16-year-old Rotary Exchange student from Kurayoshi presented to Port Elgin Rotary and Saugeen Shores Rotary Club members over lunch on December 5th Rotarians present were impressed with the quality of her presentation her English skills and her confidence as she told them about her country family and some of the differences between life in Canada versus life in Japan She has also presented to Southampton Rotary (her host club) and to Canadian students from our district destined for Rotary exchanges in 2024-25 Rei is currently living in Southampton with Rotarians Tony and Sylvia Sheard and has been attending SDSS since the beginning of the school year She is enjoying her time at SDSS and in the community and is soaking up many of the uniquely Canadian experiences her youth exchange year is offering her She looks forward to hopefully playing fastball with the Port Elgin Devils Women’s fastball team in the spring she practices and plays fastball six times a week as part of her club commitment at Tottori Prefectural Kurayoshi Higashi Senior High School Rei ends her year at SDSS and her Canadian adventure Plans are underway to lure tourists back to Japan’s Tottori Prefecture in western Honshu after a magnitude 6.6 earthquake on October 21 led to widespread trip cancellations there situated near the epicenter of both the quake and the 4.6 magnitude aftershock but loss in arrivals has been felt across the entire area Kenichi Taki of Tottori Prefecture’s tourism strategy division says about 10,000 people have cancelled their hotel reservations since the quake one third of its bookings to Tottori were cancelled after the quake while nine hotels remain closed in Tottori of which two are ryokans located in the central Kurayoshi area according to Koichi Tomiyoka of the Kurayoshi City Hotel Ryokan Association many in the prefecture are springing back into business A representative of Hotel New Otani Tottori said that they had to close and had received cancellations immediately following the quake But the hotel has opened for business the very next day Tottori City Hotel too has resumed normal operations after suffering some cancellations “Most of the hotels are fully operational,” said Taki adding that the prefecture is working on encouraging tourists to return “We are planning to provide subsidies such as discount coupons to people who reserve a trip through travel agents such as JTB and Rakuten Travel.” Kuwana agrees that this type of scheme could be successful and wants to cooperate with the prefecture to reinvigorate travel to the region Seafront stays and heritage charm at Penang Marriott Hotel Is Your Business Listed On TTGmice Planner Online Japanese version Shigeru Ishiba , a Japanese politician and former Secretary of Defense, attended the completion ceremony of the Kurayoshi Figure Museum, an amphitheater held in his hometown of Tottori Prefecture Ishiba appeared as a cosplayer of the character 'Majin Buu' that appears in Dragon Ball and its appearance became a hot topic on Twitter Tweets are popular enough to be retweeted more than 6400 times Shigeru Ishiba Majin Buu Kurayoshi Figure Museum Opening Ceremony. pic.twitter.com/JchWAfXSTg Tottori Kurayoshi City Amphitheater Opening. Ishiba is the best. pic.twitter.com/CGcEkh4vab he told me a very useful story while wearing Majin Buu's cosplay The figure museum 'Kurayoshi Theater' in Kurayoshi City is a facility that utilizes a valuable circular school building that was popular after the war and has hardly remained. I attended the pre-opening ceremony today. Many of the exhibited models are spectacular. However, today's highlight is Shigeru Ishiba's Majin Buu. We were talking about something very serious and informative. pic.twitter.com/bN3ppoumh9 Ishiba's cosplay photo became known to overseas game media Kotaku and when he learned that Japanese politicians appeared in public by cosplaying Majin Buu 'Politicians are always dragonball cosplay I posted an article saying 'I should do it' to convey the state of the ceremony Politicians Should Always Cosplay As Dragon Ball Characters At the completion ceremony at the Kurayoshi Figure Museum other guests are also showing off their favorite (?) Dragon Ball cosplay Goku is tired of being elected mayor. Goku is such a stoop. Mayor Kotaro Ishida. Kurayoshi Figure Museum Opening Ceremony. pic.twitter.com/xYTcTI7Kcj a member of the House of Councilors belonging to the Liberal Democratic Party It is Shoji Maitachi of Vegeta who was killed by Majin Buu Ishiba. pic.twitter.com/5uRdfRKIJV showed off the cosplay of Amuro Ray of Mobile Suit Gundam for some reason while the cosplay of Dragon Ball was lined up Governor Shinji Hirai was Amuro. I'm going to Amuro! Char Aznable has been created to defeat Char. pic.twitter.com/ssbHDiHUXJ A figure museum using the ruins of an old circular elementary school was born in Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture, where the Good Smile Company's Rakutsuki Factory is located. It is the result of the enthusiasm of everyone in the area. At the commemorative ceremony, Representative Ishiba, Governor Hirai, Mayor Ishida and others appeared in cosplay. pic.twitter.com/WQBihQzpaZ Tottori is fun. Kurayoshi Figure Museum Opening Ceremony. pic.twitter.com/emWeq0wB9g Changing the startup sound of Windows 95 to a length of 4000% to a mysterious sound that could be used for meditation in an ambient style The world's first cell phone call was made on April 3, 45 years ago Apr 04, 2018 20:00:00 in Manga,   Anime,   Game