The famous Tanukikoji shopping arcade is just outside Karaksa Hotel in Sapporo, making it the perfect accommodation for travelers of any interest.

Hokkaido may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of traveling to Japan, but this dynamic, wide-open island has a unique charm—with its long winters,  lush forests and laid-back culture. For instance, its prefectural capital Sapporo, is home to the most delicious beer in the region, and it’s also the main setting of the blockbuster local film, Kita-Kita. That is why more travelers are becoming keen to unravel its beauty.

If you’re one of those travelers, good news: Karaksa Hotels, the official hotel partner of Go Hotels in Japan, has finally opened its doors in Sapporo! Opened last January, this newest branch aims to cater the growing numbers of Pinoy tourists in Japan.

“Japan is a timeless favorite among Pinoys when it comes to international travel,” said Go Hotels General Manager Elizabeth D. Gregorio. “We plan to open more branches in different cities in Japan with the emergence and increasing number of smart travellers—local and international.”

Karaksa Hotel has spacious, well-appointed rooms in stylish, modern and Japanese designs. Some of the rooms can be connected to accommodate families and large groups.

This newest Karaksa Hotel branch, like the four other branches in Kansai region, mostly has spacious twin rooms that can be connected to accommodate families or group of friends up to 6 people. There are double rooms and stylish modern Japanese designed rooms on the topmost floor, so guests can easily find a room based on their needs.

Since Hokkaido is a hot springs haven, this branch especially features a relaxing hot bath for all guests. Adjacent to it is the RoomⓇ, where you can further pamper yourself with a refreshing drink while on a massage chair after a long hot bath.

Have a beautiful morning with their buffet breakfast served with Hokkaido’s best ingredients ran by one of Sapporo’s restaurant chain. Their wide array of delectable local and Asian cuisines is a perfect way to start the day.

Their facilities and amenities cover the basic essentials of every traveler such as free high-speed internet service (Wi-Fi), safety deposit boxes, vending machines and fully air-conditioned rooms, complete with personal items. They also have a laundry area and.

The hotel is conveniently located at 5-24 Minami Sanjo-nishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo City. It is right smack in the central area of Sapporo, a 5-minute walk from Susukino station via Shiei Subway Namboku Line, and a 6-minute walk if you’re from Odori Station. It’s also a walking distance from—Susukino and the Odori Park, which are both famous for its Snow Festivals.

Outside the hotel is a wide stretch of famous shops and restaurants of the shopping arcade, Tanukikoji, making it the perfect accommodation for travelers of any interest.

Karaksa Hotel Sapporo has 112 rooms in total. Aside from this, Karaksa Hotels has four other branches in Osaka and Kyoto which are also located near the famous spots of the cities.

Manila, Philippines – The Philippine Ice Hockey team finished their first game of the year by taking home the bronze medal at the Challenge Cup of Asia (CCOA). The International Ice Hockey Foundation (IIHF)-sanctioned competition was held at the SM Mall of Asia Ice Skating Rink and marks the country’s first time to host the regional event. 

Team captain, Steven Fuglister, was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament with his split 14.5-second goal hit in the Philippines’ last game against Singapore.

“We want to thank everyone for their great show of support at this year’s Challenge Cup. Our families, friends, and fans gave us an incredible source of strength and motivation during this run, testament to our podium finish,” said Jonathan de Castro, the Philippine Ice Hockey Team’s new coach.

The national team will next play at the Philippine Ice Hockey Tournament in June. Although this will not have any direct impact to their IIHF standing, it will further promote the sport as some of the competing teams will come from neighboring countries.

The 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games will play a big role towards the team’s overall direction as they look to defend their gold title and advance to the IIHF World Championships. With the Philippines as SEA Games host, the team also looks forward to having the home crowd cheer them on.

“We are currently starting preparations for the men’s and potentially the women’s teams for next year. Riding on our motivation from CCOA, the coaching staff is currently breaking down film from our last game to move forward and create the roster for the upcoming 2019 SEA Games,” de Castro added. 

Future ice hockey games of the national team will be held at SM Skating Mall of Asia, which boasts an Olympic-sized ice skating rink that was unveiled last October 2017. SM Lifestyle Entertainment’s support for figure skating and speed skating alongside ice hockey goes hand-in-hand with SM Group’s vision to help and build homegrown talents.

For more updates and announcements on tournaments and events of the Philippine Ice Hockey team, visit SM Skating’s website at www.smskating.com or follow the official social media accounts at @smskating.

Filipino-owned company Philippine Bottling Beverage (PBB), a new player in the purified water and non-carbonated drinks industry, has launched Banahaw Spring Purified Water at a well-attended media event on April 16 at the Manila House Private Club in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

According to Thor Jourdan Mutuc, Business Development Manager at PBB, the company brought one of the latest European technologies to ensure that the production process upholds international standards and quality. “Our production facility located at the foot of Mount Banahaw in San Pablo, Laguna is at par with world standards, fully automated and requires minimal human intervention preserving only the essential natural qualities of the water from the mountain,” said Mutuc.

Revealing that it took three years of research and testing before Banahaw Spring Purified Water has been finally released to the local market, Mutuc further emphasized the intricate process of producing the country’s first purified water to have been named after its source.

“Today, we are sharing with you a purified water product harnessed from sustainable natural sources and bottled with care to ensure you get only safe and quality purified water we Filipinos can be proud of,” he added.

Known for its pristine and lush rainforests, Mount Banahaw also serves as watershed for the provinces of Laguna and Quezon. The water from this vast mountain area is the source of these two provinces’ supply, which are used for domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes.

Acknowledging the importance of Mount Banahaw, PBB also ensures it takes care of the rural community, where it belongs, and advocates strict compliance of environmental standards in its operation.

“Water sustainability is the most significant aspect of our business,” Mutuc explained, “Beyond careful usage of water, we are putting in place measures that are geared towards protecting forests that nurture groundwater and contribute to the healthy circulation of water in nature.”

Banahaw Spring Purified Water is available in 350ml, 500ml, and one liter bottles. Aside from being free of Bisphenol A (BPA-free), each bottle is design-engineered to support core handgrip.

For more information about Banahaw Spring Purified Water, visit http://thepbb.com

SM City North EDSA, along with 17 other malls, is bringing back “Everyday is Playday” to celebrate all play, all fun, all day for kids and the whole family; making SM Supermalls a venue for everything play.

During the next months, more than 20 global brands will be launching their latest toy collections in SM City North EDSA. Likewise, more than 60 characters and brands such as Spongebob, Shimmer and Shine, Beyblade, Hasbro Gaming, and Shopkins will tour all the 18 malls in a series of exciting shows and meet and greet sessions.

This year’s campaign is set to be much bigger and stronger with the growing partnership with Sony Playstation, that will bring fun and exciting technology in our days of play, Fujifilm Instax, which will capture the best and fun memories from kids to kids at heart, and Pay Maya and Globe Gcash that will offer 30% rebate on loyal customers who wants to avail their favorite toys through mobile payment.

Shimmer and Shine, Beyblade, and Hasbro Gaming lead the way this year.

Kicking off the campaign is the launch of the new Shimmer and Shine toy collection at the Block Atrium at SM City North EDSA on May 5 – 6. This top rating Nickelodeon show is about a twin genies-in-training who grants wishes to their human friend Leah. It highlights the importance of teamwork, resilience and overcoming obstacles. This is a show that our little girls will surely wouldn’t want to miss.

90’s kids will enjoy the huge comeback of Beyblade, on August 31 – September 2 at the Annex Activity Area at SM City North EDSA. It is known in Japan as Explosive Shoot Beyblade, a Japanese manga series, written and illustrated by Takao Aoki, to promote sales of this spinning tops called “Beyblades.” After the success of Beyblade Championship Tournament in SM City North EDSA the Annex early this year, wherein the winner will be sent to Japan this April to compete in the Asian Championship. This upcoming second leg’s winner will be sent to compete in the World Beyblade Competition in Paris, France.

The whole family will definitely love the Hasbro Gaming which will have activations at SM City Fairview, SM City Novaliches, SM City San Jose Del Monte, SM City East Ortigas, SM City Bicutan and SM City BF Parañaque from April to October of this year. Hasbro engages families and friends through toys and games. In this upcoming leg, it is set to create the very first life-sized versions of gaming toys including Monopoly, Jenga, Pie Face, Connect, and Twister.

Kids who love combining entertainment and education will surely get excited for Nutty Scientists which will have roadshow all around SM Metro Manila malls. They create fun, spectacular, interactive activities and uses educational techniques in the form of shows or workshops for kids. Children will be active participants on the hands-on activities they offer that will be led by professionals.

Also this year, with the hekp of SM Cares, Everyday is Playday will be bringing our DSWD partner charities and organizations including SOS Children’s Villages Philippines to our series of shows and events. Watch out for more exciting toy launches and events this year

As L’Oréal pushes for a culture that trains individuals to be inclined and empowered in shaping the future of beauty, they continue to host events like Brandstorm, a global innovation competition exclusively for students and one of the largest beauty competitions in the world. It has been a platform for talented students in bringing out their skills, and the Philippines has held this competition since 2009.

Brandstorm 2018 surpassed last year’s 1,500 sign-ups with more than 3,570 players from over 30 universities all over the Philippines. That makes the country the holder of the second biggest Brandstorm in the world.

L’Oréal Brandstorm 2018 National Champions, Team C^3 from the University of the Philippines Diliman, goes to Paris to represent the Philippines in the Worldwide Finals. Their winning idea called “Reign” centered around an innovation that allows a more personalized in-salon and aftercare experience. From left to right: Tina Ampil, L’Oréal Philippines General Manager for Human Resources; Team C^3: Coleen Chua, Caitlin Yu, and Clarice Tee; and Thibault de Saint Victor, L’Oréal Philippines Country Manager

From more than 1,100 teams, only 24 were able to advance to the semi-finals last March 1. Top 8 teams were selected from them to battle it out in the National Finals held in Marco Polo Hotel in Ortigas last April 12. Out of the 8 finalists, Team C^3 from UP Diliman successfully took home the championship with a ticket to Paris to represent the country in the L’Oréal international Finals as they compete with other brandstormer all over the world.

L’Oréal Brandstorm 2018 1st Runner-up, Team Bellus from the University of the Philippines Visayas pitched a modern hair salon innovation that utilizes facial recognition and hair detection systems supported by digital activation. From left to right: Tina Ampil, L’Oréal Philippines General Manager for Human Resources; Professor Tessa Albana of University of the Philippines Visayas; Team Bellus: Rizza Abaygar, Abigail Vivien and Mary Kei; and Thibault de Saint Victor, L’Oréal Philippines Country Manage

When asked about the whole experience, the team shares, “L’Oréal Brandstorm pushed the limits of innovation by encouraging us to think outside the box. It was a never-ending process of researching and revising our case until we were completely satisfied with it. With winning this year’s competition, we are excited to fulfill our dream to represent the country in the L’Oréal Brandstorm Worldwide Finals in Paris, France.”

L’Oréal Brandstorm 2018 2nd Runner-up, Team Team Tala from De La Salle University-Manila, proposed a fully digitized and interactive salon journey that can be experienced from the palm of your hands. From left to right: Tina Ampil, L’Oréal Philippines General Manager for Human Resources; Team Tala: Dominique Jalandoni, Ellysha Felizarta, and Roberto Cabrera; and Thibault de Saint Victor, L’Oréal Philippines Country Manager

Following suit are Team Bellus from University of the Philippines Visayas (1st runner-up) and Team Tala from De La Salle University-Manila (2nd runner-up). Both teams win cash prizes and products.