We will be closed during the following holidays. Tokyo: December 28, 2024 (Sat) to January 5, 2025 (Sun)Taiwan: December 31, 2024 (Tue) to January 1, 2025 (Wed) 　　　 January 25, 2025 (Sat) to February 2, 2025 (San) Thank you for your support this year, and we sincerely hope that 2025 will be a wonderful year!

In the latest textbook release for the Musashino Art University’s Design Informatics program, offered through correspondence education, Masashi Kawamura’s “Rainbow in your hand” has been featured in “Revised Edition: Editing Images.”https://www.musabi.co.jp/books/b463165/

We’ve collaborated with UHA Mikakuto and KOKUYO to bring you the innovative “minute mint,” which will be available nationwide at Village Vanguard stores in Japan! Minute mint is a mint tablet designed to dissolve within a certain timeframe. Join us in savoring delightful moments together.https://www.village-v.co.jp/

Designer Jaguar is on board with the charity art event “TOKUMEI KIBOUTEN” where art enthusiasts can explore anonymous artworks!The showcase is live at “Gallery Unknown HARAJUKU,” of the Harakado, up till May 6. https://tokumei-kibou.jp/collections/4th-exhibition

Park of Aging, which we helped create for the Miraikan (The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation), was featured in the April 20th broadcast of the Japanese TV program “Shutsubotsu! Adomachikku tengoku”.

The stop-motion samurai anime “HIDARI” has snagged nominations in two categories at the Webby Awards! You’ve got until April 19th at 3:59 PM(EST) to cast your vote, and the winners are chosen based on public opinion. We’d truly appreciate your support—every vote counts! Video – Animation ：https://bit.ly/HIDARI-Webby-AnimationArt & Experimental ：https://bit.ly/HIDARI-Webby-art

At “Death Fest 2024,” held at Shibuya Hikarie 8F from April 13th to April 18th, we’re showcasing “D.E.A.D.,” an installation that allows individuals to declare their wishes regarding the handling of their posthumous image rights!D.E.A.D. offers a unique opportunity to express whether you permit the revival of your digital data after death. Date: April 13th to April 18th, 2024, 11:00-20:00Location: Shibuya Hikarie 8F “8/” COURThttps://deathfes.jp/program/217/

Join CEO Yusuke Tominaga and Creative Director Keitaro Kamijo at “Death Fest 2024” in Shibuya Hikarie 8F, April 13th. They’ll explore themes of aging and death through Park Of Aging and D.E.A.D. Aging: What’s it all about?April 13th, 16:50-17:30Free entryhttps://deathfes.jp/program/176/

We’ve been featured in the MdN Designers File 2024! Dive into the world of Whatever as we shared with you the installations, events, contents, apps, and videos we created in 2023.https://books.mdn.co.jp/books/3223303043

Shiny Lee is to be a jury for the Experiential Design category at the 103rd ADC Annual Awards.https://adcawards.org/jury/

Masashi Kawamura is to be a jury member of the iF DESIGN AWARD 2024, which is being organized for the 70th time this year.https://ifdesign.com/en/if-design-award-jury

Don’t Drink Me is now available for purchase at the LAI HAO Taiwan Gift Shop.Come and grab a “drink” to enjoy a playful and soothing bubble bath time. Address: 106 台北市大安區永康街6巷11號Open: 9:30~21:30Web site: https://www.laihao.com.tw/

mi-mollet featured a piece on Park of Aging, complete with an interview with Keitaro Kamijo who was at the helm of Creative Direction. Is aging a societal concern? Does growing old have to be melancholic? Engage in a fun, simulated experience of aging and contemplate what ‘growing older’ personally means to you.https://mi-mollet.com/articles/-/46249 　*Japanese Only

We will be closed during the following holidays. Tokyo: December 28, 2023 (Thur) to January 4, 2024 (Thu) Taiwan: December 30, 2023 (Sat) to January 1, 2024 (Mon) 　　　 February 7, 2024 (Wed) to February 14, 2024 (Wed) Thank you for your support this year, and we sincerely hope that 2024 will be a wonderful year!

Yusuke Tomonaga has participated in an interview with Career Park’s Employment Agency. “Discover hints for your career in everyday interests | Embrace your unique qualities and sensibilities when choosing a company”https://careerpark-agent.jp/interview/406-2

Masashi Kawamura will be joining a talk session at the “Tokushima 4K+NEXT 4K・VR Film Festival” on December 16th along with Mie Onishi.If you’re in the area, we’d love for you to drop by at Marugoto College of Technology in Kamiyama, Tokushima. Date and Time:December 16th (Sat) at 4pmLocation: Marugoto College of Technology, Kamiyama, TokushimaDetails: https://4kforum.jp/forum/f06/

Yusuke Tominaga will be taking part in the “Digital Legacy Symposium” happening on December 7th. It’s set to be a thought-provoking panel discussion covering topics like international case studies and the intricacies of managing one’s digital data posthumously. Also, there’s a special opportunity for attendees to experience “D.E.A.D.,”an innovative platform designed for expressing one’s wishes for the afterlife. https://internet.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/special/1546244.html

Masashi Kawamura will be taking the stage at the public lecture, OPEN INNOVATION 2023, at Tokyo University of the Arts on November 26th. In a presentation titled “WHAT IS WHATEVER? – Objects, Events, Images – A Professional’s Free Art of Creation”, he will share creative examples spanning various genres and boundaries that Whatever has tackled thus far, and will delve into discussions about the “essence of creativity”. https://bit.ly/TUA_2023 **Event Details** Date: Tuesday, November 26, 2023Doors Open: 2:30PMLecture: 3:00PM-5:00PM (Numbered tickets will be distributed from 2PM) Capacity: First 80 attendees (Free entry) Venue: The Large Audio-Visual Room, Basha-michi Campus, Graduate School of Film and New Media, Tokyo University of the Arts.

Masashi Kawamura will be stepping in as the final judge for the Online Video Awards “BOVA”, hosted by the monthly Japanese magazine, Brain. Official website: https://bova.co/ Be sure to get your applications in by: January 29, 2024

Check out the round-table discussion in Brain’s December 2023 issue. This engaging piece features insights from Masashi Kawamura of Whatever CCO, Yusuke Sato from Dentsu, and Misato Manabe from PARTY. Explore the journey of brand videos from 2001 to 2023 that have innovated new methods.https://bit.ly/BrainDec2023　*Only Japanese

Just in time for Halloween, we’ve slashed prices on Puppet Guts! Give life to our empty puppet dolls by stuffing them with their cute little guts. They’re not just plush toys, they’re a Halloween experience! And with their eerie look, they make the perfect spooky decor. New prices: 4,400 yen (tax included) Online: https://shop.whatever.co/ New Stand Tokyo (Tokyo, Roppongi): https://shop.newstand.jp/ *Just a heads up, the coffin and zombie puppet are specially crafted by our engineer and aren’t included with the product.

We got to chat with our Designer, Yuichi Takatani (aka Jaguar), who talked about his passion for design. https://note.com/whatever_co/n/ne3ba5a8690ab *Only Japanese

Whatever Tokyo is looking for individuals who want to “think anything, create anything” with us. We have open positions in the following roles. Interested in joining us?Check out our website for more info. ・Engineer・Producer・Designer・Back Office https://whatever.co/careers/

Our Uber Eats Taiwan GAAA campaign won the Best Media Planning award at the YouTube Works Awards.

Masashi Kawamura will be presenting at the Design Surf Seminar 2023, hosted by Too Company. He will speak to why Whatever is focusing on their own IP amidst handling various projects and share an inside look into their unique company culture & team structure that drives these unprecedented ideas to life. As the event requires prior registration, kindly check out the official ‘Design Surf Seminar’ website for all the details. We look forward to welcoming you at the venue.https://www.too.com/dsurf/y2023/#session_c [Event Information] Design Surf Seminar 2023Date: November 10, 2023 (Fri.), Session 3 (3:15pm-4:15pm) Venue: Toranomon Hills ForumAdmission: Complimentary. Please note pre-registration is required

We are creating a new permanent exhibition area, “Park of Aging”, focusing on the theme of aging. This exhibition will be launched at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Japan, starting from November 22, 2023. In “Park of Aging,” visitors can experience the changes that occur in the eyes, ears, motor systems, and brain due to aging through six different exhibits. The exhibit provides insight into the mechanisms of aging phenomena, currently adopted coping methods, and supporting technologies in research and development that might soon become commonplace, all while offering suggestions on how each individual can age gracefully and cope with aging. https://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/news/press/202309133124.html Stay tuned for more detailed content to be revealed soon. 【Exhibition Details】 Opening date: November 22, 2023Permanent exhibition zones: 3rd and 5th floors

The stop-motion samurai film, “HIDARI,” has just snagged a Special Mention award at the New York Asian Film Festival 2023! A huge thank you, NYAFF. https://www.nyaff.org/press-release/2023-4

Rika from Ground Control participated in a user interview with Apple Financial Services from Apple Inc. https://www.too.com/fun/case/afs/whatever.html *Only Japanese

RakugakiAR is a proud recipient of the 17th annual Kids Design Award in the category “Design That Shapes Children’s Creativity and Future”. https://kidsdesignaward.jp/

Designer Yuichi Takatani has published a NOTE. He’s dishing about the event “Yankee Library” , which was part of the Manga promotional campaign for volume 7 of Kodansha’s “Zeikin de Katta Hon”.https://note.com/whatever_jaguar/n/n2cd426859d61

It contains information on Ground Control, Whatever, and more to help you get to know them better! “I love seeing people having fun” – The job of Ground Control that supports Whatever.　　　　　　 https://note.com/whatever_co/n/n008831add1f3 (Japanese only)

The Stop-motion Samurai Film, HIDARI won the Creative Spirit Award at Desertscape Int’l Film Festival 2023 in the US. https://fmasu.com/desertscape

MoAR – Museum of AR just won the Bronze award at the Tech Direction Awards.https://award.tech-director.org/

Our film HIDARI has just won Gold in the Animation Short category at the prestigious Asia South East-Short Film Festival 2023. http://wwcsff.com/…/medal-winners-2023-asia-south-east…/

The official website of the stop-motion samurai film “HIDARI” is now open. We have credited the names of everyone who supported us through crowdfunding. https://hidari-movie.com/

Don’t Drink Me is now available for purchase at the Taipei101 89F Observatory and B1 souvenir shop. Come and grab a “drink” to enjoy a playful and soothing bubble bath time,

Shiny Lee, a Creative Director of Whatever Taipei, has been selected as a jury member for the Entertainment category at the cannes lions 2023, the world-renowned international festival of creativity that celebrates the best creative work in advertising, marketing, and communications!https://www.canneslions.com/news/cannes-lions-announces-2023-awarding-jury-members

Shiny Lee, who is the Creative Director of Whatever Taipei, has been selected as a jury member for the ACC TOKYO CREATIVITY AWARDS in the Branded Communication category. https://www.acc-awards.com/juries2023/bc/

Masashi Kawamura, who is the CCO of Whatever, has been selected as a jury member for the ACC TOKYO CREATIVITY AWARDS in the design category. https://www.acc-awards.com/juries2023/design/

The pilot version of the Stop-motion Samurai Film “HIDARI” will be screened at the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia. It’s free to attend, so if you’re in the area, please feel free to attend. https://shortshorts.org/…/program_cat/anime/anime-3/

HIDARI was featured in the April 29th issue of the Chunichi Shimbun newspaper. An interview with Masashi Kawamura was also featured.

We are pleased to announce that Whatever Co. has been selected as one of the 100 Filmmakers for 2023, following our selection last year! https://eizo100.jp/archives/member/whatever/

Happy National Bubble Tea Day. Celebrate today with Don’t Drink Me — a Taiwanese beverage themed bath bomb that unleashes a unique and playful bubble bath with flavors and colors representing bubble tea, mango smoothie, and taro milk. Don’t Drink Me is now purchasable at TSUTAYA BOOKSTORE TAIWAN and Pinkoi Whatever Store. More Info ： https://www.dont-drink-me.com

The production background interview for the a Taiwanese beverage themed bath bomb that unleashes a unique and playful bubble bath “Don’t Drink Me” has been published. https://note.com/whatever_co/n/n480256df20c3 （Japanese only）

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of their establishment, DWARF has released “Dwarf Artworks: The World of Time-Lapse Animation” which includes art and animations from HIDARI, Ochibisan, MinuteMint, and others.

HIDARI Pilot’s theater screening has been extended!In addition, the second round of talk events at Shinjuku Wald 9 on May 3-4.Don’t miss the chance to watch HIADRI on the big screen. Shinjuku Wald 9: https://tjoy.jp/shinjuku_wald9T・Joy Umeda: https://tjoy.jp/t-joy_umeda May 3 (Wed) Guest: Mozu/(Miniature Artist) × Masashi Kawamura (‘HIDARI’ Director) × Eihiro Noshi (Art) May 4 (Thu) Guest: Kenta Shinohara (Animist/Stop-motion Animator/Puppeteer) × Masashi Kawamura (‘HIDARI’ Director) × Iku Ogawa (Co-Director/Character Design)

In commemoration of the theater release of the HIDARI pilot version, we held a talk event inviting Director Mamoru Hosoda and Director Shinji Higuchi.

We are thrilled to announce that the music video “Okitegami” in collaboration with Vaundy and Morisawa Fonts has won the Bronze in the Film Craft category at Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity 2023. Also selected as a finalist in the Music category. Vaundy × Morisawa Fonts “Okitegami” Music Video https://youtu.be/B50A9Nf5FCE

Masashi Kawamura’s first full-length feature film, the stop-motion Samurai film ‘HIDARI’ The pilot version will be screened in theaters, which is unusual for a pilot version.Schedule：April 21st (Fri) – 27th (Thu) Theater：Shinjuku Wald 9／T-Joy Umeda And that’s not all! This will be a luxurious triple feature with the representative works of the HIDARI team dwarf studios and tecarat studio, ‘Komaneko Hajime no Ippo’ and ‘Gon, The Little Fox,’ respectively. Moreover, to commemorate the release, a talk event featuring the directors of ‘ Belle ‘ (2021), Mamoru Hosoda, and ‘Shin Ultraman’ (2022), Shinji Higuchi, will be held in conjunction with the screening. The first arrivals will receive a limited HIDARI postcard as a gif. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the world of HIDARI on the big screen.We’re waiting for you at the theater. https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000043.000040758.html *Japanese text only

At TOBICHI, operated by HOBONICHI, wooden dolls used in the filming of HIDARI are on display. Along with storyboards and materials, they are fully revealed! The exhibition runs until April 25th! Please feel free to come and check it out. https://1101.com/tobichi/tokyo/exhibition/detail/?p=10857