Category Archives: Festivals & Events

Beauty Salon Lotus – Odawara

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Photo: The cultural beauty of kimonos. | FirePress Japan

Spring is finally here and what better way to enjoy the season than to dress up in traditional kimonos? At the Lotus Beauty Salon, you can choose your own kimono to rent for the day. They’ll even fix up your hair to match! Read on for further information!

Beauty Salon Lotus is a short 3-minute walk from Odawara Station in Kanagawa Prefecture, and is within walking distance to many tourist spots around the area. But first let’s take a look at the different plans you can choose from. The staff is super friendly and nice, so I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time.

▶︎ Wear a Kimono of your choice along with hair styling
　 3,800 yen~

▲ Photo: Wearing a kimono at Beauty Salon Lotus in Odawara. | FirePress Japan

Upon arriving at the salon, you are able to pick out a kimono of your liking from a wide selection of colors and designs. Prior to putting the kimono on, staff style your hair as you like or you can let them design the style for you, finishing if off with a hair ornament of your choosing. After this, a staff member will help dress you in a beautiful kimono. All of this takes roughly 30 minutes.

If you go as a group, you may have some downtime, during which they have a self-serve drink dispenser of various teas, both hot and cold. They also have some hard candy and other snacks as well.

In addition to this plan, they also offer a similar plan for couples starting from 4,800 yen.

▶︎ Make a Reservation (Online)

  • Phone: 0465-22-0492
  • Open: 9:00-17:00
  • Closed Tuesdays

▶︎ Access to Beauty Salon Lotus

　〒250-0011 Kanagawa, Odawara, Sakae-cho, 1 Chome−14−54 込山ビル 4F

If you’re looking for a fun day trip, the fastest way to get to Odawara only takes about 30 minutes by Shinkansen, either Hikari or Kodama (please note that Nozomi does not stop at Odawara), otherwise the trip will take an hour and a half via the Tokaido train line or car.

▶︎ Types of Payment

Jalan is a well-known online booking site for Japanese hotels and Ryokan.
You can also visit the site in English here.

▶︎ Events Around the Area in Odawara

February 22 is National Cat Day in Japan

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Oh! February 22nd or “Cat Day” is coming up soon, so many stores are now offering specially designed items revolving around cats! This is just one example of what 7-Eleven convenience stores will be selling.

Like I had mentioned last year when I was discussing how every 29th of the month is considered “meat day” in Japan, February 22 is “National Cat Day” in Japan.

In Japan, National Cat Day is celebrated on February 22, as the date resembles the words “nyan nyan nyan” (meow meow meow). The date was decided on this date in a poll between cat-keepers by the Executive Cat Day Committee in 1978. It is celebrated with people posing with photographs of themselves with their pet cats, and businesses selling cat-themed cuisine.

National Cat Day on Wikipedia

And to celebrate the occasion, let’s take a look at some of the really cute items that will be available.

▶︎ 7-Eleven

▲ Kitty Cat Pad Parfait – Strawberry & Milk – 324 yen
　 Available February 13-19

This is a super cute looking parfait in the shape of a cat’s paw made out of milk kudzu jelly and strawberry mousse with shiratama dango (mochi balls) and strawberry cream daifuku.

▶︎ Family Mart

▶︎ Related Links

INEI’s first solo exhibition in Shibuya from December 2-16

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INEI Exhibition in Shibuya
“Shibuya in another dimension” by Kenichiro Tomiyasu


Check it out! The conceptual art company INEI is hosting a solo art exhibition in Shibuya! They do such amazing work, please check it out if you have the chance! Here’s a quick look at what you can see there!

▶︎ INEI “Inspiration Exhibition” Details
— We don’t make art, we make a concept —

▶︎ The Entrance

▶︎ Shibuya in another dimension

▶︎ M100 1620mm x 970mm, Oil <2023>

“Shibuya in Another Dimension” is a unique masterpiece painted on M100, capturing the essence of both dreams and reality within the city. The viewer within the artwork draws upon the ambient blue-black glow emanating from the windows of a towering building, creating an enchanting atmosphere that transforms the entire city into a realm of magic. This luminous spectacle serves as a portal, inviting the observer into a world of unfamiliar challenges and uncharted territories.

This work evokes a sensation that the viewer is moving back and forth between consciousness and the world of dreams, navigating the blurred lines of reality and fiction presented by the city of Shibuya. Immersing yourself in the painting, you will feel that the consciousness of reality and the physical world intersect, and new possibilities will expand.

▶︎ Urban portrait Shibuya

▶︎ F50 1167mm x 910mm, Oil, Lacquer, Mixed Media <2023>

“Urban portrait Shibuya” is an expressive piece that captures the vibrant heartbeat of the city using a palette of vivid colors on canvas. Illustrating Shibuya Crossing as viewed from space, the artwork seamlessly weaves together the energetic commotion of the world with hushed serenity found in the hidden back alleys. Here, individuals resonate with the city, maintaining their distinctive identities.

The cityscape is adorned with illuminations mirroring the earth, and the interplay of shadows from buildings, while neon lights cast reflections on windows. People in motion transform into both shadows and sources of light, creating a captivating interplay between the city’s dynamism and tranquility. Through this artwork, the viewer discovers that within the bustling urban landscape, there exists a distinctive beauty and harmony. The piece conveys the message that the city itself is a profound work of art.

▶︎ Before Departure

▶︎ F50 1167mm x 910mm, Oil <2023>

“Before Departure” captures my inner preparations and emotions leading up to a journey, my expectations and fears for an unfamiliar adventure. Against the backdrop of a darkened screen, an unfamiliar yet colossal steam locomotive stands silently. This locomotive represents my internal vessel venturing into the unknown, discreetly fueling my internal combustion engine and nurturing my desire for new ideas and adventures. The darkness on the screen symbolizes the period preceding departure into an uncertain future.

Through this piece, I hope to inspire you to uncover the ideas and possibilities within yourself. I want you to sense the potential of an internal combustion engine that may explode at any moment and experience the thrill and creativity that precede embarking on an unknown adventure.

▶︎ Additional Art & Decorations

◀︎ (Left) The colorful plate of food was supposed to resemble the solar system, with the yellow one on the left representing the sun (I ate this one!), Earth in the middle, and the rest of the planets, although there are only 6…!

▶︎ (Right) This is an example of a bunch of paints, brushes, and other tools used in these pieces.

▶︎ Various Merch For Sale

They also had many different types of INEI T-shirts, postcards of the pieces on display, and more! I purchased a set of 7 postcards, and these were some of my favorite by Kenichiro Tomiyasu (富安健一郎), the head of INEI!

▶︎ Various Posts on Twitter

▶︎ Related Links

The largest samurai parade in the world is marching this weekend

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The annual samurai festival Shingen-Ko will take place in Kofu, Yamanashi prefecture from October 27 to 29.

Japan is home to a plethora of cultural traditions and events sprinkled throughout the year to enjoy. One particular event, the Shingen-Ko festival held in Kofu, Yamanashi prefecture, will be taking place this weekend from October 27-29. This festival which prides itself as the world’s largest samurai parade celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Originally to commemorate the legacy of Takeda Shingen, a famous daimyo, or warlord, during the Sengoku period (1467-1568), there is plenty to enjoy throughout the weekend at various locations around town.

The main event of the festival is the Koshu Battalion Deployment, which is a reenactment of warriors marching out to the battlefield of Kawanakajima where Takeda Shingen fought Uesugi Kenshin, a rival warlord who ruled over the northern part of Japan. The parade is a spectacle to witness, boasting over 1,000 participants wearing samurai costumes that will seemingly transport you back to the Sengoku period.

Around the area, you’ll come across several jinya, which are temporary camps where the samurai wait and prepare for battle all the while praying for victory and drinking sake.

Although Kofu may be a little out of the way, it’s not all that difficult to get to. It’s between 2 to 2 and a half hours from both Tokyo and Yokohama. Here’s what the route looks like from Yokohama Station, taking the Yokohama Line to Hachioji then switching over the Kaiji Line to Kofu Station. You can also find the schedule for the Kaiji Line from Hachioji Station here.

Thanks, Yamanashi Prefecture.