BitSummit 2023 Celebrates Indie Games in Kyoto

BitSummit, held in Kyoto’s Miyako Messe, had its biggest showcase yet in July, featuring over 100 game titles alongside their developers, publishers and associated businesses who came together to promote the magic of independently made video games.

“We wanted to do something that was different from the big shows like PAX,” says John Davis, co-founder of BitSummit. “It all started in 2012 as an intimate gathering to promote Japanese indies. People in the industry weren’t really talking to each other and we wanted to raise the profile of the indie industry in Japan as a whole.”

BitSummit took up the entire first floor of Miyako Messe, with several smaller breakout rooms below as private meeting spaces and resting areas. Continuing with the successful format of 2022, Friday remained a business day for industry-related individuals to meet and try out each other’s video games. At the weekend, domestic and international gamers

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Rural 2023: A Peak Japanese Electronic Music Festival

In his book The Practice of Everyday Life, French cultural theorist Michel de Certeau explores how stories can transform a place into a space, and vice versa. A place is created by intentionally arranging elements, while space takes into account the movement and activity therein. Rural, an electronic open-air music festival in the deep forests of Niigata, transforms de Certeau’s space-making theories into reality.

Location Legacy

The sleepy streets of Niigata’s ski resort town Yuzawa belie the area’s strong cultural roots. Home to Naeba Ski Resort — a venue many music lovers consider synonymous with Fuji Rock Festival — and Naeba Green Land, which housed Mindgames: The Labyrinth until 2019, it has surprising musical pedigree. Joining these illustrious ranks in mid-July, Naeba Green Land hosted Rural 2023, a party that returned to its outdoor origins for the first time in four years. Listed in Resident Advisor’s top 10

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Expedia Plans AI Tweaks, Officially Launches ‘One Key’ Loyalty Program in US

Skift Take

As earning and burning points on vacation rentals become the norm, maybe even Airbnb will launch a loyalty program one day.

Dennis Schaal

Expedia said it plans to add several new features, such as hotel images and traveler reviews, to its ChatGPT-powered trip-planning features. The generative AI-based trip planner will be available in its Android app in August and these additional features will be available in both apps in the next few months.

Expedia detailed several upcoming AI-related product tweaks as part of its announcement Monday that it officially launched its One Key loyalty program. One Key combines several distinct Expedia Group loyalty programs, and enables Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo members to earn and burn points on flights, hotels, vacation rentals, cruises, cars and experiences. The details of much of One Key, which claims 168 million members, have been reported over the past several months.

This is the

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Chris Broad Celebrates 10 Years in Japan With His First Book

Ten years is a long time to be doing anything — let alone stay relevant on the internet, an arena of notorious trends that explode and then diffuse within a matter of days. But that’s exactly what the Abroad in Japan YouTube channel has done and continues to do. Helmed by filmmaker and host Chris Broad, his content has introduced a global audience to Japan through his natural affinity for videography and his own brand of British wit. Broad now adds author to his list of accolades, with an eponymous memoir, a culmination of over a decade spent living life in Japan.

The Early Years

There are 29 chapters in this book and each one is written in the style of a personal essay. Many of the chapters document brod’s time in Yamagata Prefecture as an assistant language teacher (ALT), a gig he received via the Japanese government-sponsored JET

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Pearson airport boss says summer operations have ‘significantly improved’

The head of Toronto Pearson International Airport says operations have “significantly improved” at Canada’s busiest travel hub after travelers experienced turbulence before they even left the ground last summer.

“This summer is of course very different from summer 2022 with its slingshot of growth of 180 per cent in a very short period of time,” Deborah Flint, Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) CEO, said at a news conference on Tuesday. “The numbers that we show today speak volumes.”

According to Flint, security wait times in Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 have both “dramatically” improved since 2022. Most recent data from the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) shows that during the week of July 3, more than 90 per cent of passengers cleared security in less than 15 minutes.

At customs, the average wait time for passengers was seven minutes, which Flint called a “substantial improvement” over last summer.

Gate

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Tokyo Midtown Events To Get You Through the Hottest Months

Summer in Tokyo is in full swing. Check out these six Tokyo Midtown events to stay breezy in the upcoming months, featuring a cold foot bath and a new 21_21 Design Sight exhibition.

Summertime in the City

Asimizu

Cool down with Tokyo Midtown this summer at the urban development’s Ashimizu event. At the event, you’ll be able to soak your feet in a gently flowing stream set up in Midtown Garden. The partially covered stream area, which will also feature a cooling mist, is the perfect spot to escape the summer heat and bustling city. Enjoy the sight of sunlight filtering through the leaves of the garden’s trees and glistening on the water’s surface or sit back with a book or a drink for a relaxing break. In the evening, the area is illuminated with soft-colored lights, creating a mystical atmosphere where you can savor the cool evening breeze. As

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4 Ways To Use ChatGPT To Find The Cheapest Airline Tickets

enviromantic/iStock.com

enviromantic/iStock.com

Summer travel is coming in hot. The Vacationer’s Summer Travel Survey & Trends 2023 report found that nearly 85% of respondents plan to travel this summer and approximately 54% are going to fly.

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In fact, the demand for summer air travel is expected to be higher than last year. Higher demand for airline tickets means elevated fares, which will cause many cost-conscious travelers to seek out the cheapest airline tickets they can find.

The good news is that ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot, can help you save money on airfare. Here are four ways to use ChatGPT to find the cheapest airline tickets.

ChatGPT vs. ChatGPT Plus

Before you start using ChatGPT to find cheap airline tickets, it’s important to understand that you’ll get the most comprehensive results with ChatGPT Plus. ChatGPT Plus

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Why The Best Caribbean Vacation Doesn’t Even Require A Passport

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Did you know there’s an incredibly beautiful Caribbean island that Americans can go to without a passport?

Americans looking for the ultimate Caribbean destination have an amazing option that’s highly accessible — Puerto Rican. Since Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States, US citizens don’t need a passport to travel there.

But don’t let the convenience of this destination fool you into thinking it is anything less than stunning.

Puerto Rico is surrounded by gorgeous turquoise waters, is brimming with historical architecture, and offers a tropical paradise on land — it is perfect for every type of traveler.

woman under straw umbrella looking at ocean

Families, foodies, nightlife seekers, beach lovers, adventurers, you name it — Puerto Rico has it.

And when you aren’t out exploring all the island has to offer, you can rest easy in one of the many amazing hotels in Puerto Rico,

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Cristina BanBan’s “Figura” Is an Expansion Into Abstraction

Cristina BanBan’s first ever exhibit in Japan, “Figura,” is a non-narrative exploration of form and freedom, reflecting her growth as an artist. Her paintings, though consistently spotlighting the female form, have historically been more narrative. In older pieces, her subjects lounge in plazas or sit in kitchens, their bodies voluptuous and their gazes thoughtful. However, BanBan insists on moving away from naturalism’s need to tell a story. This shift is clear in her newest piece “Figuras III,” which is on display at Perrotin Tokyo — along with other works — until mid-August.

Cristina BanBan, “Figuras III”, 2023. Oil, oil stick on linen. 200.7 x 160 cm | 79 x 63 inches. Photographer: John Berens. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin

From Autobiographical Narratives to Abstract Aesthetics

A classically trained artist, BanBan’s oil paintings retain elements of realism in the faces, bodies and stances of her subjects. This exhibition shows her

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You’ll soon be able to use your phone on EU flights. But passengers aren’t sure that’s a good thing

A new poll has revealed that passengers are split on new inflight phone rules.

Passengers on flights within the European Union (EU) will soon be allowed to use mobile phones without enabling airplane mode.

The new rules – outlined by the European Commission last year – will mean travelers can make phone calls, text and stream videos. But not everyone’s happy.

According to new research by Kayak, one-in-five passengers oppose the change.

21 per cent of British respondents are against the ruling, while 40 per cent welcome it but think there should be a limit on usage with a “quiet hours” time on flights.

“A flight can often be seen as dead time… but for some, it’s part of the experience of going on holiday, relaxing and switching off from the world, having a snooze or watching an in-flight movie, which could be interrupted by others using 5G,” said Evan

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