A new line of Minnie Mouse cafes are set to open in Tokyo and Osaka from February 28, 2020 and Nagoya and Fukuoka from February 29, 2020 for a limited time. Named “OH MY! MINNIE MOUSE,” the cafes are an official collaboration between Disney and the Japanese cafe chain OH MY CAFÉ.

The cafe takes on the theme of Minnie Mouse being a living, breathing icon of today with a positive lifestyle. This is represented through the yellow colouring of the cafe, which features her iconic polka dots as well as ribbon taking on a yellow colour. Tuck into a cute menu line-up and get your hands on some cafe-exclusive Minnie Mouse merchandise.

Original Menu

Cheerful Burger – ¥1,990

This healthy burger is packed full of vegetables with a black bun made in the image of Minnie’s silhouette. Feel as energised as Minnie with one bite of this tasty burger.

Beef Hash Ribbon Rice – ¥1,390

Inspired by Minnie Mouse’s iconic ribbon, this hearty dish is a beef stroganoff plated with rice and veg. The ribbon is so cute it almost seems a waste to eat!

Fruit Sandwich – Single ¥990/ With Plate ¥2,790

An absolute must-order if you’re wanting a dessert. This sandwich is piled with fresh fruits creamy yoghurt, sprinkled with poppy seeds, and doused in lemon juice.

Fizzy Lemon Squash – Single ¥690 / With Coaster ¥1,390

Charge yourself up with this fizzy lemonade and its refreshing aftertaste.

Relaxing Chamomile Tea – Single ¥490 / With Mug ¥2,090

Kick back and relax after your meal with a cup of chamomile tea♡

Original Merchandise

Heart Badge (8 Designs/Chosen Randomly) – ¥500

Folder – ¥350

Lunch Mat (6 Designs/Chosen Randomly) – ¥650 (*Table reservation required)

Those who book a table in advance will be given one of six possible lunch mats chosen randomly.

If you’re in Japan for the spring, then why not stop by the OH MY! MINNIE MOUSE cafe for a Disney treat?

©Disney

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Japan has announced its second doughnut collaboration with internationally popular French character Barbapapa, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Three new doughnuts are being released as part of the “Fruity Barbapapa” series on February 26.

Barbapapa x Strawberry: ¥290

The shape-shifting Barbapapa comes in a strawberry flavour. The fluffy doughnut is coated in a sweet and sour strawberry chocolate and is filled with fresh strawberry pieces.

Barbapapa x Apple: ¥290

Barbabravo is one of Barbapapa’s sons, and he comes in a bright-red apple flavour.  He’s coated with caramel and is filled with a tangy apple nappage and smooth, rich apple cream.

Barbazoo x Mango: ¥290

The nature-loving Barbazoo, another one of Barbapapa’s sons, comes in a bright yellow colour and is mango flavoured. It’s made from delicious alphonso mango and filled with a rich cream puree for a tropical treat.

Recommended Dozen (12 Included): ¥2,000

Recommended Half Dozen (6 Included): ¥1,250

Recommended Box (3 Included): ¥840

Get them in a box of three, six, or twelve, and enjoy the cute and wonderful world of Barbapapa in doughnut form!3

*Limited-edition box available while supplies last. Mercedes me Tokyo HANEDA branch of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts not participating.

The Strings Hotel Nagoya has announced a special collaboration with the internationally-celebrated anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. The hotel will serve up an Evangelion-themed buffet titled “Evangelion Buffet ~The Time Has Come~” which will be served at the hotel from February 15 to March 22 this year.

The Strings Hotel Nagoya sits at the doorstep of Sasashima-Raibu, making it one of the first places you will see upon arriving there. As part of the Evangelion Chukyoen Project, which aims to promote Evangelion to the world from Sasashima-Raibu, the hotel is hosting this very special themed buffet which will consist of an assortment of food, drinks, and dessertsーall serve Strings Hotel-style.

A statue of popular Evangelion character Kaworu Nagisa will be located on the first floor lobby, and there will also be a rally held to decipher a code.

The food menu is made up of 15 unique Evangelion-inspired dishes, such as the Misato Katsuragi Roast Pork, Pen Pen Penne Arrabbiata, Angel Attack, and more. Fans can also tuck into one of the 12 delicious desserts, like the Evangelion mecha coloured desserts, the “Hazelnut & Lemon Opera ~NERV~” based on the Nerv organisation, and more. For beverages, there’s a selection of 9 soft drinks including 6 original non-alcoholic cocktails.

The buffet will take place at the hotel’s Rooftop Garden which will  be decorated in all things Evangelion.

Sanrio has announced that it is opening an official My Melody store to commemorate the popular character’s 45th anniversary this year. It will open for a limited time on the first floor of Takashimaya Shinjuku in Tokyo from February 12 to 25.

The store is a must-visit for fans of Sanrio’s kawaii white rabbit where they can get their hands on a huge assortment of merchandise, including exclusives, so adorable you’ll want to add everything to your collection.

The line-up looks back at My Melody’s 45 years in the business. The first 4,000 people to visit the store will be given a limited-edition shopping back, and the first 1,000 people who spend over ¥2,000 (tax included) will receive a free card.
*One card per person, per transaction

The store will also feature interactive projection mapping showcasing My Melody’s 45-year history which when touched reacts. On February 15, the designer for the store will be drawing illustrations as well as doing signings for people.

As well as Takashimaya Shinjuku, the shop is set to hit Nagoya’s Takashimaya Gate Tower Mall Nagoya and Osaka Takashiyama. Check the dates below, and help My Melody commemorate her 45th anniversary!

©’76, ’20 SANRIO 著作(株)サンリオ

With The Rise of Skywalker concluding the Skywalker saga of the Star Wars film franchise, fans are left craving more from the galaxy far far away.

If you’re one of those people, and need a fix before season two of The Mandalorian, which is coming in late 2020, then you’ll want to hit up the all-new Star Wars-themed cafes now open for a limited time at branches of OH MY CAFE across Japan in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Hokkaido, and Fukuoka.

We visited the Tokyo branch of the cafe which is located inside Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku. Here’s our report of this must-see cafe for Star Wars fans, a museum-like space chock-full of concept art.

Ready to greet you as you walk into the cafe is none other than Darth Vader. This life-size recreation of the Sith Lord is really striking, but don’t worryーthough he is realistic, he won’t use his Force choke on you, he only wishes for you to have a nice meal.

Plastered across the cafe walls are pieces of concept art used during the production of the Star Wars film series.

Here’s a galactic showcasing of the cafe’s menu. There are 7 food items and 5 drinks to choose from, all inspired by the franchise and its characters.

<STAR WARS> Far Far Away Galaxy Black Curry – ¥1,590

A signature dish of the cafe, this black curry features the Star Wars logo which is actually an edible wafer. The space design is bamboo charcoal-cooked rice which is mixed with spicy sauce and topped with peanuts for stars.

<BB-8> Seafood BB-8 Gratin – ¥1,690

Fans of BB-8 won’t be able to resist this delicious gratin, served with salad and French bread for a full belly.

<Yoda> Root Leaf Stew – ¥1,590

This stew is inspired by Yoda living his final years in his little shack in Dagobah during Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. It’s packed full of vegetables and will no doubt be enjoyed by both kids and adults alike.

<R2-D2 & C-3PO> Buddy Burger Plate – ¥1,990

This set of two chicken burgers comes with an R2-D2 seasoned with béchamel sauce and a C-3PO burger seasoned with meat sauce. You can take the flags home with you too. We recommend sharing this between two people.

Portion Bread – ¥500

This is the one I was most interested in personally, because I was curious to know from its appearance how it would taste. It’s the portion bread that Rey tries eating in the film. At first glance it looks crunchy, but to my surprise it was soft with a subtle sweet flavour.

Lightsaber Drinks – ¥600 Each (w/ Coaster ¥1,300)

From the left, the flavours are Darth Vader blood orange, Luke Skywalker ramune, and Yoda melon. When you draw your straw from the paper wrapping, it turns into a lightsaber!

<STAR WARS > Jet Black Coffee – ¥600 (w/Bottle ¥1,750)

These limited edition bottles of black coffee feature the famous Star Wars opening crawl credits. Which one you get is randomーa must-have for all fans!

After enjoying some Star Wars food and drink, it’s time to check out the cafe’s exclusive merchandise. There are 13 types of merch in total all bearing artwork from across the film series.

Folder – ¥350

I recommend picking up one of these folders made in collaboration with the cafe. It has illustrations of the food and drinks being sold there.

Tote Bag – ¥3,500

This tote bag has illustrations of characters from Star Wars and how they are all connected.

There’s plenty of other must-grab merch too, from music to stationery and more.

Customers who spend over ¥1,000 (excluding tax) on any of these exclusive items will receive the above-pictured limited edition bag. These are limited in stock so are available while supplies last.

There’s plenty of places inside for fans to take great photos, so make sure you snap lots.

Also, if you book a table in advance and order something from the menu, you’ll receive one of these 25 possible A5 folders, so be sure to book before you go!

© & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.

*All listed prices are pre-tax. Photos are for illustrative purposes only.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Japan is set to release their new SWEET SURPRISE BOX from January 15, 2020 which is bursting with the delicious flavours of America. The box contains three doughnuts that are topped with a series of delicious treats such as cookies, marshmallows, chunky chocolate and popcorn. KKDJ will also release two banana drinks that are sure to become popular. These are available for a limited time only.  

The SWEET SURPRISE BOX contains a happy and colourful world of American treats. The doughnuts were born from the concept of a doughnut packed with everybody’s favourite treats and then turned inside-out.

The “Happy Chunky Choco” doughnut is coated with bitter chocolate and then sprinkled with five different toppings including chunky chocolate chips, two kinds of chocolate puff and crunchy chocolate biscuit crumbs to balance out the sweetness with a bitter flavour. Chocoholics just won’t be able to resist.

The “White Caramel Carnival” is a fluffy doughnut topped with milky white chocolate cream and five different toppings. From caramel popcorn too lightly salted pretzels, this doughnut is packed with the flavours of America. The variety of textures and fun appearance are sure to make your mouth water instantly. Chunky white chocolate chips and white chocolate puffs are sprinkled on top and drizzled with a sweet caramel sauce. If you love white chocolate, this doughnut is perfect for you.

You won’t be able to take your eyes off the cute “Sweet Strawberry Magic” doughnut, which is a strawberry chocolate doughnut garnished luxuriously with a wide range of unique sweet toppings. The sweet and tangy strawberry chocolate coating is studded with five luxurious toppings including chocolate chip cookies, marshmallows, chocolate puffs and colourful sprinkles.

Purchase the SWEET SURPRISE DOZEN (Box of 12) to enjoy all three of the new American treat-filled doughnuts as well as KKDJ’s no.1 Original Glazed Doughnuts and Choco Sprinkles Doughnuts.

KKDJ will also release their “Hot Caramel Banana” drink which is flavoured with a thick and fruity banana sauce mixed with caramel sauce and heated with milk. With each gulp, you can feel the fruity texture and feel the warmth.

 KKDJ will also release the Krispy Frozen Banana Caramel Pretzels drink which fuses their caramel milk frozen drink with their banana fruit sauce and crunchy pretzels.

The moment you open the SWEET SURPRISE BOX you will be filled with the exciting feeling of an American carnival. Treat yourself and your friends to a special KKDJ doughnut and drink experience this winter.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Japan will release an adorable doughnut just in time to celebrate the Year of the Rat in 2020. The doughnut is limited to Krispy Kreme Doughnuts JR Nagoya Takashimaya branch and will be sold from December 26 for a limited time. 

The Krispy Kreme Premium Mouse doughnut is part of KKD JR Nagoya Takashiyama branch’s Premium series, which creates premium quality doughnuts of cake-like quality that are not sold elsewhere. Each doughnut is decorated carefully instore luxuriously with fluffy whipped cream and other deluxe ingredients.

The Krispy Kreme Premium Mouse is a pudding-flavoured chocolate doughnut covered in yellow butter crunch. A cute mouse made from fluffy whipped cream peaks through the doughnut hole with bitter chocolate for the face and ears. The doughnut hole contains the perfect filling for a whipped cream mouse: cream cheese. Bathing happily in delicious cream cheese, the mouse is seen tucking in to an irresistible cheesy snack made from cheddar cheese. 

This mouse is just too adorable to eat.

Animate Cafe, a chain of cafes that collaborate with popular anime and game franchises, is teaming up with Gintama to open the Gintama Diner for a limited time at the following branches: Ikebukuro 3, Kobe Sannomiya, and Nagoya 2.

The cafe will be inspired by American diners, and will run from December 19 to January 7 next year. Each cafe has its own system for being able to dine there. The Ikebukuro 3 and Kobe Sannomiya branches are all reservation-only, with each daily reservation going through a lottery system for a chance to have a place allocated. The Nagoya 2 branch has the same system for December 19-20 only, otherwise it is first-come, first-served.

Thick-Cut Bacon Burger – ¥850

Yorozuya Gin-chan’s Sakata Parfait – ¥850

Gin’s Strawberry☆Milk – ¥600

The menu features dishes, desserts and drinks inspired by the characters of the series. The bacon burger comes with a side menu item of your choice, with each being based on a specific character’s favourite side menu item. The parfait too is bright and vivid like the Yorozuya members.

When fans order from the themed menu, they’ll receive one of eight possible coasters featuring original designs.

Big Acrylic Stands (Diner ver.)

Squishy Trading Pin Badges

Trading Acrylic Keyrings (Diner ver.)

Fans will also be able to pick up some exclusive cafe merchandise they won’t find anywhere else, including acrylic stands, pin badges, key rings, and moreーall featuring a diner design.

©️Hideaki Sorachi/Shueisha・TV Tokyo・Dentsu Inc.・BNP・Aniplex

*All listed prices include tax

Hoshino Resorts is once again bringing its kamakura snow huts to two of its KAI hotelsーa brand of hot spring hotels. You’ll catch them at Hoshino Resorts KAI Tsugaru and Hoshino Resorts KAI Alps from February 1 to 29 next year.

KAI Tsugaru: Beautiful Koginzashi Stitched Lanterns Light Your Way

Koginzashi is a type of sashiko stitch work famous in the Tsugaru region. Japanese kogin designer Iemasa Yamahata has designed 50 beautiful Kogin lanterns for Hoshino Resorts’ KAI Tsugaru hot spring hotel, which is hidden away in the town of Owani in southern Tsugaru, Aomori.

When you arrive at KAI Tsugaru, follow the lanterns along the snow and you’ll arrive at the kamakuraーa type of Japanese igloo built in northern Japan for winter festivals. Multiple objects, big and small, have been designed with koginzashi, so guests can enjoy this beautiful art form.

Cosy up inside your secret snow hut and enjoy some tasty chocolate with cute koginzashi designs made by a local Japanese confectionery shop. Order a hot cocktail too made using apples grown in Aomoriーa prefecture famous across the country for its apples. There’s a non-alcoholic cocktail option too.

You’ll also find an original card game inside the huts created by the KAI Tsugaru staff. It’s called “Kogin Awase” and works like the card game Pairs. What could be better than sat warm inside an igloo, eating sweets and drinking while playing a card game?

KAI Alps: Enjoy Life as a Yukinko Snow Child

Turn back into a child and experience young life in the snow country of the Shinano Province (now Nagano Prefecture) with the Shinshū Kamakura Yukinko Experience.

In the harsh cold and knee-deep snow environment of Shinano, people would take anti-snow measures by wearing things like the straw raincoat known as a mino, a traditional winter coat called a hanten, and other things. Guests can do the same and dress up to become a child of the snow, known as a Yukinko. You’ll forget about the snow before you even realise it.

In old Japanese houses, friends and family would gather around an iroriーa sunken fireplace. You’ll find these dotted around the public space at KAI Alps too, where you can sit around and enjoy the crackling and warmth of the fire. There will also be hand warmers and shiruko sweet porridge too so you can rest assured you won’t go cold.

Experience life in the snow at Hoshino Resorts KAI this winter.

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.

The new cafe TOKYO BOX CAFE&SPACE will open in Omotesando, Harajuku on November 21, 2019.

The cafe will serve as a space to promote artists, franchises and more by collaborating with them. For the grand opening, the cafe’s first collaboration will be with Japanese idol group Keyakizaka46 which will run for a limited period from November 21, 2019 to January 13, 2020. The collaboration will subsequently move to Osaka and Nagoya where it will open on November 22 and 28 respectively.

The names of cafe menu dishes below are translated from Japanese.

Cafe Menu

Break the Cheese! – ¥1,690

This cheesy pasta dish is made with crispy cheese, the spaghetti is bathed in a rich cheese sauce, and the plate is finished with delicious seafood. Break the cheese up and tuck in!

Black Vegetable Curry – ¥1,590

The quirk of this veggie-packed meal is the black colour of the curry. Topped with okra, tomatoes, Japanese mustard greens, sunny-side up egg and more, this nutritional dish is sure to fill your belly.

2 People Season Pancakes – ¥1,790

For the sweet-tooths out there, they can look forward to forking into some chocolatey pancakes lathered sweetly in blueberry sauce and blueberry cream. Between the pancakes are fruits and chocolate to create a pancake sandwich, and adorning the plate is more chocolate, fruit, and blue dragées.

Humility! Kindness! Bonds! Shining Brightly, Keyakizaka46 Parfait – ¥1,690

Named after one of the group’s catchphrases, this matcha parfait is green which is a colour that symbolises Keyakizaka46. It’s piled with chocolate, macarons, ice cream, warabimochi and more for a truly hearty and mouth-watering dessert.

Late-Night Herb Tea – ¥890

During those nights when you can’t fall asleep, there’s nothing better than some refreshing herbal tea.

Matcha Milk That Stays Hot Even When It Blows In The Wind – ¥890

Nothing beats a cup of hot matcha milk during the cold weather. Coloured green like the group’s iconic colour, this gorgeous, garden-like beverage is sure to warm up your mind and body.

Exclusive Merchandise

T-Shirt (White) – ¥3,100

Acrylic Keyring – ¥900

Tote Bag – ¥1,800

Bonus Items

Those who book a table in advance  (¥650 per person, tax excluded) and order something from the menu will randomly receive one of 26 possible trading cards pictured above.

If you order something from the food or dessert menu, you’ll also receive one of 26 possible signed mini cards, chosen randomly.

Finally, if you get a drink, you can get one of these 8 possible coasters, also chosen randomly.

This is just a small peek into what’s to come at the cafesーthere are more drinks, dishes and merchandise to get your hands on, so don’t miss out.

*All listed menu item prices do not include tax

*All listed merchandise items include tax

*Photos are for illustrative purposes only

©Seed & Flower LLC.

Starbucks Coffee Japan is commemorating 20-years since opening their Kyoto and Hyogo Prefecture branches with a 10-day-limited anniversary project which will run from November 12 to November 21. The barristers of both prefectures rose to the challenge to come up with three anniversary drinks and a vote took place to decide on a winning drink for each prefecture. The winners were announced as the Kyoto Erai Matcha Matcha Frappuccino® and the Hyogo Bari Choco Haittou Frappuccino®.  

*  Update: Starbucks Coffee Japan has just announced that the 20-year commemoration drink sales period has been postponed. The new drink launch date and limited period is yet to be announced. For more information, please follow this link (Japanese only) : https://www.starbucks.co.jp/press_release/pr2020-3224.php 

One sip of the Kyoto anniversary drink will send your taste buds on a journey to Kyoto. The ideas for the drink originated from the Kyoto Porta West branch. The barristers of Kyoto took it in their hands to interpret the culture of Kyoto in the form of a Starbucks drink by infusing the essence of Kyoto’s historical temples and elegant flavours. The taste of Starbucks’ popular Matcha Cream Frappuccino® can be tasted in the drink. Just seeing the green colour is enough to trigger memories of the Zen Buddhist temple Saiho-ji, which is famous for its moss garden to the extent that it is even called “Koke-dera”, meaning “moss temple”.

The whipped cream creates a contrast with the green matcha which will definitely spark memories of Ryoan-ji Zen temple in some keen Kyoto travellers. The drink is dusted with matcha and dark mocha powder, creating the image of green and brown leaves. The milk base fully enhances the matcha flavour. A creamy cloud of whipped cream and dusting of bitter matcha are layered to create a wonderful flavour adventure which is bound to take your taste buds on a journey off the beaten track.

Stretching from the north to the south of the Japan, Hyogo Prefecture is the largest prefecture in the Kinki region and is home to many towns which are bursting with originality. Hyogo’s barristers created their drink based on the concept of increasing love for Hyogo Prefecture’s unique towns. The idea for the Hyogo Bari Choco Haittou Frappuccino® came from the barristers of the Himeji Minami branch. 

The Port of Kobe opened in 1868 and has since flourished as the gateway to the world. Foreign culture including western confectionary has since spread across Japan with Kobe as its starting point. Considering Kobe’s history with western culture and the cold winter days that lie ahead, chocolate was chosen as the main flavour. Chocolate chips, chocolate sauce and chocolate whipped cream decorate the drink in diversity. The drink is even topped with chocolate sauce and dark mocha powder, making the perfect luxury Frappuccino® to tempt all chocoholics. After just one sip, you will immediately fall in love with the top-class chocolatey flavour. 

If you’re in Kyoto or Hyogo, make sure to stop by a Starbucks to get your fill of cultural flavours.