The Mino region of Gifu is famous for its traditional pottery called Mino Ware, its Gifu lanterns, and much more. Recently, an empty building located in front of Minokamo station in Gifu prefecture was renovated by a company called IDENTITY, who transformed it into a community building called MINGLE. MINGLE is now home to the Japanese tea shop Minokamo Chapo. This tea shop proudly represents the culture of tea and pottery that still remains in the Mino region. In order to share this wonderful culture, they are now offering a new accommodation plan to provide guests with the chance to experience the world of Japanese tea and the rich culture of Mino.

You can also experience tasting and comparing different Japanese teas that are offered by Minokamo Chapo. During your stay, you will also encounter lots of Mino Ware, and be surrounded by a traditional Mino interior decorated with Mino washi paper.

 

1st floor: Café and Bar

You can order the Japanese tea tasting selection at the counter. This space is used as the Minokamo Chapo tea shop from 11 am to 4 pm on weekends and national holidays.

 

2nd floor: Rooms

The rooms are approximately 22m². On top of this space, there is also a shower room and toilet in their own separate rooms.

 

3rd floor: Lounge

This is an area of free space for the guests. There are future plans to decorate this space with paintings and pottery according to the season.

 

The interior of the guest rooms are also packed with the wonders of the Mino region, so we are going to introduce you to a few of its special features. 

Upon entering your room, you will be greeted by the warm light of an Akari lantern. This is a kind of lantern which is recognized as a traditional craft of Gifu prefecture. This lantern design was created by famous artist Isasmu Noguchi, who named it Akari which means “light”.

In the bathroom, you will spot a few stylish mugs which belong to the brand “3rd-ceramics”.  

 The rooms are affixed with paper sliding doors (shoji) and bear beautiful Mino washi paper that is a traditional turquoise-blue colour. 

 

This is the perfect place to enjoy a traditional experience like no other. 

XFLAG STORE + HANEDA is a small branch of XFLAG STORE and is located in Terminal 1 of Haneda Airport. On August 13th, they released three energising bubble tea flavours served in a bottle that you can take on board with you when travelling along domestic air routes. The three bubble tea flavours are; MILK TEA, HOJICHA (a type of green tea) and MATCHA. 

 

These bubble tea flavours are limited to XFLAG STORE + HANEDA and were created with the intention of providing a splash of energizing fun to tiresome travels. 

As long as you screw the lid on properly, you can store your delicious drink in your bag and even carry it onto your flight so you can enjoy it whilst soaring through the clouds. This is the first time a shop at Haneda airport has ever sold a bubble tea drink with the intention of flight passengers taking it on board with them.

 

*Drinks and liquids are usually permitted on domestic flights in Japan. Please check the specific rules of your flight by referring to the official website of your airline. 

 

To commemorate the release of the new bubble teas, XFLAG STORE + HANEDA has launched an Instagram campaign with the chance to win an Amazon gift card worth ￥10,000 (approx. 80GBP/95USD). 

 

To take part in the Instagram campaign for the chance to win a ￥10,000 Amazon gift card, be sure to take a photo with your XFLAG STORE + HANEDA bubble tea drink and then post the picture on Instagram with the following three hashtags:

#旅タピ #タピオカ #空の上で飲めるタピオカドリンク

Four winners will be selected.

 

Get your summer holidays off to a soaring start with a beautiful bottle of bubble tea. 

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy Japanese peaches, which are particularly juicy and sweet around this time. Peaches go well with red bean paste, cream and a variety of other flavours, which is why you will be seeing a lot of peachy desserts this summer. You just have to try them!

 

Today, Instagrammer meme, who is a big fan of cute and stylish cafés, will be introducing you to peach parfaits that you absolutely must try in Aichi prefecture.

 

BLUE STAR CAFE（ブルースターカフェ）／Nagakute

BLUE STAR CAFE has started selling a peach parfait. The peaches are so sweet and juicy that I was moved to tears. The parfait is made up of fresh cream, vanilla ice cream, peach sherbet and frozen peach. It is simple, delicious and very satisfying. 

 

▼BLUE STAR CAFE

Address: 504 Tsukada, Nagakute, Aichi

TEL：0561 42 6878

Official Website: https://bluestar-cafe.com/

 

Halleloo Garden（ハレルゥ ガーデン）

I was just waiting and waiting for Halleloo Garden to release their peach parfait and I was far from disappointed. Just looking at the pretty pink peaches is enough to get your mouth watering. When you cut into the peach, it will explode with colourful popping boba. What a fun parfait.♡

The parfait is made up of a variety of fruits including melon, blueberries, grapefruit and apple. It also contains vanilla ice cream, custard, fresh cream, and dried fruit too. Be aware that the contents of this parfait will change according to the season. 

 

This peach parfait also comes with peach-flavoured black tea with boba. Add this to your parfait and notice the change in flavour as your parfait becomes a milk bubble tea! This was my first experience of popping boba. It was such a fun experience to bite into the boba and feel them explode, flooding my tastebuds with a delicious juicy flavour. Whether Halleloo Garden can serve this parfait seems to be dependent on whether they can receive peaches from their supplier, so I recommend phoning up the café before you turn up to if you want to try this. 

 

▼Halleloo Garden

Address: Kami-222-1 Miyoshicho, Miyoshi, Aichi

TEL: 0561 56 1080

Official Website: http://www.halleloo.jp/

 

merry café（メリーカフェ）／Toyoake

merry café serves a beautiful peach parfait that looks just like a bouquet of flowers.

The simple peach compote allows you to enjoy the natural deliciousness of the peaches. During this season, finding peaches that are highly sweet can be a bit of a hit or miss, however there is no doubt that they will be sweet when made into a compote. It was a delicious peach parfait. ♡

 

▼merry café

Address: 7-18 Komochimatsu Shindencho, Toyoake,

TEL：0562-91-3230

Opening Hours: 11:00 ー 15:00, 17:30 ー 22:00

Official Facebook Page: https://ja-jp.facebook.com/merrycafe1218/

 

 

All these pink peach treats look so beautiful. This peachy season is the perfect time to wrap yourself in the wonderful fragrance of sweet peach. Please check out meme‘s Instagram which is full of information on cute cafés you can visit for delicious desserts. 

 

Author/ Photographer: meme

 

Using only the finest tea leaves, CHAVATY makes high quality tea lattes. Using Saemidori tea leaves that can only be enjoyed during one season of the year, they created two new drinks: BOTTLE GREENTEA STRAIGHT and SHINING CITRUS WIND, which has refreshing citrus flavour. Both these new drink flavours will be released on June 13, 2019.

BOTTLE GREENTEA STRAIGHT　￥580 (before tax)

The first tea pick of the season is said to give the most fresh and delicious flavour. The first Saemidori tea leaves grow fastest in Tanegashima, however Yakushima follows in second place. This is where CHAVATY picks their tea leaves for the BOTTLE GREENTEA STRAIGHT. The young, fresh Saemidori tea leaves are cold brewed in order to extract the full flavour of the tea. The Saemidori is blended with Yabukita, which makes up more than 70 percent of the country’s tea, and Asatsuyu, which is known as a naturally high quality tea.

 

Saemidori tea has a beautiful colour and a rich flavour. Its delicious sweetness spreads gently through your entire mouth. The tea leaf sprouts are full of the nutrition which was stored up over the winter. It is even said that drinking tea made with young and fresh Saemidori tea leaves picked at the start of the season will keep you healthy for the entire year.

SHINING CITRUS WIND　￥680 (before tax)

Like the way the radiant sun sparkles, the SHINING CITRUS WIND consists of aromatic yellow German chamomile which is infused with plenty of rejuvenating ingredients such as orange, citrus peels, and refreshing lemongrass. Along with the rich aroma and of dried fruit, this luxurious tea is bound to get your mouth watering for tea time.

 

These elegant, delicious and fresh teas are perfect to get your mouth watering for the start of spring.

If you’re in Harajuku this spring then you’ll want to head on over to CHAVATY, a shop that sells tea lattes made using high quality tea leaves. The shop just released its two new “SNOW SHAKE” and “&TEA LATTE” beverages on April 26.

SNOW SHAKE: ¥780 (Before Tax) – Uva, Houjicha, Matcha

First up on the menu is the SNOW SHAKE which comes with three tea options: uva, houjicha and matcha. Once you have picked your tea of choice it is made into a delicious shake, nice and cool for the spring weather. It’s finished with a sprinkling of white chocolate for that refreshing finish. The drink maintains the original flavour of the tea leaves with added sweetness when shaken.

&TEA LATTE: ¥780 (Before Tax) – Uva, Houjicha, Matcha

The &TEA LATTE also comes in one of the three teas. This beverage is half tea ice cream (accompanied with a rice flour dumpling) and half tea latte. This means you get to enjoy CHAVATY’s two most popular menu items at the same time. The tea and ice cream also come as a flavour set, so if you pick uva tea your ice cream will be uva flavoured too.

 

Cool yourself off this spring with one of CHAVATY’s heavenly new drinks.

Tokyo tea restaurant Restaurant 1899 Ochanomizu is set to open its Matcha Beer Garden this summer from June 1 to September 30.

For the five time ever in its 5-year run, Matcha Beer Garden will sell a “Matcha Highball.” This drink is a mix of bitter Uji matcha and full-bodied whisky. It has a unique deep green colour and is surprisingly refreshing and easy to drink. Your mouth is gently filled with the taste of matcha with one sip of this special Japanese-style highball.

The restaurant recommends having the beverage with the “Chiken Karaage & Matcha Mayonnaise.” There is no other place you can enjoy such a combination: a matcha highball and chicken karaage in one.

The beer garden’s most popular item is the “Matcha Beer.” By adding matcha to the beer, the restaurant has created a healthy beer cocktail that has a distinct smooth texture and bitter flavour. The deep green colour also makes it photo-worthy!

 

There are six “Tea Beers” you can enjoy with the all-you-can-drink service, and the Matcha Beer counts as one of them. The “Houjicha Black Beer” is for the real grown-ups, a black beer with a full-bodied flavour and smell. The “Wakoucha Beer” is made with domestic black tea and as such maintains its natural sweetness and gorgeous fragrance. Others include the “Black Matcha Beer,” “Black Wakoucha Beer” and the “Non-Alcoholic Matcha Beer.” Each and every one of these tea beers is poured with care and consideration by the restaurant’s tea experts.

 

Together with the tea beers there are a total of 11 beers to kick back and enjoy with the all-you-can-drink service which includes the restaurant’s standard beer, black beer, half & half, non-alcoholic beer, and bottled beer. There is also “Matcha Wine,” an original blend of white wine and matcha. It’s an easier drink to pick for most meals with its perfect match of crisp white wine and slightly bitter matcha.

There are twelve dishes to choose from, including two new ones, that best go with this line-up of tea alcohol. The centrepiece new dish is the “Oomugi Gyu Sencha Roast Beef.” The beef is topped with sencha tea leaves and roasted carefully on a low heat. The effect of the tea gives the meat an even softer quality as well as a faint tea flavour. The new “Fish Carpaccio” comes with white fish drizzled in sencha-infused oil.

 

Returning dishes include “Tea Sausages,” “Matcha & Houjicha French Fries,” “Matcha Potato Salad,” “Matcha Mayo Karaage” and more.

To finish off your meal, choose from one of the restaurant’s delicious tea desserts such as the “Matcha Cake” made with sake and matcha, the “Houjicha Cake” which combines brandy, wine and houjicha, or the restaurant’s homemade purin with which you can pick from 3 different sauces: matcha, koucha or houjicha.

 

If you’re a tea-lover then you won’t want to miss out on this beer garden!

Nana’s green tea released a new menu that is perfect for the spring/summer period. This new menu features drinks that were never seen before on the autumn/winter menu!

Order the adzuki bean strawberry cream latte to enjoy the grainy texture of the adzuki beans and the sweet acidity of the strawberries. Nana’s original Tokachi adzuki beans and milk are the perfect latte combination. This is topped with sweet and acidic strawberries and strawberry sauce. The flavour changes as you mix it, so mix it how you like! Enjoy the balance of the simple sweetness of the adzuki latte and the sweet, tangy accent of the strawberries. The drink’s appearance is also very beautiful! (Drink on the front row in the middle)

 

This black sesame seed shirotama latte contains lots of black sesame seed paste, creating a smooth texture as you drink it. This is mixed with milk and topped with chewy rice flour dumplings (shirotama). Take a big gulp of the black sesame seed and smooth dumpling latte and the delicious flavour will spread all over your mouth. You can enjoy this hot or iced. (Drink on the front row on the right)

 

The black sesame seed soft cream latte is making a comeback due to popular demand! Its delicious, rich flavour just fills your mouth. The latte is topped with soft cream. The syrupy, rich black sesame seed latte and refreshing, cool soft cream is the perfect combination.

 

 The Houjicha jelly latte is made from original houjicha tea that has been ground to a fine powder like matcha. Although a lot of houjicha is used, it is just the right amount so that you can’t feel the grains but can enjoy the special and delicious aroma. Handmade houjicha, whipped cream and black syrup is the topping for the latte. The rich flavour of the houjicha latte combined with the refreshing, low-sugar houjicha jelly is a treat you can only enjoy for a limited period! (Drink on the left of the back row)

 

The lemon syrup for the lemon soda is made from lemons sourced from Akinada Tobishima Kaido (Hiroshima) and sugar sourced from Japanese sugar beet. You can enjoy the texture of lemon rind and the fresh sour flavour of lemon. This is the perfect fizzy drink to combat the humid rainy season and extremely hot summers. (Drink on the left of the front row)

 

Nana’s green tea is serving up many photogenic and delicious drinks! Please come check it out!

The RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka is bringing a colourful tea themed dessert buffet to its Remone restaurant and bar annex this spring. It will run on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and weekends from May 10 to June 18.

 

This will be the second time the hotel has held this event.​ Around 25 desserts and 15 light meals will be served all flavoured with various teas, mainly yamecha but also matcha, sencha and houjicha too.

As a welcome dessert, you can look forward to a rich yamecha flavoured tiramisu which comes with kaga-boucha cheese tea. The tiramisu sponge is soaked in yamecha syrup and thoroughly covered with yamecha powder to elevate the tea flavour even more. The cheese tea comes with black chewy tapioca. It’s made first with a mascarpone cheese cream and flavoured with kaga-boucha. Mix to combine three delicious flavours.

The buffet will look like a tea farm as you attempt to choose which to dig into next: the matcha shortcakes, houjicha roll cakes, houjicha panna cotta with ginger cider jelly―the list goes on.

The matcha parfait lets you put on whatever toppings you like. It comes with adzuki beans, skewered rice dumplings in a sweet soy glaze, warabimochi, and more.

Light meals include tea soba noodles with whitebait caught in Suruga Bay, green tea rice porridge, a tomato, chicken and veggie hot pot, a focaccia sandwich filled with finely chopped cookie vegetables, meat and egg, and so on.

 

If you love tea, you’ll love this tea soaked food buffet.

Japan is the number one country for green tea-flavoured drinks and sweets and they’re getting more and more popular! Now we will be introducing our recommendations to you! Some of our recommendations are only available for a limited period so please check them out!

Japanese milk tea specialty shop “OCHABA”（オチャバ）

OCHABA is set to open as Japan’s first shop specialising in milk tea that uses Japanese tea leaves. The doors will open to the store on floor B1F of Shinjuku Lumine EST on March 22nd. With Mount Fuji as their symbol, the shop will open selling a hot Espresso Milk Tea and iced Royal Milk Tea both of which will use tea leaves from Shizuoka. The drink is topped with a traditional Japanese jelly-like sweet called “Warabimochi” that is covered in black honey. You must come try these Japanese flavours! ♩

 

More information: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/182505

 

▶︎ OCHABA

Address: Shinjuku Lumine EST Floor B1F, 3-38-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo

Grand Opening: March 22, 2019

Opening Hours: 11:00-22:00 (Closed when Shinjuku Lumine EST is closed)

 

Taiko-En Matcha Sweets & Lunch Buffet ~Meet with Tea~

Taiko-en, a Japanese garden restaurant in Osaka, will hold a matcha sweets and lunch buffet entitled “Meet with Tea” from May 8 to July 30 where you can indulge in a variety of green tea flavours to your heart’s content. The restaurant is collaboration with the long-standing Uji tea shop Itohkyuemon again this year, who proved very popular last year. Not only can you enjoy tea-flavoured sweets but thanks to the buffet option you can also fill up as much as you want on the lunch menu!

More information: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/181891

 

▶︎Matcha Sweets & Lunch Buffet ~Meet with Tea~

Venue: Luxele, Taiko-En Floor 1F

Address: 9-10 Amijimacho, Miyakojima Ward, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture

Running: Weds May 8, 2019 – Tues July 30, 2019

Time: Slot 1 – 11:30-13:00 / Slot 2 – 14:00-15:30

Price: General ¥4,500 / Elementary School Students ¥2,000 / Children (3+ Years): ¥1,000

*Prices include entry for one, service charge and tax

* Bookings will not be accepted from 30 mins before the time slot begins.

* Customers for each time slot can enter from the start of the time slot and must leave before it ends.

*Slot 2 available on weekends and holidays only.

*A commemorative photo will be taken of diners before the buffet starts

Taiko-En Official Website: https://www.taiko-en.com/

 

Kansai-limited Disney Alfort Uji Matcha

The new Uji matcha flavoured Disney Alfort biscuits were released in Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Wakayama, Nara and Shiga. They are now available at JR Rail stores, major souvenir shops and other train stations, airports and highways. The flavour of Alfort biscuits is as tasty as ever. You can enjoy the deep bitter flavour of the uji matcha to your heart’s content. There are nine varieties of Disney designs on the biscuits. Which character will you get? You’ll have to open the packet to find out! ♩

 

More information: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/181666

 

▶︎ Kansai-limited Disney Alfort Uji Matcha

Releasing:

Fri March 1, 2019 – Shops throughout JR Rail lines in the Kansai region

Tue March 12, 2019 – Major souvenir shops at rail stations, airports and highways in the Kansai region

Bourbon Official Website (Japanese): https://www.bourbon.co.jp/

Bourbon official website: https://www.bourbon.co.jp/

©Disney

 

Gudetama Cafe Matcha Collaboration With MACCHA HOUSE

One of the most popular Sanrio characters you can find at HEP FIVE is the lazy egg Gudetama. Make your way to this Gudetama-themed cafe! For the collaboration, MACCHA HOUSE have created Gudetama versions of their Uji Matcha Tiramisu and Houjicha Tiramisu. Their Matcha Tiramisu, which is served in a special wooden box, has received huge media coverage. The collaboration will run from Thursday 14th March to Monday 6th May. The Uji Matcha Tiramisu and Houjicha Tiramisu have an image of Gudetama designed on the top. Enjoy it while the limited edition menu is about!

More information: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/181060

 

▶︎Gudetama Cafe HEP FIVE

Address: HEP FIVE 7F, 5-15 Kakudacho, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Prefecture

Running: Thurs 14th March ー Mon 6th May 2019

Opening Hours: 11:00am-10:30pm (Last Orders 10:00pm)

No Fixed Holidays. (*Except when HEP FIVE is closed)

TEL: 06-6366-3694

Gudetama Cafe Official Website: http://gudetama.createrestaurants.com/

©1993, 2013, 2018 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO.S592279

 

 

Matcha latte remake: BOBA365（ボバ365）

The new Yaki Brûlée Matcha Latte is an upgrade of BOBA365’s most popular beverage, the Tapioca Matcha Latte Kiwami. It’s a combination of bitter matcha from Shizuoka prefecture and milk. It has just the right amount of sweetness to create an even deeper flavour than the store’s original matcha latte. The top of the latte is scorched for a fun, crunchy texture! The original Tapioca Matcha Latte Kiwami has also be turned into a delicious dorayaki dessert packed with a generous serving of matcha cream. We recommend you try this too!

More information: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/177830

 

▶︎ BOBA365

Address: 2-5-9 Asakusa, Taito Ward, Tokyo

Business Hours: 11:00-21:00

No Fixed Holidays.

Access: 3-minutes on foot from Asakusa Station via TSUKUBA EXPRESS / 10-minutes on foot from Asakusa Station via all other lines

BOBA365 Official Website: https://peraichi.com/landing_pages/view/boba365

 

 

Matcha, Sakura, Mix “Shun shoku soft”

Gion Tsujiri Gion main store has started selling the “Shun shoku soft” (spring-coloured soft serve ice cream). Matcha, sakura and mix ー you can choose your favourite flavours for your ice cream! As it’s cherry-blossom season in Japan, the three-coloured dango dumpling skewer finishes the look! Sweet white bean whip, custard cream, strawberry jelly and many more western and Japanese-style flavours really make this luxurious and spring-themed! This is the best way to enjoy the flavours of sakura and matcha!

More information: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/ja/182652

 

▶︎ Shun shoku soft

Price: ￥800（price after tax）

Available from Friday 8th March 2019 (Sale end date to be confirmed)

※ This information is subject to change without notification

Selling at: Gion Tsujiri Gion main store

 

Gion Tsujiri Gion main store

Address: 573−3 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Shijo, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto

Opening hours: 10:00 ー 22:00

No fixed holidays

TEL：075-551-1122

URL：https://www.giontsujiri.co.jp

 

 

So, what do you think? Make sure you eat loads of matcha sweets!

Hachiya is a tea stand and cafe whose concept aims to reconstruct the culture of Japanese tea for the modern world. The cafe has announced a new tea series that’s made with seasonal fruits and a homemade syrup forged from the delicious juices of the fruits themselves.

 

The first two drinks to hit the tea line are made using wase mikan, a type of orange that grows in October and November. They are available for a limited period from November 15 to January 31 next year.

The syrup used in these drinks is an original blend made by Hachiya themselves. No unnecessary ingredients are used – it’s made simply with high mineral sugar and fresh juice from the orange meaning every sip promises a rich and natural flavour.

Kaneju Specially Selected Sencha x Wase Mikan: Hot/Iced – ¥550 Each (Tax Included) *Small size only

The astringency and sweetness of the sencha green tea along with the hint of sourness in the sweetness of the homemade wase mikan syrup leaves a refreshing taste in your mouth, and the scent of citrus fruits tickle your nose. This drink recreates that classic scene of a Japanese person sat under a warm kotatsu eating oranges.

 

Houjicha x Wase Mikan: Hot/Iced – ¥450 Each (Tax Included) *Small size only

The characteristic fresh taste of houjicha goes exquisitely with the homemade syrup to create a mellow flavour you wouldn’t imagine Japanese tea to have. Compared sencha, houjicha has little caffeine, and because its fragrance has the ability to relax and warm a person up, it’s the perfect beverage for a cold winter’s day.

 

Warm yourself up this winter while you’re in Japan with these new teas!

Tsuboichi Seicha Honpo was first established 185 years ago as a tea wholesale store in Sakai, the birthplace of Sen no Rikyū, a historical figure considered to have had the most influence on the Japanese ‘Way of Tea.’

The company have several locations dotted around Osaka, and they’re set to add another to the list on October 17 when Saryou Tsuboichi Seicha Honpo opens at Namba SkyO.

The new shop will be split into three spaces: the café space, shop space and takeout space. The café space is based on the ‘house in a mountain town area’ concept advocated by Sen no Rikyū. Tea experts will make delicious cups of tea one by one in a relaxed environment which can be enjoyed with handmade sweets that elevate the flavour of the tea.

 

In the shop space you can get your hands on a range of Japanese teas carefully judged and selected by Tsuboichi’s tea connoisseurs in addition to Japanese sweets made using high quality tea, a range of products perfect as gifts, and more. The takeout area is also the first ever at any of Tsuboichi’s locations.

Shinise Honpo no Ocha Man (Matcha): ¥280 (Pre-Tax)

Matcha Smoothie (Rich): ¥280 (Pre-Tax)

For the takeout menu too, the beverages served are poured fresh after your order so you can get the full taste of Tsuboichi’s tea. Drinks include sencha, matcha, a rich-flavoured matcha latte, houjicha latte and more. The shop’s Ocha Man (Matcha) and the Matcha Smoothie and Houjicha Smoothe―both of which you can choose the richness of―are particular must-tries. All three are available at this new branch only.

 

There’s also a workshop taking place for foreign tourists on the 5^th floor of Namba SkyO where people can experience tradition and culture hands on. In line with this, the new Tsuboichi Seicha Honpo shop will sell an original tea and coffee blend for the first time. Around 10 types of single origin tea leaves can be picked from.

 

If you’re looking to test of lots of different Japanese teas then look no further than Saryou Tsuboichi Seicha Honpo in Namba.

Hi, everyone, it’s Midori from the MOSHI MOSHI BOX Harajuku Tourist Information Center.

 

It’s gotten cold lately. It feels like autumn is here. It’s the season where numerous shops in Japan start selling houjicha sweets. With that in mind, I visited CHAVATY, an uva tea shop in Omotesando!

 

CHAVATY is located at the back of Tonkatsu Maisen, a famous restaurant in Omotesando. Maisen is along a road with a lot of signboards so follow it along towards 7-Eleven and you’ll find it. It’s in a part of Omotesando with a calm atmosphere.

I ordered the houjicha soft serve ice cream and the bottled uva tea latte.

 

First up, the ice cream!

You can pick from three flavours: uvacha, matcha or houjicha. I went with houjicha.

 

It’s pretty big. It has a lot of volume too as the ice cream seeps all the way down to the bottom of the cone!

 

It has a really rich flavour, it’s like eating houjicha. It’s ice cream but isn’t sweet at all so I recommend this for the non-sweet tooths out there.

This is the bottle tea latte! Again you can pick from the same three flavours as before. I chose uvacha.

 

Isn’t the bottle so cute?

 

Drinks like this are usually served in cups with or without lids which can be a nuisance when shopping. But with this you get a cap so you can seal it completely and carry on shopping. It might even be an idea to take it home, wash it and fill it again with whatever drink you like.

 

The taste of course is light and it smells good too. It kind of makes you feel like a grown-up.

You can ask for a vinyl bag which looks cute too. The colour scheme is sophisticated Instagram-worthy.

 

Enjoy some authentic houjicha treats for yourself too at CHAVATY.