Since his cat Tama passed away in 2014, Japanese graphic designer and illustrator Tadanori Yokoo has drawn 91 pieces of his beloved feline companion. Those pieces have been compiled into a new art book entitled Tama, Kaetteoide (“Come Home, Tama”).

Tama was a famous cat amongst fans of Tadanori Yokoo, who would feature him on his Twitter page and blog from time to time. Yokoo’s love for Tama was also well-known amongst his followers. Tama was a stray cat and appeared in Yokoo’s garden. In the 15 years Yokoo took care of him, Tama’s affection warmed the hearts of both the artist and his family of fans.

The 91 pieces that Yokoo created of Tama since his passing were originally never going to be seen by anyone. But this year, on the seventh anniversary of Tama’s death, Yokoo has decided to publish them.

Tama, Kaetteoide – ¥2,200 (Before Tax)

The collection features not only art pieces, but diary and written entries too that Yokoo occasionally wrote about Tama. Yokoo’s Twitter page become a diary for the artist, where he expressed his sadness and loneliness after losing his cat, which has received much attention with his followers. The book includes the diary entries from when Tama was alive to his death and up to 2018.

Editor’s Comment

When Yokoo met with Yoko Ono, he said of his work, “I didn’t draw this as artーI drew it as a love letter to my cat,” to which she responded, “And that’s exactly why it’s art.” I too believe that if a piece of art moves a person’s heart, then that in itself makes it art. Featured in this book are many of Yokoo’s diary and written entries about his beloved Tama. But it also begs the question to people what is love, what is life, and what is death? It’s a treasured illustrated collection for people, and above all one you can’t help adoring. I believe this book will add something to the lives of every art fan, of every cat lover, and every person who kindly buys themselves a copy.”

An exhibition showcasing all of the illustrations in the book is set to take place at Nishimura Gallery in the near future. The exhibition has been postponed as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, but you can check the gallery’s official website for when the event will next be rescheduled.

“HARAJUKU AR BOX -table projection mapping cafe-,” a cafe in Harajuku whose name speaks for itself, has announced its second collaboration with Rilakkuma to bring the new Rilakkuma Fruits Cafe which will open for a limited time from April 3, 2020 to June 28, 2020.

The cafe’s first collaboration with Rilakkuma was in December last year. It was called “Korilakkuma Cafe: another me in the mirror” and earned itself many fans for its cute food and decor, but especially for its interactive tables which used projection mapping technology to have Rilakkuma and friends running around people’s tables.

Harajuku’s Korilakkuma Cafe: another me in the mirror | Food Review: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/284456

Fruit is the theme of the new Rilakkuma Fruits Cafe, which follows that Chairoikoguma and the other characters have gathered lots of nutritious fruit to fill up the belly of hungry Rilakkuma.

Food

Rilakkuma’s Fruit Salad – ¥1,590

Get your fill of refreshing fruit from this fruit salad plate which has Rilakkuma poking his cute face out from behind it all. When you order this dish, you’ll need to touch the fruits that appear on the table to give them to Rilakkuma.

Korilakkuma’s Apple Cheese Gratin – ¥1,690

A combination of hot apple and melted cheese, you’ll find yourself addicted to the sweet and sour mix of flavours. Pick lots of apples with Rilakkuma and company with the projection mapping game. (*Serving April 3, 2020 – May 17, 2020 only)

Chairoikoguma’s Orange Burger – ¥1,690

The bun of this hearty burger is branded with Chairokoguma’s cute bear face. But what happens when you squeeze Rilakkuma’s orange? (*Serving May 20, 2020 – June 28, 2020 only)

Desserts

Rilakkuma’s Maku Maku Fruit Tree Parfait – ¥1,590

Korilakkuma’s Maku Maku Strawberry Tree Parfait – ¥1,590 (Serving April 3, 2020 – May 17, 2020 only)

Kiiroitori’s Maku Maku Peach Tree Parfait – ¥1,590 (Serving May 20, 2020 – June 28, 2020 only)

For dessert, you have a selection of fruit-topped parfaits to choose from featuring Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma, and Kiiroitori.

Drinks

Rilakkuma & Friends Maku Maku Drinks – ¥790 / With Glass – ¥1,990

Warm & Fluffy With Everyone Cafe Latte – ¥890

Pick between one of the cold beverages, or if it’s a cold day, warm up with a hot drink. Feel warm and fluffy like Rilakkuma and his friends with a warm beverage after your parfait.

Exclusive Merchandise & Bonus Items

Pin Badges (9 Designs/Chosen Randomly) – ¥400

Acrylic Key Rings (8 Designs/Chosen Randomly) – ¥500

Get your hands on a selection of original merchandise too, including pin badges, acrylic key rings, and more.

Stickers (4 Designs/Chosen Randomly)

Coasters (4 Designs/Chosen Randomly)

Book a table online in advance and receive one of four possible stickers. Order a drink at the cafe and get one of the four coasters!

You’re sure to get your five-a-day when you dine at the Rilakkuma Fruits Cafe, opening for spring on April 3, 2020 in Harajuku.

©2020San-X Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Sanrio’s popular character Pompompurin is celebrating his 24th anniversary at three branches of the Pompompurin Cafe in Harajuku, Yokohama, and Umeda with a special birthday menu that will be served for the whole month of April.

A special celebratory menu for the floppy-eared golden retriever

The official date for Pompompurin’s birthday is April 16. The birthday menu line-up includes two food items, a drink made in collaboration with popular Japanese picture book author Yukako Ohde, and some novelty gifts.

Birthday Menu

Happy Birthday Flower Bouquet Bisque – ¥1,590 (Before Tax)

This cute bisque soup has Pompompurin and Muffin holding a colourful boquet made from broccoli and mashed potatoes made to look like roses. It has a rich but mild flavour, and is both adorable and filling.

Happy Birthday Strawberry Mousse – ¥790 (Before Tax)

The strawberry mousse has a fluffy texture and refreshing, sweet taste. It can be eaten as it is or drizzled with the accompanying raspberry sauce.

Yukako Ohde x Pompompurin Lemonade – ¥550 (Before Tax)

Take a sip from this delicious lemonade from a straw adorned with a cute, warm illustration of Pompompurin by Yukako Ohde.

Exclusive Anniversary Novelty Gifts

Lunch Mat Design

Customers who dine at any of the three cafes during the anniversary celebration will receive a free lunch mat.

Coaster Designs

And those who order the lemonade will receive a coaster with designs illustrated by Yukako Ohde. The designs are different at each branch of the Pompompurin Cafe. You can also receive another special coaster if you spend over ¥1,000 each (tax included) at Pompompurin Cafe Umeda and KIDDY LAND Osaka Umeda. Simply show your receipts at the cafe.

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Bread, Espresso & is a cafe chain with 17 branches in Japan, including Omotesando. The company is set to open an entirely new cafeーspecialising in Bread, Espresso &’s popular mū breadーcalled mūya on April 17, 2020 in Asakusa Mizumachi.

Bread, Espresso &: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/254815

Mizumachi is a new shopping centre also opening on April 17, 2020. It’s near Solamachi in Tokyo Skytree Town, and sits betwixt Kaminarimon and Tokyo Skytree.

mū

Mū is an original bread recipe baked up by Bread, Espresso & that’s made with lots of butter, giving it a rich taste. The word means “soft” in French. When you break a piece off the fluffy loaf, that rich buttery smell fills your nose.

inside the cafe

The mū loaf is a cube shape, and the interior of the shop has cube designs all over it.

Customers sit at tables with chairs that stack up like cubes – a unique and original design.

French toast

Mū is the main dish at mūya, which can be served as it is, as a sandwich, as French toast, or even in a parfait.

When you’re passing through Asakusa, be sure to pop into mūya to try the famous mū bread of Bread, Espresso &.

Due to high demand from customersーselling out their previous limited stock in February in this yearーNeko Neko Shokupan re-released its popular “Neko Neko Packs” once more on March 20, again with limited stock.

What’s inside the Neko Neko Pack?

Neko Neko Pack A & B – ¥1,000 Each (Before Tax) / Available: From March 20, 2020 while supplies last

Neko Neko Pack is available in two versions, A and B. Both contain one piece of cat-shaped bread, jam, and an original folder.

The texture of the jams differ between both versions: ‘A’ is smooth sweet bean paste while ‘B’ is mashed sweet bean paste. The specific bread that is included in the pack is not sold separatelyーyou need to buy yourself a full Neko Neko Pack.

Quality flavour guaranteed at Neko Neko Shokupan

The shop’s “shokupan,” a style of bread loaf, is made with 100% milk, giving it rich and milky flavour and moist, chewy flavour. No water is used for baking this bread, only milk, which is sourced from Hokkaido. It also contains honey, fresh cream, and butter to give it a sweet, melt-in-the-mouth taste.

Their cute arrangements of the bread are super popular

Kids and adults alike can enjoy eating at Neko Neko Shokupan with the many variations the bread can be served in, like face decorations with a chocolate pen. You can see lots of different original arrangements on Japanese social media like Instagram.

Neko Neko Shokupan’s kawaii, high-quality bread is a must-try, so be sure to visit your closest branch when visiting Japan.

GELATO PIQUE CAFE branches in Japan began their “Strawberry Fair” on Wednesday serving up drinks and desserts made using seasonal strawberries.

What is GELATO PIQUE CAFE all about?
“Desserts for adults” is the concept at GELATO PIQUE CAFE, a cafe brand developed by GELATO PIQUE which specialises is comfy loungewear. The cafe, which has branches in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and elsewhere in Japan, serves comfort food and is interested in the health and happiness of its guests. Their menu is overflowing with ideas, with all options made using only the best selected ingredients.

The enticing line-up is nothing short of kawaii, and screams springtimeーfitting for the season as Japan celebrated Vernal Equinox Day yesterday, the first day of springーwith sweet and sour strawberries adorning their crepes, smoothies, gelatos, soft serve ice creams, and more.

Strawberry Mille Feuille Crepe – ¥830 (Before Tax)

Topped with a whole strawberry, this mille feuille-inspired seasonal crepe is made with an in-house crafted strawberry cream, mille feuille puff pastry, and vanilla gelato. The strawberries used are a mix, all grown in Kumamoto Prefecture, including yuubeni, koinozomi, koiminori, and others. Much love and care is put into growing strawberries in Kumamoto, making them sweet and delicious.

White Strawberry & Red Strawberry Gelato – ¥460 (Before Tax)

This two-coloured serving of gelato ice cream is made with sweet-smelling white strawberries and a brand of red strawberry from Fukuoka called amaou. No strawberry lover will be able to resist this pick.

Strawberry Smoothie – ¥590 (Before Tax)

Enjoy a cold strawberry smoothie made from seasonal strawbs, milk, and honey. Indulge in the refreshing sweetness of the strawberries, and enjoy the cute pink flavour of the beverage.

Strawberry Milk Soft Serve Ice Cream – ¥450 (Before Tax)

Or grab yourself a cone of soft serve ice cream to enjoy the combination of flavours: sweet and sour strawbs and sweet, creamy milk.You can also get a mix together with the light blue vanilla flavour.

Shirasagi Coffee, a cafe in Ehime Prefecture, has released a new seasonal menu full of strawberries and cherry blossoms to commemorate the spring season.

Shirasagi Coffee’s logo features a heron, a reference to a legend that says the locals of Matsuyama in Ehime noticed that a white heron healed its injured leg by bathing in the hot springs of Dōgo Onsen, one of the oldest hot springs in  Japan. The cafe was renovated using furniture made from scrap wood from when Dōgo Onsen was built. It’s an artistic cafe that has garnered much attention from both locals and tourists.

Thick-Cut Natural Yeast Toast

This thick-sliced bread is provided by Panya Uzu, a bread shop also in Matsuyama, Ehime. Perfect for breakfast or lunch, it’s topped with a cherry blossom jam and mascarpone cheese cream.

Top: Cream Soda / Right: Cherry Blossom Tea Latte / Left: Cherry Blossom & Strawberry Mint Sour

This line-up of three drinks are made using seasonal strawberries grown in Ehime Prefecture.

Sweet Bavarois

Bavarois is a classic dessert at Shirasagi Coffee, and this one is made using matcha grown in the village of Shingu in Ehime and is coated in a cherry blossom cream.

Spring Madonna Parfait

This limited-time parfait is stacked with 12 different ingredients of varying textures and flavours, including cherry blossom, as well as Ehime strawberries, chestnuts, and matcha. It’s the culmination of Ehime’s springtime ingredients.

Takeout Drinks

Mini Parfait

The cafe also serves mini parfaits, drinks and other items for takeout. Pick something out and go and observe the cherry blossoms for Hanami at Dōgo Park.

In Vietnamese cuisine, a Bánh mi is a baguette stuffed with various ingredients and served as a sandwich. It’s a popular meal in Vietnam, and in recent years has seen an appearance in Japan.

Bánh mi Tokyo opened in Gaiemmae, Tokyo on March 16, 2020. They serve bánh mi with a Japanese taste, and their bread is made from 100% rice flour with no artificial flavourings or purified sugar.

Bánh mi are generally made with lard or margarine, but at Bánh mi Tokyo, they are made with with ingredients with good-quality oil content like rice koji sweet sake and nuts, which give them a richness and creaminess and remove things like trans-fats that are a burden on the body. This also greatly cuts calories and other fats too.

Mackerel Curry Bánh Mi

All bánh mi overflow with original flavours, from the chicken-filled “Standard Bánh Mi” to the “Mackerel Curry Bánh Mi” which is made with curry flavoured grilled mackerel, “Five Spice Char Siu Bánh Mi” stuffed with juicy pork belly, and more.

Bánh mi Tokyo also serves high-quality original coffees which are a must-try together with your bánh mi

MUUN SEOUL is a cafe located along Tonchan-dori Street in Harajuku that serves Instagram-worthy South Korean food.

Photo by Nagisa Kobayashi @popo_318

Photo by Nagisa Kobayashi @popo_318

The cafe sells “fatcarons,” a South Korean-style macaron which have proven very popular with young women in Japan.

Photo by Taeco @taecostagram

Fatcarons are larger than the standard macaron. They are topped with things like strawberries, given marble textures, and more to give them a cute appearance. MOON SEOUL serves many different varieties, all of which are standout compared to normal macarons.

Photo by Sara @__sar310

But the fatcaron experience at MOON SEOUL isn’t complete without ordering the drink above. It’s strawberry milk flavoured, but the milk is whipped until it’s fluffy, giving it a taste like no other strawberry milk you’ve tried. It also has sliced strawberries inside and on top, so if you love strawberries, you’ll love this.

Photo by Yuina @popochan726

You can order your fatcarons for takeout too in a clear takeaway box so you can go have a dessert picnic with your friends, and get a great photo of them all together too.

Japan’s biggest online coffee publisher Good Coffee is opening a new cafe called “THE LOCAL COFFEE STAND FUKUOKA” in Hakata, Fukuoka.

Good Coffee looks to bring together coffee lovers with all kinds of coffee shops. THE LOCAL COFFEE STAND FUKUOKA will be their second branch of “THE LOCAL COFFEE STAND” in Japan following the branch they opened in Shibuya, Tokyo.

Good Coffee provides a wealth of information and the latest news on where to get delicious coffee inside and outside Japan. They have joint sponsorship and manage the TOKYO COFFEE FESTIVAL where roasters from across the country all come together and serve coffee in a variety of ways, host live performances, and more.

The coffee beans at THE LOCAL aren’t roasted in-house. Instead, the head barista, Yuji Otsuki, personally selects roasts every month from shops published on Good Coffee. This is a rare style of coffee shop in Fukuoka where every month, customers can enjoy a different cup of high quality coffee every month from popular roasters inside and outside Japan from the comfort of Fukuoka.

The coffee beans used for the cafe’s opening month of March will be drip coffee from GLITCH COFFEE&ROASTERS in Jinbocho, Tokyo and espresso from CRAFTSMAN COFFEE ROASTERS in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi. Events are scheduled to be held at THE LOCAL COFFEE STAND FUKUOKA every month where baristas and coffee roasters will be invited as guests.

Find your new favourite coffee at THE LOCAL COFFEE STAND FUKUOKA.

Starbucks Coffee Japan is launching a new drinks promotion in Japan on March 13 entitled “New Latte Love Coffee.” The first two drinks in the series will celebrate the 1st anniversary of the coffee wonderland Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Tokyo. The drinks are the Butterscotch Latte and Butterscotch Coffee Jelly Frappuccino®.

Left: Butterscotch Coffee Jelly Frappuccino® – Tall ¥590 (Before Tax) / Right: Butterscotch Latte – Short ¥420 Tall ¥460, Grande ¥500, Venti® ¥540 (Tax not included in drink prices)

The new beverages incorporate a butterscotch sauce which offers a rich and smooth buttery taste and sweet caramel. Each drink is carefully crafted with a shot of freshly-made espresso, the butterscotch sauce, and steamed milk.

The Frappuccino® version is filled with a Starbucks-original coffee jelly made using the coffee chain’s “Espresso Roast” which goes perfectly with the milk of the cold drink. It’s almost like a dessert in a cup, especially with the addition of the butterscotch sauce.

Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Tokyo is also widening its range of milks in line with the new beverages. Soy milk is already a standard there, but now customers can also enjoy oat milk for a limited time, as well as almond milkーthe latter of which will be put onto the regular menu.

Oat Milk Latte/Almond Milk Latte – ¥Short 390, Tall ¥430, Grande ¥470, Venti®︎ ¥510

The subtle sweetness of the oat milk used in the Oat Milk Latte goes perfect with the taste of the espresso. A Starbucks-original almond milk is also used for the Almond Milk Latte, adding a fragrant almond taste to the coffee beverage.

Enjoy your coffee with your milk of choice from six kinds: Starbucks Milk, Low-Fat, Fat-Free, Soy, Oat, and Almond.

The Tokyo (Nihonbashi) and Osaka (Shinsaibashi) branches of the Pokémon Cafe are releasing their third line-up of menu items in collaboration with Pokémon Sword and Shield which will be served between March 20 and May 29 this year. The second line-up is still available and will be served until March 19.

Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield are the latest games in the Pokémon video game franchise and were released for the Nintendo Switch on November 15, 2019. The new menu line-up sees appearances from familiar faces including Pikachu, Eevee, Yamper, Zigzagoon (Galar form), and Eiscue.

*Dish names are translated from Japanese

Gigantamax Pikachu’s Naughty Octopous Rice Plate – ¥2,178 (Tax Included)

This hearty portion of octopus rice is made in the image of Pikachu in his Gigantamax form.

Gigantamax Eevee’s Smiley Hamburger Stew Plate – ¥2,178 (Tax Included)

A hearty stew made in the image of Eevee in its Gigantamax form.

Yamper’s Happy Sandwich Picnic Plate – ¥1,848 (Tax Included)

This picnic-on-a-plate meal features the adorable Yamper, who is served with a tasty salad.

Galar Zigzagoon’s Crunchy Cookie Tiramisu – ¥1,738 (Tax Included)

This crunchy cookie tiramisu features a cute recreation of Zigzagoon in its Galar form.

Ice Face Eiscue’s Shivering Panna Cotta – ¥1,628 (Tax Included)

As you fork through this cute Eiscue panna cotta, you’ll discover a special and delicious treat inside.

Jump into the video game world of Pokémon Sword and Shield at the hugely popular Pokémon Cafes in Tokyo and Osaka.

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