The pancake specialty cafe Butter is collaborating with illustrator Yuu Itsuki from August 19 until September 4, 2022. Fans of Itsuki’s adorable LINE Sticker series will recognize a few characters appearing in the many dishes popping up during the event. Along with a lineup of sweets, main dishes, and beverages available to enjoy at the store, some special collaboration macarons will be sold as a takeout-only item.

Friendly Fruit Buttermilk Pancakes

Kuma-chan’s Shortcake Pancakes with Handmade Donuts

Kuma-chan’s Sleepy Omu Curry

Lemonade

Blue Lagoon Lemonade

Exclusive Macaron Box (Take-out Only)

Order Bonus for Sweet and Main Dishes: Original Postcard and Pin

Drink Order Bonus: Pin

Come enjoy this sweet collaboration menu featuring Kuma-chan and his two best friends!

Tonomori Taniguchi has an adorable new picture book on the market, and it’s time to celebrate! Bibliotheque, a cafe and bookstore with locations in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Kumamoto, will hold a fair to celebrate the new publication The Bear Who Lost the Moon from July 1 to August 31, 2022. 

Bear and Crescent Moon Pancake with Honey Lemon Vanilla Sauce

Bear’s Pancake Mix

Taniguchi is known for books like 100 Santa Clauses and Chameleon’s Shaved Ice. The special fair for his new book The Bear Who Lost the Moon will feature collaboration pancakes inspired by the sweet story, as well as a limited-edition pancake mix. In addition, live painting and autograph sessions have been planned for Fukuoka and Kumamoto.

Cafe Accueil Ebisu is currently offering a limited Sakura-themed menu featuring pancakes, afternoon tea, and drinks until April 10, 2022.

Sakura & Strawberry Pancakes

Sakura Afternoon Tea

Special Latte with Cherry Blossoms

The seasonal menu includes Sakura & Strawberry Pancakes with pale pink and strawberry red accents, and savory items such as a croissant with cherry cheese cream. Guests can also enjoy Sakura Afternoon Tea, a colorful 12-item menu featuring cherry and strawberry delights. Come enjoy the coming of spring at this gorgeous Tokyo cafe!

Pancake restaurant and cafe Butter is collaborating with Sanrio characters for a limited-time collaboration cafe from March 16 until May 31, 2022! Guests can also grab some adorable and tasty macarons for take-out only. 

Tea Party with Everyone! Sanrio Characters Afternoon Tea

Fluffy Cinnamon Roll Pancakes with Blue Sky and White Clouds

Pompompurin’s Hamburger Plate

Pompompurin’s Piping-hot Pancakes

Pochacco’s Flower Garden Pancakes

Pochacco’s Meat Pasta

Latte Art Drinks

At-home Macaroon Party (Take-out Only)

Menu Order Bonus: Special Coaster (4 varieties)

Chow down on tasty dishes inspired by your favorite Sanrio characters, from pancakes to pasta! What will you be ordering?

People flock to Kanda Myojin to pray for good luck at the start of the new financial year, surrounded by beautiful pink blooms. The shrine offers beautiful sights during the day, and this year, it’s collaborating with digital art collective NAKED to host a beautiful light-up event every evening from March 26 until April 10, 2022.

Kanda Myojin is a hidden cherry blossom viewing spot in Tokyo. This spring-only event is held in the hope that people will pray at Kanda Myojin, one of the most popular power spots in Tokyo, for a great start to the new year.

Guests will be able to see cherry blossom trees lit up in iridescent lights with pink petals projected on the ground. Some of the digital sakura are interactive and change shape and color when you’re nearby. Digital art is even incorporated at the hand sanitizing station, where you’ll see vivid pink sakura projected onto your palms. Visitors will also be handed a special Naked Distance Lantern, which naturally creates distance between others as you hold it up.

Lake Biwa Canal, one of the best places to see cherry blossoms in Shiga, will be completely illuminated each night from March 25 until April 10! The nearby Onjo-ji Temple will also be lit up during the duration of the event.

Lake Biwa, Otsu Spring Illumination – Cherry Blossoms on the Lake Biwa Canal

The Lake Biwa Canal carries water from the biggest lake in Japan to Kyoto and was built during the Meiji era using the best civil engineering technology of the time. Both sides of the bank are lined with almost 200 cherry trees, making it one of the most beautiful cherry blossom viewing spots with a spectacular view leading to Onjo-ji Temple.

Onjo-ji Spring Illumination 2022

Over 600 lights will be set up around the temple grounds to illuminate the cherry blossoms. The national treasures and designated cultural properties will be completely open to the public for nighttime viewing.

Wishing you could be in Japan to see the cherry blossoms? The Cherry Blossom Drone Project on March 27 will be live-broadcasting some of the most beautiful blossoms in the country to viewers around the world. 

Incredible 4K aerial footage will be available to watch on YouTube LIVE for free from 12:00 until 19:00 on March 27, 2022. No matter where you are, you’ll be able to lose yourself in the feeling of spring. 

Three Best Cherry Blossom Viewing Spots Chosen by Sakura Enthusiasts

Breathtaking Mountain Cherry Blossoms at Mount Yoshino in Nara

The First New Sakura Species in Over 100 Years Found in Wakayama Prefecture

A Sea of Cherry Blossoms at Takato Joshi Park in Ina, Nagano Prefecture

Creative company NAKED has opened its popular annual spring event NAKED Sakura Aquarium at Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa until April 17, 2022. 

Since winter 2015, Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa and NAKED have held a number of collaborative events each season based on blending the concepts of sound, light, images, and living things. The centerpiece of this spring event is the immersive area titled ‘Patterns.’ The walls of the aquarium are decorated with fluttering cherry blossoms as petals dance across the ground, pulling guests into a virtual Japanese garden. 

The Garden of Dancing Sakura

Fluttering Sakura

Flower Lantern

Nighttime Dolphin Performance ‘Sakura Story’

NAKED Tsukubai – Sakura Version

Guests can also enjoy a cherry blossom version of NAKED Tsukubai, a virtual hand-washing experience. Why not come experience spring in a whole new way?

Flower Miffy Juice Garden, a drink stand featuring Dick Bruna’s popular character Miffy, is now offering a limited-time cherry blossom beverage at its Asakusa location!

Strawberry

Green Apple

Cherry Blossom Season with Miffy

The Slightly Sakura Drink is inspired by springtime and features a sweet whipped topping with cherry blossom-colored copeau de chocolat. The base of the drink is sakura-colored milk available in green apple and strawberry flavors. Each beverage comes with a Miffy cookie for added cuteness!

A Cherry Blossom flower arrangement is also available for purchase at the Flower Miffy online store. 

Illustrations Dick Bruna Ⓒ copyright Mercis bv,1953-2022　www.miffy.com

Hoshino Resort Aomoriya, an inn where visitors are invited to fully enjoy Aomori’s culture, will begin its Hanami Kotatsu event from April 1 until May 31, 2022. Guests can enjoy local sake while warming themselves beneath a cozy kotatsu. In the chilly Aomori spring, a kotatsu) will be set up beneath the blooming trees for visitors to comfortably view the cherry blossoms. Hot-water bottles will also be available for rent if guests can a little too cold!

April in Aomori is spring according to the calendar, but it’s still quite chilly. Nevertheless, the people of Aomori look forward to flower viewing to overcome the cold winter and enjoy the long-awaited arrival of spring.

Three Fun Additions to Make Cherry Blossom Viewing More Fun

1  A Traditional Umbrella with a Sakura Pattern

Next to each kotatsu is a row of Japanese umbrellas with cherry blossoms painted on them, spreading the pink cherry blossom imagery all around. When opened, the umbrellas are covered with cherry blossoms, making you feel as if you are under the cherry blossoms in full bloom.

2 Choose a Local Sake and Sake Cups for a Flower Viewing Sake Tower

Choose your favorite local sake and three sake cups to make a sake tower! Guests can choose from 10 Aomori sake brands, each with unique aromas and flavors. 

3 Cherry Blossom Patterned Cotton-Filled Hot Water Bottle for Extra Warmth

To keep extra warm beneath the kotatsu, a cotton blanket with a cherry blossom pattern and a hot-water bottle are available for rent. Doesn’t it sound heavenly?

From March 16 until April 20, Maison Marunouchi at Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo At Marunouchi will offer a special spring-only cherry blossom afternoon tea set!

The restaurant’s head chef, Daniel Calvert, is also the executive chef of the French restaurant Sezanne, which was listed in the Michelin Guide last year. Starting in mid-March, visitors can enjoy a variety of cherry blossom-themed sweets created by executive pastry chef Elwin Boyles.

Covered in bright marzipan, the Princess cake was created by Boyles by combining the image of a princess cake, a Swedish cake traditionally eaten on special occasions, and the image of cherry blossoms, which symbolize the coming of spring and new beginnings.

The Pink Gateau Opera combines the image of cherry blossoms with green tea buttercream and almond cream. The Sakura Choux Bombe combines the sweetness of cherry cream and sour lime juice, while the Preserved Sakura Macaron will serve as the perfect Instagram photo. 

Hotel Gajoen Tokyo is known for highlighting the best of Japanese culture, with some rooms used for art exhibitions. To celebrate the coming of spring and the cherry blossoms in full bloom, the location is offering some sakura-themed menu items and a room with a sweeping view of Meguro River and the many sakura trees that line it. 

Special Sakura Kaiseki: ¥6,050 (Tax Included) / Available Weekdays from March 15 – April 8

Sakura Afternoon Tea: ¥4,950 / With Champagne: ¥6,820 (Tax Included), Available from March 14 – April 10

Lunch Set: ¥4,950 (Tax Included) / Available from March 14 – April 10

The hotel’s four restaurants are each offering limited-time cherry blossom items. The Japanese restaurant Tofutei will offer the Special Sakura Kaiseki Set, while the New American Grill Kanade Terrace has added cherry blossom petals to its popular seasonal afternoon tea. The Chinese restaurant Shun Yuki has a themed lunch set, 

Spaghettini with Shrimp, Bamboo Shoots and Sea Urchin: ¥2,200 (Tax Included) / Available from March 1 – March 31

The Italian restaurant Ristorante Canoviano is offering guests a spring-inspired course using seasonal ingredients. 

Cherry Blossom Viewing Bento: ¥4,320 (Tax Included) *Limited Availability

The hotel’s patisserie is selling a limited number of Cherry Blossom Viewing Bento sets perfect for taking on a picnic. 

Meguro River Cherry Blossom Viewing Room: ¥89,000~ (Tax Included) / 1 room, 2 guests / Available from March 18 – April 7

For overnight stays, guests can enjoy cherry blossom viewing from the Meguro River Cherry Blossom Suite. The executive lounge, exclusively for guests, also overlooks the river and is open for afternoon and evening tea. The food and drink menu changes every hour.