SHISEIDO opened its first-ever global flagship store in Ginza, Tokyo on July 31, 2020.

Since its founding in Ginza, the SHISEIDO brand has been fusing art and science, representing Japanese Beauty. Today, it offers a wide range of products in 88 countries and regions around the globe. SHISEIDO skincare and makeup aims to reveal and express people’s beauty on the outside, empowering them with confidence and vitality. For SHISEIDO, it is that outer beauty that brings to light your inner beauty, a notion that’s centred around the brand’s concept of feeling “ALIVE with Beauty,” something they say is achieved when beauty blooms from both the outside and inside.

SHISEIDO GLOBAL FLAGSHIP STORE follows this mantra of “ALIVE with Beauty” which it will promote to those visiting Ginza, be they Japanese or foreign. The store’s design concept is “Japanese Digital Garden” which encapsulates the image of a Japanese-style garden—something which symbolises the Japanese sense of beauty as well as nature. It will be inspired by Japanese paper, trees, and Nishijin silk fabrics, and will incorporate flowing music and lighting.

Digiskin Tester (Makeup)

SHISEIDO GLOBAL FLAGSHIP STORE is a beauty experience that combines human touch with the latest technology. The shop caters to a multitude of beauty needs and lifestyles. Simply by taking a photo of yourself, the Digiskin Tester will find the perfect shade of SHISEIDO foundation for your skin from 30 colours. This instant tester can be combined with one-on-one counselling with the staff so you can find the right products for you.

SHISEIDO Ultimune™

SHISEIDO Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate N – Ginza Flagship Store Limited Edition (75ml) | ¥16,000 (Before Tax) *Available in-store only

The building consists of three floors serving all things SHISEIDO, from their full line-up of makeup and skincare products to items exclusive to the flagship store.

They are taking all the necessary precautions against the spread of COVID-19 so that customers can continue to enjoy the beauty experience. This includes practicing social distancing, providing alcohol gel, disinfecting tester products, having staff and customers wear masks, and so on.

Ultimune Essence Auto-Tester

Customers can use special dispensers set up in-store which lets them try out products without having to come into physical contact with other people.

SHISEIDO has also launched a “virtual store” on its official website so that customers can still enjoy SHISEIDO GLOBAL FLAGSHIP STORE from the comfort of their own home. Customers use VR to walk around the shop and watch help and advice videos on makeup.

Discover your inner and outer beauty at SHISEIDO GLOBAL FLAGSHIP STORE in Ginza.

Tokyo Tarako Spaghetti opened its all-new, second branch in Harajuku Omotesando on July 31, 2020. The restaurant opened its first branch back in January this year.

To commemorate the opening of the new restaurant, it is serving up two brand new tarako (cod roe) spaghetti dishes made with Japanese dashi.

Tarako & Kombu Umami With Dashi Spaghetti | ¥990 (Before Tax)

The first new dish is a combination of tarako, kombu, and dashi spaghetti. This dish adds a Japanese flair to it by combining tarako spaghetti with tarako boiled in soy. The full flavour of the kombu is extracted when the dashi is poured over, creating an irresistible flavour.

Three Fish Egg Tarako Spaghetti | ¥1,390 (Before Tax)

The second new dish on the menu is the “Three Fish Egg Tarako Spaghetti” which combines lots of tarako with toppings of salted salmon roe and flying fish roe. There’s a whopping 100g of fish eggs on there, so you won’t be going hungry with this filling, colourful serving of spaghetti.

Discover new kinds of tarako spaghetti dishes at Tokyo Tarako Spaghetti Harajuku Omotesando.

Japanese anime and manga merchandise chain store and cafe company Animate is set to open the new Animate Cafe Gratte Sendai on August 29, 2020. There are many Animate Cafe branches around Japan, all of which serve up menus themed on various anime, manga, and game franchises.

The first series to land at the new Animate Cafe Gratte Sendai will be Haikyu!! TO THE TOP.

Animate Cafe Gratte Sendai will serve the staple “Gratte,” a portemanteau of “graphic latte” where character illustrations are put on top of the cream of lattes. These beverages are currently served at the Tokyo (Shibuya and Kichijoji), Osaka, and Okayama branches of Animate Cafe.

Haikyu!! is a sports, comedy and coming-of-age manga series written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate. Serialised in Weekly Shonen Jump, the series spanned 45 volumes, with the final volume released just last month. Season four of the series, titled Haikyu!! TO THE TOP, is still ongoing, with the second half set for release this October.

The collaboration at the cafe will run from August 29 to September 15 where fans can tuck into a range of different Haikyu!! themed goodies like grattes, icing cookies, and more.

All customers will receive one of the above-pictured exclusive coasters randomly selected from 12 designs.

©Haruichi Furudate / Shueisha・”Haikyu!!” Production Committee・MBS

Saryo Ginza Seigetsudo, a cafe located on the 2nd floor of Matsuzakaya Ueno in Tokyo, has been holding its “Mainichi Panda CAFE” event since October last year where it is serving up panda themed food and drink, selling panda plush toys and books, and the cafe itself is decorated with all things pandas.

Mainichi Panda CAFE by Saryo Ginza Seigetsudo is now introducing four new panda desserts, and its exhibition theme is celebrating the birthdays of Ueno Zoo’s giant pandas Xiang Xiang and Lili.

Adzuki Bean & Warabimochi Panda Parfait | ¥1,100

Japanese style parfait topped with panda-shaped ice cream.

Panda Jonamagashi & Matcha Set | ¥1,100 *Only 4 served per day

A Japanese ‘jonamagashi’ confection made to look like a panda wearing a straw hat.

Panda Pancake-Style Dorayaki w/Orange Peel | ¥1,100 (With Coffee ¥1,430)

Saryo Ginza Seigetsudo’s signature dorayaki served pancake style and branded with a cute panda face.

Lemon Yogurt Cake Set | ¥1,210

A slice of refreshing lemon and yogurt cake.

Mainichi Panda Exhibition (Excerpt)

The cafe has a special photo exhibition on display of the cute giant panda family that is housed in Ueno Zoo.

Postcards

Postcard image

The first 100 customers who dine at the cafe each day will receive a free postcard of Ueno Zoo’s pandas.

If you love pandas, and have visited Ueno Zoo before, then you won’t want to miss a visit to Saryo Ginza Seigetsudo.

Tokyo’s newest cafe Bread, Espresso & Machiawase opened inside Shibuya MIYASHITA PARK on August 4, 2020.

The cafe is the first from cafe chain Bread, Espresso to have a menu centred around eggs. Customers can enjoy a cup of coffee with toast and eggs cooked fresh in a variety of ways. The cafe hopes to be a meeting spot for people to visit Miyashita Park and Shibuya where people go to kill some time while waiting for someone or something.

Freshly-made eggs

Menu examples

The luxurious dishes cooked up at Bread, Espresso & Machiawase are inspired by the omelettes and scrambled eggs you wait in anticipation for when you wake up early at a hotel for breakfast. The cafe’s omelettes, which are cooked up a teppan iron plate, are soft, delicious, and are the perfect complement to the accompanying toast. The hot sandwich is made using Bread, Espresso &’s popular muu bread which is loaded with butter.

Whether it be for a feel-good morning, a spot of lunch, or a day’s treat, Bread, Espresso & Machiawase promises freshness at its fullest.

A place to meet up

Shibuya is known as the place of meetups. Bread, Espresso & Machiawase has plenty of different seating spots that cater to meetups or for customers who need to kill some time, whether it be the egg-shaped “Torinosu” counter seats or the standing area.

French toast made before your eyes 

Order French toast and watch it made fresh in front of you using a flame. Their delicious-smelling “Brûlée French Toast” is a recommended dish too.

Parfaits in the evening

In the evenings, the owner of the cafe serves two different kinds of parfaits which originated in Sapporo where they were born. The parfaits are actually made using bread rather than cornflakes, making it more fitting for a place like Bread, Espresso &.

Pair bread with Japanese sake

Bread, Espresso & Machiawase has discovered a new way to enjoy eating bread: by pairing it with nihonshu, or Japanese sake. Enjoy a special selection curated by specialists, such as with the Sake Tasting Set which lets you taste and compare three different kinds of Japanese alcohol.

Bread, Espresso & Machiawase caters to a variety of situations, so if you ever travel to Shibuya be sure to pop in whether for breakfast, lunch, or an evening treat.

Harajuku’s KAWAII MONSTER CAFE has announced that it is collaborating with YouTuber, model, and MC RinRin Doll to release a new beverage called “Honey Doll” which will be served at the cafe for a limited time only.

Who is RinRin Doll?

RinRin Doll is a Harajuku-style model based in Tokyo. Originally from Los Angeles, California, she is a lover of Japanese fashion and culture and posts videos related to Harajuku-style lolita fashion and makeup on her YouTube channel.

RinRin’s birthday falls on August 2, which in Japanese can be pronounced as hanii or “honey,” and so this day is known colloquially as Honey Day. The “Honey Doll” drink will be served at the KAWAII MONSTER CAFE from August 2 to 31. It has a ginger ale base and is filled with honey flavoured jelly and fruits and is topped with purple cotton candy for a deliciously sweet combination.

The first 15 people to order the drink will receive a special badge featuring the cute character “Honey Bunny Bee” who was created for the RinRin Doll & Ribbonita collaboration.

KAWAII MONSTER CAFE is serving fashion and entertainment while practicing and promoting all the necessary measures to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Be sure to check out RinRin’s YouTube channel, including her video on the new Honey Doll drink.

The first trailer for the upcoming TV anime series Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon is here. The anime, which will air from October 3, serves as a spin-off series of the anime adaptation of Inuyasha which originally ran from 2000-2004 and wrapped up with Inuyasha: The Final Act in 2010.

Confirmed cast members for Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon include Sara Matsumoto as Towa Higurashi, Mikako Komatsu as Setsuna, and Azusa Tadokoro as Moroha.

To promote the series, a series of exhibitions celebrating the history of Inuyasha will take place across Japan including Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Niigata—the latter of which is the hometown of Inuyasha author Rumiko Takahashi. Merchandise will also be available for fans to buy.

The main visual for the exhibition

Details on tickets, merchandise, and the full content of the exhibition will be announced in the near future, so stay tuned.

ⒸRumiko Takahashi / Shogakukan・Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation・Sunrise 2009

A colourful line-up of angelic parfaits will be served up at Shiseido Parlour The Harajuku, which is located on the 8th floor of the WITH HARAJUKU shopping centre, from August 18 to October 11.

Made in collaboration with Shiseido Beauty Square, also located in the building, these parfaits are inspired by different popular cosmetic brands.

The parfaits will be switched out every two weeks. The first parfait will be based around the brand bareMinerals. After that it will be NARS, then Laura Mercier, and finally Dolce & Gabbana Beauty. Each sweet treat also comes with samples of cosmetics and fragrances from each respective beauty company.

Lychee Green Beauty Parfait with bareMinerals | ¥1,980 (Tax Included) | Serving: August 18, 2020 – August 30, 2020

The bareMinerals parfait is made with mineral-rich lychee sherbet, healthy ice cream made with tofu, marine blue jelly, ruby grapefruit, orange, mango, and more.

Fig & Berry Chocolate Mode Parfait with NARS | ¥1,980 (Tax Included) | Serving: September 1, 2020 – September 13, 2020

If you’re looking for true dark luxury, then tuck into this devilish layering of Belgian chocolate ice cream, strawberry milk sauce, figs, pione grapes, raspberries and a topping of macaron and chocolate.

Japanese Chestnut Tea Gradation Parfait with Laura Mercier | ¥1,980 (Tax Included) | Serving: September 15, 2020 – September 27, 2020

A delightful gourmet marriage of Earl Grey jelly, houjicha ice cream, and chai sauce which creates a nude lip brown colour. This one’s topped with Japanese chestnuts, blackcurrants, pomegranate, a macaron, and a swirling chocolate stick.

Blood Orange Exotic Parfait with Dolce & Gabbana Beauty | ¥1,980 (Tax Included) | Serving: September 29, 2020 – October 11, 2020

The final parfait is a vivid combination of sumptuously sweet blood orange sherbet, rose jelly, an ‘exotic’ sauce, ruby grapefruit, raspberries, mango, a macaron, and to decorate, a red rose.

*Depending on ingredient stock, the parfaits and serving periods are subject to change

*Photos are for illustrative purposes only

Japanese construction company Daiwa House took part in the planning and construction of Nippon Foundation’s new “THE TOKYO TOILET” project which has set up new public toilets in 17 locations around Shibuya, Tokyo.

THE TOKYO TOILET

The toilets bring together two things that Japan is known for around the world: hospitality, and the best toilets around. A lot of people don’t like the idea of public toilets due to their image of being dark, dirty, stinky, and all-around unpleasant experiences. Toilets in THE TOKYO TOILET project remove all of these worries from peoples’ minds. Open to people of all ages, genders, and disabilities, the toilets were designed using the creative power of 16 international creators.

Hygiene is a big focus of these new toilets which will bring a whole new level of cleanliness to public toilets, making them a pleasant experience for users and making people considerate of the next person who will use the toilet after them.

Toilet Locations and Participating Creators

If you visit Shibuya, and are in need of a toilet, be sure to experience THE TOKYO TOILET and discover the best public toilet experience around.

The Rolling Girls is an anime series produced by Wit Studio that aired in 2015. In celebration of the 5th anniversary of the girly, road movie-like series, the anime will be released in a special Blu-ray box in Japan on December 16, 2020.

The 5-year milestone will also be celebrated with an exhibition at Space Caiman in Tokyo from September 18 to 21. There will be illustrations and messages posted up from the anime’s production staff, including the director Kotomi Deai, screenwriter Yasuyuki Muto, character designer tanu, and character setter Katsuhiko Kitada, and as well as the Mob themselves—the four main characters.

The event will be one no fan will want to miss out on as staff and fans come together to express their love for the series.

A special display will also be set up which will showcase drafts and production materials from when the anime was being produced.

This includes character illustrations, image boards, character settings, original works, background art, and more. Fans can also get their hands on some exclusive 5th anniversary merchandise too.

©2015 The Rolling Girls Production Committee製作委員会

Starbucks Coffee Japan opened a new branch at CIRCLES Ginza on July 30, 2020 that will serve as a dream location for business people.

The dream coffee shop, split into two floors, offers a unique environment and service created in collaboration with Think Lab. Rather than your regular, more public Starbucks, this branch also lets customers reserve booths and meeting spaces. This includes the SMART LOUNGE™ aimed at business users, as well as solo working spaces by Think Lab.

Starbucks Coffee CIRCLES Ginza caters to both solo workers and co-workers, giving them a space to think and concentrate alone, or come together in groups to exchange ideas. Booths offer a place to host online meetings, the SMART LOUNGE lets groups arrange chairs and tables however they like, and the Think Lab—which you pay an extra fee to use—is the perfect spot for some quiet contemplation.

1st Floor: Quick TOGO experience

The first floor is for people who aren’t looking to stay at the cafe long. They are looking for a quicker experience where they can order their Starbucks drink and food and head on out. The cafe offers cashless payments, which is notable as Japan is still very much a cash-based country, as well as the Starbucks mobile order and pay service where you pick what you want on your phone and then go and pick it up.

2nd Floor: A place where you can focus

Reserve a booth for video calls and more

There are four individual half-booths which can be reserved, each of which have a screen for video calls and online meetings. These can be used for 40 minutes and can be booked in advance. The booking system was co-developed by Starbucks and Vacan.

Tables for in-person group meetings

The window tables offer a place for meetings, discussions, and business negotiations for 2-12 people. It’s a relaxing area where workers and clients can chat freely.

解放される“ひとり”のためのパーソナル空間

For those who want to work along, Starbucks has created a spacious area with individual booths where you don’t have to meet eyes or be bothered by other people.

If you’re working in Tokyo, and need a business-oriented location where you can enjoy a coffee, then look no further than Starbucks Coffee CIRCLES Ginza.

sequence MIYASHITA PARK is a new mixed-use hotel set to open inside MIYASHITA PARK on August 1, 2020.

sequence’s concept is to connect the people with the city. It offers a space for everyone whether they want a quiet time alone, whether they are sightseeing, having a work-do, celebrating a party or festival, and more. This is centred around the hotel’s three notions: “SMART,” “OPEN,” and “CULTURE.”

The hotel is inspired by the local concept of “PARK MIND” which offers guests a place to relax after a long, busy day, like in a park. It has collaborated with Tokyo-based designers and creators to bring this to life in room designs. Furniture and fittings are simple while still being of high quality.

The fourth floor entrance connects seamlessly to Miyashita Park and is home to a lobby lounge as well as the new VALLEY PARK STAND cafe and bar. Up on the fifth floor is the breakfast dining restaurant Dōngxī Restaurant & Sakaba. Up on the 18th floor, guests can enjoy a panoramic view of Shibuya, as well as dine at the entertainment restaurant SOAK whose design and concept mixes together history and the future, the West and the East. There is also art from artists coordinated by The Chain Museum.