Fruit tart specialist shop Qu’il fait bon will be selling a brand new kind of lovable tart which is made using a rare species of grape sourced from Yamanashi prefecture. The tart is currently selling at Grand Maison, Ginza and Hamamatsu. These will be available for a limited period only. 

The tart is covered with incredibly rare “My Heart” grapes, which were developed by the grape research institute Shimura Budou Kenkyusho. Growing and cultivating these grapes was no easy task and took an incredible amount of time. There was only a short window of time available to harvest the produce and even then the harvest was small, so stocking up was very difficult. Despite the challenges, these tongue-tantalizing tarts are being sold this year, however, they are in limited supply. 

Shine muscat grapes and loubell muscat grapes were crossbred to create this new kind of grape. The marvellous flavour of both parent grapes can be tasted. The new grapes have a high sugar content, a wonderful scent and the skin is wonderfully crunchy.  

Take a bite into the special Yamanashi Grape My Heart Tart and you will be filled with a sophisticated fruity flavour. The adorable heart-shaped grapes are layered perfectly on top of a bed of white wine custard. You just have to try this delicious and beautiful tart!

The poop-themed exhibition Unko Museum is set to roll into Shanghai on October 19 where it will run until January 3 next year.

The museum first appeared at the entertainment facility ASOBUILD, which is connected to Yokohama Station, where it is still running as Unko Museum YOKOHAMA. It was then followed by Unko Museum TOKYO where it is still open at DiverCity Tokyo Plaza. This will mark the museum’s first trip overseas.

Just 4 months after opening in in Yokohama, the museum had amassed over 200,000 visitors. The subsequent Tokyo museum served to promote the new Japanese concept of “kawaii poop” to tourists both Japanese and foreign. It was a huge success and enjoyed substantially more visitors than predicted.

With the museum receiving huge attention from both Japan and overseas, Shanghai was chosen as the next destination as a means to develop the concept outside Japan since Shanghai is one of the main global cities of the Asian region. There is also the fact that mainland China has a population of over 1.4 billion. The Unko Museum aims to promote and establish itself as a new entertainment experience.

The museum will be set up at Joy City Shopping Mall, which is home to a whole host of experience entertainment, as well as restaurants, shops, and even a Ferris wheel. It will have the same content as the museum in Japan, including giant poop statues, the “Unstagenic Area,” a combination of the Japanese word for “poop” (unko) and the words “Instagram” and “photogenic” with cute and stylish poops, and more.

This autumn, Ginza’s biggest shopping complex GINZA SIX is serving up a sumptuous selection of seasonal sweets and desserts. Their main components this year are apples and potatoes. Expect to enjoy potato in an entirely new way, and get ready for the spooky season with a line-up of Halloween treats that everyone can enjoy.

Let’s take a look at just some of the gourmet delights arriving for the autumn season, some of which are already on sale.

Potato Desserts

Drinkable Potatoes (Purple Sweet Potato/Ripe Potato/Potato Leaf) – ¥600 Each @ Minamikaze Noukasha Dessert House (Available: October 1 – October 31)

We’re at a point in time now where not only can we eat potatoes―we can drink them too! These potato dessert drinks come in three flavours: fruity Purple Sweet Potato, rich Ripe Potato, and Potato Leaf. The potatoes used to make all of the drinks were farmed from Minamikaze Noukasha’s 160 potato farms.

Set of 5 Native Potato Pies (Oiran Potato/Genji Potato/White Potato/Hayato Potato/Tanegashima Purple Sweet Potato) – ¥2,500 @ Minamikaze Noukasha Dessert House (Available: October 1 until all sold)

Methods to make potato cultivation even easier were introduced almost 400 years ago in Japan. Cultivating original varieties of potatoes is difficult―it’s mostly not done today. These pies are proudly made with those rare native potato varieties.

Potato Parfait – ¥2,000 @ JOTARO SAITO (Quantity: Only 10 served per day)

This gorgeous parfait is made with a purple sweet potato and sweet potato cream and is layered with agar-agar, rice flour dumplings, and ice cream. Inspired by the form of an affogato, it’s topped with potato ice cream drizzled in a warm rice sauce.

Halloween Goodies For Grown-Ups

Halloween Party Pumpkin Purin – ¥4,800 @ Marlowe (Available: October 1 – October 31) *Must order within 3 days

This party-sized Halloween-exclusive rich pumpkin custard pudding contains cinnamon and nutmeg. It’s even topped up with a jack-o-lantern face.

Glowing Lollipop Candy – ¥833-¥1,111 @ Candy Art Museum by PAPABUBBLE (Available: September 21 – October 31)

These lollipops come on sticks with LED lights that make the candy glow a ghoulish light, making them a great Halloween treat.

Halloween Afternoon Tea Set – ¥4,200 @ THE GRAND GINZA (Available September 1 – October 31)

Feast on an exquisite Halloween afternoon tea set made up of an exquisite selection of drinks and desserts.

Apple Desserts

Apple Gummy – ¥2,777 / Apple Gummy Candy – ¥1,666 @ Candy Art Museum by PAPABUBBLE (Available: August 27 – November 4)

The apple gummy is about the size of a Jonathan apple. If you’re wondering what flavour it is, you’ll have to wait until you bite into it to find out! The apple gummy candy set takes on flavours of different apple varieties.

Pom Caramel – ¥800 Each @ PHILIPPE CONTICINI (Available: August 27 – November 4)

These cute and round vanilla flavoured apple mousses are filled with an apple compote, which has a hint of star anise, and cream caramel. They’re packed full of apple-y goodness and maintain PHILIPPE CONTICINI’s refined flavours.

This Year’s Must-Try Autumn Treats

Bessei Maruto Parfait “Shubo” – ¥2,300 @ Nakamura Tokichi Honten (Available: October 1 – November 30)

Exclusive to the Ginza branch of Nakamura Tokichi is this specially made parfait, layered with autumn-time ingredients including Japanese chestnut matcha cream, fig, chestnut sherbet, and bean paste. You can really taste the rich matcha notes in this beautiful dessert.

Kyoto Koicha Terrine Inori no Kajitsu – ¥2,000 @ Tsujiru (Available from September 1)

A great little gift is this terrine chocolat, made with chestnut, black soybeans, fig, and cranberries.

Did you enjoy this list? All of these items are autumn-exclusives and some are very limited in stock. Be sure to enjoy all the flavours of autumn this year in Japan.

*All listed prices include tax

An exhibition centred around Andy Warhol, the American artist who was at the forefront of the pop art movement, is set to roll up to the Kyocera Museum of Art in Kyoto on September 19, 2020.

The exhibition will showcase pieces available only at the The Andy Warhol Museum in Pennsylvania, US. It will be the first Andy Warhol exhibition of its kind to hit Japan and will also touch on his deep knowledge of Kyoto.

The exhibition will be the first to take place in the museum’s new Toyama Cube building which is currently under construction.

More details will be announced on the exhibition’s website and social media accounts below.

To celebrate 40 years of Yuji Kaida’s illustration artwork for the Gundam series, an exhibition entitled Yuji Kaida Gundam Gallery will take place on the fifth floor LOFT Forum of Umeda LOFT in Osaka from August 23 to September 8.

Yuji Kaida is known for his longtime work on box art for Gunpla model kits. The exhibition will feature a gorgeous collection of his iconic Gundam artwork, covering traditional art from Mobile Suit Gundam to Mobile Suit Gundam Wing to digital art in Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans.

Over 70 pieces illustrated by Kaida will be displayed, each categorised into one of four themes. Many of these will include artworks being shown to the public for the first time such as the Gwazine-class battleship.

There will also be enormous towers of piled-up Gunpla boxes, a showcasing titled “Maiking of Hi-νGUNDAM” the process of digital art, and more.

The exhibition is an absolute must-visit for all fans of the Gundam franchise.

©Sotsu Co., Ltd.・Sunrise Inc.

Lovers of Sanrio and all things Hello Kitty won’t want to miss the 45th Anniversary Hello Kitty Collection Exhibition currently being held at Sogo Chiba until August 15.

The event look backs at the kawaii history of Hello Kitty with a huge range of old and new merchandise. There’s also photo spots for taking cute photos, a wall of Hello Kitty plush toys, touch interactive digital videos, and much more.

If you’re looking to stock up on your collection of Hello Kitty merch then you have around 850 items to choose from including goodies exclusive to the event, pre-sales of items to be released at a later date, and more. There’s even a pottery workshop as well as a chance to take your photo with the real Hello Kitty.

Kawaii Chronicles: Hello Kitty Design Museum

Get ready to witness a wide selection of Hello Kitty goods from across generations, including rare and vintage items no longer manufactured. Witness the history of Hello Kitty’s kawaii world and how things changed through the years to fit each generation.

Digital Content & Plush Toy Wall

Get interactive with Hello Kitty with the wall mapping – touch the wall and see the visuals change. There’s also another wall completely full of Hello Kitty toys which makes for a really cute photo opportunity.

Photo With Hello Kitty

Hello Kitty will be present on August 12 in a beautiful kimono ready to have her picture taken with you! Tickets will be handed out 30 minutes before each session. Spaces are limited so make sure you’re on time!

Date: August 12, 2019 at 11:00/13:00/15:00

Location: Floor 6F Event Hall

No. of People: 20 per shoot

Workshop

Paint your very own ceramic Hello Kitty ornament. You colouring it means that yours will be unique and the only one in the world♡

Running: August 7, 2019 – August 15, 2019

Time: 11:00-16:00

No. of People: 30 per day

Price: ¥1,296

Hello Kitty Kawaii Market
Get your hands one one of 850 pieces of Hello Kitty merchandise from plush toys to stationery, interior items and more. Many of these items are exclusive to the exhibition.

Mascot Holder – ¥1,728 (400 Available – 1 Per Person) / Acrylic Key Ring – ¥648 / Mug – ¥1,080 / Hand Towel – ¥756

Replica Classical doll – ¥17,280 / Mini Mascot Brooch (20 Designs) – ¥1,080 Each (1 Per Person) / A4 Folders (Includes 2) – ¥486

Enter the adorable world of Hello Kitty this summer and help her celebrate her 45th anniversary.

The Toei Kyoto Studio Park―a theme park in Kyoto modelled after the Edo period of Japan―is set to hold an exhibition from next month titled “A Bizarrely Great Adventure Through the Body” in which you can travel through a giant model of a body to learn all about faeces.

The event is themed on the best-selling children’s book series Grossology by Sylvia Branzei which gives humorous but straightforward descriptions of bodily functions and various medical conditions.

Stinky Poop (Unchi Kusai), the ninja mascot of the event, will join visitors on their adventure as they experience the gross potential of the human body: burps, farts, bodily odours, and more.

A total of fifteen attractions will make up the event where kids and adults can discover the “secrets” of the human body.

Sneeze Shutter

At the Sneeze Shutter you will learn why we sneeze by firing balls―the “foreign substance” entering the nose―into the giant nostrils which will cause it to become itchy. If you can get five balls into the nose it will let out a sneeze and blown out the balls.

The Kidney Game

At the Kidney Game you will help deliver urea, sugar, and other materials necessary for the kidney to the blood vessels to understand how the kidney functions.

Poop Fortune Telling

Sit on a real toilet and a poo character will appear on the monitor to tell you your fortune that day.

Poo Exhibition

Learn all about poo at the display board which features lots of interesting information.

Burp Kid

Why do we burp when we drink fizzy beverages? Burp Kid will explain it to you.

Take a photo with the giant poo

At the end of your trip to the event, take a commemorative photo next to the giant poo pile and butthole.

This is just a snippet of what there is to see at Kyoto’s bizarre poo exhibition. Visit to learn all about something we all do but don’t talk about!

Get ready to dine on desserts in style as Shiseido Parlour announces its second-ever Midsummer Parfait Fair at its Salon de Cafe in Ginza which will be held from August 1 to 25.

Four incredible summery parfaits make the fair’s lineup, each centred around local and seasonal fruits. This year sees the return of the popular mango, fig and strawberry flavours, and for the first time ever, a melon flavour made with melons from the city of Furano in Hokkaido.

Hokkaido Prefecture Furano Melon Parfait – ¥1,980 (Tax Included)

Made with sweet and fragrant Furano melons grown in Hokkaido’s city of Furano, this angelic delight of a parfait is made with classic silky vanilla ice cream, refreshing hibiscus jelly, and for added accent, a squeeze of cranberry sauce. The fresh melon piece toppings are packed full of mouth-watering melon juice. The melon is served in several different ways for textural enjoyment including skinless slices, a slice with the skin on, and melon balls.

Wakayama Prefecture Kinokawa Fig Parfait – ¥2,160 (Tax Included)

The seasonal figs in this parfait have been grown and nurtured laboriously. The figs are plucked in Wakayama prefecture and are served fresh on your dessert. Tucked under the hearty serving of figs is a red wine-laced compote, sauce and sherbet while placed gracefully on top is a baked tuile. There is also a fig and apple jelly for that cheek-sucking sweet kick.

Okinawa Prefecture Apple Mango Parfait – ¥2,580 (Tax Included)

If you love mangoes, then you’re in for a treat with this parfait which is prepared with mangoes from Okinawa which have been cut up into different shapes and sizes. The dessert contains a midsummer medley of ingredients including a tropical homemade mango sherbet, an exotic sauce, milk flavoured ice cream, and cranberry sauce. Savour the succulent taste, smooth texture and sweet aroma of the elusive Keats mango, the richest and most delicious of all mangoes, and one which has only a limited production in Okinawa from mid-August onward.

Nagano Prefecture Hatake Kobo Koihime Strawberry Parfait – ¥1,890 (Tax Included)

Finally, this tempting parfait is made with strawberries from Hatake Kobo in Nagano. Because of the regional climate of Nagano, these gorgeous strawberries are delicious from summer through fall. They are served with classic vanilla ice cream for the absolute perfect pairing.

Which of these do you want to try the most?♡

The Leo Lionni cafe located at Sunday Brunch, MARRONNIER GATE GINZA 1 is remaining open for a longer period due to popular demand. The limited-time cafe will now be open until September 29. This cafe is themed around the world of Leo Lionni; a famous children’s picture book author whose illustrated stories include Swimmy and Frederick. Some of his works have even featured in school textbooks. After much anticipation, the cafe has released a brand new menu.

The renewed menu includes three new items which are based on Frederick; the story which has been praised as Lionni’s best and most popular by both children and adults. A new Frederick-themed meal, cake and drink will be made available from July 20. When you order the Frederick-themed meal, the world of Frederick will unfold before you as if it has been cut straight out of the book and served up on a plate. There is no doubt that you will find these dishes so cute that you will not want to eat them.

Frederick’s Sunny Soup and Rice: ￥1,480

This is a corn, pumpkin and minced chicken dish served with a cold soup and brown rice. This depicts the image of Frederick collecting the sun as he does in the story. The rice is served hot.

“I know it” Cheesecake: ￥1,250 (price with drink set)

This is a baked cheesecake made using rhubarb and summer berries sourced from Hotaru Noen Tatsuno Farm, Nagano. This delicious cheesecake depicts the scene right at the end of the story where the mice praise Frederick saying: “but Frederick! You are a poet,” to which Frederick replies: “I know it”.

Frederick Cheese Tea: ￥900 

This is a pineapple iced tea with cream cheese and a Frederick biscuit perched on the top. The pineapple flavour is sweet yet slightly sour. This is bound to leave you feeling refreshed, making it the perfect summer drink. 

From July 13 to September 29, 2019, there will be a special discount campaign running at the Minna no Leo Lionni Ten; an exhibition dedicated to Lio Lionni which is currently running at the Seiji Togo Memorial Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Museum of Art. Please consider stopping by. 

Copyright © 2019 by Blueandyellow, LLC　Licensed by Cosmo Merchandising

GINZA SIX hails as the largest shopping facility in Tokyo’s upmarket district Ginza. This summer, the centre has a prepared a lineup of must-buy souvenirs and gifts, particularly in the food department, that will delight the family back home. Many of these items are available at GINZA SIX only giving you even more incentive to pay a visit while in the capital.

Listed by price range, we have selected some of these summer treats that we know you’ll absolutely want to get your hands on.。

¥999 and under summer gifts made for showing a little thanks

Namacha Tea Jelly @ Nakamura Tokichi Honten – ¥417 (GINZA SIX only)

Tokichi is serving up a special GINZA SIX-only flavour of its matcha namacha jelly with added matcha bean paste. This bean paste is specially prepared matcha wrapped in white bean paste. It has a smooth texture and slight sweetness that marry together deliciously and heighten the richness of the flavour of the matcha.

Summer Limited Kohaku Tani Goldfish Yukata Ver. @ GINZA KYOUKASUIGETSU – ¥550 (GINZA SIX only)

These snacks comes in summery yukata design packaging with goldfish on them. Perfect for reminding one of Japanese summer.

¥1,000-¥2,999 summer gifts for adults

KOHAKU Fruit Bar @ PALETA – ¥1,482

This traditional wagashi (Japanese confection) is made from melted agar agar, sugar and starch syrup which is hardened to create a lollipop-like treat. Each one is handmade and crated with love and care by the confection artisans at PALETA who make them transparent like refreshing Japanese ice candy.

Basket of 5 Mio @ KASHISHOU SUEHIROAN – ¥1,759

This set comes with 5 different seasonal flavours which makes for the ultimate taste-testing gift.

¥3,000-¥4,999 delicious summers gift to share

Semi-Dried Fruits Box @ AYAfarm – ¥3,519

The perfect sharing gift to pick up, this box contains 9 different semi-dried fruits sourced from high quality fruits in Japan. The circular shape of the box make it great as a gift, and since each fruit is packaged individually, they can be enjoyed over time.

¥5,000+ premium Ginza-quality summer gifts for someone special

Parfum du Miel Series @ ハL’ABEILLE – ¥6,000 (GINZA SIX only)

Treat yourself or someone special to this premium lineup of original honeys which include bergamot, cognac and rose flavours. A sweet and tasty accompaniment to tea or ice cream.

This is just a small selection of the items on offer over at GINZA SIX right now this summer. To see more, be sure to plan a shopping trip there while in Tokyo.

28 artist groups and individuals have created artistic pieces to represent Japan’s favourite animated character Doraemon. From July 12 to September 23, 2019, you can see these magnificent creations at the Doraemon Exhibition Osaka 2019 which will take place at Osaka Culturarium at Tempozan.

The Doraemon Exhibition Osaka 2019 features a range of artists who exhibit their works in Japan and even in foreign countries. This is a fantastic chance to meet a range of new Doraemon that the world has never seen. This event covers a range of genres through modern art that is overflowing with creativity and dedication for the anime character that has grasped the nation. 

On July 11, the day before the opening of the exhibition, there was a special opening ceremony and private viewing event held exclusively for staff and the press, which was a massive success. 

Press releases of the event reveal that artists Yasumasa Morimura and Sebastian Masuda were present at the ceremony for photos and greetings. 

Yasumasa Morimura commented with deep emotion: “I am so happy to have finally taken part in the Doraemon Exhibition. For this creation, I used lots of paper to make the costumes. I collaborated with Junko Koike, collecting lots of Doraemon manga as raw materials for the dress. As Doraemon has the power to manipulate time and space, and has the ability to create a door that leads to anywhere he desires, I thought a grey dress would be appropriate. In fact, the entire exhibition venue is just like the inside of Doraemon’s pocket ー it is packed with the work of 28 solo artists and groups. What a fun experience it is. I hope that many people in the Kansai region come see this,” he explained.

Sebastian Masuda commented: “I’m actually the same age as Doraemon and I share the same birthday as Noby; the main character from the series. I was born with a love for Doraemon.”

He then commented on his art piece: “I actually wanted to make it as big as the Budha statue at Todaiji Temple in Nara, but we wouldn’t be able to fit it in the venue so I made it two metres tall instead”, he laughed. “I collected materials from markets from all around the world, so the final piece is literally made up of the colours of the world,” he continued. 

His message to the people of Osaka is: “I would love it if lots of children came to see this. It would really make my day to hear reactions from them like “whoa, it’s huge” or “that’s so cool!””

Please come stop by to visit your favourite Doraemon!

Have you heard of Osamu Watanabe? You won’t forget his name by the end of this article. He is an installation and contemporary artist that draws his inspiration from the world of sweets and confections. He has drawn much attention not just in Japan but overseas too in countries like the US, Italy, Turkey, Indonesia and China with his various exhibitions.

Watanabe is set to take his “Museum of Sweets” exhibition to Shinjuku where it will open at the Odakyu Department Store on July 31.

The candy creations will be split throughout 9 different areas such as the titular room Museum of Sweets as well as the Forest of Sweets, Banquet of Sweets, Sweets Aquarium and more, all of which are sure to tickle the taste buds of sweet tooth visitors.

What’s more is that you are permitted to take photos, opening the door for countless photo opportunities for Instagram.

Osamu Watanabe will also be present to host a workshop on 4 separate days so you can craft your own cookie charm using materials Watanabe actually uses in his creations.

Enter a fantastic candy land cooked up by the one and only Osamu Watanabe.