Benzaiten opened its first store in 2019 and since then has opened over 50 branches up and down Japan. The confectionery brand, which specialises in fruit-filled daifuki, has now opened a new store inside Tokyo’s luxury shopping centre GINZA SIX.

Yellow Papaya | ¥950 (Tax Included)

Tayo no Tamago Red Mango | ¥1,500 (Tax Included)

Fig | ¥1,000 (Tax Included)

Kiwi | ¥650 (Tax Included)

Benzaiten has over 10 types of fresh seasonal fruits ordered in from the market every day to make their daifuku with, most of which use the entire fruit. They are very particular about the mochi used to make the daifuku to ensure the original delicious flavour of the fruit is maintained and maximises. They use two layers of high quality white bean paste and habutai to hand-prepare the daifuku every day.

Butter no Itoko and Samantha Thavasa opened their second collaborative store branch in the desserts area of Tokyo Skytree Solamachi last Tuesday.

Butter no Itoko is a Nasa-based confectionery company co-developed by Chus and Shinrinno Bokujo, a company specialising in milk from Jersey cattle. It opened a store in collaboration with Samantha Thavasa last year at Haneda Airport Terminal 2.

Samantha Thavasa Exclusive Butter no Itoko Salted Caramel

Banana Smoothie

Solamachi Exclusive Samantha Thavasa x Butter no Itoko Eco Bag

The new store will sell a whole range of tasty treats including the salted caramel Butter no Itoko which was first released at the Haneda Airport branch, Shinrinno Bokujo’s soft service ice cream, updated 90 Banana Smoothies, and more. There’s also a limited-edition complete box of milk, chocolate, red bean paste butter, and salted caramel Butter no Itoko youc na get your hands on which were first released in April.

If you spend over ¥3,000 on desserts at the new store, you can also get your hands on the exclusive eco bag. These are available on a first-come, first-served purchase.

In promotion of their new Ver.2.0.0 energy drink, which hit shelves in Japan last Tuesday, ZONe released a TV commercial featuring Japanese artists LiSA and yama. The new beverage, which is advertised as putting people in the zone of invincibility, contains the highest amount of caffeine put in a ZONe drink yet: 150mg of the stuff, which is sure to keep people buzzing throughout the day. The packaging has also been updated to feature the new ‘ZONe EYE’ which symbolises that you’re in the zone and nothing will stand in your way.

LiSA in the ZONe
　　　　　

Dive into the zone with LiSA who knocks back her drink and immediately takes on the ZONe EYE. She grabs her mic and belts out a hardcore performance, showing off her incredible voice, before winking at the camera.

yama in the ZONe

When yama chugs her can she says the words ‘Into the ZONe’ along with the futuristic-sounding voice. She is surrounded by a whirlpool of the energy drink which flows along to the sound of her gorgeous high-tone vocals. The track itself is titled Ketsuryu (‘Blood Flow’) and was written for this commercial.

Interview

LiSA

・What did you think of the commercial and your appearance?

“For me, it was a live performance. Even I was surprised at the show of power that ZONe has [in the commercial] when it turns on your switch. I enjoyed it like a real live performance, since the part when I switch into that invincible zone was filmed just as I look in the video.”

・Tell us about the song RUNAWAY which features in your commercial.
“The song is about quitting while you’re ahead in life. It’s the start of a new era, heading into that invincible zone to laugh lots, sing, dance, and enjoy everything.”

yama

・Tell us about the song Ketsuryu which features in your commercial

“ESME MORI kindly wrote this song for me. It’s a song that brings up the topic of being bored in life, and feeling lonely, but that you can still find someone special or something you can immerse yourself in to light up your life. It’s about keeping your heart moving even if those things disappear. I hope it encourages people, even if just a little.”

Ace Hotel Kyoto marked its 1st anniversary on June 11 since opening. In celebration of hitting the milestone, the hotel is collaborating with Japanese artist Yu Nagaba by displaying his work at its gallery until June 30. The works displayed are of the sights and people that Nagaba saw and penned in a memo pad while staying at Ace Hotel Kyoto. All of the illustrations were made for this exhibition and so they are being exhibited for the first time. One of the pieces is also being sold at stickers in the hotel’s shop.

Yu Nagaba‘s work

Yu Nagaba | Comment

“After I heard whispers that Ace Hotel was setting up in Kyoto, I hoped I could do something, so I was happy to take part in this project, but I also spent my time wondering what I could draw, and no ideas came to mind. After pondering I went to find inspiration by deciding to stay at Ace Hotel. I drew what came to mind during my time there as I walked the streets of Kyoto and spent time at the hotel. I drew a total of 49 illustrations in my memo pad. I painted six of my favourites on canvas. I hope people can get a feel for my experiences of Kyoto in these pieces.”

Sanrio teamed up with the convenience store chain FamilyMart to commemorate the 25th anniversary of their popular character Pompompurin with a special soufflé and macarons that hit shelves up and down Japan on June 8.

Pompompurin Soufflé Pudding | ¥276 (Before Tax)

Pompompurrin & Cinnamoroll Macarons | ¥350 (Before Tax)

Pom’s Kitchen Campaign

The Japanese pudding-style soufflé is made with smooth and velvety custard and caramel. It’s sold in a cup in three different original designs. Also available as part of the celebration is a set of macarons made to look like Pompompurin as well as Cinnamoroll, another one of Sanrio’s most popular characters. They are wearing cute king and queen crowns respectively.

A campaign is also being held where you can win some special Pompompurin merchandise by posting a photo of a rice dish inspired by Pompompurin on social media. More details can be found on the campaign website below.

MINISTOP Japan released three new desserts in collaboration with Morinaga on Tuesday: the Morinaga Milk Caramel Baumkuchen, Morinaga Milk Caramel Pound Cake, and Morinaga Milk Caramel Roll Cake.

Morinaga Milk Caramel Baumkuchen

Morinaga Milk Caramel Pound Cake

Morinaga Milk Caramel Roll Cake

Morinaga’s “Milk Caramel” is a long-selling product that has been sold for over 100 years. The triple dessert release coincides with Milk Caramel Day, a day by Morinaga that falls on June 10 to commemorate the flavour. The tasty caramel delights make as the perfect accompaniment during coffee breaks, when working, when studying, or just as a little treat.

The desserts are now available at all MINISTOP convenience stores in Japan.

Yadoru KYOTO HANARE is a hotel in Kyoto that blends seamlessly into the town, offering a stay experience that’s like living there. For guests who use their baths, they have introduced a new selection of five ingredients to be put into the bath like bath salts. Each comes with a different effect, enhancing your bathing experience beyond getting clean.

Yadoru KYOTO HANARE is continuing to enforce precautions against the spread of COVID-19 so guests can enjoy getting away from home to relax and unwind safely. The hotel has and continues to enjoy many guests during this time who are seeking out some healing. One of the biggest selling points for guests is the hotel’s bathing experience. With that in mind, they have set up the Yadoru YUAMI service which allows guests to try a variety of bathing products made by local Kyoto businesses.

‘Yuami’ is an old Japanese expression for getting in the bath. The word ‘yadoru’ in the hotel’s name is also an old phrase meaning ‘to stay at a lodging on your travels.’ Yadoru KYOTO HANARE is wanting to have its site feel even more like a traditional Kyoto townhouse for guests to experience, so they are now using the word ‘YUAMI’ as part of their services.

With Yadoru YUAMI, guests can pick from five different bath products, each wrapped in pouches. Each offers a completely different bathing experience with different benefits and fragrances.

1. Sake Lees

Sake lees from Kyoto’s long-standing and historical sake brewery Sasaki Shuzou. Massage the lees in the bathtub while they are still in the pouch to create a milky white water that fills the bathroom with the fragrant smell of sake lees. The ingredients in the lees have a moisturising effect, improve blood circulation, and leave skin looking beautiful.

2. Gyokuro Green Tea

The Kyoto Distillery stands as Japan’s first establishment specialising in gin. One of their gins is called Ki no Bi, a Japanese craft gin. Its smell and taste is the result of a combination of 11 kinds of botanical products including gyokuro green tea, junpier berry, and hinoki cypress, all of which are featured individually on this list. Gyokuro is a type of high-grade Japanese green tea and contains theanine which stimulates relaxing, making it perfect for unwinding after a long day.

3. Juniper Berry

Juniper berry is an indispensable ingredient in making craft gin. This bathing product is made with the type that’s actually used in making Ki no Bi craft gin. When submerged in the water, the air is filled with the woody, relaxing, and inviting scent of gin.

4. Hinoki Cypress

This bathing powder is also made with the same hinoki cypress used in Ki no Bi which, when put in the water, emits the smells of a forest. Hinoki cypress contains phytoncide which has a relaxation effect, calming the autonomic nervous system and blood pressure.

5. Matcha

Matcha is the quintessential flavour of Kyoto. Guests who check in at Yadoru KYOTO HANARE are offered a cup. They can also bathe in it with Yadoru YUAMI.

Mc Donald’s Japan released its new Sweets Trio Fruchu menu on Friday which features a line-up of three fruit-flavoured Pikachu items: the Yellow Peach McShake, Chocolate Banana McFlurry, and Hot Apple Custard Pie.

The menu items comes in limited-edition cups and packaging featuring the adorable Pikachu.

Yellow Peach McShake | Small ¥120 – Regular ¥200 (Tax Included)

A fruity and refreshing summery McShake made with sweet and sour yellow peach with that satisfying creamy McShake texture. Available in small and medium, both sizes come with three different cup designs each for a total of six.

Chocolate Banana McFlurry | ¥290 (Tax Included)

The Chocolate Banana McFlurry is served in an ice cream cup with a fresh squirt of milky rich soft serve and drizzled with banana and chocolate sauces. The ice cream is finished with a sprinkle of crunchy yellow cornflakes. Another perfect choice for cooling down in the hot summer weather. There are three possible cup designs to receive.

Hot Apple Custard Pie | ¥150 (Tax Included)

The apple custard pie is served hot with a crunchy outside and filled with custard cream made with fresh apple and vanilla beans and seasoned with caramel and cinnamon. There are three possible packaging designs to receive.

McDonald’s Japan is also serving a Pikachu-style Happy Meal as part of the collaboration which come with one of six possible toys.

nel craft chocolate tokyo, a craft chocolate shop located in Nihonbashihamacho, Tokyo, released two chocolate shaved ice desserts last Wednesday for the hot summer season. The desserts are also being sold at Saryo Tsukikage, a restaurant inside the hot spring ryokan Yuen Bettei Daita in Setagaya.

Left: Cacao Kintoki | Right: White Cacao Kintoki

Cacao kintoki is a type of shaved ice made with specially-selected cacao beans from Vietnam. It uses a ‘bean to bar’ method where the shaved ice is made from scratch, roasting the beans fresh to create the dessert.

The two new treats at nel use a chocolate base and add cacao pulp to the mix, adding a natural fruity flavour derived from the bean. Each is also served with a special cacao sauce for extra flavour. The white cacao version is made by combining with in-house white chocolate. It also comes with an Okinawan passion fruit and cacao pulp sauce, resulting in a sour kick and refreshing taste.

Saryo Tsukikage

The open-air baths at Yuen Bettei Daita

A special matcha version of this shaved ice can also be enjoyed while bathing in the open-air baths at Yuen Bettei Daita. It’s made with nel’s homemade white chocolate as well as dark chocolate, cacao pulp, and specially-selected yame matcha from Shimokita Chaen Ōyama, a cafe in Setagaya.

ICHIBIKO is a new strawberry dessert-themed cafe that opened at Tokyu Food Show in Shibuya, Tokyo, on June 1. The shop’s concept is centred on letting people enjoy strawberries all year round served in a variety of sweet and succulent ways.

Migaki-Ichigo Pudding | 3 Flavours

The Migaki-Ichigo Pudding is a Japanese-style custard pudding made with a layer of custard and strawberry jam. The jam, which contains fresh juicy pieces of strawberry left over, is made from a type of high quality strawberry called Migaki-Ichigo. These puddings are available in three flavours.

Migaki-Ichigo Pudding – Strawberry Custard | ¥432 (Tax Included)

Made with fresh cream and vanilla custard and combined with strawberry jam. Rich and full of fruity flavour.

Migaki-Ichigo Pudding – Condensed Strawberry Milk | ¥486 (Tax Included)

Layered with condensed milk instead of custard, lending a refreshing milky flavour to the sweet strawberry and giving a velvety texture.

Migaki-Ichigo Pudding – Strawberry Milk Yogurt | ¥432 (Tax Included)

Made with strawberry sauce-infused yogurt and Migaki-Ichigo jam giving a cool, refreshing flavour.

The new ICHIBIKO store also sells the brand’s most popular beverage, ICHIBIKO Milk, as well as baked confections, and fresh Migaki-Ichigo strawberries sourced directly from farmers.

Disney SWEETS COLLECTION by Tokyo Banana, a joint confectionery shop between GRAPESTONE and Tokyo Banana, released its new Mickey & Friends collection on Thursday.

Tokyo Banana Mickey & Friends Collection | ¥1,300 (Tax Included)

Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto join hands in a heart-warming new collection of Tokyo Banana, a cream-filled sponge cake and the official souvenir sweet of Tokyo’s official souvenir sweet: Tokyo Banana.

Mickey & Friends arrive in all the colours of the rainbow

The colourful packaging features the Disney group of best friends including Mickey, who loves his friends, his girlfriend Minnie, the anger-prone Donald, stylish Daisy, silly Goofy, and trusty Pluto.

Six cute patterns decorate the sponge cakes

There are six super cute Mickey & Friends designs you could get in your Tokyo Banana, and each one is random. They are filled with chocolate banana-flavoured custard cream.

Collect all the postcards

All boxes of these treats come with two of eight possible postcard designs which you can use for sending to someone or even as room decoration.

 © Disney

Asahido is now selling a collection of Disney-inspired ceramics made using a traditional Japanese pottery technique known as Kiyomizu which originated in Kyoto.

Winnie the Pooh Hundred Acre Wood Teacup

This collection of teacups features hand drawn designs of Winnie the Pooh and his friends relaxing in their home of the Hundred Acre Wood. They are dyed indigo using a traditional dyeing technique known as gosu which makes the colour run deep into the design. There are cups to pick from, one big and one small and both with different designs. More details here (in Japanese).

Mickey & Minnie Traditional Dyed Pattern Mugs

These smiley teacups are made using the same dyeing technique and feature Mickey and Minnie made from collages of traditional Japanese patterns that have long been used in Kyoto.

Disney Princess Plates

Seven Disney Princesses have been feauted in this hand-painted Kiyomizu ware plate collection, all of which are lined with gorgeous colours including gold. They make for beautiful decorations for any Disney fan’s room.

Mickey & Minnie Kiyomizu Dolls

“Rakuyaki” is the name of the hand-mouldered pottery technique used to crafts these Mickey and Minnie Mouse dolls, one which has been used since the Taisho Period. Compared to the other ceramics on this list, these dolls are baked at a lower temperature, giving the colours a softer look. Red and black are classic colour combinations used in this technique, so Mickey and Minnie were the perfect candidates. Only 100 of each will be sold.