Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Tokyo released six new products on December 5 in collaboration with Shimada Koen Ningyo Kobo, a long-standing traditional maker of Japanese gosho-ningyo dolls.

Golden Cup, Shimada Koen Ningyo Kobo – ¥50,000 (Before Tax)

The relationship between Starbucks and Shimada Koen Ningyo Kobo began when Starbucks opened its branch at Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya in Kyoto, which is known for having tatami flooring, as the dollmaker’s studio is located near it. There is a waving cat wearing a green apron at that Starbucks which was designed by the 5th generation of Shimada Koen.

Waving Cat, Shimada Koen Ningyo Kobo – ¥30,000 (Before Tax)

Shimada Koen specialises in making gosho-ningyo, dolls with distinct features such as stout forms, pure white skin, tiny legs and hands, a big face, and an overall cute appearance reminiscent of a child. In the Edo Period they were developed as gifts associated with the Court.

Bell Rat, Shimada Koen Ningyo Kobo – ¥3,500 (Before Tax)

The line-up of six dolls feature Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Tokyo motifs and are made with considered thought in mind, including the bonds between people and enjoying happiness throughout the yearーdesires upheld by Starbucks.

The KIRBY CAFÉ is set to open on the 4th floor of Toyko Solamachiーthe shopping, dining and entertainment complex under Tokyo Skytreeーon December 12, 2019 as the world’s first permanent Kirby-themed café.

 

Though we still have a week to wait until Kirby inhales us whole into his café, the official website is already live, showcasing a new line-up of food and merchandise different from that held at the pop-up Kirby cafés (which we have covered extensively in Fukuoka and even Tokyo Solamachi, the latter of which has seen the most pop-ups).

 

Some of the menu items are served in a Kirby lunch box, on a Kirby plate, and more. Let’s take a look. Menu items below are translated from Japanese.

KIRBY CAFÉ’s Stone Baked Pizza ~Maximum Tomato Margherita~ – ¥1,380 (Before Tax)

KIRBY CAFÉ’s Stone Baked Pizza ~Greedy Half ‘n’ Half~ – ¥3,980 (Before Tax)

Served on an original plate, the half ‘n’ half comes served with two pizza flavours of your choice. Perfect for those times when you can’t decide because all the options are too good!

Kirby’s Munching Loco Moco Bowl – ¥1,980 (Before Tax)

Munch and chew on this tasty serving of loco moco just like Kirby is adorably doing on the lunch box it comes in.

Whole Egg Plant & Meat Pasta: Say Your Wish to the Galaxy – ¥1,380 (Before Tax)

Meta Knight’s Precious Matcha Mousse – ¥780 (Before Tax)

Doctor Kirby’s Secret Lab Soda – ¥1,280 (Before Tax)

As well as these incredible-looking dishes, there’s lots of other cute ones you can order for takeout too.

 

If you visit the KIRBY CAFÉ, you’ll have to pay a visit to KIRBY CAFÉ THE STORE as well which is located on the 2nd floor of Solamachi. There’s around 200 pieces of Kirby merchandise including exclusives as well as KIRBY CAFÉ-themed items.

The KIRBY CAFÉ has its own soundtrack which you can actually buy at the store too. It will be released on December 12. We did an article about it here.

Customers can received a specially-made sticker with the CD design when they buy something at the café or store.

The KIRBY CAFÉ gives priority to reservations, so if you’re hoping to get sucked into the world of Kirby, be sure to book in advance.

Now it’s December, we can unleash our festive spirits without anyone telling us “it’s too early”. The streets are glistening with Christmas decor and Christmas dinners, drinks and desserts are around every corner. Every year, Starbucks never fails to hype us up with their Christmas drinks and so without a moment to waste, I headed over to check them out. 

 

For many, the excitement of Christmas starts to unfold at one moment: opening the stocking. Starbucks has hit home once again with the Santa Boots Chocolate Frappuccino®, which not only takes on the appearance of a stocking stuffed with treats, but tastes as jolly as one too. The Frappuccino® was released on December 4, 2019 and is enough to leave you with a very merry belly. 

Once you place your order, you will be handed a sealed straw transformed with Christmas magic to become an edible cookie straw. This drink is the first of its kind for Starbucks and is on a whole new level of excitement. Just holding the straw in your hand waiting for your drink will have your heart racing in anticipation.

 

Here it is:

The small, bright red baubles of chocolate will immediately catch your attention. The Christmassy cup is literally a stocking packed with a range of delicious flavours and textures.

Now it’s time to insert the straw. You will be surprised at just how strong and sturdy it is. Alternating between a few refreshing gulps and an odd chomp on the crispy straw creates a new kind of flavour experience. Rest assured that you are also provided with a regular straw so no need to worry about devouring the straw before finishing the drink.

The frappuccino® base contains a rich chocolate sauce and is sprinkled with crispy potato chips. There are also some potato chips on top of the drink to moderate sweetness and add texture. 

 

Not only will this fill your stomach, but just seeing the jolly drink will leave you fully topped up with the festive spirit. Sales will end once stock is depleted so make sure to try it asap if you are interested. 

 

Have a jolly Christmas filled with excitement and love. 

If you’re a Peanuts fan, you can’t miss out on the gorgeous Christmas menu which will served up at the PEANUTS Cafe Nakameguro, PEANUTS DINER Yokohama and PEANUTS DINER Kobe from December 2 – 25. 

Order the Christmas Dinner course for a large angus beef steak drizzled with a sweet and tangy sauce made of berries and raspberry vinegar.

After your dinner enjoy the luxurious Christmas desserts plate of bite-sized treats such as a soft and tender canelé and sweet madeleine. The plate is decorated with a Christmas Snoopy pick where Snoopy’s face can be seen peeking through a wreath. 

 

You don’t have to book in advance but we recommend you do. This can be done via the links in the information section below.

Order the Salmon Cheese Gratin Christmas Plate for a luxurious course of mains, salad and dessert all on one tray. The sautéd salmon is the steal of the show as it sits in a bath of creamy stew and is topped with a generous layer of cheese. This is served alongside fluffy bread branded with Christmas designs that will definitely put you in the Christmas spirit. A Snoopy pick replaces the traditional cherry on the sundae that will leave you with a sweet aftertaste after your meal.

The White Hot Chocolate is the perfect way to ward off the cold of winter. Like a white blanket of snow, white chocolate milk fills the cup and is topped with the traditional colours of Christmas. Allow yourself to be soothed by the drink’s mild sweetness.

 

Make the most of your Christmas with Snoopy and friends. 

 

© 2019 Peanuts Worldwide LLC

Ginza Sony Park is set to display their #012 Affinity in Autonomy exhibition at the Ginza Sony Park buildingーwhich is a project for the renovation of the Sony Buildingーfrom December 14, 2019.

Affinity in Autonomy was first shown by Sony at Milan Design Week 2019 which was held back in April. It received huge praise from attendees, and so Ginza Sony Park are bringing it back home to showcase at the building, which has enjoyed over 5 million visitors since it opened, for more people to experience it. The exhibit looks at elevating the affinity between humans and robots so that they may co-exist.

Also as part of the exhibition, Sony will showcase five individual pieces entitled Awakening, Accordance, Autonomous, Affiliation, and Association, which make use of image sensors. As visitors experience each one in order, their affinity towards robots will grow. Sound and visuals will play in response to people’s movements.

The exhibition combines sound, colour and interaction, offering new insight into robots. What’s more is that the robots recognise humans and response in real time, further enhancing the realism offered by the experience.

 

If you’re in Tokyo this holiday season, and are looking for the robots, then be sure to pay a visit to Ginza Sony Park.

An event is set to take place at Tokyo Tower from December 7 in promotion of the upcoming anime film My Hero Academia: Heroes: Rising, which is set to release on December 20.

If you pick up a Tokyo Tower Main Deck ticket, which takes you up 150 meters in the tower, you’ll receive a ticket with a limited-edition design, a folder, and one of six possible stickers as pictured above.

The Main Deck will be decorated with all things My Hero Academia, including original illustrations as well as key visuals for the upcoming movie. There will also be photo panels featuring classic lines said by characters where you can take photos.

A stamp rally will also be held throughout the tower at the event Collect all six stamps and receive one of six possible desk mats.

 

Stamp Rally

Price: ¥600

Running: Weekdays 10:00-18:00 (Reception Closes 17:30) / Weekends 10:00-20:00 (Reception Closes 19:30)

Available: Stamp Rally counter on the first floor of Tokyo Tower

*Please note that you will also have to pay the entrance fee to the Main Deck to participate

Test your My Hero Academia knowledge with the official quiz taking place on weekends up the outer staircase. Those who take part will be able to take a photo together with Midoriya and Bakugo and will receive a certificate.

 

Running: Weekends & Public Holidays 10:00-16:00 (Not running during rainy weather)

*A Main Deck entry ticket is required to access the outer staircase. A ticket to the event is also required to receive the certificate

Choose a beverage inspired by your favourite character. Every drink ordered comes with a My Hero Academia coaster.

 

Location: Cafe La Tour, Main Deck Floor 1F

Opening Hours: 9:30-22:45 (Last Orders 22:00)

Price: ¥600 Each

Don’t miss out on the chance to grab some Tokyo Tower-exclusive My Hero Academia merchandise either.

 

Location: Merchandise Counter, Tokyo Tower Floor 1F

Opening Hours: 10:00-18:00 (Until 20:00 on weekends)

 

©2019 “My Hero Academia THE MOVIE” Production Committee　©Kohei Horikoshi / Shueisha

ROLL ICE CREAM FACTORYーan ice cream chain in Japan specialising in ‘rolled’ ice creamーreleased its Christmas menu today.

From Left: Reindeer’s Christmas / Pink Pink Christmas / Blue White Christmas / Royal Pink Christmas

This will be ROLL ICE CREAM FACTORY’s third-ever Christmas menu, which they have made even more fun. There are three festive ice creams to choose from, including two featuring Santa Claus and a reindeer. The ice creams can be served in either their regular cups, or the store’s new “Fuwamoko” snowstorm cups, which looks like snow blowing in the wind. Check out the video below.

Until now, people would take photos of the ice cream being made, but these new cups make for an even more Instagrammable post. Edit in a Christmas song or your favourite music to make your own cute video for your Instagram Stories. The Christmas menu is available until December 25, but these cups will be served until late February 2020. You’ll find the Christmas menu at the select branches and pop-up stores listed below.

HANAGATAYA is a souvenir variety shop that opened in Tokyo Station’s central passage back in July. After over 5 months of sales, the store has revealed its Top 10 most popular products based on sales.

 

The line-up features a selection of HANAGATAYA exclusives, as well as products from elsewhere which have received pre-sales at HANAGATAYA. You will be spoilt for choice with this selection, all of which are perfect for ringing in the New Year when travelling back home. Let’s take a look.

 

1st Place

Banana Custard Cream – Tokyo 2020 Olympic Emblem Design (Tokyo 2020 Official Licensed Product) – Contains 8 – ¥1,134 (Tax Included)

Officially licensed by the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, these chewy cakes are made from domestic Japanese rice, and are filled with deliciously creamy banana custard.

 

2nd Place

Tokyo Banana Butter Madeleine (Tokyo Banana World) – Contains 4 – ¥560 Tax Included)

Exclusive to HANAGATAYA come these all-new butter madeleine’s created by famous confectionery company Tokyo Banana. These baked treats feature a buttery fragrance and taste, and are made with a banana confiture and finished with fresh lemon.

*Exclusive to HANAGATAYA GRANSTA Tokyo Central Street

 

3rd Place

Toro One Press Chocolate Chick (Tokyo Hiyoko) – Contains 3 – ¥648 (Tax Included)

This year marks 107 since the company Hiyoko was established. The “Toro One Press Chocolate Chick” is a new confection from them: an adorable skyward-looking chick made up of three chocolate layersーeach with their own distinct flavour. At the heart of the chick is a moist chocolate paste.

*Exclusive to Tokyo Station

 

4th Place

Cheese Wich – Contains 5 – ¥594 (Tax Included)

These light and refreshing cheese cookies, called Cheese Wiches, are filled with a chocolate-coated melted cheese sauce. Three layers means an enjoyable amalgamation of flavours and textures.

*Exclusive to Tokyo Station

 

5th Place

Chocolate Chestnut Eggs (Ginza Tamaya) – Contains 4 – ¥800 (Tax Included)

“Goma Tamago” is a popular bite-sized egg-shaped confection. This chestnut flavour was created for HANAGATAYA, a mix of dark chocolate and vanilla flavoured chestnut paste.

*Exclusive to Tokyo Station

 

6th Place

Strawberry Cookie Sandwich (Berry UP!) – Contains 8 – ¥1,296 (Tax Included)

Berry UP! is a cute confectionery brand which creates baked strawberry sweets. Keeping with that theme, they have created a crunchy quintuple-layered cookie sandwich filled with sweet and sour strawberry chocolate.

 

7th Place

Shinjuku Curry Ebi (Shinjuku Nakamuraya) – Contains 6 – ¥600 (Tax Included)

If you’re looking for something more savoury, then this one’s for you: Shinjuku Nakamuraya’s light, fluffy and melt-in-the-mouth ebi, coated in curry spices. One nibble is enough to get you instantly hooked.

 

8th Place

Strawberry Polvorón (Berry UP!) – Contains 6 – ¥1,296 (Tax Included)

Another entry from Berry UP!, these polvorón shortbreads are made from lots of fresh strawberries mixed with condensed milk and mascarpone, creating a subtle sweetness that’s enough to have your mouth watering.

 

9th Place

BLUE MELTIN SAND (Tokyo Campanella) – Contains 8 – ¥1,200 (Tax Included)

What if herbal tea and cookies became its own snack? That’s what Tokyo Campanella asked too, and so make it a reality. Their BLUE MELTIN SANDs are cat’s tongue cookies stuffed with a herbal tea sauce that has a natural blue colour.

 

10th Place

Premium Cacao Full Sablé (Mary Chocolate) – Contains 18 – ¥1,350 (Tax Included)

Finally, we have a premium edition of chocolate company Mary Chocolate’s Cacao Full Sablés. This one’s for the adults, a sophisticated combination of bittersweet chocolate and berries.

*Exclusive to HANAGATAYA GRANSTA Tokyo Central Street

 

Did you enjoy this list? Which one takes your fancy the most? Whether as a souvenir for the folks back home, or as a treat to yourself to celebrate 2020, if you’re in Tokyo this year then be sure to give HANAGATAYA a visit.

Doraemon Future Department Store is the world’s first official Doraemon shop, and it’s set to open tomorrow on December 1, 2019. Before its grand opening, however, the store has given customers a sneak peek into what to expect.

 

The shop’s concept is from the perspective of Doraemon, who says, “I’ll help make your future a good one.” It’s split into three areas: the Secret Gadget Lab, the Customise Zone, and the Shop Zone, each of which offers a unique Doraemon experience you won’t find anywhere else.

 

Secret Gadget Lab

 

The Anywhere Door

Just like in the manga and anime series, the Dokodemo Door, or Anywhere Door, lets you travel anywhere.

 

Discover secret gadgets, like the air gun!

Have a go at trying to shoot and hit the 10 targets within the time limit.

*Requires one Doraemon Future Department Store coin to play

 

Dorayaki Baybayin Game

Touch the dorayaki to increase your score. Touch too many, and something crazy might just happen…

*Requires one Doraemon Future Department Store coin to play

 

Fly as far as you can with the Bamboo Copter

Reach the goal with the Take-copter, or Bamboo Copter.

*Requires one Doraemon Future Department Store coin to play

 

Customise Zone

 

Embroidered items

Embroider Doraemon characters and the logo onto towels, bags, clothes and more.

 

Characters (18 Designs): ¥700 Each (Before Tax)

Text  (45 Designs): ¥400 Each (Before Tax)

*The place where a design is embroidered is chosen for you

*There may be a waiting time during busy hours

 

Carved Seal Items

Have character designs, text and more carved onto various items like key rings.

 

Plate Key Ring (10 Designs) – ¥1,000 Each (Before Tax)

Room Key Holder (6 Designs) – ¥1,200 Each (Before Tax)

¥500 per carving (Before Tax)

*There may be a waiting time during busy hours

 

Shop Zone (Exclusive Merchandise)

These cute mugs have illustrations of Doraemon’s secret gadgets on one side, and the first letter of those gadgets written in Katakana on the other side. It makes you want to collect them all!

 

Product Name (Pictured): Doraemon Dora-moji Mug Cup A

Price: ¥1,200 (Before Tax)

 

This cute figure of Doraemon is actually a piggy bank, a perfect gift to yourself or someone else!

 

Product Name: Doraemon Piggy Bank

Product: ¥4,000 (Before Tax)

 

Book Corner

There’s even a book shop where you can pick up the latest issues of the Doraemon comic.

 

Bonus Items

To celebrate its grand opening, the store will give out the following items to customers.

Those who purchase any piece of merchandise will receive a free postcard with an original design with every transaction.

For every ¥4,000 (tax included) spent on a transaction on merch, you’ll get an original handkerchief.

And for every book bought, you’ll get a holographic postcard featuring a design of volume 0 of the manga.

 

*Bonus items available while supplies last

Looking for Instagram-worthy ice cream in Japan? You definitely need to check out Asakusa Tsuno Koi. Soon after opening in Tokyo’s traditional Asakusa on July 5, 2019, their soft serve unicorn ice cream instantly earned its fame on social media. From November 28 to December 24, the ice cream shop will be releasing a series of Christmas-limited ice creams that are sure to become a hit sensation.

This shop is famous for being the only ice cream shop in the world to make unicorn-shaped cones out of financier cake dough and filling them with a sweet spiral of soft serve ice cream for the unicorn’s horn. This Christmas, the shop is introducing Christmas-limited toppings, flowers and wreaths to the decorations menu, making customising your ice cream more fun than ever before. 

* According to research conducted by Asakusa Tsuno Koi. Protected status has been received for America, Korea and Japan. Applications are still being processed in the EU, Singapore and Mongolia.  

 

For the Reindeer Soft Serve Ice Cream (￥780), each and every single financier cone is baked carefully, but this time in the shape of a reindeer – and it’s chocolate flavoured. Filled with soft serve ice cream, this reindeer is too cute to eat. 

 

The Christmas Tree (￥830) is a soft serve pistachio ice cream made using high-grade pistachos: the reigning queen when it comes to nut varieties. The ice cream is finished with one of Asakusa Tsuno Koi‘s original Christmas trees. 

 

The Santa Claus Soft Serve (￥500) is made using Asakusa Tsuno Koi’s rich-flavoured vanilla ice cream. Young or old, the moment you set eyes on Santa Claus’ face, a smile will automatically appear on yours! 

 

The Christmas-limited toppings include stars, candy, and gingerbread men (￥100 each). Can’t choose? There is set including all three which costs ￥250.

The shop interior is also looking more Christmassy. The interior is a fusion of Asakusa’s traditional heritage and the unicorn motif, which is popular in western countries. A colourful flowery background and Asakusa’s traditional folding fans and umbrellas perfectly finish the western-Japanese fusion scene, which is currently soaking in fame on Instagram.

 

Asakusa Tsuno Koi is serving up a totally unique kind of ice cream that has not been spotted anywhere else in the world. The Christmas-limited ice creams are definitely worth the hype. 

 

* Prices Before Tax

Starbucks Japan has revealed its drink in its line of holiday season beverages for 2019. The Santa Boots Chocolate Frappuccino® will be released at Starbucks branches across Japan on December 4, but will receive an early release at four branches in Shibuya on December 3.

 

The best moment during Christmastime is when you open a present. This drink is inspired by the candy and gift-stuffed stockings from childhood.

The drink contains everybody’s favourite indulging ingredients: chocolate, cookies, and potato chips. The base of the drink is filled with dipping chocolate sauce and crunchy chocolate chips. The potato chips on top add a delicious salty flavour to the sweetness.

 

The drink is closed off with a squirt of snow-white whipped cream covered in red chocolate balls and an edible cookie straw. Suck up all of those delicious flavours through the straw and then enjoy munching on it afterwards, ensuring nothing goes to waste. A perfect beverage to enjoy this holiday season!

The all-new Minnie’s Style Studio is set to open in Tokyo Disneyland on April 15, 2020 as a character greeting location where you can meet the Disney cast. In the run up to its opening, Minnie Mouse is hosting a 70-day kawaii-packed event entitled “Very Very Minnie!” which will run at the park from January 10 to March 19 next year.

A special selection of merchandise and food themed on Minnie Mouse, from her polka dots to her ribbon, will be made available from January 9ーthe day before the event starts. Let’s take a look at what we can expect for the opening of the New Year!

 

Special Merchandise (Available: From January 9, 2020)

 

Parkers – Medium ¥4,900, Large ¥5,200 / Cap – ¥3,000 / Scarf Towel – ¥1,500

Wide Bath Towel – ¥3,400

Dress up like Minnie Mouse with one of the two parkers, one featuring white and black polka dots of different sizes, and the other with red and white ones. There’s also a cute cap, a scarf towel, and more.

Cushion – ¥2,300

Hand Cream Set – ¥1,600

Wall Pocket – ¥2,900 (*Items in pockets sold separately)

There’s also the wide bath towel featuring the Disney characters dressed in their new costumes which you’ll see them wearing for the Very Very Minnie! entertainment shows, a cushion which you can put your hands in to keep warm this winter, a useful wall pocket which you can store various items inーand many more items, up to 70 of them!

 

Special Merchandise Split Across 3 Months

Get one of 8 possible costumes for your Minnie Mouse posy plushy, as well as three different postcard sets. All of these items will roll out across a three month period: on January 9, February 3, and March 2 respectively.

Posy Plushie Costumes – ¥2,200 Each / Postcard Set – ¥1,300 (*Posy Plushies sold separately)

For the first month, January 9 will bring three costumes, including Minnie’s new Very Very Minnie! outfit, as well as one called “Super Dancing Mania” and another called “Resident of Mishika.” The first postcard set will also come with 7 designs all themed around Minnie.

And on March 2, 2020, which is known as “Minnie’s Day” at Tokyo Disney Resort®, guests can get their hands on a plush toy wearing Minnie’s “Hippity Hoppity Springtime” outfit at Grand Emporium which was voted as her No. 1 outfit based on a user poll held on the Tokyo Disney Resort® website.

 

 

Special Menu Items (Available: From January 9, 2020)

Of course, there’ll be plenty of delicious treats to munch on too, all so cute they seem a waste to eat.

Special Dessert Plate (Waffle & Doughnuts) – ¥1,500 / Served at: Center Street Coffeehouse

At Center Street Coffeehouse, this special dessert plate will be served from 1pm-6pm, which will include a set of cream-filled doughnuts and waffles drizzled in a sweet and sour strawberry sauce.

Strawberry Cheese Brownie Crepe – ¥700 / Sold at: Cafe Orleans

Cafe Orleans will serve a crepe topped with a strawberry cheese brownie and drizzled in raspberry sauce and a strawberry compote.

Cranberry Vanilla Mouse Cake with Souvenir Plate – ¥800 / Yoghurt & Raspberry Mouse with Souvenir Cup – ¥800 / Served at: Sweetheart Cafe

Also at the Sweetheart Cafe, you can get your hands on one of two of these desserts which come with souvenir merchandise you can take home with you. Both items feature Minnie in her cute new outfit.

Special Set – ¥1,980 / Served at: The Plaza Inn

The Plaza Inn has a very special set prepared: a hearty meal featuring two hamburgers, ice cream for dessert with a white chocolate mousse adorned with Minnie’s ribbon, and more.

 

Don’t miss this Minnie-exclusive event when it begins in the New Year!

 

*All photos are for illustrative purposes only

©Disney