Starting August 7th, an event bringing together Kyushu's local specialties and mascots will be held at Isetan Shinjuku and Tokyu Plaza Shibuya.
Isetan Shinjuku's "Summer Kyushu Exhibition" (Main Building 6th Floor Event Hall) will run until the 12th. This year's event will feature Itoshima City, located on the Itoshima Peninsula in western Fukuoka Prefecture. Surrounded by sea and mountains and blessed with abundant nature, Itoshima City is a popular little resort destination, attracting visitors from within the prefecture and even Tokyo. It is particularly famous as a sunset spot, having been selected as one of the "100 Best Sunsets in Japan." This event will also feature the "Itoshima Marche," a collection of shops selling Itoshima-produced specialties, selling vegetables and seafood delivered directly from the farm, as well as roll cakes, yogurt, ham, amazake (sweet sake), and other items made with Itoshima ingredients. In addition, the eat-in corner will feature Kagoshima Prefecture's new gourmet attraction, "Kagoshima Furusato Yatai Village," with its "Kagoshima Ramen Kuroten," the Shirokuma from "Tenmonkan Mujaki" (Kagoshima Prefecture), which always draws long lines every year, and "Kyushu Pancake Cafe" (Miyazaki Prefecture), which uses pancake mix made exclusively with Kyushu wheat and millet. Other attractions include a Kyushu local sake special, a craft corner blending tradition and modernity, and a "Kumamon" merchandise corner. Kumamon himself will also be making an appearance at the special rooftop venue at 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM on the 7th. Tokyu Plaza Shibuya will be holding the "Marugoto! Kyushu Fair" until the 11th. In addition to special products from the seven Kyushu prefectures, each prefecture's mascot will serve as museum director for the day, welcoming visitors every morning. The first-floor event space will host the "Kyushu 7 Prefectures Product Exhibition," selling local Kyushu foods. Approximately 150 local products will be on sale, including Miyazaki's summer specialty "hiya-jiru," Nagasaki's specialty "Shimabara tenobe somen," soft drinks made with local spring water, and juices made with seasonal fruits. Additionally, Miyazaki Prefecture's Miyazaki dog Mu-chan will be the museum's director for the day on the 7th and 8th, Oita Prefecture's Mejiron and Fukuoka Prefecture's Ecoton on the 9th, Kagoshima Prefecture's Guribu on the 10th, and Nagasaki Prefecture's Churi on the 11th. Kumamon will be visiting at 1:00 PM and 2:30 PM on the 8th to perform the "Kumamon Exercise."