Kyoto-based tea company Itohkyuemon is now serving its gorgeous new “Hydrangea Parfait” at each of its cafes.

Hydrangea Parfait: ¥1,290 (Tax Included) / With Drink ¥1,690 (Tax Included)

In Kyoto’s city of Uji, where Itohkyuemon’s cafes are based, lies Mimuroto Temple which is famous for its hydrangeas. The temple bustles with tourists and sightseers during Japan’s rainy season who flock to see the gorgeous gardens. During this season, wait times for the cafe can last up to three hours.

The Hydrangea Parfait is made with mashed sweet matcha hydrangea, hydrangea-coloured crushed jelly, tea leaf-shaped matcha cookies, blueberries, and more.

Itohkyuemon will also be serving a special “Hydrangea Chakai” tea set for ¥1,900 (tax included) which sees the parfait topped with warabimochi. You also get a drink of your choice.

ALL HEARTS COMPANY, a Japanese company that develops bakeries and patisseries across Japan, opened its new bakery and confectionery shop Kyoto Neko Neko in Shijo, Kyoto on June 1, 2020. There, they are serving cat-shaped pastries and desserts including Kyoto-exclusive products from their Neko Neko Bread brand and Neko Neko Cheesecake shop.

Kyoto Neko Neko Danish Bread: ¥1,200 (Before Tax)

This butter-loaded Danish pastry is folded into a braid shape and baked which keeps the pastry moist. It’s topped with a sprinkling of sugar, leaving it glistening. It’s recommended that you first try the pastry as it is—soft and moist. You can then try lighting toasting it which gives it a crispy texture and brings out the delicious aroma of the butter.

Products are packaged in a cute box making them a great gift idea.

Kyoto Neko Neko Cheesecake (On sale from mid-June 2020)

This cheesecake is made with Brie de Meaux cheese and is laced with black cocoa. The luxurious cheese combined with black soy beans and brown sugar syrup jelly makes for a marriage between Japanese and Western flavours. You get an extra layer of deliciousness too with a dusting of soy flour.

Kyoto Neko Neko Bread (Plain): ¥550 (Before Tax)

This Kyoto version of the Neko Neko Bread is still made without water, but rather than using only milk, Kyoto Neko Neko has added soy milk made using soy beans from a tofu shop in Kyoto, lending a smooth and rich flavour to the bread. And instead of mascarpone cheese, Kyoto Neko Neko uses soybean cream, and instead of dairy butter a soy cream butter.

Kyoto Neko Neko Bread (Houjicha): ¥680 (Before Tax)

Kyoto Neko Neko Bread (Matcha): ¥680 (Before Tax)

There’s also a houjicha flavour made with houjicha tea and white chocolate, as well as a matcha flacvour combined with black soybean.

Saryo FUKUCHA is a cafe that was opened by FUKUJUEN in Kyoto Station in April 2019. A new batch of seasonal summertime menu items are set to arrive this June, including shaved ice drizzled in Uji tea and fruit sauce, a refreshing Uji matcha soda made with fresh fruit and jelly, and floats. These items will be served from June 1 to September 30 with a takeout option available.

Summer Menu

Uji Matcha & Fruit Shaved Ice

Matcha Berry Shaved Ice: ¥950 / Strong Matcha Berry Shaved Ice: ¥1,100 / Houjicha Banana Shaved Ice: ¥950 (All Before Tax)

The “Matcha Berry” shaved ice is paired with rich Uji matcha ice cream and berry sauce. It’s also topped with a wafer cake shaped like a flower and filled with white bean paste, rice flour dumplings, and fruit.

Uji Tea White Peach Soda / Uji Tea Lemon Soda: ¥650 Each (Before Tax)

Full-bodied kabusecha tea from Uji made into a soda with fresh fruit pieces and jelly for a refreshing combination. Pick from super refreshing lemon or subtly sweet white peach.

Uji Matcha Float / Houjicha Float: ¥700 Each (Before Tax)

These floats are made using the best tea leaves selected by FUKUJUEN which are used to make a rich and frothy tea latte. Added to that is a dollop of soft serve ice cream topped with red bean paste and dried wheat gluten. Choose between authentic Uji matcha or aromatic houjicha.

Takeout Menu

Strawberry Flower Wafer Cake / Chestnut Houjicha Wafer Cake: ¥350 Each (Before Tax) 

Fruit wafer cakes are a popular dessert at Saryo FUKUCHA, and for the first time ever they are making them available for takeout so customers can enjoy them at home too. Pick from the strawberry flower flavour made with white bean paste or the chestnut and houjicha with chocolate cream.

Cream Anmitsu (Matcha/Houjicha): ¥700 (Before Tax)

FUKUCHAs specially-made anmitsu, or syrup-covered anko bean jam, is the perfect way to cool down on a hot summer’s day. It’s mixed with Uji tea honey and topped with various toppings like milk agar-agar, black soybeans, rice flour dumplings, white peach, raspberry, and mizu manju.

VMG HOTELS & UNIQUE VENUES is now serving a certain strawberry mille-feuille at several locations across Japan’s Kansai region. Available from May 26 to 31, t’s a recreation of the legendary dessert “Napoleon Pie” from Ginza in Tokyo.

In 1966, Sony co-founder Akio Morita opened a restaurant called Maxim’s de Paris with the idea in mind to create a place for adults to meet and socialise over food. Since opening, it has tickled the taste buds of customers with its authentic French cuisine and dazzled them with its deep crimson decor. The “Napoleon Pie” is an especially popular dessert that has gained a legendary status. The custard is laced with fragrant cointreau, and the thick pastry is stuffed with strawberries. The dessert gets its name from how it looks like Napoleon’s hat.

This strawberry mille-feuille is now being sold at select locations in Kyoto and Hyogo for just six days. It’s the first time for the dessert to be served in Kansai.
The dessert is available for takeout so customers can enjoy an at-home cafe experience.

Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art opened its new museum shop ART LAB KYOTO on May 26 where it is set to promote the centre of Japanese culture—Kyoto, a place which reveals in tradition and history while constantly evolving and innovating.

The museum shop opens in line with the recent revamp the museum underwent, with design work co-created by Japanese architects Jun Aoki and Tezzo Nishizawa.

ART LAB KYOTO is a spacious shop were guests can get their hands on goods related to exhibitions held at the museum as well as books and items on everything from traditional Kyoto culture to the city’s contemporary art, items made in collaboration with artists, exclusive sweets, and more.

Let’s take a select look at just some of the items you can pick up at ART LAB KYOTO.

Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art x BEAMS

Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art has teamed up with BEAMS to release a line of original merchandise bearing the museum’s logo—a new logo which represents both the design of the revamped museum carried conceived by the museum’s newly-appointed museum director Jun Aoki, and contemporary art. The merchandise’s design is minimal, combining white and grey.

The line-up aims to function not just as souvenirs, but as items that can be used in everyday life, from bags to notebooks and more.

Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art Collection x Miyawaki Baisen-an

Miyawaki Baisen-an is a preserver of traditional Japanese folding fans which has been around since 1923. The company has joined hands with Kyocera to release an exclusive line of fans that represents the art museum.

Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art Collection x Juko Confections

“Juko” is a confectionery from Kyoto which changes flavours with the season. Twice a month, they will be sold in limited quantities at the shop.

HOSHINOYA Kyoto has introduced a new hotel plan in an attempt to bring a little luxury into people’s lives and lift their spirit during this stressful time. The plan will have people going to Arashiyama to experience a bit of Kyoto culture and hospitality to lift their mood.

You will board a small boat located at the port near the hotel entrance and be taken to your private room. During your sail, you will be able to soak in the gorgeous sights of nature all around. Check-in is being carried out in guest rooms, meaning you won’t have to come into contact with other guests.

You have arrived at your room. HOSHINOYA Kyoto is located in Arashiyama which was formerly a holiday home destination for the Heian aristocrats. There are 25 rooms inside the garden, all of which look out onto the Ōi River. When you slide the window open, you can feel the gentle wind sweep through the valleys. Guest room walls are plastered with beautiful traditional kyokarakami wallpaper and fitted with HOSHINOYA Kyoto-original tatami sofas. Each and every part of the rooms are imbued with Kyoto culture. The rooms are not only comfortable and provide you with everything you need, but also offer a luxurious stay.

Inside your room, there are sutras which can be used for sutra copying, known as sakyou in Japanese, as well as equipment for making matcha to enjoy your own private tea ceremony without having to worry about the tradition’s strict rooms. It’s your very own private Kyoto cultural experience without having to worry about other people.

Dinner can be enjoyed in the main dining hall or in your room. The dining hall is fitted with semi-private booths where you can enjoy a seasonal Arashiyama 9 course kaiseki-ryori dinner with rice, vegetables, a special bento assortment, and more. For breakfast you can enjoy a morning hot pot which uses a special dashi stock packed full of seasonal veggies.

There are also activities to enjoy Kyoto’s breathtaking green outdoors. Mosquito nets made from Japanese red cedar are provided under which you can take part in a stretch routine which uses breathing techniques and meditation.

Outdoor activities are severely restricted right now as a result of COVID-19, but HOSHINOYA Kyoto has made it so you don’t have to do much moving around at all while still enjoying the fruits of nature.

HOSHINOYA Kyotoーthe Arashiyama-based hotel where every room offers a river viewーis launching a new kaiseki multi-course dinner this summer which offers the chance to enjoy the early summer breeze together with the spectacular views of the rainy season. Served with nine dishes, the kaiseki meal will be available between June 1 to July 31 this year.

The days of June in Japan are hot that the month itself also goes by the name minazuki which translates to “the month without water.” However, the evenings are enjoyed for their cool and refreshing air, and so June is also known as suzukurezuki, or “the month of cool dusk.” Not only will guests be able to enjoy the refreshing feeling of the season, but their kaiseki meal will be inspired by the sights of the rainy season, as well as the verdant smells of early summer, too, adding an extra level of freshness.

HOSHINOYA Kyoto’s dining concept goes by the name Gomi Jizai, which has people enjoying all five different tastes: sweet, salty, spicy, sour, and bitter. Ichiro Kubota, the Executive Chef at HOSHINOYA Kyoto, has truly honed his cooking abilities over the course of his career. His father was the head chef at one of the most famous restaurants in Kyoto’s Gion district. It was there that Kubota really began to learn his craft, and he went on to work at first-class and Michelin star restaurants in both Japan and abroad. He has set the standard for Japanese cuisine for the next generation.

Suzukurezuki Appetisers: See and taste early summer with a Hassun dish

A hassun is a kind of dish or tray often used in kaiseki course meals to serve numerous different foods. This hassun is inspired by Nagoshi no Harae, an ancient and traditional summer purification ritual that takes place at temples and shrines in Kyoto in June. It includes goma-dofu, a food similar to tofu made with crushed sesame seeds that’s eaten as a confection during Nagoshi no Harae to cool yourself down during the hot month of June.

It also comes with sweetfish dashi and watershield for that added feeling of coolness, as well as hotarukan which looks like fireflies gathered in the bamboo grass, and a texture-laden bamboo shoot and smoked salmon wrap.

Cool Kamo-nasu Eggplant Assortment: Sweet early summer vegetable appetisers

For appetisers, guests can look forward to some refreshing early summer vegetables, including kamo-nasu eggplant that’s been mixed in lots of dashi, fried, and seasoned with eggplant to elevate the sweetness and combined with ice cream. There’s also red sea urchin which is rich in sweetness, ginger foam, and new lotus root for bite. The bowl it’s all served is made by Nobuyoshi Sasaki and features a lace design. The use of glass serves to enhance that level of freshness from the food.

Conger Eel Hanami: Recreating a hydrangea Hanami in a bowl

The bowl includes fatty conger eel which is topped with more conger eel that has been minced as well as arrowroot daffodils to make it look like blossoming hydrangeas. It is said that conger eels that drink the water at the end of the rainy season become more delicious. Gion Matsuri, a festival held in Kyoto in July, is also called Hamo (conger eel) Matsuri. The dish also includes bonito, tuna, and kombu.

Young Fried & Salted Sweetfish: Smell the verdant fragrances with fried food

Sweetfish is a popular ingredients during early summer in Japan, and this one has been salted and fried. Sweetfish (ayu in Japanese) is also known as kougyo in Japan which means “fragrant fish.” It’s known for its fresh smell which is likened to that of greenery. It’s fried on a charcoal fire for some time which makes the head and tail smell incredible.焼

Cherry Mille-Feuille: A dessert gift from the early summertime

The crowning cherry of this dessert is smothered in acacia honey and then roasted, locking in all of that sweetness. The dessert is made with fresh cream, almond biscuit, and custard cream, all of which is layered to create a multi-textured pie. It’s served with a tonka bean ice cream. Tonka beans come from the same rose family as cherries, meaning they work wonders together.

Kyo no Ondokoro Marutamachi is set to open in the Goshominami area of Kyoto on April 25, 2020. The single-accommodation hotel is a complete renovation of a traditional Kyoto-style townhouse.

Kyo no Ondokoro Marutamachi comes as the 7th branch of hotels from Kyo no Ondokoro. It’s a single building to rent for up to 4 people, who can enjoy taking a soak in the man-made carbonated spring bath which is kind to the skin and hair, using the soft water shower, and getting ready in the spacious makeup corner. It’s the perfect getaway for girl groups travelling together.

The hotel is in a convenient location for sightseeing in the ancient capital of Kyoto. The building has been completely renovated to adapt to modern lifestyle while still retaining those traditional elements of a Kyoto townhouse that was built during the Meiji Periodーand in an area that’s rich in traditional scenery.

The lounge space sofa seats are inspired by Japanese rock gardens

The lounge space, which connects the second-floor bedrooms and the washitsu Japanese-style room, are furnished with unique round sofas. All the rooms open up to each other so guests can enjoy the company of each other during their travel stay.

Hinoki cypress artificial carbonated spring bath

Amenities

The round bath is made from hinoki cypress, and the carbonated water lets you stay glowing and nice and warm after you step out of it. The bathroom is also stocked full of amenities like shampoo courtesy of popular brand THREE.

Up to four people can apply their makeup together in the makeup corner

The makeup corner is big enough to sit four people so they can get ready for their day or night out together while chatting.

Colourful art pieces also adorn the walls of the makeup room, Japanese-style room and elsewhere to add a touch of beauty to them.

If you’re planning a trip to Kyoto with the girls then why not book at Kyo no Ondokoro Marutamachi when it opens on April 25?

Starbucks Coffee Japan is set to open a new branch in Japan on March 26, 2020. It will open along Nakamise-dori, a street that leads to Nagano’s famous Zenkoji Temple.

It will open as the Kōshin’etsu region’s first Starbucks Regional Landmark Storeーa Starbucks branch unique to Japan that’s built as a symbol of that area which promotes that region’s culture to customers. They enable coffee-loving visitors to discover or rediscover the wonder of a region’s history, culture, craftsmanship, and industry, while building a connection with the region through those discoveries. The branches incorporate various local design elements into them.

The new branch, called Starbucks Coffee Shinshu Zenkoji Nakamise-dori, neighbours the Niou Gate of Zenkoji Temple. It’s a place where you can sit down with a delicious cup of coffee and relax while feeling the history of the place. The coffee shop’s design and decor also takes inspiration from local history and culture, their concept behind “Busy and Quiet, Light and Dark.” It’s situated a little away from the hustle and bustle of Nakamise-dori, and houses two spacious floors.

The sliding doors and skylight let in a soft light which also casts shadows in places, mimicking the beauty of shade found in a Japanese-style house. The ceiling and walls at the entrance are made from Japanese red pine, while the bar uses five different types of wood from Nagano Prefecture like hornbeam and katsura. The stone lanterns which were in the original building have been put at the entrance, and the great beams on the second floor have been left as they are. All of this preserves the feeling of the local region while small Starbucks touches are added here and there, resulting in a unique Starbucks experience.

FLOWERS BY NAKED is an annual flower-themed digital art event held by NAKED Inc. As part of this year’s event, FLOWERS BY NAKED 2020 – Sakura –, a special addendum event entitled “Nijo Castle Sakura Matsuri” will take place during the evenings at the World Heritage Site Nijo Castle From March 20 to April 12 this year.

FLOWERS BY NAKED is an interactive digital art experience. It has been held at Nijo Castle during the autumns of 2018 and 2019, but this will be the event’s first time being held in Kyoto during the spring season. 2020’s theme is cherry blossoms, and this will be showcased in a number of wonderful ways.

Prologue | NAKED BIG BOOK

“NAKED BIG BOOK, a monument of the beginning of this exhibition, will show collaboration works by an artist Ryotaro Muramatsu and a photographer LESLIE KEE. LESLIE KEE contained energy into photographs as the quiet expression, and Ryotaro Muramatsu reinterprets his works to dynamic photography art.​”

Arrival of Spring | Kara-mon Gate (Important Cultural Property)

“Projection mapping expresses the coming of Spring on Karamon-Gate as an important cultural property.”

Flowers Wall ~ SAKURA ~ | Inner Moat

“Projection mapping of impressive sakura on the moats in Nijo-jo Castle. The landscape will transition following sakura.”

Sakura Droplets | Seiryu-en Garden

“A mystical space surrounded by real sakura where bubbles confined spring fragrance float as the sakura droplet.​ ​”

The event is working on countermeasures against the coronavirus, such as installing disinfectants and having staff wear masks. It requests that visitors take normal measures against the infection such as cough etiquette and washing your hands. Click here for more information.

FTG Company, which operates 74 restaurants inside and outside Japan, is set to open its new restaurant Nikukappou Futago at THE JUNEI HOTEL Kyoto in Higashiyama, Kyoto on March 27, 2020 where it will serve authentic Japanese wagyu beef and full courses.

THE JUNEI HOTEL Kyoto is a small luxury tourist hotel housing eleven rooms in total, including its Bamboo Suite. Bamboo can be found throughout all the rooms as part of the hotel’s concept: “A sojourn embraced by bamboo in a moonlit space.” The rooms, as well as the hotel interior overall, showcases beautiful traditional handiwork using bamboo.

Inside Nikukappou Futago

Nikukappou Futago fuses traditional Japanese elements with modern ones. It features half-size eating areas as well as private areas. Customers can expect their private dining experience to include freshly-cooked full courses with high quality Japanese wagyu and seasonal ingredients.

Menu in Japanese　*Menu will change monthly

Nikukappou Futago’s concept is “A relaxed adult’s Iki.” The word iki here refers to a range of different meanings in Japanese, like “sophistication,” “breath,” “spirit,” and “life.” The restaurant will work to serve a hospitable service that enables each and every person to enjoy that iki that lives inside them.

Foie Gras & Wagyu Filet Mouthful Bowl

Wagyu Loin & Kyoto Vegetable Shabu-shabu

The course is made with seasonal ingredients and vegetables. Plus, in using a range of cooking methods, the original flavour meat of the meat is intensified.

Wagyu Sirloin Sumiyaki

Enjoy a selection of high-quality rare wagyu cuts like sirloin, filet, loin, and more. You can also enjoy a selection of classic Japanese dishes like yakiniku, shabu-shabu, and sukiyaki, all in one course.

Like the changing seasons in Kyoto, the menu will be altered every month to bring something new. Discover your iki and enjoy a great meal at Nikukappou Futago.

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.