Sakura Miku x Hirosaki Neputa Festival Collaboration Announced

Fans may remember how Sakura Miku was selected to become the promotional character for the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival.

This summer, Sakura Miku is returning to Hirosaki to promote the Hirosaki Neputa Festival! Just like last time, various artwork from famous artists will serve as the promotional and merchandise material for the event.

From iXima:

From ๆœจๅฑ‹็”บ / Kiyamachi

From ใชใ˜ใ‚‡ / Nazyo

From nekosumi

The event will be held from August 1 to August 7. These illustrations will be used for a variety of projects, such as poster-making, a stamp rally, and more that will be announced soon!

**UPDATE ON JULY 8, 2019**
An article in the Hirosaki Tourism & Convention Bureau lays out a timetable of events for the collaboration during the Neputa Festival.

From the middle of July to August 7:
ใƒปPut up Neputa Festival tanzaku posters
ใƒปPut up festival ornaments

From July 27 to August 12
ใƒปHold the stamp rally. The prize will be a Sakura Miku Neputa Ver. postcard

From July 27 to the end of the Cherry Blossom Festival
ใƒปThe Sakura Miku Taxi will be in service, run by Hokusei Kotsu Co., Ltd.
ใƒปA train with Sakura Miku decal will be in service along the Konan Railway Owani Line
ใƒปOpen the Sakura Miku Museum at the Hirosaki Machinaka Information Center

From August 1 to August 7
ใƒปHold the Sakura Miku Lantern Contest
ใƒปFrom the 1st to 4th along the Dotemachi Course
ใƒปFrom the 5th to 6th along the Ekimae Course
ใƒปOn the 7th along the Nanuka Dotemachi Course

From August 1 to August 12
ใƒปSell official goods

From August 30 through September 1
ใƒปOpen a display at Magical Mirai 2019

We also get to see the panel display with Sakura Miku and Hirosaki mascot character, Takamaru-kun! The panel is on display at the Hirosaki Machinaka Information Center, the Hirosaki City Museum, and the Hirosaki Apple Park where visitors will be free to come and take pictures with them.

SEGA feat. Hatsune Miku Project 10th Anniversary Goods from GraffArt

GraffArt is celebrating another VOCALOID-related 10th anniversary very soon. This time, it’s for the 10th anniversary the of SEGA feat. Hatsune Miku Project, and they’ll be selling goods for Miku, Rin, Len, MEIKO, and KAITO’s most famous modules from the Project DIVA series!

Merchandise Info

โ€ปAll prices below are before-tax

Note: in the Miku-only batches, the modules are Hatsune Miku, Shiny, Heartbeat, Orange Blossom, GHOST, Heart Hunter, Pansy, Factory Tyrant, Pieretta, and DE:MONSTAR.

In the batches with all the characters, they are in their default outfits and their Ultimate modules

Can Badge (Miku modules only): ๏ฟฅ480 JPY for 1 random badge out of 10, or ๏ฟฅ4,800 for the full box set

Can Badge (Miku, Rin, Len, Luka, MEIKO, and KAITO): ๏ฟฅ480 JPY for 1 random badge out of 12, or ๏ฟฅ5,760 JPY for the full box set

Acrylic Petite Stand (Miku modules only): ๏ฟฅ800 JPY for 1 random stand out of 10, or ๏ฟฅ8,000 for the full box set

Acrylic Petite Stand (Miku, Rin, Len, Luka, MEIKO, and KAITO): ๏ฟฅ800 JPY for 1 random stand out of 12, or ๏ฟฅ9,600 JPY for the full box set

Clear File Folder (2 kinds): ๏ฟฅ400 JPY each

Giant Leather Strap: ๏ฟฅ1,280 JPY each

Phone Chargers (2 kinds): ๏ฟฅ4,980 JPY each

Passcards (2 kinds): ๏ฟฅ1,380 JPY each

Notepad-size Smartphone Case (4 kinds): ๏ฟฅ2,980 JPY each

Customers who spend at least ๏ฟฅ2,160 JPY (including tax) on the merchandise will receive 1 out of 2 possible postcards for free while supplies last.

Sale Period

July 13 through August 12, 2019

Participating Stores

1) GraffArtShop MAGNET by SHIBUYA 109

2) GraffArt Shop Namba

3) GraffArt Shop Tenjin

4) GraffArt Shop Nagoya

5๏ผ‰GraffArt Shop EBeanS Sendai

Magical Mirai 2019 Updates: Workshops, Official Goods, Creator’s Market

Those who will be attending Magical Mirai 2019 now have even more to look forward to! Here’s a look at some of the recent new announcements.

Workshops

There will be many activities for kids to enjoy at the event. Make sure to bring the whole family to these workshops!

Reflector Keychain Workshop

Create your own custom reflector keychain with any character decorations that you’d like. They have both tent and cube design kits available, plus both regular and chibi-sized illustrations of the characters as ornaments.

These workshop kits were provided by Picoton.

Cost: ๏ฟฅ1,000 JPY

Workshop hours (all times are JST)
August 9, 12:00 to 6:00 PM
August 10 and 11, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM
August 30, 12:00 to 6:30 PM
August 31 and September 1, 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM

Magical Face Paint

Stencil sheets will be available at this workshop for anyone to come and freely come and paint their own faces with designs from this year’s event theme! These stencil sheets were provided by Picoton.

Cost: FREE

Workshop hours (all times are JST)
August 9, 12:00 to 6:00 PM
August 10 and 11, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM
August 30, 12:00 to 6:30 PM
August 31 and September 1, 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM

Uchiwa Fan Coloring Workshop

Black and white uchiwa fans will also be available for anyone to freely come to color and take home! These fans were provided by Ensky Co., Ltd.

Cost: FREE

Workshop hours (all times are JST)
August 9, 12:00 to 6:00 PM
August 10 and 11, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
August 30, 12:00 to 6:30 PM
August 31 and September 1, 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM

See here for the workshop overview in Osaka, and here for the overview in Tokyo.

Official Goods

Various companies will be bringing their Magical Mirai 2019 official collaboration goods to their respective booths. Come see if any catch your fancy!

Hatsune Miku Magical Mirai 2019 Plushie

From Gift Co. Ltd.
Size: about 20cm tall
Price: ๏ฟฅ4,000 JPY
Product page: https://magicalmirai.com/2019/goods_gift_nuigurumi.html

Magical Mirai 2019 Outdoor Rucksack

From Sega Interactive
Size: 44cm x 30cm x 13cm
Price: ๏ฟฅ10,000 JPY
Comes with a chibi Miku charm designed by ni02
Product page: https://magicalmirai.com/2019/goods_sega_rucksack.html

Magical Mirai 2019 Glasses Cloths

From Washin Optical
Size: 150mm x 200mm
Three types designed by ni02, KEI, and iXima
Price: ๏ฟฅ1,000 JPY each
Product page: https://magicalmirai.com/2019/goods_wsn_glasscloth.html

Hatsune Miku Assorted Magical Mirai 2019 Capsule Toys

From BANDAI Co.
Figures (Miku & Luka), rubber keychains (4 types), can badges (8 types)
Price: ๏ฟฅ300 JPY per draw
Product page: https://magicalmirai.com/2019/goods_bandai_gacha_assort.html

Magical Mirai 2019 Can Badge Collection

From Hobby Stock Inc.
12 different kinds of can badges from capsule machines
Size: 57mm in diameter
Price: ๏ฟฅ300 per draw

You can visit the official goods page here for an overview. You can also find our previous report about the official goods here.

KARENT Presents Creators Market

Finally, dozens upon dozens of different VOCALOID musicians will be at Magical Mirai 2019’s Creators Market where you can meet, speak with, and purchase albums from them! Consult the below links to see if your favorite producers and artist circles will be participating, and where their booths will be!

See also KARENT’s official Twitter account here for tweets from many of the participating artists.

Creators Market in Osaka

At the INTEX Osaka building number 4
From 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on both August 10 and 11
https://magicalmirai.com/2019/osaka_market.html

Creators Market in Tokyo

At the Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall number 2
From 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM on August 30
From 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on August 31 and September 1
https://magicalmirai.com/2019/tokyo_market.html

All info comes from the Hatsune Miku Official Blog and the Magical Mirai 2019 official site.

Hatsune Miku, Luo Tianyi to Perform at DIVE XR FESTIVAL

In September, the DIVE XR FESTIVAL Supported by Softbank virtual singer event will be held. And where there are virtual singers, there are VOCALOIDs.

Hatsune Miku’s performance at the show should come as no surprise, but what is rather surprising is that Luo Tianyi will be performing as well. In fact, this event will mark the Vsinger’s first ever performance in Japan! Both her Weibo and Twitter accounts confirmed it.

Source: https://weibo.com/5146173015/HC48MEPoE

Tianyi’s Weibo announcement even confirmed that she will be debuting a brand new Japanese language song at the event. Needless to say, this occasion will mark numerous “firsts” for her!

However, what’s worth noting is that this will actually not be the first time that the most popular Japanese and Chinese VOCALOIDs will be sharing the same stage. Miku and Tianyi were both confirmed to be performers at the upcoming Bilibili Macro Link VR concert on July 19, along with the rest of their respective VOCALOID families. Nonetheless, to see the pair at two of the same official concerts in such a short span of time is something that would have been unthinkable in the past. It’s truly remarkable to see how much the VOCALOID and virtual singer worlds can change on any given year.

“I’m feeling a bit nervous about my first time at the festival, but I look forward to performing for everyone in Japan!
“I hear that there will be a lot of good food there, too… I look forward to that as well!
“I hope everyone’s excited for Tianyi’s first performance in Japan!”

Both Miku and Tianyi will be performing on both days of the event. Tickets will go on sale soon, so those hoping to see both perform will soon have the chance to! You can also visit the official event site to see the rest of the performers.

Event Info

Dates & Times

โ€ปAll times are JST

Sunday, September 22
Daytime performance: 12:00 to 1:00 PM
Evening performance: 5:00 to 6:00 PM

Saturday, September 23
Daytime performance: 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Location

Makuhari Messe International Convention Center

Tickets

All-standing tickets: ๏ฟฅ8,800 JPY (tax included)
Children 2 years of age or under can enter for free

Ticket sales begin on Saturday, July 6 at 6:00 PM
Purchase online here

Miku’s Mirai Music Party Fan Event to Take Place On August 3

This August, the concerts at Magical Mirai 2019 won’t be the only Miku concerts going on. While not of the same scale, the fanmade Miku’s Mirai Music Party will be taking place in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, serving as a reminder that one doesn’t have to live in the Tokyo or Osaka areas to enjoy local VOCALOID concerts and fan events.

About Miku’s Mirai Music Party

Date: August 3

Entry fee: FREE!

Location: City Hall Plaza Aore Nagaoka

Miku’s Mirai Music Party is a 100% fanmade VOCALOID music concert event that will take place as part of the Nagaoka High School Festival 2019. Their debut show took place on August 3 in 2018 at the same festival, which you can see below.

But they didn’t rest on their laurels all this time. The following month, they immediately began recruiting members to make their next show bigger and better. At the time, their group was made up of only 4 high school girls, and they were looking for people who can draw illustrations, use MMD, and of course people who love Miku!

In December, 2018, they revealed the brand new design for Miku by ใชใใ‚‚ / Nagumo that would serve as the main visual for the event. The design is meant to be a combination of a school uniform with a distinctly Eastern vibe.

To promote their next concert, the team attended events like the Niigata Comic Market, Niconico Cho Kaigi, and VOC@LOID M@STER where they had booths to hand out pamphlets and flyers for their concert, as well as stickers and postcards of their original Miku design to drum up excitement.

And now it looks like all their hard work will soon pay off. Below, you can see the official trailer for Miku’s Mirai Music Party 2019!

In the trailer, we see Miku in her new design, plus Kagamine Rin and Len confirmed as well. The trailer also reveals that they will be using models by YYB along with effects by ไธ‰ๅฅฝๅฑ‹ / Miyoshiya and ใพใ‚†ใŸใพP / MayutamaP, and the song used in the trailer is Twinkle World by ๅ…ซ็Ž‹ๅญP / HachiojiP

What will the second Miku’s Mirai Music Party ultimately be like? You can follow the team on their official Twitter account and search the hashtag #ใฟใฟใฟใฑใƒผใฆใƒใƒผ to keep up on what they do. They truly exemplify the spirit of VOCALOID fans in their endeavors, and deserves everyone’s support!

**UPDATE ON AUGUST 3, 2019**

The concert has concluded, and it was livestreamed on the Miku’s Mirai Music Party Twitter account for anyone to watch or re-watch!

Setlist:

ๅคช้™ฝ็ณปใƒ‡ใ‚นใ‚ณ / Taiyoukei Disco by ใƒŠใƒฆใ‚ฟใƒณๆ˜Ÿไบบ / Nayutalien

ใƒชใƒใƒผใ‚ทใƒ–ใƒซใƒปใ‚ญใƒฃใƒณใƒšใƒผใƒณ / Reversible Campaign by DECO*27

Fireโ—ŽFlower by halyosy

ใƒกใƒฉใƒณใ‚ณใƒชใƒƒใ‚ฏ / Melancholic by Junky

็งใ€ใ‚ขใ‚คใƒ‰ใƒซๅฎฃ่จ€ / Watashi, Idol Sengen by Honeyworks

ๅƒๆœฌๆกœ / Senbonzakura by ้ป’ใ†ใ•P/ KurousaP

ใ‚ทใƒฃใƒซใƒซ / Charles by ใƒใƒซใƒผใƒณ / Balloon

ใƒกใƒซใƒˆ / Melt by ryo

**UPDATE ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2019**

Now available on YouTube and Niconico!

**UPDATE ON September 16, 2019**

There will be another Miku’s Mirai Music Party at next year’s Nagaoka High School Festa, and the organizers are taking song requests!

Send the name of the song that you would like to seeย Mikuย perform, and its producer’s name to their Marshmallow page below by September 30, and 2 requested songs will be selected for the show!

https://marshmallow-qa.com/mimimi_party

Please keep in mind that it must be a Miku song. Furthermore, depending on what the organizers decide, Miku may or may not dance to the song on stage. Finally, although there’s no particularly preferred theme for the songs, they would like you to suggest a song that can get audiences fired up during live concerts.

Any questions can be directed to their official Twitter account, or asked on Marshmallow.

Upcoming Fan Events: VOCA NI-GO #6, VocagardenR

This weekend and next sees a pair of VOCALOID music events that fans in the Shinjuku area can look forward to.

VOCA NI-GO #6

ใƒœใ‚ซใซใƒผใ” / VOCA NI-GO is a DJ event series presented by the VocagardenR unit, and run by the VOCALOID DJ ใซใƒผใ” / NI-GO. Not only are they active in the VOCA NI-GO and Living Live VOCALOID events, but they also serve as the chief priest of the Hatsuneza Miraiji temple for the Hatsune Creed of the VOCALO-shuu religion that worships Miku (relax and just play along; it’s more fun that way).

VOCA NI-GO #6 will take place on July 6 at the Shinjuku Gyoen ROSSO 198 from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM (JST). Below are the performing DJs and their introductions:

1) RYU

2) DJๅฎถ่™Ž / DJ Ietora

3) HIROHEI

4) ็ˆฝ่ฏ / Sayaka

5) ๅˆๅ‹’ ็ฅฅไปท / Shoroku Shoukai (also provided the promotional artwork)

6) ใซใƒผใ” / NI-GO

Fallen-Angel_R-K a.k.a. ๅ •ๅคฉไฝฟ will serve as VJ

You can find the TwinPla site for VOCA NI-GO #6 here, and find more event that ใซใƒผใ” / NI-GO will be arranging or participating in by visiting their official TwinPla page here.

You can also search the hashtag #ใƒœใ‚ซใซใƒผใ” on Twitter to see more of their past and future activities!

VocagardenR

VocagardenR events aren’t stopping this weekend, however. Next weekend on July 14, they will be back at the Shinjuku Gyoen ROSSO 198 for a brand new gig! VocagardenR recently concluded their sixth event back in May, which also marked their third anniversary in operation. The below tweet announces the participating DJs and VJ this time around:

uni_crow
Milia
ใซใƒผใ” / NI-GO
ใใ™ใฎใ› / Kusunose
ใ‚„ใใ‚„ใ / Yagu Yagu
ไฟกโ—ฏๆ›ธๅบ— ่ˆนๆฉ‹ๅบ— / Nobu** Books Hanabashi Store

To follow VocagardenR and their activities more, you can visit their official TwinPla page here, their official Twitter account here, and search the hashtag #vocagardenR on Twitter.

Japanese Man Reacts to Hatsune Miku Videos and It’s Amazing

This Japanese man just found Miku and is reacting to music videos suggested by fans. His reations are perfect!

One would think that anyone from Japan would be very familiar with the twin tailed virtual singer Hatsune Miku by now. She seems to exist on every level of Japanese pop culture from live concerts, commercials, products, and having her face all over Sapporo every February. While folks in the west can avoid Miku a bit more easily, you’d think most people in Japan would be rather familiar with Miku and already have their opinions on her.

Well meet Young Student Mako on Youtube. Much like many other students, he put Spotify on while studying and let it run free. Until then, he hadn’t really heard anything from Miku. But Spotify decided he needed more of her in his life.

In his first reaction video, he admits to only knowing a limited list of songs.

I basically only know Romeo and Cinderella, World End Dancehall, The world is Mine, Disappearance of Hatsune Miku, Aikotoba, Sinbonzakura [sic] Ray …. and some songs from Mikunopolis 2014.

Since he has some free time and is interested in Miku, Mako figured he’d ask Miku fans for recommendations on what music videos he should watch. And people are definitely all for sharing their favorite Miku songs with Mako!

His newest reaction video is a reaction to Time Machine where the fandom has finally got him on the feels train. (Note there is some strong language)

When the video starts, he states that he hopes the song doesn’t touch too many feelings or else he might cry. Welcome to the VOCALOID fandom, Mako. Where there’s enough feels to make everyone cry. There’s at least one feels punching song for everyone.

Mako has also reacted to other songs that are a lot brighter such as Luckyโ˜†Orb, which he absolutely loves.

He says it should be played in the 2020 Olympics. Someone who’s just entered the fandom thinks Miku should sing in the Olympics. Clearly it must be done.

You can find more of Mako on his Youtube channel where he uploads reaction videos rather frequently. You can also follow him on Twitter. Be sure to suggest your favorite VOCALOID songs to him and check out his other reaction videos!

Official IA Merchandise During Anime Expo and Anime Midwest 2019

IA World Page has revealed quite a bit of news: IA’s official merchandise is going to be available during Anime Expo at Booth #4715!

There is no performance confirmed, but there will still be quite a variety of products that visitors will be able to acquire. You can check details for the catalog below:

ARIA Original Soundtrack (with special booklet): $ 35

IA/ONE Full Graphic Tee (4 kinds in total, XL size available only): $ 45 each

Acrylic Keyholders (10 kinds, inspired by songs from ARIA performance): $ 7 each

Acrylic Keyholder (USA ver.): $ 8

Acrylic Figure (ARIA flower dress ver.): $ 15

Metal Badge (7 kinds, inspired by outfits from ARIA performance): $ 5 each

ARIA Poster (2 kinds): $ 10 each

Metal Badge (2 set, DJ ver.): $ 8

IA LIVE Muffer Towel: $ 25

A4 Clear File Folder (2 kinds): $ 5 for each

IA Plushie: $ 30

IA Tee (Inspired by song “Higher“; M/L/XL sizes available): $ 35

Moreover, IA and Lia are going to be present during the Anime Midwest event!

What’s new in the Anime Midwest catalog?

ONE Metal Badge (Featuring ONEgai Darling outfit by Shidu: $ 3

IA Graphic Tee (Euphoria ver.): $ 48

In addition to, 1st PLACE has revealed schedule of IA and Lia:

IA’s film concert:
July 6 (Saturday), 2019
11:30am @ Grand Stage

Lia’s live concert:
July 7 (Sunday), 2019
2:00pm @ Grand Stage

Are you excited already?

That’s all we know as of now, but there may to be more info to come. Anime Expo just started and Anime Midwest is going to be held this weekend, so let’s keep our fingers crossed for new IA announcements during both events!

Luo Tianyi x Dico’s Collaboration Announced

A new collaboration between Luo Tianyi and fast food chain Dicos has been revealed! Below is a new song and Dicos model for Tianyi as revealed on the official Dicos Weibo.

Video source: https://www.weibo.com/2245171881/HBt1kunJ1

**UPDATE ON JULY 8, 2019**
The full song and video is now available on Bilibili!

Title: Perfect Day
Lyrics: ๆžœๆฑๅ‡‰่œย / Guว’zhฤซ Liรกngcร i
Music: Bitmanๆฏ”็‰นๆ›ผย 
Tuning: ๅŠจ็‚นP / DรฒngdiวŽnP
Character design: TID
Choreography: ogata-ๅงšๅญย 
Model: KinsamaไปŠๅคฉ่ฟ˜ๆ˜ฏๅพˆ็™ฝ็—ด, ็Ÿณ่‹ฑไธ–็•Œย / Shรญyฤซng Shรฌjiรจ
Background setting: ๆบฏๅŒ—P Title: Perfect Day
Motion& Camera: ๅฐๆ€ชๅ…ฝ็ฒ‰ๅˆทๆœˆ็ƒ / XiวŽo Guร ishรฒu Fฤ›nshuฤ Yuรจqiรบ
Rendering: Shaw้’Š้’Š
Supervision: ๅ‘ๅพฎ็š„่ผ่šๆ›ฆๆญช / Bฤ“iwรฉi de Lรณuyว Xฤซwฤi

Watch the full video here!
https://www.bilibili.com/video/av58314106/

Here are also some promotional displays for Dicos food items that can now be seen in restaurant locations.

Source: https://weibo.com/2245171881/HBq4FvrCV
Source: https://weibo.com/2245171881/HBrE5n5dU

But Tianyi is doing more than just promoting food (again); she and Dicos are holding a special collaboration campaign that customers and fans can get in on! You can click here to access and get started on the campaign online: http://wxapp.sktap.cn/cheng/dicos/

First, click on the message that you get from Tianyi

Click on the big pink button (็™ปๅฝ•) to begin.

Click the red button (ๆŽˆๆƒ) to enable the game to run.

Tianyi then tells us her two birthday wishes:
1) Put on her new sports uniform and record her new song and music video
2) Appear on the giant screens of the Shanghai Metro City globe to get more people knowing about her.
Click the bottom green button to help her achieve her birthday wishes!

By purchasing a chicken pistol leg sandwich at Dicos, customers can get a free Tianyi postcard, as well as participate in the campaign to grant Tianyi’s birthday wish. On the following page, click the right button (่Žทๅ–ๅŠฉๅจ็ ) to receive a promotional code.

1. Scan the QR code on the back of the postcard to enter the campaign page

2. Enter the promotional code, then take a picture of the postcard and upload it to show Tianyi your support (each user can do this multiple times, but each code can only be used once)

3. When you are finished, you will be entered into a lottery, for which they will be able to see the winners (those who are selected must fill in their requested information before July 22 or be disqualified)

After entering your code and uploading a picture of the postcard, you can see Tianyi’s top supporters. What would you do to get your name there?

Will Tianyi’s birthday wish come true? Stay tuned as the collaboration develops and more information is revealed! Below, you can find photos of the collaboration material and scenes taken by customers!

Below photos taken by MonolithยทOasis on Weibo
Source: https://weibo.com/2995698105/HBtWUDsZI

Below photos taken by ๆด›ๅคฉไพๅฐๆŠ•้…ฑ on Weibo
Source: https://weibo.com/5976913991/HBDJ8jYEl

New SEGA Prizes for August, 2019 Revealed

SEGA Plaza has updated their Hatsune Miku page to reveal the new SEGA Prize items that will be coming to game centers in August.

First comes the Super Premium Figure of Kagamine Rin’s “Miracle Star Resort” module from Figure Project DIVA Arcade Future Tone. She stands at about 21cm tall, and is scheduled for release during the second week of August.

Find her page here.

Next, there’s the Preciality SP Plushie Hatsune Miku. She is about 32cm long, and is also scheduled for release during the second week of of August.

Find her page here.

Stay tuned as more SEGA Prizes will be released!