News Releases
2017

* Information contained in this news release is current as of its date of announcement. Be aware that information contained herein is subject to change without notice.

Nihonbashi Transforms into "Goldfish Town." Enjoy Edo Cooling Techniques in Nihonbashi
ECO EDO NIHONBASHI 2017:
Enjoy “Cool Edo” with All Five Senses
Held in the Nihonbashi District from July 7 (Friday) to September 24 (Sunday), 2017

June 14, 2017
ECO EDO NIHONBASHI Executive Committee
Meikyo "Nihonbashi" Hozonkai ("The Famed Nihonbashi Bridge Preservation Society")
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.

Tokyo, Japan, June 14, 2017 - Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd., a leading global real estate company headquartered in Tokyo, announced today that ECO EDO NIHONBASHI 2017: Enjoy “Cool Edo” with All Five Senses sponsored by the ECO EDO NIHONBASHI Executive Committee and Meikyo "Nihonbashi" Hozonkai ("The Famed Nihonbashi Bridge Preservation Society") will take place this summer in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district from Friday, July 7 to Sunday, September 24.

This annual summer-long festival is being held for the tenth time and will play host to a variety of events and exhibits that bring awareness to the creative techniques and approaches used to keep cool that were cultivated in Nihonbashi during Japan's Edo period, while reinterpreting them for modern life and sensibilities. The techniques include viewing kingyo goldfish and lanterns to provide a sense of coolness, eating specially-made sweets to cool down, and wearing light and breezy yukata robes, as well as intellectually instructive boat rides. These forms of Edo-period wisdom can be enjoyed in a distinctly Japanese atmosphere. For the first time, this year the festival has developed a Goldfish Sweets & Bar Walk that offers food items and alcoholic drinks based on a goldfish motif throughout the area, thereby enhancing Nihonbashi's cool atmosphere.

Moreover, we will expand a variety of collaborative content right across the Nihonbashi district, including the ECO EDO Nihonbashi ART AQUARIUM 2017 ~Edo, Coolness of Kingyo~ & Night Aquarium, which is an underwater art exhibit,cruising on sightseeing boats adorned with brilliant goldfish decorations, a general participation type photo contest in which the ART AQUARIUM and the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store are collaborating, and the Nihonbashi Goldfish Scooping Grand Prix that decides Japan's best goldfish scooper.


Giant Goldfish Lantern (*A scene from last year)


Examples of Goldfish Sweets & Bar Walk menu items


Examples of goldfish goods

Overview of ECO EDO Nihonbashi 2017:
Enjoy “Cool Edo” with All Five Senses

Event Period From July 7 (Friday) to September 24 (Sunday)
For inquiries: Nihonbashi Information Center TEL: 03-3242-2334
From July 7 (Friday) to September 24 (Sunday) 10:00 ~ 19:00
Website Preliminary notice page on the Nihonbashi website
Japanese version: http://www.nihonbashi-tokyo.jp/special/ecoedo2017/
English version: http://www.nihonbashi-tokyo.jp/en/special/ecoedo2017/
Organizers ECO EDO NIHONBASHI Executive Committee, Meikyo Nihonbashi Hozonkai
General Producer Hidetomo KIMURA (ART AQUARIUM artist)


ECO EDO NIHONBASHI 2017: Enjoy “Cool Edo” with All Five Senses - Main Visual


*Images are either from the past or conceptual drawings.

Organized events held during ECO EDO NIHONBASHI 2017

(1) Goldfish Sweets & Bar Walk: Hospitality through the food of Nihonbashi

At retail properties, long-established stores and suchlike in various areas in the Nihonbashi and Ningyocho districts, goods on offer will mainly be sweets and bar-menus made with the goldfish motif, as well as alcohol menus that include Japanese sake locally produced in Nihonbashi. At each store, visitors will be given presents of original novelty items that are different in each area. Moreover, visitors who collect all the different stamps in three areas will be eligible to participate in a lottery to win luxurious prizes.

Event period: From July 7 (Friday) to September 24 (Sunday) *Hours differ by store Examples of store menus: *The menu names and product images are all at the planning stage.


HAKUZA Nihonbashi:
Yoi No Kingyo Gold-leaf coffee jelly

Ninben Nihonbashi Main Store:
Chilled oden

Tawaraya Yoshitomi, Takashimaya Nihonbashi:
Mizuakari, Creative Yokan

Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo Sweets

Two types of sweets prepared in a glass are made to resemble goldfish swimming to convey an image of coolness

On sale at The “Gourmet Shop by Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo" on the 1st floor of the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo
Event period From July 7 (Friday) to September 24 (Sunday)
Business hours 7:30 ~ 20:00 (weekdays), 9:00 ~ 19:00
(Saturday, Sunday and public holidays)

Mandarin Oriental Mizuyokan

Aquarium

Afternoon tea at the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo

In conjunction with the Gourmet Shop by Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo, the grapefruit jelly “Aquarium” created under the theme of goldfish is available in a miniature size. There are also savory items made from plenty of summer sunshine-blessed vegetables together with fresh and colorful original pastries.

Event Period From July 7 (Friday) to August 31 (Thursday)
Business hours 12:00 ~ 17:30
On sale at The “Oriental Lounge” on the 38th floor of the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo

Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo Special accommodation plan for Nihonbashi Experience

The special accommodation plan offers Nihonbashi Experience for two people is priced from JPY 76,000 - subject to tax and service charge.

One night stay in Deluxe Premier or above.
Breakfast at K'shiki or Oriental Lounge Optional Items as below

  1. Yukata Rental & Dressing
  2. Gourmet & Cultural Tour
  3. Washi Paper Making
  4. Edo Kiriko Glass Engraving
  5. Flower Arrangement


Edokiriko Shop Hanashyo

(2) Giant Goldfish Lanterns The entrance to Fukutoku Shrine will be full of goldfish lanterns

Giant lanterns decorated with goldfish patterns will be mounted on Naka Dori Street at the approach to Fukutoku Shrine. ECO EDO NIHONBASHI 2017 General Producer Hidetomo KIMURA (ART AQUARIUM artist) has supervised the design. Moreover, the regular-sized lanterns that normally line Naka Dori Street will also be decorated with goldfish patterns during the period, creating a cool and stylish goldfish avenue.

Event Period From July 7 (Friday) to September 24 (Sunday) (planned)
Place Naka Dori Street (Between COREDO Muromachi 1 & COREDO Muromachi 2)
Lantern size Height approx. 1.8 meters and width approx. 1.6 meters


A scene from last year

(3) 「 Yukata & ART AQUARIUM Ticket Rewards 」 can be enjoyed at over 160 stores

Visitors who wear a yukata, or present the ticket for ART AQUARIUM 2017, may avail themselves of limited-offer services that are nice for walking in the town, such as one free drink or a cool gift at participating stores, including long-established stores.

Event Period From July 7 (Friday) to September 24 (Sunday)
Participating stores 168 (as of May 23)

Collaborative events held during the period of ECO EDO NIHONBASHI 2017

(4) ECO EDO Nihonbashi ART AQUARIUM 2017 ~Edo, Coolness of Kingyo~ & NIGHT AQUARIUM

This is an underwater art exhibition created with the involvement of ECO EDO NIHONBASHI 2017 General Producer Hidetomo KIMURA (ART AQUARIUM artist). Now in its 11th year, the exhibit is newly styled around the concept of the “Palace of the Dragon King”. “Tamaterium”, a new work inspired by the story of the Urashima Taro treasure chest, is also appearing for the first time! The goldfish in Nihonbashi that have long typified ordinary people's culture since the Edo period, will now revitalize this culture for modern times. This exhibition and the venue will reveal the extraordinary "cool" world that makes visitors feel that they have become enjoyably lost in the Hanamachi (geisha district) of the Edo period.

Event Period From July 7 (Friday) to September 24 (Sunday)
Venue Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall (5F, COREDO Muromachi 1; *The entrance is on 4F)

(5) Goldfish goods in the Nihonbashi area

There are many original goods designed around the goldfish theme of ECO EDO NIHONBASHI 2017.

An example of a goldfish goods sold at long-established stores in Nihonbashi (provisional)


Ibasen: Goldfish fan set
Location: Nihonbashi Information Center (COREDO Muromachi 1)

YUBENDO: Goldfish silk ball mobile
Location: Nihonbashi Information Center (COREDO Muromachi 1)

Haibara: Hexagonal goldfish pen/pencil holder
Location: Nihonbashi Information Center (COREDO Muromachi 1)