Japanese companies LEGS and TRANSIT GENERAL OFFICE are set to open the new cafe TOKYO BOX cafe&space inside Omotesando Hills on September 10, 2020.

For the grand opening of the cafe, it has been announced that it will team up with the manga series Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! to promote the upcoming live-action adaptation. The themed event will run from September 10 to October 12.

Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Sumito Ōwara and serialised in Monthly Big Comic Spirits. The live-action film, which will hit Japanese cinemas on September 25, 2020, stars Asuka Saitō, Mizuki Yamashita, and Minami Umezawa—all members of the Japanese idol group Nogizaka46—as the main character.

Customers at the collaborative cafe can enjoy a selection of food inspired by the series as well as get their hands on exclusive merchandise.

The full menu and merch list will be announced in early September on the cafe’s official website.

Halloween is creeping its way early to Q-pot CAFE. in Omotesando, Tokyo, as the cafe announces its “Mad Sweets” themed Halloween menu for 2020. The Gothic-inspired menu will be served from September 9 to October 31 and will be centred on “Sister Obake-chan,” a cute and original ghost nun character conceived by the cafe.

Mad Sweets Sister Obake-chan Plate with Drink | ¥2,060 (Tax Included)

Sister Obake-chan is made from sweet and fluffy vanilla mousse and is filled with a sweet and sour berry sauce. Next to her is a cookie gravestone, pumpkin macaron, and a bone meringue.

Mad Sweets Bone & Ribbon Drinks | ¥750 (Tax Included)

There are both hot and iced variants of the Bone & Ribbon drinks. The hot version is a hot chocolate made with black cocoa-laced cream and topped with a crossbone meringue. The iced drink has a cuter appearance mixing pink and white colours together. It’s a strawberry shake topped with a cute ribbon meringue.

Happy Halloween Afternoon Tea Set | ¥2,400 Per Person (Tax Included) | *The photo is a serving for 2 people

Q-pot CAFE. is will also serve an afternoon tea set this Halloween with plenty of tasty themed sweet and savoury bites.

The top level of the afternoon tea is plated with strawberry jelly topped with an assortment of berries and a bone-shaped meringue, tombstone-topped blackcurrant mousse, and bat velvet cupcakes. Q-pot CAFE.’s popular jack-o’-lantern macarons also make a return this Halloween.

The bottom level is served with hearty croissant sandwiches filled with duck pastrami and mushroom omelette, pumpkin potage, and skewered olives, tomatoes, and pickles.

Q-pot CAFE. is a must-visit for a Halloween experience in Tokyo this year.

Ginza Sony Park has announced a range of seasonal items and food for Summer 2020.

Toraya Cafe・An Stand

Red Bean Paste Shaved Ice with Matcha & Rice Flour Dumplings | Small ¥841, Regular ¥901 (Tax Included) | Ginza Park Floor B3F | Available: Until September 29, 2020

Loaded with red bean paste and in-house made honey, this limited edition shaved ice is served with matcha sweet bean jelly made with Uji matcha.

Red Bean Paste Shaved Ice with Cointreau & Coffee | ¥540 (Tax Included) | Ginza Park Floor B3F | Available: Until September 17, 2020

This one’s for the grown-ups, served with Cointreau and Hawaiian coffee.

An (Red Bean) Paste – Raspberry | ¥864 (Tax Included) | Ginza Park Floor B3F | Available: Until Late August 2020

Enjoy a raspberry version of the bean paste for yourself which has been mixed with brown cane sugar.

THE CONVENI

CHECKER SHOPPER BAG | ¥7,700 (Tac Included) | Ginza Park Floor B1F

THE CONVENI is selling a checked shopper  bag made from thin PVC so that it does not get dirty easily and also makes it waterproof. The bag, which bears the name of the store, also has pockets inside the bag.

Ginza Sony Park Art Walk

SHUN SUDO – “ART IN THE PARK”

Left: NAIJEL GRAPH | Right: SP. by yuko mohri (Available until August 26)

Ginza Sony Park will also display a range of large-scale art including SHUN SUDO’s wall art ART IN THE PARK, work from NAIJEL GRAPHIC, and more.

BOTTEGA VENETA ‘THE CHAIN’ Exhibition Image | August 16, 2020 – August 30, 2020

A huge installation art piece called THE CHAIN by BOTTEGA VENETA will be displayed on the rooftop for a limited time. This installation piece has been taken around the world, and serves as a message of strength and connection to people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ginza Sony Park 2nd Anniversary

Free stickers will be handed out until August 16, 2020 to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Ginza Sony Park, which has delivered unique forms of entertainment to Tokyo’s district of Ginza.

Tokyo Tarako Spaghetti opened its all-new, second branch in Harajuku Omotesando on July 31, 2020. The restaurant opened its first branch back in January this year.

To commemorate the opening of the new restaurant, it is serving up two brand new tarako (cod roe) spaghetti dishes made with Japanese dashi.

Tarako & Kombu Umami With Dashi Spaghetti | ¥990 (Before Tax)

The first new dish is a combination of tarako, kombu, and dashi spaghetti. This dish adds a Japanese flair to it by combining tarako spaghetti with tarako boiled in soy. The full flavour of the kombu is extracted when the dashi is poured over, creating an irresistible flavour.

Three Fish Egg Tarako Spaghetti | ¥1,390 (Before Tax)

The second new dish on the menu is the “Three Fish Egg Tarako Spaghetti” which combines lots of tarako with toppings of salted salmon roe and flying fish roe. There’s a whopping 100g of fish eggs on there, so you won’t be going hungry with this filling, colourful serving of spaghetti.

Discover new kinds of tarako spaghetti dishes at Tokyo Tarako Spaghetti Harajuku Omotesando.

bibbaR, a cafe in Osaka, is currently celebrating the launch of children’s author Tomonori Taniguchi’s new picture book Kamereon no Kakigooriya (The Chameleon’s Shaved Ice Shop) with a special line-up of shaved ice recipes inspired by the book which are currently being served until August 31, 2020.

The colourful and fruity collection is the number one way to cool down this summer in Japan.

The shaved ice line-up is based on the colourful chameleon’s shaved ice that he sells at his shop. It’s a full realisation of the character’s shaved ice creation come to life which can be topped with various sauces and fruits.

Rainbow Shaved Ice (5 Sauces): ¥1,500 (Before Tax)

Ordering this gets you all five of the sauces: soda, honey & lemon, strawberry, kyoho grape, and melon. Create your own rainbow of flavours.

Sun – Honey & Lemon Sauce With Mixed Juice Foam: ¥1,200 (Before Tax)

Sea Breeze – Soda & Salted Vanilla Cream and Foam: ¥1,100 (Before Tax)

The “Sun” shaved ice is a combination of everybody’s favourite honey and lemon as well as mixed juice, while the “Sea Breeze” mixes salt with vanilla and soda.

Sunset – Apple Sauce & Strawberry Foam: ¥1,300 (Before Tax)

Dawn – Fresh Kyoho Grape Sauce & Blueberry Sauce: ¥1,500 (Before Tax)

Forest – Fresh Melon Sauce & Lime Mint: ¥1,500 (Before Tax)

Order the red “Evening” for a refreshing and sour mix of apple and strawberry, the “Dawn” which is topped with lots of grape sauce, or “Forest” for a summertime blend of ripe melon, lime, and mint.

Beat the summer heat this season with one of Chameleon’s shaved ice recipes.

Japanese tea shop Susumu Chaya started up a takeout service for shaved ice on Tuesday (July 7) at all of its branches including in Kagoshima as well as Jiyugaoka and Shibuya’s DESCENTE TOKYO in Tokyo.

The shaved iced takeout service was originally only available at the two Tokyo branches, but now customers in Kagoshima can enjoy the tea-flavoured desserts.

Matcha Shaved Ice: ¥750 (Before Tax)

Made using Susumu Chaya’s “koicha,” a rich and full-bodied matcha variety.

Houjicha Shaved Ice: ¥750 (Before Tax)

The houjicha shaved ice is made using only first-grade tea leaves picked by Susumu Chaya. It has a refreshing taste.

The shaved ice can be ordered for takeout or eaten inside the cafes. Enjoy the full flavour of Japanese tea coupled with a refreshing portion of shaved ice.

Kyoto-based chocolate bar BEL AMER Kyoto Villa is serving up the perfect line of new chocolatey bites for summer 2020.

The entire line-up is a delight to look at, from a mountain of chocolate piled on top of shaved ice, a summertime mango and melon dessert, and more.

Chocolate Noir Shaved Ice x Matcha: ¥1,540 (Tax Included)

Shaved ice is the quintessential summertime dessert in Japan, and since this one is being served at a shop specialising in chocolate, what better way to serve it than drizzled in a mountain of the stuff? The shaved ice is covered in rich chocolate cream and chocolate sauce and is topped with chocolate nibs. It’s also served with a side of matcha sauce which you can pour over yourself, creating a delicious harmony of flavours.

Mille-Feuille au Chocolat Exotic With 196℃ Chocolate Ice Cream: ¥1,650 (Tax Included)

This summertime dessert is made with lots of mango and melon. In the centre of it all is even more mango, as well as pineapple and coconuts, for a flavourful layered experience. Served on the side is ice cream made from BEL AMER Kyoto Villa’s own original couverture chocolate.

Summer Pavlova: ¥1,320 (Tax Included)

This piece of art of a dessert is a must for lovers of matcha and melon. It’s made from fluffy meringue topped with white chocolate, matcha mousse, and chocolate cream, which itself is then topped with refreshing melon and grapes for a refreshing kick.

Chocolate Croquette Sandwich: ¥990 (Tax Included)

BEL AMER Kyoto Villa is also serving up a very unique dish indeed which mixes together chocolate and croquette—a flavour that actually works, combining sweetness and bitterness. The croquette is made from potatoes. The brioche sandwich also contains cheese and bacon.

These are just some of the delights on show at BEL AMER Kyoto Villa this summer. If ever you’re in Kyoto, be sure to stop by, especially in the summer.

For this summer only, a limited-time gourmet shaved ice shop called “VERMICULAR PREMIUM SHAVED ICE SALON” is opening up inside VERMICULAR VILLAGE in Nagoya from July 2 to September 13.

The exquisite shaved ice options are topped with fruit confitures which are made without any water involved, allowing for the original flavour of the fruits to come through, as well as adzuki beans cooked with Vermicular cookware, and more. The shaved ice is served inside Vermicular’s high quality mini pots, which have been kept cool, meaning the ice doesn’t melt when it’s put inside, meaning it stays nice and fluffy until the end.

There are three to pick from, and underneath each the shaved ice is a blancmange which goes hand in hand with the shaved ice flavours.

Strawberry, Pistachio, & Condensed Milk: ¥1,300 (Before Tax)

This ice pot is topped with a strawberry jam which was made using no water, and pistachios—which go really well with the fruity confiture. At the very bottom is a condensed milk blancmange, making it delicious down to the last spoonful.

Nishio Matcha, Adzuki Beans, Brown Cane Sugar Warabimochi, & Houjicha: ¥1,500 (Before Tax)

Next is a matcha flavoured shaved ice pot made with adzuki beans and matcha grown in Nishio, Aichi. Sat at the bottom of the pile is a houjicha tea blancmange and brown cane sugar warabimochi.

Mango, Passion Fruit, & Coconut: ¥1,300 (Before Tax)

Lastly is a mango and passion fruit sauce covered shaved ice with coconut milk and a topping of fresh mango. At the bottom is a coconut blancmange.

Q-pot. and Q-pot CAFE. introduced a special cherry parfait to its menu on June 27 to help support cherry farmers whose work has been affected by COVID-19.

Due to less people travelling and sightseeing around Japan as a result of the lockdown and self-isolation practices, orders for cherries are being cancelled, and many festivals across Japan too are being cancelled, all of which is having a huge affect on the country’s cherry industry.

The current season is the best time to enjoy Japan’s juicy cherries, and so Q-pot CAFE. has teamed up with a cherry farm in Yamagata, a prefecture famous for its cherries.

Cherry Cherry Parfait (w/Drink): ¥1,850 (Tax Included)

The “Cherry Cherry Parfait” is topped with snow-white whipped cream, crunchy meringue, and cherries for a gorgeous contrast of red and white.

The cherries used are considered a high-grade type called “satonishiki” which has been dubbed the “King of Cherries.” They sit gracefully atop their kingdom of sweet ingredients including salt milk ice cream, chocolate, cherry jam, sponge cake, and panna cotta.

The cherry farmers are taking all the necessary safety precautions against COVID-19 while they continue to delivery delicious cherries to the people of Japan.

For this year’s summer season only, Tokyo-based Italian restaurant Terrace Dining TANGO is serving three original shaved ice desserts from July 1 to August 31.

Terrace Dining TANGO is a restaurant located in The Place of Tokyo, a wedding venue that faces Tokyo Tower. Every summer, the restaurant serves special limited-time shaved ice. They use water with absolutely no impurities that is frozen slowly over a period of 48 hours. This is turned into fluffy shaved ice which the restaurant’s patissiers drizzle in specially-made sauces. This year includes their popular brown sugar syrup-drizzled brown bear shaved ice which is always well received for its cute appearance, as well as their regular strawberry milk flavour, and a new apricot kernel and mango sauce shaved ice.

Brown Bear w/Brown Sugar Syrup: ¥950 (Before Tax/Service Charge)

An original shaved ice conceived by Terrace Dining TANGO which never fails to put smiles of the faces of its customers every year. This year they are adding a Japanese taste to it with a houjicha tea syrup sauce. Inside the fluffy shaved ice is condensed milk and chewy tapioca. If you let the shaved ice melt it becomes like bubble tea with the tapioca pearls.

Strawberry Milk: ¥850 (Before Tax/Service Charge)

A classic serving of TANGO’s strawberry milk shaved ice, doused in a specially-made strawberry syrup and rich condensed milk. Hidden in the centre is a condensed milk cream, strawberry jelly, and fresh strawberries.

Apricot Kernel Milk w/Mango Sauce: ¥850 (Before Tax/Service Charge)

This shaved ice is topped with melt-in-the-mouth apricot kernel cream and lots of fruity mango sauce for a sweet and sour punch.

Terrace Dining TANGO is a great place to visit after going to Tokyo Tower, so if you’re in Tokyo this summer then cool yourself off with some refreshing shaved ice.

Kyoto’s famous tea shop Itohkyuemon began serving four new Uji matcha and shaved ice mixed desserts on its menu yesterday (June 29). Itohkyuemon was founded in 1832 in the latter period of Edo. Ujitawara, the place in Kyoto where the shop is located, is famous for the tea served by Itohkyuemon which has been harvested by the Ito family for years.

Uji Matcha Parfait Ice: ¥1,490 (Tax Included) | Serving: Until Late September 2020 | Avaialble: Itohkyuemon JR Uji Station/Itohkyuemon Gionshijo

The Uji Matcha Parfait Ice uses a blend of matcha and milk-infused ice as its base. It’s then topped with sweet treats like rice flour dumplings, red bean paste, ice cream, matcha jelly, and more to turn it into a parfait.

Uji Matcha Daifuku Ice: ¥1,290 (Tax Included) | Serving: Until Late September 2020 | Avaialble: Itohkyuemon JR Uji Station/Itohkyuemon Gionshijo

This Uji Matcha Daifuku Ice is an upgrade of the one Itohkyuemon served last year. It has a creamy custard base with matcha daifuku hidden in the shaved ice.

Fluffy Uji Kindokei Vanilla Ice Cream: ¥990, Matcha Ice Cream ¥1,090 (Tax Included) | Serving: Until Late September 2020 | Avaialble: Itohkyuemon JR Uji Station/Itohkyuemon Gionshijo

Fluffy Uji Kindokei Rice Flour Dumpling: ¥850, Rice Flour Dumpling & Vanilla Ice Cream ¥970, Rice Flour Dumpling Matcha Ice Cream ¥1,090 Serving: Until Late September 2020 | Avaialble: Itohkyuemon Uji Main Branch

These two “Kindokei” (Gold Watch) servings use more ice. At the main branch of Itohkyuemon they’re more crunchy, while at the JR Uji Station and Gionshijo branches they’re more fluffy.

Q-pot CAFE. is celebrating Japan’s Tanabata festival with a limited-time menu which was introduced on June 27.

Romantic Star Plate w/Drink: ¥2,060 (Tax Included)

This starry delight is plated with a fromage blanc filled with ganache cream and peach jelly. There’s star-shaped meringue macarons filled with cream, creamy blueberry and blackcurrant panna cotta, star-shaped chocolate to represent the Tanabata deities Orihime and Hikoboshi, and a luxurious Q-pot CAFE. macaron.

さらに、レモンの皮を練り込み、サクッと焼き上げた星型クッキーには短冊のようにグラサージュショコラで願い事を込めて・・・クッキーを残さず口にすれば、願いもきっと叶うはず！

Romantic Peach & Elderflower Soda: ¥750 (Tax Included)

Refresh yourself with a summery glass of this peach and elderflower soda which is filled with blue, purple, and pink transparent jelly which twinkle like a kaleidoscope.

Bottled Drinks (Takeout Only): ¥1,296 Each (Tax Included) *Limited quantity available / *¥100 off if you take your own bottle

Enjoy a takeout bottle of “Aurora Lychee Tea Soda” with its romantic pink, purple, and blue gradation. This herb tea changes colour like magic, and contains marrow cheese plant, lychee puree, and Blue Curacao. The twinkling pearl powder makes it glow like an aurora.

There is also bottled Strawberry Tea Soda, Ginger Ice Milk Tea, and Honey Lemon Vinegar Soda.

If you’re in Tokyo this summer, head to Q-pot CAFE. to enjoy a round of pastel-coloured Tanabata confections and drinks.