MAISON CACAO, the company behind the aromatic raw chocolate brand of the same name, will open a store on floor B1F of JR Nagoya Takashimaya on March 3, 2021. It will be the brand’s first permanent shop in Japan’s Tokai region.

The company held a special Valentine’s event from late January to Valentine’s Day where MAISON CACAO made the second most sales. They also enjoyed other sold out products, and showcased some exclusive indulgences like the gold leaf-adorned “Aroma Raw Chocolate ARMOUR” and “Aroma Raw Chocolate STRAWBERRY” as well as the all-new “Cacao Butterland.”

The Nagoya Line-Up

Aroma Raw Chocolate AMOUR | ¥6,000 (Before Tax)

Exclusive to this new Nagoya branch of MAISON CACAO, these “AMOUR” chocolates are all handmade using techniques that have been passed down through the company. The dark chocolates are wrapped in luxurious gold leaf and have a fruity, sweet, and bitter combination. One box contains a generous serving of 16.

Cacao Butterland | ¥2,000 (Before Tax)

MAISON CACAO uses cacao beans from Columbia to bake its menu. These gooey treats are made with cacao butter and chocolate caramel with a double layering of dark and white chocolate. A rich and filling serving of six comes in a box.

Aroma Raw Chocolate STRAWBERRY | ¥2,200 (Before Tax)

Also a Nagoya-exclusive, these strawberry variants are made with intensely sweet JApanese amaou strawberries white combine with the fragrance cacao butter and white chocolate for a refreshing taste. You get 16 in a single box.

But Wait, There’s More…

Raw Chocolate Butter Cake | ¥3,500

A cake made with velvety chocolate butter cream packed with roasted nuts, raisins, and caramel chips.

Rich Raw Chocolate Tart STRAWBERRY | ¥2,000

Yet another exclusive to Nagoya, these crunchy tarts are lathered in amaou strawberry chocolate and filled with runny and fruity amaou strawberry cream. A box comes with three included.

Other Popular Goodies Available While Supplies Last

Aroma Raw Chocolate MAISON (Grape) | ¥2,400 (Before Tax)

Babka | ¥2100

Raw Gateau Chocolate | ¥2500 (Before Tax) 

Tama Plaza Terrace, a shopping centre in Yokohama, opened a limited-time pop-up shop on Tuesday (February 9) called ISE SHOP which is selling goods and products from Japan’s city of Ise.

The shop opened in response to the reduction of sales of foodstuff, traditional handicrafts, and more in Ise due to the pandemic. Ise is known for its bounty of diverse products, and so this is a way to continue supporting it. Free tourist pamphlets are also being handed out detailing information about the city’s wonders.

Some of the must-grab items

The store is a showcase of Ise’s history, traditional, and food culture. Shoppers will find staple souvenir items like Ise udon, sea lettuce, hijiki seaweed, pearls, and more. Other touches of Ise include a popular hand cream made with water drawn from the Isuzu River, a fragrance mist also made from the same water, all-new cosmetic items, cookies inspired by the oshiraishi stones spread over the most holy part of Ise Grand Shrine—the list goes on. 58 Ise-based businesses are stocking around 100 products inside the store, so it’s a must-visit for anyone interested in the ancient city.

Padonni is a Japanese pasta brand that sells multicoloured pasta that look like little candies. The brand tied up with Village Vanguard to make their stock available on their website on Wednesday (January 20).

Striped Paper Hat Pasta | ¥702 (Tax Included)

Shooting Star Pasta | ¥540 (Tax Included)

Heart Pasta | ¥540 (Tax Included)

Salted Striped Twist Short Puglia | ¥1,296 (Tax Included)

The rainbow-coloured pastas use no artificial colourings, all colours are brought about naturally with ingredients like beetroot and paprika.

The Instagrammable striped pasta is particularly cute and are sure to add some fun to pasta night. And these pastas aren’t just for show either – they are made with high quality durum wheat from Apulia in Southern Italy so great taste is guaranteed. Traditional techniques are used to make the pasta with each and every piece being handmade. They are carefully dried in a low temperature for 4+ hours, giving them a delicious chewy texture.

Tokyo Neko Neko will open a new branch at ecute Keiyo Street inside Tokyo Station on January 25, 2021.

The launch comes just 6 months after the bakery opened its store in Ginza, attracting customers from all over for its line-up of cat-shaped pastries. Both of these bakeries are the result of yet another branch, Kyoto Neko Neko, which opened in June last year as the first in the line of these cute locations.

Tokyo Station Exclusives: Neko Neko Jam Bread – Marmalade, Caramel, Strawberry, Blueberry

Tokyo Neko Neko Bread – Plain, Chocolate, Caramel Almond, Tsubu-an, Matcha, Soybean

As well as the classic Tokyo Neko Neko Bread—which is like a croissant being loaded with French butter, crunchy on the outside, and moist on the inside—the new Tokyo Station branch is also serving its own exclusive pastry treat: the Neko Neko Jam Bread, made with plenty of milk, and arriving in four irresistible flavours including marmalade, caramel, strawberry, and blueberry. And most important of all: everything is shaped like an adorable kitty.

If you’re travelling through Tokyo Station then don’t miss out on a trip to Tokyo Neko Neko, opening January 25.

Marushin Honken is an old soy sauce maker based in Wakayama, the birthplace of Japanese soy sauce, which has teamed up with chocolate sommelier Tani Kanako who is the spearhead of the chocolate company TomoeSaveur and was a judge at the 2014 International Chocolate Awards, and the French chocolate brand Erithaj Chocolat, to launch the world’s first chocolate soy sauce seasoning. The product is called Cacao Jang and was released on Wednesday (January 20).

Left: Paste Type / Crunchy Type

The condiment uses a soy sauce called Kuyo Murasaki and steeps in it roasted cacao to create a rich, complex flavour combination. A completely unique seasoning, it’s available in two types – paste and crunchy. Chocolate is typically seen as a sweet food, but this condiment uses no sugars, allowing for the deep-bodied flavour of the chocolate to shine through. It goes well with as a sauce seasoning for duck and chicken, as well as white fish.

Discover a flavour like never before with a pot of Cacao Jang.

Tokyo Banana World recently added its special Dengeki Box (Electric Box) of Pikachu Tokyo Banana confections to its official website which is available to order in Japan until January 30, 2021 at 17:00 (JST).

Tokyo Banana is Tokyo’s official souvenir sweets brand and it launched its new Pokémon Tokyo Banana series of confections in November last year with the first catch being Pikachu. It subsequently added Eevee to the collection in December. The Pikachu confections are also available to buy at Tokyo Station.

Pikachu Tokyo Banana – Dengeki Box | Box of 12 Packs (24 Confections) | ¥3,456 (Tax Included)

The limited-time addition of the Dengeki Box to Tokyo Banana’s official website means that anyone in Japan can get a taste of the electrifyingly delicious sweet fluffy custard-filled sponge cakes without having to travel to Tokyo.

Waiting inside the Dengeki Box are 12 packages each with two cakes in and each in one of six different Pikachu designs to greet hungry Trainers, all of which are positively kawaii. The box itself also features these adorable illustrations.

Left: Front of Box | Right: Back of Box

The box even has a handle attached to it so you can reuse it after to store all your bits and bobs.

©2021 Pokémon. ©1995-2021 Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK inc.
Pokémon, ポケットモンスター, and ポケモン are registered trademarks of Nintendo, Creatures Inc., and GAME FREAK inc..

Suntory has announced the release of a special edition of its single malt whisky, Yamazaki Limited Edition 2021, which will be released in Japan in limited quantities from May 25, 2021.

The whisky comes from Japan’s first and oldest malt distillery, multi-layered with fruit and Mizunara aromas. It is rich in Japanese nature and craftsmanship and has gone on to become one of the most popular whiskies in Japan for its delicate flavour. The prestige of the drink has also led it to be praised by whisky lovers around the world. The malt is carefully aged over the years and throughout the four seasons in its casks.

The new limited-edition version has been prepared in new Mizunara malt casks and is perfect as a gift. It’s also limited in stock making it a rare must-grab for drinkers of the brand.

Tokyo’s official souvenir sweets brand Tokyo Banana launched pre-sales of its new Pokémon Tokyo Banana series of confections last month, with Pikachu as the first catch. Official sales will roll out at the Tokyo Station branch of Tokyo Banana on December 10, 2020.

Pokémon turn into Tokyo’s official souvenir sweets

Pikachu will be the first Pokémon to feature as the design for Tokyo Banana.

A special Pokémon Tokyo Banana stall will open at Tokyo Station’s JR Line

An official Pokémon Tokyo Banana stall will open inside Hanagataya on the JR side of Tokyo Station on December 10 which will sell exclusively Pokémon Tokyo Banana products. This will begin with Pikachu followed by an upcoming new entry set for release in January 2021.

They come in a cute gift box

Pikachu Tokyo Banana (Contains 8) | ¥1,188 (Tax Included)

Pokémon Trainers can pick up a pack of eight in a special gift box. These boxes are also available at other branches of Tokyo Banana in Tokyo including Shinagawa, Ueno, Ebina, and elsewhere. A must-grab to take home if you’re travelling to Tokyo.

©2020 Pokémon. ©1995-2020 Nintendo/Creatures Inc. /GAME FREAK inc.
ポケットモンスター・ポケモン・Pokémonは任天堂・クリーチャーズ・ゲームフリークの登録商標です。

GRAPESTONE is releasing a new sweets collection at Disney SWEETS COLLECTION by Tokyo Banana, which is located in Tokyo Station, in collaboration with the Disney classic Fantasia. The confections will be released in limited quantities from October 30, 2020.

© Disney　Disney SWEETS COLLECTION by Tokyo Banana JR Tokyo Station

Disney SWEETS COLLECTION by Tokyo Banana opened on the JR Line side of Tokyo Station in November of last year. The shop is a joint-collaboration with Tokyo Banana—the official souvenir sweet of Tokyo—and Disney. The shop sold over 100,000 products in the first week of its opening, and caught the attention of Disney fans on social media who described the shop and the packaging of their sweets as cute.

Disney Fantasia Chocolate Sandwich (Contains 28) | ¥3,024 (Tax Included)

The cute packaging features Mickey Mouse as The Sorcerer’s Apprentice in the 1940 animated film Fantasia. The light and crunchy cat tongue cookies at filled with chocolate banana milk shake flavoured cream

The confections serve as the perfect gift or souvenir from Japan to yourself or any fan of Disney.

© Disney

ALL HEARTS COMPANY, a Japanese company that develops bakeries and patisseries across Japan, opened its new bakery and confectionery shop Tokyo Neko Neko in Ginza, Tokyo on July 22, 2020. The shop has replaced Heart Bread ANTIQUE, another bakery also run by ALL HEARTS COMPANY, which was previously at this location.

At Tokyo Neko Neko, they are serving cat-shaped pastries and desserts including Tokyo-exclusive products from their Neko Neko Bread brand and Neko Neko Cheesecake shop. This is the second branch to open following the opening of Kyoto Neko Neko last month.

A stylish bakery

Tokyo Neko Neko’s pastries and interior design takes on a completely different look from Kyoto Neko Neko, with the walls acting as a canvas to display their food like an art museum. The bakery’s line-up centres on seeing as well as eating, adding an extra level of deliciousness to the products. If you’ve visiting Tokyo, you don’t want to pass up on the opportunity to visit Tokyo Neko Neko.

Tokyo Neko Neko Bread

Tokyo Neko Neko’s cat-shaped bread is palm-sized and so is a perfect gift and takeaway snack. The outside is crunchy while the middle is kept nice and moist. The secret behind the bread’s tastiness is the use of fermented butter which they get from France. The use of lots of almond cream adds a tasty kick too.

Tokyo Neko Neko Bread – Plain: ¥1,000 (Before Tax)

Made using croissant pastry and loaded with fermented butter.

Tokyo Neko Neko Bread – Caramel Almond: ¥1,200 (Before Tax)

Caramel almonds and almond slices are added to this version, also made with lots of fermented butter.

Tokyo Neko Neko Bread – Praline Rose: ¥1,200 (Before Tax)

This flvour is filled with praline rose, a traditional French confection of caramelised sugar-coated almonds.

Tokyo Neko Neko has lots of other tasty foods to offer too, like their Neko Neko Cheesecake, Neko Neko Butter Sandwiches, and more.

Japan’s popular confectionery souvenir shop Tokyo Banana is collaborating with Disney for one week from July 29 to August 7 at the Hankyu Umeda branch of Tokyo Banana in Osaka.

Officially named the “Disney SWEETS COLLECTION by Tokyo Banana,” the line-up brings together the iconic Disney characters and centres them around the company’s brand concept which is to bring happiness to all who see and taste their products.

Mickey Mouse Pancake Sandwich: ¥1,080 for 4 / ¥1,382 for 6 (Tax Inclusive)

A box of “Mickey Mouse Pancake Sandwiches” contains baked, deliciously fluffy treats filled with soft cream. They come in two shapes: Mickey’s face and the iconic Tokyo Banana. The Mickey ones contain caramel cream and roasted almonds while the Tokyo Banana designs are filled with banana milk cream and chocolate chips.

Mickey Mouse Chocolate Sandwich: ¥1,080 for 12 / ¥2,160 for 24

The “Mickey Mouse Chocolate Sandwich” are crunchy cat tongue biscuits which have Tokyo Banana’s distinct milky flavour. They are made to be like a delicious banana milkshake you can eat and contain rich chocolate.

 © Disney

Tokyo Station’s two shopping centresーGRANSTA, which is inside the ticket gates, and GRANSTA Marunouchi, which is outside themーare holding a White Day Fair which started the day after Valentine’s Day and will run until March 14, 2020.

In Japan, Valentine’s Day usually sees girls and women giving chocolate to guys and men, which can be for both friendship or love. On White Day, the opposite happens, where guys and men are expected to repay the favour. GRANSTA and GRANSTA Marunouchi have the perfect assortment of gifts and accessories that are sure to please any girls this White Day.

Tasty treats to return the favour

These visually-appealing picks are perfect for expressing your thanks to friends and coworkers.

Tokyo Station Exclusive: Mini Pigeon & Heart Biscuits – ¥880 @ Fairycake Fair (GRANSTA Floor B1F) / Available: From February 15, 2020

These cute tiny tins from Fairycake Fair are packed with crunchy and milky pigeon and heart biscuits and mini lemon yoghurt-flavoured meringues. They’re a brand new product from the confectionery shop.

Tokyo Station Exclusive: Strawberry Pie Burger – ¥864 @ Kyobashi Senbikiya (GRANSTA Floor B1F) / Available: February 20, 2020 – March 14, 2020 (*30 served per day)

Adorably cut into love hearts, these pies are lovingly filled with cream, which has a subtle eggy flavour, and cream cheese

White Day Selection – ¥3,672 (Contains 9) @ Pierre Marcolini (GRANSTA Floor B1F) / Available: From March 1, 2020 while supplies last

An assortment of chocolates from popular chocolate brand Pierre Marcolini, named after the famous Belgian chocolatier, which is sure to make anyone happy. It includes a new chocolate called the “Gradation Cool.”

Impress with these little gems

Here’s a selection of gifts other than sweets that are great for those seeking something unique that no one else will buy.

Truffle Salt – ¥1,296 – @ DEAN & DELUCA (GRANSTA Floor B1F) / Available: Now on sale

This blended salt is a mix of summer truffle and natural sea salt. The absolute perfect gift for someone who loves cooking.

Dashi Stock – ¥1,080 @ Kayanoya (GRANSTA Marunouchi Floor B1F) / Available: Now on sale

An assortment of Kayanoya’s popular “Kayanoya Dashi” and their flavour-packed “Kiwami Dashi.” A great pick for those who want to return the favour with something out of the ordinary.

uka nail oil 13:00 – ¥3,300 @ FruitGATHERING (GRANSTA Floor B1F) / Available: Now on sale

Scented with refreshing mint and lemon and keeps your nails and skin nice and moist.

ecoffee cup-WILLIAM MORRIS – ¥2,310 Each @ Neue (GRANSTA Marunouchi Floor B1F) / Available: Now on sale

These beautifully stylish, textile-design cups are reusable, so you can take your coffee with you wherever and whenever.