With the weather getting colder and colder, don’t you just want to snuggle up indoors under a nice warm blanket and eat tasty sweets and snacks? well, if you’re in Tokyo this autumn, head to Hoppe Town on the first floor of Daimaru Tokyo where they’re selling a bunch of different seasonal sweets from November 20 to 26. We’re going to showcase a select few.

Cookie Doumei Assorted Box

Contains 10 (5 Types, 2 Each) – ¥1,900 @ Cookie Doumei (Floor 1F)

Enjoy a box of assorted cookies made by a UK-based cookie brand with a recipe like that mother uses. These simple baked cookies are made with wheat flour from Japan, fruits, spices, and chocolate.

Premium Chocolate (Dark/Matcha)

Contains 5 – ¥1,080 Each @ Dari K (Floor B1F) *Available until December 3, 2019

These crunchy and buttery biscuit sandwiches come in two flavours: a dark chocolate and salt, and a matcha made with freshly powdered matcha from Kyoto. These biscuits only appear a few times in Tokyo throughout the year at events, so don’t miss out on this rare opportunity.

Chocolate Canelé

¥345 Each @ Le Soeur (Floor 1F)

Bearing a crunchy exterior and chewy inside, these rich chocolatey canelé are topped with almond for added texture. Change it up and put them in the fridge to set for a crispier texture.

Caramel & Raspberry

Contains 5 – ¥675 @ Caramel Verger (Floor B1F) *Available until December 3, 2019

These crunchy chocolate cookies are filled with a mix of dried fruits, caramel and cornflakes. The sourness of the berries coupled with the smoothness of the caramel is to die for!

Premium Natural Sweets

Contains 10 – ¥1,500 @ Lady Bear (Floor B1F)

These raw chocolates from Lady Bear get their natural sweetness from a delicious agave syrup. Delicious, tempting, irresistible.

Baked Mallow Crystal Cherry

Contains 4 – ¥1,382 @ Baked Mallow (Floor 1F) *Available until November 30, 2019

Graham crackers covered in couverture chocolate with high cocoa content and stuffed with fluffy marshmallow and a whole juicy Amarena cherry. What’s not to like? These are available in a very limited number, don’t miss out!

Which of these six tasty treats are most tempting to you?

Frozen 2 will premiere on November 22 in Japan and America at the same time and to celebrate, the Frozen 2 café will open in OH MY CAFE Omotesando, Tokyo from November 15, Osaka and Nagoya from November 16, Hokkaido from November 21, Futakotamagawa from November 29, Fukuoka from December 5 and Kyoto from December 6. Each café will be open for a limited period only. 

We at the MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON team were as excited as Anna was for Coronation Day and so we headed to the Frozen 2 Café in Omotesando as fast as we could. Today we’ll be showing you the cafés cool decorations, delicious food and original merchandise. 

Stepping into the café was like entering the autumn world of Frozen 2. A few more steps in and Anna was there to greet us. Seeing the awe-inspiring figure of Anna stood nobly before us made us feel that she has matured since the first Frozen film. Customers are free to stand next to the life-sized Anna and have a photo with her. 

The central area of the café is full of icy decorations and the walls are covered in illustrations of autumn leaves. Wander deeper into the café and you will immediately notice the life-sized Elsa. If you look closely, Elsa doesn’t seem to be smiling. Seeing her hardened expression played on our minds. Is the reason for this elaborated in the film?

The food menu consisted of five original dishes and each dish was themed around one character from the film, representing them in a cute way. 

Anna’s Impulsive Sandwiches and Tomato Soup: ¥2,390/with Soup Bowl: ¥3,990

Order Anna’s special meal and you and your friends will be finishing each other’s sandwiches in an instant. The chicken and cheese sandwiches are served alongside a tomato soup which will warm you up right away.

Elsa’s Magical Muffin Sandwich and Pasta Soup: ¥2,390/with Soup Bowl: ¥3,990

A muffin sandwich hugs prosciutto and a white omelette. This is accompanied by a mushroom and pasta soup. The dish is decorated with a dusting of snowflakes and Elsa.

Olaf’s Fun Snowball-Rolling Meatball Plate: ¥2,190

This plate contains a generous serving of vegetables and meatballs. Seeing Olaf’s lively face will instantly put a smile on yours. The blueberry sauce coating the meatballs contributes an interesting flavour to the meal.

Kristoff and Sven: Two Pals on an Adventure Bagel: ¥2,190

Kristoff has been best pals with Sven since he was a child. There’s no separating the two – even when they’re a meal! You’re in for a treat with chunky vegetables and Sven’s favourite: a carrot.

Salamander’s Surprise Bright Red Tomato Curry: ¥2,190

It seems that café-goers have the opportunity to encounter Frozen 2’s new character: a salamander. Pour the curry over the Salamander and something magical happens! The curry is not very spicy so it can be enjoyed by anyone. 

There are four drinks on the drinks menu which are themed on characters and themes from the film. 

Left: Elsa’s Refreshing Lemon Smoothie, Centre: Anna’s Refreshing Very Berry Tea

Right: Frozen 2 Magical Blue Mallow Tea: ¥990/with Drink Coaster: ¥1,690

While Elsa’s smoothie takes on the appearance of her elegant wintery dress, the sweet and tangy berry drink reflects the cute appearance of Anna. If you’re curious to discover the taste of Disney magic then order the Frozen 2 Magical Blue Mallow Tea. Add the lemon to the drink and watch what happens. 

Frozen 2 Warm and Frothy Cheesecake Milk Tea: ¥990/with Cup: ¥2,490

All your favourite Frozen characters have united in the form of a heart-and-body-warming milk tea. After just one sip, you won’t be able to stop.

You definitely cannot miss out on range the OH MY CAFE-limited original goods. Today we’ll be introducing our top picks:

 Frozen 2 Decorations (5 Designs): ¥950

Acrylic Magnets (5 Designs): ¥500

The decoration is sealed in a bag so there is no way of knowing which one you get until you purchase it. Every available design is so cute that you would want to collect them all. 

Picture Book-Style Notebook (3 Designs): ¥950 each

From the style to the cover, this notebook looks just like a picture book. Open it up and you will discover the Frozen 2 characters frolicking together on the right side of the page. 

Crunchy Chocolate (2 Varieties): ¥980 each

This crunchy chocolate comes in a beautiful tin that you will want to keep after finishing the chocolate. Seeing the happy, smiling faces of Anna and Elsa is very reassuring.

Anna and Elsa Cartoon Merchandise

From cushion covers to smartphone cases, there is a large variety of everyday-use merchandise covered with character-like illustrations of Anna and Elsa.

As part of a special promotion event, those who reserve in advance (¥650) will receive a placemat. Customers who spend more than ¥3,000 (before tax) on café limited goods will be presented with a free ballpoint pen, and those who spend more than ¥1,000 (before tax) will receive a shopping bag (first-come, first-served).

These promotion goods are in limited stock so if you are eager to get something, make sure to head to the café as soon as possible. In addition, Olaf fans will be thrilled to know that the special winter-limited event “OLAF in HOLIDAY” will be running from December 20 and will see the release of merchandise and fun events. 

No matter how many times you visit the café, there will always be lots to enjoy and discover. Make sure to stop by for your fill of fantastical Disney magic!

©Disney

Writer：Sayuri Mizuno（MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON）

Roll up to McDonald’s in Japan from November 20 to enjoy the return of the delicious Cinnamon Melts dessert, coming to all branches across the country.

McDonald’s Melts series is a popular dessert in Japan. It introduced the new Double Chocolate Melts earlier this year. Customers have been waiting for the return of the elusive Cinnamon Melts since 2017, the first time the flavour made an appearance in seven long years. Well, their wish has finally come true. Look forward to tucking into soft pastry glazed with cinnamon sugar and drizzled in a sweet cream cheese syrup.

When customers open a box of these delicious delights, their noses are met with the tempting cent of cinnamon. Served warm, they are the perfect choice for tackling the harsh cold weather.

Compare their test with the Double Chocolate Melts which were released on November 6 and are still available for a limited time, or pair them with a cup of Premium Roast Coffee which the fast food chain revamped this year with a richer and more delicious flavour.

BAR & GRILL DUMBO is a restaurant heavily inspired by the Brooklyn neighbourhood town of Dumbo in New York. They will be adding a sprinkle of New York Christmas magic to the menu from November 7 – December 25, 2019 with the Christmas New York lunch and dessert buffet.

The buffet table will be filled with irresistibly cute and delicious desserts. From the Statue of Liberty to Brooklyn Bridge, the background is lined with skyscrapers and New York’s most iconic landmarks. 

The S’more Bar is the perfect opportunity to toast your own marshmallows. Sandwich your molten marshmallow between two crackers to enhance your New York Christmas experience. 

Put your icing skills to the test at the Iced Biscuits Corner where you can enjoy decorating your own biscuits to your liking.

There is more than just desserts, however. You must try the Christmas gratin, which is garnished with a jolly green Christmas tree made from romanesco broccoli. There is also a DUMBO Caesar Salad in the shape of a wreath, a delicious Roast Turkey Breast dish and much more. 

Make sure to pop down to Omotesando for a jolly New York-style Christmas celebration.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Japan is releasing three new end-of-year doughnuts on December 26. They will be available for a limited time only.

2020 is the Year of the Rat in the Chinese zodiac, and so Krispy Kreme has taken that theme to create its own adorable rat doughnut. Lathered in caramel chocolate, this cute doughnut is filled with rock salt caramel cream. Its eyes, tail and large round ears are made of  dark chocolate while its nose is made of coffee chocolate.

The second New Year’s doughnut in the series is the Lucky Strawberry Ring (¥230), which gets its deep crimson colour from the sweet and sour nappage made from strawberry puree and milky white chocolate. It’s finished with sprinkles of freeze-dried strawberries and gold leaf for that festive touch.

The Snowman Chocolate (¥230) is a cute snowman shaped doughnuts filled with a rich chocolate cream and covered in a milky snow white chocolate coating. Together with the Lucky Strawberry Ring, you get a festive mix of red and white which are symbolic colours of the New Year in Japan.

The three doughnuts are also available to purchase in a box set called Good Luck Zodiac Dozen which comes with twelve doughnuts including four Original Glazed®, the chain’s most popular doughnut.

Welcome the new year with some delicious and kawaii doughnuts from Krispy Kreme Japan.

Sanrio is collaborating with EGG & SPUMA cafe which is located on the 8th floor of the shopping centre Lumine EST Shinjuku. The Sanrio Characters Cafe is set to open on November 15 and will remain open for a limited time only.

This will be the last time that Sanrio will collaborate with EGG & SPUMA and to really make it special, the menu is grander and packed with even more of your favourite Sanrio Characters. If you are a Sanrio fan, you definitely won’t be able to resist the adorable atmosphere.

From dinner to dessert to drinks, the menu will leave you spoilt for choice. If you’re looking for something to fill you up, then the Pompompurin Cheese Burger is for you. Pompompurin sits on the plate in burger form wearing a cute beret. Kiki and Lala’s themed dish is a tower of soufflé pancakes made to resemble a cute tree, and My Melody’s dish is a Melty Strawberry Soufflé Pancake garnished with a pink ribbon. 

Of course, EGG & SPUMA Collaboration Cafe will be whisking up their highly popular Tea Party Set again but this time, the Sanrio presence is very intense.

The special Sanrio-style Tea Party Set is a grand three-tier course full of intricate design. The fun feast on the first tier features a colourful jelly treat which takes on the appearance of a capsule toy machine, and playful pup Pochacco in the form of a panna cotta dessert. The second tier serves up EGG&SPUMA’s popular soufflé pancakes covered in an irresistible berry sauce. The third tier will treat you to a ribbon-shaped strawberry milk crêpe and mini chocolate cakes with My Melody and Kuromi playing on top.

Order from the collaboration menu to receive a cafe-limited drink coaster. 

*There are eight possible designs. Each customer will receive one coaster upon their order and they are unable to choose the design they receive.

Make sure to stop by for a top up on your kawaii levels!

BAKE CHEESE TART will be baking up another fresh flavour which will be released in BAKE CHEESE TART shops across the country from November 15. The new featured flavour is of a Japanese Satsuma sourced from Shizuoka prefecture called Mikka Mikan. The brand new Mikan Cheese Tart will be sold at BAKE CHEESE TART shops countrywide. 

The Mikka Mikan Satsumas used for the cheese tart are sourced from Shizuoka, which is renowned for its deep history of producing Mikka Mikans, which are a kind of Satsuma Mandarin (Unshu Mikan). The Mikka Mikans are used to make a purée and powder which is then mixed with an original recipe cheese mousse for the tart.

This flavour first arrived at BAKE CHEESE TART’s PARCHÉ branch in Shizuoka to celebrate its grand opening back in November 2018. The tart was intended to be a delicacy limited to the Shizuoka branch and to only be sold for a limited time. However, following its immense popularity, the Mikka Mikan Cheese Tart is going to be released again this winter for a limited time. 

The mild and fresh cheese mousse is perfectly balanced with the tangy sweetness of the Mikka Mikans. The subtle sweetness of the biscuit base makes for the perfect match with the soft cheese mousse which will melt in your mouth. 

BAKE CHEESE TART is also running an Instagram campaign involving the hashtag #おすそわけタルト. Those who purchase the Mikan Cheese Tart and post a photo of it on Instagram during the limited time period have the chance to enter a prize draw for a BAKE CHEESE TART coupon.

Warm up your heart with a soft and sweet, freshly-baked cheese tart and join in the campaign fun. 

Jolly faces are all around at Tokyo Disney Resort right now as Disney Christmas kicked off last Friday. It’s set to sleigh its way up to Christmas Day this year.

The editorial team at MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON jumped ahead and got a taste of the festive fun at the parks recently, so we’re going to showcase some more of the seasonal food and merry merchandise you can get your hands on this Christmas at Tokyo Disneyland.

Food that makes you want to kick back and enjoy a nice break

Special Set – ¥1,500 @ Grandma Sara’s Kitchen

Grandma Sara’s has created the perfect hot lunch for warming up cold guests this year, adorned with a clam and seafood tomato cream, cheese and white sauce. Dip your bread into the rich sauce and tuck in! For dessert, you get a cranberry cake inspired by the look of a snow-tipped Christmas tree.

Hot drinks of all kinds

‘Tis the season to stay warm, and so Tokyo Disneyland has devised a line-up of tasty drinks to warm the cockles of your heart, with flavours ranging from ruby chocolate to matcha and tapioca cheese teaーa unique flavour that’s all the rage right now.

We actually covered these drinks in detail last Monday, so check out our report here.

Deck the halls with these dessert & souvenir sets

Cranberry & Tea Cake With Souvenir Cup – ¥800 @ Sweetheart Cafe and elsewhere

Strawberry Dessert With Souvenir Cup – ¥800 @ Sweetheart Cafe and elsewhere

Head to the Sweetheart Cafe to enjoy some desserts which come with cute take-home souvenirs, like cups and plates. The cranberry and tea cake is a subtly sweet cake with a fragrant tea flavour and filled with sweet and sour cranberries.

The strawberry dessert is like strawberry shortcake with ascending layers of cake batter, cream, and strawberries. It’s topped with holly to give it that Christmas-y finish.

Chocolate Doughnut – ¥380 @ Cleo’s and elsewhere

The chocolate doughnuts at Cleo’s are completely lathered in a chocolate danish-like dough and custard cream.

The doughnuts even come in this cute Mickey and Minnie packaging, who are dressed ready and for giving gifts to guests.

If you pay an extra ¥700 you can get this adorable pouch featuring Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy as snowmen.

Have a merry little Christmas with these holiday season goodies

Headband – ¥1,800

Fun Cap – ¥3,000 / Plush Toy Wristband – ¥1,700

Feel happy simply by placing these Mickey & Minnie headband ears and getting into party mode. The park has also developed a Christmas version of the Pluto fun cap so he has reindeer antlers and holly attached. Both items were previously available in a pre-sale on the park app, so depending on the shop you visit, they may have none left in stock. But if you see one, be sure to grab it quick!

There’s also a Mickey version of the Minnie Mouse plush toy wristband. Wear one and have your friend or loved one wear the other!

Popcorn Basket – ¥2,400 @ The Gazebo (Popcorn Wagon)

Pick up some popcorn served in a Christmas present basket decorated with cute illustrations of Mickey and company celebrating Christmas.

It comes strung with a ribbon decorated with green, red and white colouring like a candy cane.

Spend a Disney Christmas this winter at Tokyo Disneyland where you can stay warm with some comfort food and dress up!

Model: Yuna Yabe

Writer: Sayuri Mizuno (MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON)

Translator: Joshua Kitosi-Isanga

The butter sandwich specialists over at PRESS BUTTER SAND are bringing their famous Uji matcha flavour butter sandwiches to their Tokyo Station branch on November 13.

Known as the Uji Matcha Butter Sand, this tasty snack was developed to celebrate the grand opening of the Kyoto Station branch of PRESS BUTTER SAND. Due to high demand, they’ve decided to take the product to Tokyo for a limited time.

The exterior is made with butter cream and carefully selected Uji matcha. You get the full rich flavour of the matcha and delicious taste of the butter at once. The sandwich itself is filled with bitter matcha butter cream and sweet caramel butter for a sumptuously smooth combination that marries temptingly with the crunchy cookie exterior.

The sandwich biscuits come in packaging that features navy Kyoto-esque artwork inspired by the characteristic cultivation method for Uji matcha which blocks out sunlight. The sandwiches themselves are individually packaged in matcha green packets to contrast with the box.

Don’t miss out on a chance to enjoy the flavours of Kyoto while in Tokyo. Available at Tokyo Station only.

With Halloween now out of the way, it’s time to plunge ourselves into that Christmas spirit! We’ve compiled a list of some of the most delicious-looking and Instagrammable Christmas cakes available to buy in Tokyo this year that make for the perfect Christmas party accompaniments.

Noel Tokyo Station Hotel @ Tokyo Station

Noel – ¥6,200 (Tax Included) @ Tokyo Station Hotel

This chestnut cake is inspired by the pine pillars that supported the Tokyo Station Marunouchi station building until it was restored. It has a chestnut and sweet potato base and is layered with chestnut mousse and coffee mousse to recreate the rings of a tree which are used to tell a tree’s age.

*10 served per day

*Reservation Window: November 5 – December 17, 2019

*Delivery Window: December 22-25, 2019

*Online reservations available. Exclusive to GRANSTA.

More Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/267999

pon pon×Chris.P @ Tokyo Solamachi

Crispy Cakes (Happy Wreath/Santa/Reindeer) – ¥508 Each @ pon pon×Chris.P (East Yard Floor 2F) [Available From November 15]

These tiny crispy cakes are another great little bite to eat. The cute Santa version is cookie and milk flavoured and has marshmallows as the fluff of his hat.

More Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/269015

Café Cova Milano @ GINZA SIX

Panettone Babbo Natale – ¥7,407 @ Café Cova Milano

Cova’s panettone is made with a secret recipe that has been handed down since the beginning of the 19th century.

More Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/265169

Tokyo Disney Resort

Christmas Cake: ¥1,480 / Available at: Tokyo DisneySea (Horizon Bay Restaurant), Tokyo Disneyland (Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall)

There’s lots going on at Tokyo Disney Resort this year, at both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Don’t miss out on this cute Mickey and Minnie Mouse Christmas cake!

More Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/266495

Which is your favourite from the list? Christmas cakes are a must-have on Christmas Day, so make sure you pick one up before the big day!

To celebrate the upcoming release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker this Christmas, a promotional event entitled “STAR WARS Marunouchi Bright Christmas 2019 – Precious for you-” is taking place in the Marunouchi area of Tokyo from November 7 to December 25.

As part of the promotion, a cafe named “RISE CRYSTAL CAFE” themed on the film will open at the Marunouchi Cafe on the first floor of the Marunouchi Building skyscraper, with meals, drinks and desserts inspired by the movie.

*Menu item names listed below are translated from Japanese.

Dark Side Pasta – ¥1,650 (Tax Included)

If you’re of the Dark side of the Force, then you’ll devour this pitch-black squid ink pasta served with an eggplant and bacon tomato sauce. If you sink into the darkness low enoughーor just fork far enough into your pastaーyou’ll find some delicious mascarpone cheese.

Holiday Wreath Taco Rice – ¥1,650 (Tax Included)

Featured on this round Christmas wreath are familiar faces from the Star Wars franchise including C-3PO, R2D2, and BB-8. It’s made with assorted rice and topped with various vegetables like tomato and avocado, as well as cheese.

Galaxy Present Sandwich – ¥1,650 (Tax Included)

A present delivered from space, this tall sandwich is layered with ham, tomatoes, and vegetables, and is served with a side of R2D2 soy milk cream cheese.

Starry Christmas Chicken (Serves 1-2) – ¥1,980 (Tax Included) *Available at dinner only

Served succulently on the bone, this gorgeous piece of chicken is served with four different kinds of sauces based on the far far away stars of the night sky.

Light Side Soy Milk Parfait – ¥1,320 (Tax Included)

If you lean towards the Light side of the Force, then you’ll love this subtly sweet parfait made with soy milk soft serve ice cream and soy milk cream. It’s also topped with chocolate mint ice cream and agar-agar that gets its blue colour from natural ingredients.

Dark Side Soy Charcoal Parfait – ¥1,320 (Tax Included)

This chocolate parfait is crowned with black bamboo charcoal soy milk cream and agar-agar. The gentle sweetness of the soy milk ice cream mixed with the sweet and sour blackcurrant sorbet makes for a delicious pairing.

Light & Dark Fizz – ¥880 (Tax Included)

This one’s for both Light and Dark seekers, a refreshing tea drink coupled with the common mallow herb. See what happens when you pour the elderflower and lemon syrup into the beautiful blue beverage.

Blue Milk – ¥880 (Tax Included)

Chewy blue jelly floats around in this drink which is made with low-fat almond milk.

Black Ginger Ale – ¥880 (Tax Included)

This jet-black ginger ale is made with bamboo charcoal and a ginger syrup that’s made in-house. Its refreshing flavour makes it the perfect meal accompaniment.

Commemorate the final film in the Skywalker saga with a Star Wars-inspired meal!

 ©2019 & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.  

Tabemas is a Japanese confectionery series of small, traditional sweets designed to look like characters. For the first time, Tabemas is collaborating with the popular fictional character series Sumikko Gurashi to release Shirokuma and Penguin? sweets. The new confections will be sold in the chilled desserts corner of Family Mart convenience stores across Japan from November 12, 2019.

The lovable characters who have been transformed into delicious sweets are Shirokuma: the shy polar bear who tends to get cold easily; and Penguin?, who has no confidence in their identity as a penguin. 

The series name “Tabemas” means “edible mascot” and as the name suggests, these are traditional nerikiri confections which are made from bean paste and soft mochi, creating an adorable plump appearance.  Shirokuma’s body is white with pink ears whereas Penguin? has a pea-green body with a white stomach and yellow feet and beak. Both confections are kneaded with the characters’ charm and stand joining their tiny hands, staring at you with their adorable round eyes. 

Both confections are filled with the mild flavour of red bean paste. To match the colour schemes of the characters, the white Shirokuma is milk-flavoured and the pale green Penguin? is apple-flavoured. The flavours of these confections are just as irresisitble as their appearance. You’re bound to be taking lots of photos of them for your next social media post in no time!

As these confections are in limited supply, make sure to buy them as soon as possible if you are interested.

(C)2019 San-X Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.