To celebrate the 35th anniversary of Epoch’s toy franchise Sylvanian Families, Konoka Bakery, which is located inside Tokyo’s ‘sweets theme park’ Jiyugaoka Sweets Forest, will serve a series of special cakes from July 16 to September 30.

Sylvanian Families is a toy franchise that started in 1985 and is now available in over 70 countries worldwide. It’s centred around family life and the beauty of the natural world seen through the eyes adorable animals who live like humans.

Konoka Bakery has created a selection of cakes to not only commemorate the franchise’s 35th anniversary, but to let its customers enjoy the cafe experience from the comfort of their own home in response to the number of people now being indoors and working remotely much more.

11cm Cake: ¥4,500 (Serves 2-3) / 14cm Cake: ¥5,500 (Serves 4-6)　*Tax included, Jiyugaoka Sweets Forest exclusive

There are three cute cakes to choose from, each featuring illustrations of familiar faces from the Sylvanian Families series, including Mitsugo-chan who is new to the Chocolate Rabbit Family—the most popular of all the Sylvanian Families. The three flavours include strawberry, raspberry, and gateaux chocolate. Let’s take a closer look.

Premium Raspberry

Seven layers of moist sponge and a sweet and sour raspberry butter cream pile upon one another for this cake.

Premium Strawberry Shortcake

This cake has five thick layers of moist sponge, strawberry syrup, and cream, inside which is stuffed fresh strawberries.

Premium Chocolate Cake

The premium chocolate cake is made from a combinations of Belgian chocolate cream and moist chocolate sponge.

The first 100 buyers of these cakes will receive a limited-edition Sylvanian Families gift too, available on a first-come, first-served basis.

©EPOCH

Japanese confectionery company KANRO has joined pika-paws with Pikachu for the second time to feature the beloved Pokémon on the cola flavour their Puré gummies. They will be released in Japan from July 21, 2020 in limited quantities.

The collaboration brings together delicious Puré gummies, which are always by people’s sides in Japan to support them, and Pikachu, your cute Pokémon partner. It is their second collaboration, following the one back in June.

The flavour in question is the “Electric Tropica,” a mix of pineapple, mango and banana juice together with some Pikachu electricity which comes from the cola flavour. The combination of gelatin and pectin gives the gummies their satisfyingly chewy flavour. The candies themselves are Pikachu-shaped, while the packaging comes in four different Pikachu designs which scream summertime.

Additionally, the packaging of the regular lemon, grape, and muscat flavours of Puré will also feature Pikachu paw prints on them for a limited time.

©2020 Pokémon. ©1995-2020 Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK inc.

Just when you thought McDonald’s couldn’t get more yellow, the world-famous fast food restaurant is now teaming up with Illumination Entertainment’s lovable yellow minions, creating a new line of tasty treats,  fun toys and more. The new line includes the Banana McShake®, Waffle Cone Chocolate Banana Ice Cream, a Minions Happy Meal® and much more. The minions will be taking over the menu from July 17, 2020 for a limited time only.
*Unavailable at certain branches

The minions are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year. From the packaging of the food to McShakes and toys, there’s just so much going on this summer.

Banana McShake® Small: ¥120円/ Medium: ¥200
*Image for illustration purposes only

Enjoy the mild flavour of banana embraced in sweet cream. As the flavours melt on your tongue, you will feel refreshed. The small-size cups are decorated with original illustrations of the main minions Bob, Kevin and Stuart and are in limited supply. Enjoy the sight of mischievous minions joke around on your drink as you get refreshed.

Waffle Cone Chocolate Banana Ice Cream: ¥250 (Price may vary)

*Image for illustration purposes only

A crispy waffle cone filled with milky, rich soft serve ice cream and drizzled with a rich chocolate sauce and sweet banana sauce – a minion’s favourite flavour. Your ice cream will be served wrapped in collaboration-limited packaging. During the collaboration period, all waffle ice cream cones (plain, strawberry, chocolate and almond) will be served in special minion-themed wrapping.

Minions Happy Meal®

Selling: July 17, 2020 ( approximately four weeks)
Bonus Toys: A total of 30 minions toys and 30 golden versions.
*All minion toys are in limited supply
*You cannot choose which toy you will get with your meal

The Minions Happy Meal® comes with a toy. There are a total of 30 different minion toys and each one is pulling a hilarious and mischievous pose. Which one will you receive? From dancers and sporty minions to firefighters, the toy collection represents the large variety of minions that we’ve seen over the ten years. There’s even a Bob holding a teddy bear and a King Bob. There are also gold versions of the toys too, however, these are very rare to come across. Each toy will be sealed in an exciting minion capsule, adding to the excitement.

If you purchase the set on July 18 or July 19, 2020, you will be given a holographic minion stickers so you can enjoy the mischievous minions even more. There is also a campaign on twitter where 32 winners will be rewarded with the complete minions set!

Campaign Running: July 13 (13:00) ー July 15, 2020 (23:59)
How To Apply:
1. Follow the official McDonald’s Japan account （＠McDonaldsJapan）
2. Reply to the post with the tweet that contains the hashtag #わたしのミニオン愛はミリオン級 by copy and pasting the hashtag and writing a message to declare that you are a minions fan.
Prizes: 32 winners will be chosen to receive a Complete Minions Happy Meal®

From July 10, 2020, McDonald’s will be sharing eight different minion-themed backgrounds on their website. These collaboration-limited backgrounds are perfect for spicing up your online video calls and web meetings.

McDonald’s Minions Virtual Background Download: https://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/campaign/minions/cmp01/
Accessible From: July 10, 2020 (Available for approximately 5 weeks)

*8 different backgrounds available

Join in the minions fun at McDonald’s this summer!

*Food and item names have been translated from Japanese
© Universal City Studios LLC. All Rights Reserved. 

With just a small bit of ingenuity, turn everyday food into something cute using Kaori’s Easy Recipe! With a few simple ideas, an ordinary recipe magically transforms into a cute dish.

Today, I’ll be showing you a dreamy recipe on how to make the healthy Taiwanese snack douhua topped with Yukimi Daifuku mochi ice cream.

Ingredients

400ml soy milk
2-g Lakanto (Zero-calorie natural sweetener)
Pinch of salt
8g gelatin (dissolved in 1 tbsp water)

Pre-preparations

Stick bear-shaped sliced chocolate around the side of a glass and leave to set in the refrigerator.

1.

Warm soy milk and Lakanto in a saucepan until the Lakanto is completely dissolved.

2.

Add the gelatin and mix until fully dissolved.

3.

Leave the mix to cool. Once cooled, remove the glass from the refrigerator and pour the mix into the glass. Place back into the fridge until it sets.

4.

Add sliced almonds and use a chocolate pen on Yukimi Daifuku to create Korilakkuma’s face, or a face of your choice.

5.

Remove the glass from the fridge and add the Yukimi Daifuku. Choose your choice of toppings, like soy flour and brown sugar syrup, then enjoy!

Kaori invites you into her world of character-themed food dishes in her recipe series. Be sure to check out her Instagram where she has uploaded many pictures of her character dishes!

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.

Fresh fruits and vegetable company yoloz is selling an exquisite cheesecake produced by chef Masato Yamazaki. The cheesecake is made using exotic mangoes sourced from Hentonanoen – an exotic orchard located in Okinawa. Preorders are now being accepted.

The new cheesecake takes the name “tabi suru cheesecake” which literally means “travelling cheesecake” – a fitting name for a cheesecake made with ingredients sourced from across Japan. The name also reflects chef Masato Yamazaki’s experience of travel. Each month, chef Yamazaki creates a new limited edition flavour with the goal of “delivering the passion of fresh food producers to their consumers”. This month, Yamazaki and yoloz are teaming up to deliver a delicious cheesecake made with fruits fresh from Japan’s sunny paradise island of Miyako.

Whole: ¥4,980 (After Tax)

Half: ¥2,780 (After Tax)

This is the sixth collaboration by chef Yamazaki. The sun-soaked mangoes are sourced from Hentonanoen – an exotic orchard located on Miyako Island, Okinawa. The cheesecake enjoys a subtle splash of white wine for a refreshing aftertaste. Eggs with white yolks are also used to complete its refreshing image. Enjoy the contrast of the tangy yoghurt and ripe, sweet mangoes – the perfect summer treat. The sweet aroma of farm-fresh mangoes will instantly fill you with those cheerful summer vibes. 

Tadashi Hentona (From Hentonanoen)

Hentonanoen is located on Miyako Island of Okinawa. For more than 20 years, we have been working our hardest to harvest the most delicious mangoes using our own unique farming methods. One step in our procedure is caring for the soil. We periodically analyse the soil of our mango trees, enriching it with the very best nutrients it needs. Our procedure includes taking natural salts from the ocean to further enhance the quality of the soil. We always give it our best when caring for our produce. We hope you enjoy the delicious flavour of Miyako Island mangoes.

Just one bite of this cheesecake will take you on an unforgettable journey to sunny Okinawa. You just have to try it!

Japanese black tea brand Lipton is opening two pop-up tea stands this summer called “Lipton TEA STAND Fruits in Tea.” They will open in Daikanyama and Osaka from July 10 and Kichijoji from July 22.

Lipton opened its two permanent tea stands “Lipton TEA STAND” in Nagoya and Hakata in winter 2018 in an effort to make black tea more accessible to people. The drinks menus at these stands are diverse, ranging from simple black tea to their “Fruits in Tea” range which are teas filled with fresh fruits, royal milk tea, desserts, and more.

Iced Parfaits

Passion Fruits: ¥1,200 (Tax Included) (+¥150 for honey milk) / Strawberry: ¥1,200 (Tax Included) (+¥150 for condensed milk)

Lipton’s “Fruits in Tea” opened as a new way for people to enjoy black tea in summertime. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lipton has decided to whip up some refreshing “Happy!” new iced parfaits for beating the hot weather. Their popular custom menu lets you a variety of vitamin-packed fruits, herbs, and more to your iced tea.

Frozen tea is the base of the iced parfait and retains the original flavour of the black tea. Added to that is ice and fruits inside a tumbler, all of which is layered to look like a parfait with a shaved iced quality to it. The “Passion Fruits” flavour is topped with passion fruit syrup and frozen lemon, orange, and kiwi, while the sweet and sour “Strawberry” is a mix of strawberry syrup and frozen strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Both options are sure to keep you cool during the hot Japanese summer.

Original Iced Tea “Fruits in Tea”: Tumbler ¥1,000 (Tax Included) / Cup ¥600 (Tax Included)

Lipton’s popular custom menu lets you choose from four tea bases, like Earl Grey and green tea. You can then pick your base fruits, like pineapple or strawberry, topping fruits such  as kiwi and mango, and then a special flavour like mint. Finally, choose your syrup, such as lemon, and you’v got your own custom beverage for the summertime.

MILK, a fresh cream shop in Harajuku, is set to hold a new summertime fair this year called “Milky Soft Fair” which will begin on July 8, 2020.

From Left: Kiwi ¥650 / Peach ¥650 / Strawberry ¥650 / Mango ¥650 / Condensed Milk Coffee Jelly ¥630

MILK’s “Milky Soft Serve Parfait” usually only comes in one simple flavour, but for the Milky Soft Fair, they are serving up juicy mango, strawberry, and kiwi flavours, fruity peach, and bitter coffee jelly. The summery parfaits are made with fresh cream, fresh fruit, and rich soft service ice cream. The perfect dessert for keeping cool in the hot Japanese summer!

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.

The cheesecake—a popular dessert with a flavour that is both rich and refreshing. The number of shops in Japan specialising in cheesecakes has been on the rise recently, all of whom are baking up their own unique versions. Here are three summertime cheesecakes available online in Japan from three popular cheesecake shops.

Mr. CHEESECAKE

This summer, Mr. CHEESECAKE has whipped up a seasonal “Hirami Lemon” flavoured cheesecake which they are selling in limited quantities via their official LINE account from July 12 to 19. The cheesecake is packaged in a special box featuring an illustration of the summertime ocean.

Made with refreshing hirami lemons, the cheesecake has a sour and slightly bitter kick to it. By combining Japanese sansho pepper and olive oil, the sourness of the hirami lemon is elevate to new heights. Mint is also added to up the refreshing flavour, and salt from Okinawa heightens the sweetness of the cheesecake.

Mr. CHEESECAKE hirami lemon

Price: ¥5,400 (Tax Included)
Official Website: https://mr-cheesecake.com/

Neko Neko Cheesecake

Neko Neko Cheesecake, a cheesecake shop which opened in Tokyo in May, serves cat-shaped cheesecakes. This summer-only cheesecake is made using setonai lemons. It was released on Friday and will be sold in limited quantities only.

​The cheesecake has lemon jelly in the middle and is topped with sliced lemons grown in the Seto Inland Sea area that are baked together with the cake. It’s finished with a smear of lemon jam and cream, making for a real summertime treat.

Neko Neko Cheesecake ~Setonai Lemon~
Online

Release Date: July 1, 2020

Price: Single ¥3,800 / Lemon & Plan ¥5,980

Online Store: https://hbantique.official.ec

In-Store

Release Date: July 3, 2020

Price: Single ¥2,200

Available: Neko Neko Cheesecake in Jiyugaoka, Tokyo

LeTAO

Confectionery shop LeTAO has released their popular “Melon Double” cheesecake again this summer.

A popular cheesecake released every year by LeTAO, the Melon DOuble is a sweet baked cheesecake made with individual layers of melon puree and mascarpone cream cheese. The refreshing sweetness of the melon goes hand in hand with the cheese.

Melon Double ~Hokkaido Melon~
Price: ¥1,728 (Tax Included) *Shipping fee ¥890
Available: Until August 31, 2020
Product Details: https://shop.letao.jp/item/F695.html

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.

Shiseido Parlour began its annual “Midsummer Parfait Fair” at its Ginza, Tokyo branch on Wednesday which will run until August 30 and be divided into two different slots serving different parfaits. The cafe is serving up a selection of parfaits made from ice cream and local seasonal fruits under the trust that the chefs and farmers have built over the years.

2020 Midsummer Parfait Fair: Slot ① July 1, 2020 – July 31, 2020

Furano, Hokkaido – Furano Melon Parfait: ¥2,100 (Tax Included)

This parfait is made using Furamon melon which is grown in Hokkaido’s city of Furano between the mountains where there is a major temperature difference. The melon is ripened after being harvested and so make it nice and soft, giving a sweet and juicy flavour and fragrance.

Sakai Nouen, Wakayama – Arakawa Peach Parfait: ¥2,300 (Tax Included)

The “Arakawa” peach is a brand of peach grown in Wakayama Precture. The peaches are grown until their nearly completely ripe while in the tree, giving them a soft texture. Inside the sweet flavour is a sour kick, both of which explode with the juiciness of the peach in the parfait.

Yaeyama Islands, Okinawa – Apple Mango Parfait: ¥2,700 (Tax Included)

The “apple mango” is a type of mango grown in the hot climate of Okinawa. The mango has a super soft, melt-in-the-mouth texture and a sour tinge which elevates its rich sweetness.

Hatake Kobo, Nagano Prefecture – Koihime Strawberry Parfait: ¥2,000 (Tax Included)

The “koihime” is a type of summer strawberry grown in-house by Shiseido Parlour. The strawberries get plenty of water, air, and sunlight so they grow into red jewels packed full of sweetness.

The second slot of the 2020 Midsummer Parfait Fair will run from August 1 to August 30.