by The second special exhibition, a collaboration between “The Apothecary Diaries” and Kanda Shrine, the main shrine of Edo, has been decided. It will be held from March 22, 2025, to coincide with the Kanda Festival, one of Japan’s three major festivals.
The content of the previous exhibition will be partially revamped. Illustrations from the original novel The Apothecary Diaries will be displayed, and merchandise will be sold.
The Apothecary Diaries is a harem mystery-solving entertainment based on the novel series that has sold over 38 million copies and is currently being published by Hinata Natsu in Hero Bunko and is also being adapted into a comic in Big Gangan and Sunday GX.” Set in the medieval Orient, the story depicts Nekoneko, a young girl who works as a “poison taster,” solving various complex cases that occur in the imperial court one after another. When the first season of the TV anime began airing in October 2023, it was consistently ranked high on the viewing rankings on various distribution platforms. It won a special TVer Awards 2023 award, becoming a hot topic.
The second season, which will be aired in two consecutive seasons starting on January 10, 2025, has attracted attention even before the broadcast began. Ikuta Rira decided on “Hyakka Ryoran” as the opening theme. The first “Shino Touko Special Exhibition Kanda Festival x The Apothecary’s Notes” was a special exhibition held from November 2 to November 24, 2024.
A unique collaboration visual drawn by Shino Touko featuring Nekoneko dressed as a shrine maiden and Jinji dressed in Japanese clothing, collaborating with the “god of medicine,” was introduced. In addition, the exhibition was very well received, with the framed high-definition digital color of the cover and frontispiece of the original novel, as well as ukiyo-e and historical materials from Kanda Myojin Shrine.
The second exhibition, which has been decided to be held this time, will have some new exhibits from the previous time. Several illustrations from the original novel “The Apothecary’s Notes” that have never been exhibited in high-definition digital color will be displayed. Unique collaboration goods will also be available. “Neko Neko Curry Spices,” supervised by the original author Natsu Hinata, will be added as a new product.
In addition to spices that appear as medicinal herbs and herbs in the work, such as mugwort, tangerine peel, ginger, and cinnamon, the product contains 14 types of spices, including star anise, fennel, cloves, and long pepper. The curry spices are easy for families to eat while retaining the Neko Neko feel that decorates the package. The package also includes a curry recipe that you will want to try making.
In addition, many original novel goods sold at the “The Apothecary’s Notes” exhibition will be available, including the new Neko Neko and Jinshi “clear die-cut stickers.” The “Clear Card Collection” and “Square Tin Badge Collection” have been updated with new designs and are random goods; you never know what you’ll get. The “A4 Clear File” also has eight new designs, so don’t miss it. Other items on sale include a “Tin Badge Set,” “Canvas Art Board,” “Acrylic Stand,” and “Acrylic Keychain” using original visuals by Shino Touko.
The approximately 40 framed artworks displayed at the venue are available for order. These framed digital color artworks are high-quality, high-definition reproductions of Shino Touko’s digital cover and frontispiece illustrations. The nuances of color shading and vividness are expressed in more detail using more than 10 ink colors (usually four) that are highly light-resistant and have excellent color development.
The products will be framed like the exhibited works and delivered with a serial number. The second installment of the “Shino Touko Special Exhibition Kanda Festival x The Pharmacist’s Monologue” will be held at the Kanda Myojin Museum from March 22 to June 1. Admission is 500 yen for adults, 300 yen for students, and free for junior high school students and younger. Participation in the sale is free. The goods will be sold at EDOCCO SHOP IKIIKI on the first floor of the Cultural Exchange Center. The latest information on this event will be posted on the official X (formerly Twitter) of the original “The Apothecary Diaries” website.
Event name: Shino Touko Special Exhibition Kanda Festival x The Apothecary Diaries Venue: Exhibition: Kanda Myojin Museum (2-16-2 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) Merchandise: EDOCCO SHOP IKIIKI on the first floor of the Cultural Exchange Center Reception location: Kanda Myojin Museum, 1st floor Dates: Saturday, March 22, 2025 to Sunday, June 1, 2025 *The museum will be closed on March 27, April 3, 10, 17, 24, May 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 (every Thursday). Time 9:00-16:00 (last admission 15:45) Admission fee is 500 yen for adults, 300 yen for students, and free for junior high school students and younger ※Products are free to participate.
