Shopping Guide
The virtual idol Hatsune Miku who is sweeping the world is being added to the hospitality lineup at the gateway to the skies. On Jan. 17, 2014, a window shop themed after Hatsune Miku will open for a limited time in Haneda Airport. Japan’s characteristic pop culture will be spread through this partnership.
The shop will open in two locations inside Haneda Airport: Domestic Terminal 1 which connects Tokyo to the rest of Japan and International Terminal 2 which connects Japan to the rest of the world. Due to Hatsune Miku being popular worldwide, many fans are likely to stop by the shops during the roughly two and a half month period (until March 31) when they will be open.
Hatsune Miku Wing Shop will be a joint effort between Sony Music Communications and the creators of Hatsune Miku, Crypton Future Media. Because Miku continues to be at the forefront of today’s technology, the aim is to create a character shop unlike any that have been done before. The shops are planned to be filled with travel items exclusive to Haneda Airport and original goods. It seems that the atmosphere will be one that not just Miku fans, but anyone will be able to enjoy. The stores will offer those waiting for their flight a place where they can fully enjoy passing the time. They will be located in the departure lobby of Domestic Terminal 1 and in Cool Zone, an area comprised of shops selling items that convey the charm of Japan, located on the fifth floor of International Terminal 2, respectively.
Since Hatsune Miku’s creation, she has jumped into various genres. Though she was first popular online, that popularity has grown, and along with it, so has her diffusion throughout the world. Earlier this year at the Mori Art Museum in Roppongi Hills, an exhibition looking at “Miku as art” called Love Exhibition was held. She has also be successfully used together with a live orchestra in composer Isao Tomita’s Ihatov Symphony. The concept shops to be opened in Haneda Airport are another example of how much she has spread. It seems Miku will flap her wings even more at Haneda Airport in 2014.
Source: animeanime