JIMTOF 2022 the 31st Japan International Machine Tool Fair was held for six days from November 8 to 13 at the Tokyo Big Sight and was organized by Japan Machine Tool Builders’ Association and Tokyo Big Sight management.

The special area bringing together AM products and technologies was set up as well. (Additive Manufacturing (AM for short) is a hot trend that is expected to grow. It is an innovative technology in manufacturing where the process of creating an object is by building it one layer at a time which is the opposite of subtractive manufacturing, in which an object is created by cutting away at a solid block of material until the final product is complete).

In addition to lectures and seminars, exhibitor workshops were held in the conference building, where companies presented their cutting-edge technologies and solutions. IMEC 2022 the 19th International Machine Tool Engineers’ Conference and events of related domestic organizations were also held.

Two shuttle bus routes operated from the Kokusai Tenjijo Station. An intra-venue jumbo taxi also made the rounds, directly connecting the east, west, and south sides of the venue.

JIMTOF Kitchen was set up in a special restaurant in East Hall 7, and JIMTOF FOOD FESTIVAL was held outside the East Exhibition Hall and in the South Exhibition Hall. The World Food Stall Village with its international atmosphere drew lines of visitors.

The fair was attended by a total of 114,158 visitors.

Messe Nagoya, is one of the largest cross-industrial exchange festivals in the Chubu region, with approximately 800 exhibitors.

This event will take place for three days from November 16 to 18 at Port Messe Nagoya, New Exhibition Hall 1. The exhibition started in 2006 as a festival of cross-industrial exchange to carry on the philosophy of the Aichi Expo (environment, science and technology, and international exchange).

Products and services will be gathered from a wide range of fields and regions, transcending industry and business categories, to address issues such as advanced functions and performance, environmental friendliness and energy, management support and work style reform, design utilization, utilization of regional resources, and industry-academia/business collaboration.

The 17th edition of the exhibition will be held in a hybrid format, the same as the previous year, with 1001 booths from 827 companies and organizations. The special Agri-Cross event aims to create opportunities for companies to advance into smart agriculture and will feature an exhibition of the latest agri-tech (elemental technologies) and a plan to realize collaboration projects with a number of companies. Messe Nagoya AI Matching, a regular AI-based matching system, will be offered at this year’s exhibition as well. In addition, the Future Exchange Station will be set up in the exhibition hall as an information board to promote business exchanges between exhibitors and visitors.

Business seminars will include a lecture by journalist Goro Okazaki on the topics “Has the World Really Switched to EVs? ～Discrepancy between media reports and the real world～” and “It All Starts with a Vision” by Masashichi Nakagawa, Chairman of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government officially announces the subway concept connecting central Tokyo to Tokyo Big Sight.

Governor Yuriko Koike held a regular press conference and officially announced the concept of a subway system for the waterfront area of central Tokyo.

“The waterfront area has great potential to attract people and investment from all over the world, with various large-scale developments underway. The subway is expected to serve as the backbone, so to speak, of the core transportation infrastructure connecting the city center and the waterfront area. Enhancing the railroad network in the Bay Area, this line will be important in making Tokyo a sustainable city. We have established a study group with the participation of academic experts and the national government, and after repeated discussions, we have now compiled a draft of the project plan. The proposed project will connect Tokyo to Ariake and Tokyo Big Sight Station. The distance is approximately 6.1 kilometers, and we have proposed seven stations, routes, and station locations. The names of the stations are all tentative. The opening of this subway line will improve the convenience of the Harumi athletes’ village site and the Tsukiji area, and will further enhance the appeal of this unique city,” she said.

There are seven stations: Tokyo, Shin-Ginza, Shin-Tsukiji, Kachidoki, Harumi, Toyosu Market, and Ariake/Tokyo Big Sight (all tentative locations)

Tableware Festival is scheduled to take place at the Tokyo Dome for 10 days from January 27 to February 5, 2023.

It is the first time in three years since 2020 that the event will be held at the Tokyo Dome; approximately 250,000 people, mostly female fans in their 30s and 40s, attended the event in 2020.

In addition to popular Japanese brands such as Christofle and Bernard, the overseas area titled Galerie de Paris – Touring Paris, will introduce brands that are rarely seen in Japan, such as Degrène and Marie d’Agde. The domestic production area will include Arita-yaki porcelain which has evolved beautifully over its 400-year history, including the Kakiemon style, which spread the appeal of Japanese overglaze enameling to the world, white porcelain, underglaze blue porcelain, and celadon porcelain.

The Celebration Champagne – The Glass Brilliance project will also be held to present a selection of Japanese and Western glassware along with crystal tableware to coordinate with the special scene.

In addition to the new Tea Garden, where you can enjoy your favorite tea in your favorite cup in a tea garden filled with greenery, there will also be a special program 30 Years of History which will exhibit and introduce the production regions in Japan under different themes.

Online events will also be held simultaneously, offering content that allows visitors to enjoy the exhibition more deeply at the venue, as well as the opportunity to experience the charm of the Tableware Festival before and after their visit, regardless of time or location.

On November 1, Ghibli Park opened in Nagakute City, Aichi Prefecture, as a part of the Aichi Expo Memorial Park (Moricoro Park).

Tickets go on sale on the 10th of each month and are reserved by date and time for each area.

Ghibli Park shows the world of Studio Ghibli, created at the Expo 2005 Aichi – Japan Commemorative Park (Moricoro Park).

There are no big attractions or rides, but just a place to walk, feel the wind and discover the secrets of the forest and roads as they are.

The first part of the park opened with The Great Warehouse of Ghibli, The Hill of Youth and Dondoko Mori. The Great Warehouse of Ghibli is an indoor facility filled with exhibits of Ghibli’s works, both large and small. It is said to include robot soldiers, a cat bus, soft child-sized items, and a number of secret works.

The second area is scheduled to open in 2023.

Furusato Matsuri Tokyo 2023 – Japanese Festival, Taste of Home will take place at Tokyo Dome for 10 days from January 13 to 22, 2023.

In the past, Furusato Matsuri Tokyo has attracted a total of more than 4.4 million visitors to date but was canceled in 2021 and 2022 due to the effects of COVID-19. This year, the 13th edition of the festival will be held for the first time in three years.

The 12th National GOTOCHI DONBURI Championship will feature the finest local donburi from all over Japan. Visitors can compare and vote for their favorite bowls, and 14 bowls will compete for the No. 1 position. Hachinohe silver mackerel toro zuke-don (Aomori Prefecture) and nodoguro donburi (Shimane Prefecture), which won the Grand Prix twice in the past championships, will be exhibited in the Hall of Fame.

Nigiwai Market will showcase more than 300 delicacies from all over the country, with a wide range of foods from A-grade gourmet such as seafood (sea urchin, salmon roe, etc.) and brand beef to traditional dishes and local noodles for visitors to enjoy.

During the Furusato Matsuri Tokyo, a total of more than 50 local characters including Funassyi, Akkuma and Nyango Star will make appearances.

Admission tickets with seating will also be sold to enjoy the event at a leisurely pace, taking advantage of the new seats installed as a result of the renovation of the Tokyo Dome.