The Great Parm Exhibition coming to Harajuku, Tokyo for frozen treat's 20th anniversary
Parm, chocolate-covered ice cream bars on sticks, are often overlooked in the vast ecosystem of Japan's frozen treats. But their simplicity has served as a reliable ever-popular treat in an industry that sometimes gets unhinged with spaghetti ice pops or crab ice cream. It's just nice to know the sober deliciousness of Parm has always been around for the past 20 years.
However, after 20 years of being the dignified ice cream in Japan, it's time for Parm to let its hair down and get a little funky. So, to celebrate this milestone The Great Parm Exhibition will be held from 3 to 7 July in the trendy Harajuku district of Tokyo.
▼ A map of the exhibition space
Upon entering this exhibition, guests are first greeted with an introduction narrated by movie star Yutaka Takenouchi, probably best known outside of Japan for his role as the Prime Minister's aide in Shin Godzilla . He also appears in commercials for Parm.
From here you can view the Parm Dissection Book, a tome that outlines the creation of Parm and gives never-before-seen insights about its design and production. After this, there is the My First Bite display where notable fans of Parm, such as Takenouchi and the head of product development for Morinaga Milk Industry shared their first times sinking their teeth into its silky smooth chocolate and ice cream.
▼ My First Bite
Next up is the All of Parm section which will showcase the over 100 varieties of Parm that have been released over their 20-year history. Then it's on to the Grandeur of Happiness, where a giant monument, the size of 10,000 Parm bars, will be erected. This scale was chosen because an estimated 10,000 Parm bars are eaten every 15 minutes in Japan based on last year's sales data.
From here you can enter the Chocolate Room which is designed to make it feel like you're inside a Parm bar and surrounded by smooth chocolate walls. Various displays highlight the unique qualities of this chocolate, like the Velvet Curtain that represents the coating which Morinaga refers to as Velvet Chocolate, and a giant pair of human lips that causes the chocolate to melt deliciously on contact.
In the Just the Way You Are section, photos taken by fans of Parm are on display, giving a unique look at the bar seldom seen in slick advertising campaigns. Nearby is the Joy That's Supposed to Be There exhibit which simulates the happiness of finding a Parm in the freezer in three different ways.
▼ Much of the exhibition has a minimalist theme that exemplifies the simple charm of Parm.
The Moment of Birth gives visitors a rare glimpse of Parm bars entering existence from the factory, just before packaging and shipping to spread joy around the country. Next to that is the Parm Garden, which is an area with Yogibo bean bag chairs that resemble Parm bars both in appearance and smooth texture. And next to that is the Trick Parm trick art area where you can take a photo as if pulling out a giant Parm from its wrapper.
▼ Parm Garden
And last but certainly not least, there is a My Parm Bar experience where you can create your very own ice cream snack by dipping your frozen bar into melted chocolate and then adding up to two toppings of your choice. This can be done at no extra charge, but visitors must first take the Parm Love Test that gauges their love of Parm.
And speaking of charges, admission is only 700 yen (US$5), but parts of this event will only be held as long as supplies last so you may not want to wait until the last minute of this five-day celebration of all things Parm. Take the time now to get yourself Parmed and ready.
Event information The Great Parm Exhibition / 大パルム展 With Harajuku Hall Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingumae 1-14-30, 3F 東京都渋谷区神宮前１丁目14-30 3F Event runs 3 July-7 July Hours: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Admission: 700 yen
Source, images: PR Times
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SoraNews24
3 days ago
- SoraNews24
The Great Parm Exhibition coming to Harajuku, Tokyo for frozen treat's 20th anniversary
What's the Parm in a little celebration? Parm, chocolate-covered ice cream bars on sticks, are often overlooked in the vast ecosystem of Japan's frozen treats. But their simplicity has served as a reliable ever-popular treat in an industry that sometimes gets unhinged with spaghetti ice pops or crab ice cream. It's just nice to know the sober deliciousness of Parm has always been around for the past 20 years. However, after 20 years of being the dignified ice cream in Japan, it's time for Parm to let its hair down and get a little funky. So, to celebrate this milestone The Great Parm Exhibition will be held from 3 to 7 July in the trendy Harajuku district of Tokyo. ▼ A map of the exhibition space Upon entering this exhibition, guests are first greeted with an introduction narrated by movie star Yutaka Takenouchi, probably best known outside of Japan for his role as the Prime Minister's aide in Shin Godzilla . He also appears in commercials for Parm. From here you can view the Parm Dissection Book, a tome that outlines the creation of Parm and gives never-before-seen insights about its design and production. After this, there is the My First Bite display where notable fans of Parm, such as Takenouchi and the head of product development for Morinaga Milk Industry shared their first times sinking their teeth into its silky smooth chocolate and ice cream. ▼ My First Bite Next up is the All of Parm section which will showcase the over 100 varieties of Parm that have been released over their 20-year history. Then it's on to the Grandeur of Happiness, where a giant monument, the size of 10,000 Parm bars, will be erected. This scale was chosen because an estimated 10,000 Parm bars are eaten every 15 minutes in Japan based on last year's sales data. From here you can enter the Chocolate Room which is designed to make it feel like you're inside a Parm bar and surrounded by smooth chocolate walls. Various displays highlight the unique qualities of this chocolate, like the Velvet Curtain that represents the coating which Morinaga refers to as Velvet Chocolate, and a giant pair of human lips that causes the chocolate to melt deliciously on contact. In the Just the Way You Are section, photos taken by fans of Parm are on display, giving a unique look at the bar seldom seen in slick advertising campaigns. Nearby is the Joy That's Supposed to Be There exhibit which simulates the happiness of finding a Parm in the freezer in three different ways. ▼ Much of the exhibition has a minimalist theme that exemplifies the simple charm of Parm. The Moment of Birth gives visitors a rare glimpse of Parm bars entering existence from the factory, just before packaging and shipping to spread joy around the country. Next to that is the Parm Garden, which is an area with Yogibo bean bag chairs that resemble Parm bars both in appearance and smooth texture. And next to that is the Trick Parm trick art area where you can take a photo as if pulling out a giant Parm from its wrapper. ▼ Parm Garden And last but certainly not least, there is a My Parm Bar experience where you can create your very own ice cream snack by dipping your frozen bar into melted chocolate and then adding up to two toppings of your choice. This can be done at no extra charge, but visitors must first take the Parm Love Test that gauges their love of Parm. And speaking of charges, admission is only 700 yen (US$5), but parts of this event will only be held as long as supplies last so you may not want to wait until the last minute of this five-day celebration of all things Parm. Take the time now to get yourself Parmed and ready. Event information The Great Parm Exhibition / 大パルム展 With Harajuku Hall Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingumae 1-14-30, 3F 東京都渋谷区神宮前１丁目14-30 3F Event runs 3 July-7 July Hours: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Admission: 700 yen Source, images: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
The Mainichi
24-04-2025
- The Mainichi
A new Netflix film features a hurtling Japanese bullet train with a ticking bomb
TOKYO (AP) -- The highspeed bullet train says Japan as much as Godzilla, sushi and Mount Fuji. And it takes center stage in Shinji Higuchi's new film, "Bullet Train Explosion," which premieres on Netflix Wednesday. Higuchi, the director of the 2016 "Shin Godzilla" (or "New Godzilla,") has reimagined the 1975 Japanese film "The Bullet Train," which has the same premise: A bomb will go off if the train slows down below 100 kph (62 mph.) That original movie also inspired Hollywood's "Speed," starring Keanu Reeves, which takes place mostly on a bus. Higuchi recalls being fascinated by the aerodynamically shaped bullet trains growing up as they roared by, almost like a violent animal. To him, as with many Japanese, the Shinkansen -- as the trains are called in Japan -- symbolize the nation's efforts to become "top-rate," superfast, precise, orderly and on time. "It's so characteristically Japanese," Higuchi said in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday. "To complete your work, even if it means sacrificing your personal life, is like a samurai spirit living within all Japanese." The film's realism was achieved by a smooth combination of computer graphics and miniature train models, built to one-sixth the size of the real thing. A huge LED wall was used on the set to project visuals of passing landscapes as seen from the train window, and those shots were juxtaposed seamlessly with footage shot on a real train. The explosions are strangely exhilarating, and beautifully depicted with scattering sparks and smoke. Higuchi stressed that the filmmakers were careful to make sure the criminal act, as depicted, is not physically possible today. He said "Bullet Train Explosion" marked a challenging departure from his past movies that were about heroes and monsters. "I examined the question of evil, and how we pass judgment on a person," he said. "That's what my predecessors did as directors before me: Try to show what happens if you commit evil," he added. "And I tried to give my answer." One departure from the original, which starred the late Ken Takakura as the bomber, is that Higuchi chose to focus on the train workers. Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, formerly a member of boys' band Smap who portrayed a transgender woman in Eiji Uchida's "Midnight Swan," is convincing as a dedicated Shinkansen worker. "I always have fun working with the director," Kusanagi said of Higuchi at a Tokyo premiere earlier this week. "I've loved him for 20 years." Kusanagi starred in "Sinking of Japan," Higuchi's 2006 science-fiction thriller about a natural catastrophe that threatens Japan's very existence. East Japan Railway Co., formed after the national railway was privatized, which operates the bullet train featured in Higuchi's reboot, gave full support to the film. It allowed the use of real trains, railway facilities and uniforms, as well as helping train the actors to simulate its workers and their mannerisms. The bullet trains have long been a symbol of Japan's blossoming as a modern economy and peaceful culture in the decades following World War II. The first leg, connecting Tokyo with Osaka, opened with much fanfare in 1964. The system now connects much of Japan, from the northernmost main island of Hokkaido through southwestern Kyushu. The train featured in Higuchi's work connects Tokyo with northern Aomori.
Japan Today
23-04-2025
- Japan Today
New Netflix film features hurtling Japanese bullet train with ticking bomb
Shinji Higuchi, director of the Netflix film 'Bullet Train Explosion,' poses next to the film's poster at Netflix offices in Tokyo on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Yuri Kageyama) By YURI KAGEYAMA The high speed bullet train says Japan as much as Godzilla, sushi and Mount Fuji. And it takes center stage in Shinji Higuchi's new film, 'Bullet Train Explosion,' which premiered on Netflix on Wednesday. Higuchi, the director of the 2016 'Shin Godzilla' (or 'New Godzilla,") has reimagined the 1975 Japanese film 'The Bullet Train," which has the same premise: A bomb will go off if the train slows down below 100 kph (62 mph.) That original movie also inspired Hollywood's 'Speed,' starring Keanu Reeves, which takes place mostly on a bus. Higuchi recalls being fascinated by the aerodynamically shaped bullet trains growing up as they roared by, almost like a violent animal. To him, as with many Japanese, the shinkansen — as the trains are called in Japan — symbolize the nation's efforts to become 'top-rate,' superfast, precise, orderly and on time. 'It's so characteristically Japanese," Higuchi said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'To complete your work, even if it means sacrificing your personal life, is like a samurai spirit living within all Japanese." The film's realism was achieved by a smooth combination of computer graphics and miniature train models, built to one-sixth the size of the real thing. A huge LED wall was used on the set to project visuals of passing landscapes as seen from the train window, and those shots were juxtaposed seamlessly with footage shot on a real train. The explosions are strangely exhilarating, and beautifully depicted with scattering sparks and smoke. Higuchi stressed that the filmmakers were careful to make sure the criminal act, as depicted, is not physically possible today. He said 'Bullet Train Explosion' marked a challenging departure from his past movies that were about heroes and monsters. 'I examined the question of evil, and how we pass judgment on a person,' he said. 'That's what my predecessors did as directors before me: Try to show what happens if you commit evil," he added. "And I tried to give my answer.' One departure from the original, which starred the late Ken Takakura as the bomber, is that Higuchi chose to focus on the train workers. Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, formerly a member of boys' band SMAP who portrayed a transgender woman in Eiji Uchida's 'Midnight Swan,' is convincing as a dedicated shinkansen worker. 'I always have fun working with the director,' Kusanagi said of Higuchi at a Tokyo premiere earlier this week. 'I've loved him for 20 years.' Kusanagi starred in 'Sinking of Japan,' Higuchi's 2006 science-fiction thriller about a natural catastrophe that threatens Japan's very existence. East Japan Railway Co, formed after the national railway was privatized, which operates the bullet train featured in Higuchi's reboot, gave full support to the film. It allowed the use of real trains, railway facilities and uniforms, as well as helping train the actors to simulate its workers and their mannerisms. The bullet trains have long been a symbol of Japan's blossoming as a modern economy and peaceful culture in the decades following World War II. The first leg, connecting Tokyo with Osaka, opened with much fanfare in 1964. The system now connects much of Japan, from the northernmost main island of Hokkaido through southwestern Kyushu. The train featured in Higuchi's work connects Tokyo with northern Aomori. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
