GRAPESTONE is releasing a new sweets collection at Disney SWEETS COLLECTION by Tokyo Banana, which is located in Tokyo Station, in collaboration with the Disney classic Fantasia. The confections will be released in limited quantities from October 30, 2020.

© Disney　Disney SWEETS COLLECTION by Tokyo Banana JR Tokyo Station

Disney SWEETS COLLECTION by Tokyo Banana opened on the JR Line side of Tokyo Station in November of last year. The shop is a joint-collaboration with Tokyo Banana—the official souvenir sweet of Tokyo—and Disney. The shop sold over 100,000 products in the first week of its opening, and caught the attention of Disney fans on social media who described the shop and the packaging of their sweets as cute.

Disney Fantasia Chocolate Sandwich (Contains 28) | ¥3,024 (Tax Included)

The cute packaging features Mickey Mouse as The Sorcerer’s Apprentice in the 1940 animated film Fantasia. The light and crunchy cat tongue cookies at filled with chocolate banana milk shake flavoured cream

The confections serve as the perfect gift or souvenir from Japan to yourself or any fan of Disney.

© Disney

Japanese confectionery company KANRO has once again joined pika-paws with Pikachu for the third time to feature the beloved Pokémon on the lemon flavour their Puré gummies. They will be released in Japan from October 27, 2020 in limited quantities.

Pikachu Puré Gummies – Third Collaboration

Following the success of the first two collaborations in June and July this year, with buyers expressing how cute they are in Japanese social media, KANRO is at it again, this time with their lemon flavour. There will be eight different Pikachu packet designs for this third collaboration, each with an attractive neon sign logo. The combination of gelatine and pectin is what gives Puré gummies their chewy texture.

Puré Gummy Lemon Pokémon (56g) | ¥130 (Tax Included)

In a packet of these gummies you’ll find two shapes: the classic Puré heart shape and Pikachu shape, so you’ll always be in for a surprise each time you reach into the bag.

Puré Gummy Pikachu Video

KANRO has released yet another promotional video for this third collaboration. The video for the first collaboration garnered 1 million views in just three days. Check out the adorable video below.

Pika Puré Merchandise Campaign

KANRO is also holding a campaign on their official Twitter page from October 28-30 where you can win a free Pika Puré eco bag.

Additionally, 210 random people who buy Puré gummy products in Japan from October 27 to December 20 will be chosen to win additional merchandise. 10 people will get a big cushion and 200 a big blanket. To enter, purchase select Puré products in Japan and send your receipt to the company via the LINE messaging app.

©2020 Pokémon ©1995-2020 Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK inc.
Pokémon, ポケットモンスター, and ポケモン are registered trademarks of Nintendo, Creatures Inc., and GAME FREAK inc..

Pokémon Cafe and Pikachu Sweets by Pokémon Cafe are releasing a new teatime menu at their respective branches on October 24, 2020.

Pokémon Cafe

Polteageist & Sinistea Tea Party! Fruit Tea Set ~Apple Flavoured~ | ¥1,188 (Tax Included)

Polteageist & Sinistea Tea Party! Fruit Tea Set ~Strawberry Flavoured~ | ¥1,188 (Tax Included)

Pokémon Cafe is serving up two different fruit tea sets based on the Ghost-type Pokémon Polteageist and Sinistea. Customers are free to pour in their desired amount of fruit syrup which changes the colour of the tea. The sets come with a cute cookie too.

Pikachu Sweets by Pokémon Cafe

Left: Polteageist’s Tea Party! Fruit Tea ~Mixed Berry Flavour~ / Right: Polteageist’s Tea Party! Fruit Tea ~Peach Orange Flavour~ | ¥700 Each (Before Tax)

Pikachu Sweets by Pokémon Cafe is also going to serve up some Polteageist themed fruit teas as well as a selection of desserts like macarons and financier almond cakes which have Pokémon tail and ear designs.

After ordering one of the Polteageist fruit teas, customers can place their cups under the Polteageist tea pot as pictured above and activate the pot to dispense their drink, so it’s like Polteageist  really pouring tea for you.

Left: Swirlix Strawberry Macaron | Middle: Pikachu Vanilla Macaron | Right: Galarian Ponyta Pistachio Macaron – ¥500 Each (Before Tax)

Treat yourself to one of the super cute Swirlix, Pikachu, or Ponyta macarons each with designs that tell you instantly which Pokémon they’re inspired by.

Polteageist Fruit Tea and & Pikachu Macaron Set

Customers can order a tea and macaron combination set too.

Pikachu Parfaits

Pikachu Glass Parfait Set | ¥1,500 (Before Tax)

An adorable set of Pikachu parfaits, one being caramel banana flavoured and the other chocolate.

Pikachu Tea Party Assortment – Pika Pika Pikavee Set | ¥2,800 (Before Tax)

Another set to share between friends and family, this time with two Pikachu glass desserts as well as Pikachu and Eevee cupcakes.

Pikachu Tea Party Assortment – Ghost Type Set | ¥2,800 (Before Tax)

This set comes with the Pikachu glass desserts as well as Ghost-type Gengar and Litwick mousse cakes.

The Polteageist teapot and Sinistea teacup used at the Pokémon Cafe and Pikachu Sweets by Pokémon Cafe will also be released at Pokémon Center Online in Japan on December 5, 2020.

© 2020 Pokémon.©1995-2020 Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK inc.
Pokémon, ポケットモンスター, and ポケモン are registered trademarks of Nintendo, Creatures Inc., and GAME FREAK inc..

Universal Studios Japan (USJ) announced earlier this month that its new Nintendo-themed area SUPER NINTENDO WORLD will open in spring 2021. While the grand opening of SUPER NINTENDO is still a while away yet, USJ has everyone covered, as the new and first of its kind Mario Cafe & Store officially opened inside the park’s Hollywood Area on October 16, 2020.

The cafe and shop is dream come true for fans of the Mario bros as they enter into a world inspired by the video game series with Mario and Luigi and level decorations in every corner. It can be easily spotted thanks to the red and green “M” and “L” letters on the windows symbolising Mario and Luigi as well as the Mario and Luigi hats. Gamers can enjoy this exciting space while they wait for the official opening of SUPER NINTENDO WORLD.

Themed food and merchandise line-up

Decorations are instantly recognisable with Question Blocks and Pipes on the walls, Mario Mushroom-coloured tables, and more.

The food line-up includes dishes, drinks, and desserts like pancake sandwiches made to look like Mario and Luigi’s hats, fruit dream soda inspired by the brothers’ moustaches, and a selection of original merchandise which reads “WHOSE CAP?” on it like T-shirts and more. You can see more of what’s on the menu here.

© Nintendo.

LEGS, INC. has announced that it will open three cafes themed on the mobile game Disney: Twisted-Wonderland at OH MY CAFE branches in Tokyo and Osaka on November 20 and in Nagoya on November 27.

Disney: Twisted-Wonderland is a Japanese mobile game that was released on March 18, 2020. The concept, character designs, and scenario for the adventure rhythm game were conceived by Yana Toboso, the creator of the popular Black Butler manga series. The game is centred on the villains of Disney.

The cafe’s theme places customers in the food hall of Night Raven College, the magic training school where the game is set. It will be adorned in decorations inspired by the game’s food hall, and coupled with that, the cafe will serve up food and drink that actually appear in the game. There’s also exclusive merchandise for players to get their hands on.

The Menu

There are four different lunches to pick from, all of which are low in salt content and so are a healthy option for wizards and witches flying into the cafe.

Food

<Lunch Option A>

Deluxe Menchi Katsu Sandwich | ¥1,990, with plate ¥4,290 (Before Tax)

The most popular item on the food hall’s menu is the non-fried menchi-katsu meat cutlet sandwich.

<Lunch Option B>

Salmon Cream Stew | ¥1,990, with plate ¥4,290 (Before Tax)

A cream stew packed with salmon and vegetables and served with slices of baguette for dipping.

<Lunch Option C>

Tomato Base Squid Ink Pasta | | ¥1,990, with plate ¥4,290 (Before Tax)

A colourful tomato-based veggie pasta in squid ink and served with fruity yoghurt.

<Lunch Option D>

Four Mushroom Risotto | ¥1,990, with plate ¥4,290 (Before Tax)

A creamy, mild-flavoured risotto served with four different kinds of mushrooms.

Drinks

Character Drinks (7 Flavours) – Heartslabyul, Savanaclaw, Octavinelle, Scarabia, Pomefiore, Ignihyde, Diasomnia | ¥890 with coaster ¥1,790 (Before Tax)

A selection of colourful tinted waters inspired by seven different characters seen in the game.

Merchandise

Superdeformed Series Art Example

Pattern Series Art Example

Magic-wielding players can get their hands on a selection of merchandise both at the cafes, and from November 20, via the OH MY CAFE STORE website. There are two different designs for the merch line-up as pictured above.

Bonus Items

Customers who book a table in advance (¥650 before tax per person) at the cafe will receive one of 22 possible lunch mats, and if they order a drink, one of 22 coasters.

©Disney

L’OCCITANE CAFE Shibuya is getting ready for Halloween with the reveal of its sweet potato and apple parfait which will be served from October 21 to 31. The Tokyo-based cafe is centred on the food culture and lifestyle of Provence in southern France.

Sweet Potato and Apple Parfait | ¥1,280 (Tax Included)

The seasonal treat is a mix of purple sweet potato and regular sweet potato, baked apples, apple sherbet, and vanilla ice, all topped off with whipped cream, roasted nuts, and almond tuile biscuits in the shape of ghosts and a pumpkin.

Bubble tea chain Pearl Lady, which is celebrating its 17th anniversary this year, is teaming up with Sanrio for the second time to release two new drinks themed on the popular characters My Melody and Kuromi on October 16, 2020. My Melody and Kuromi are also celebrating their 45th and 15th anniversaries respectively.

Black Lemonade | Strawberry Milk Tea (w/ Novelty) – ¥500 Each (Tax Included)

The two beverages are Sweet Strawberry Milk Tea, which is inspired by the cute My Melody, and Black Lemonade, which is based on her rival Kuromi.

When ordering either of the drinks at Pearl Lady, customers will also get one of 6 possible badges as pictured above. One of the designs is a secret, so you’ll need some luck if you want that one.

Major bookstores across Japan are rolling out the Rilakkuma Book Fair where fans can get their hands on short Rilakkuma fairy tails, exclusive merchandise, and more.

In line with the event, Fruits Parlor & Bakery Season & Co., a cafe in Umeda, Osaka, is serving up a special menu with the theme “Rilakkuma Book Cafe” from October 30 to November 30. This includes a afternoon teas which also celebrates the cafe’s 1st anniversary, more exclusive merchandise, and novelties for customers who order from the Rilakkuma menu.

Rilakkuma Zukin Afternoon Tea | ¥4,000 (Before Tax) *Reservation-only

A special afternoon tea featuring 13 different goodies from desserts to a sandwich, quiche, and more. It comes with a fruit iced tea welcome drink too.

Rilakkuma Yuki Hime Afternoon Tea | ¥4,000 (Before Tax) *Reservation-only

A different afternoon tea that serves up 12 items. This also comes with a fruit iced tea.

Rilakkuma’s Honey Apple Smoothie | ¥800 (Before Tax)

A honey apple smoothie topped with refreshing vanilla ice cream, smooth fresh cream, and a Rilakkuma jelly candy.

Rilakkuma’s Royal Chocolate Milk Tea | ¥1,200 (Before Tax)

Classic royal milk tea served with chocolate Rilakkumas. Eat on their own or dip into your tea!

The cafe is now taking reservations for the afternoon teas. Bookings must be made two days in advance by telephone or the official website.

Bandai Candy’s character-inspired Japanese confectionery series Tabemas collaborating with the popular TV anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba to release two confections themed on the show’s main characters Tanjiro Kamado and Nezuko Kamado as well as a collection of tarts. The sweet treats will hit the chilled desserts corner of Lawson convenience stores in Japan on October 20, 2020.

Tabemas x Demon Slayer

Tabemas x Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Tanjiro Kamado/Nezuko Kamado) – ¥264 Each (Before Tax)

The tarts feature all the little details of the beloved characters, from the scar on Tanjiro’s forehead and his earrings to the bamboo pipe in his sister Nezuko’s mouth and her hair adornment. It also captures the designs of their clothes. Both are filled with Japanese red bean paste with Tanjiro being chocolate flavoured and Nezuko strawberry flavoured.

Demon Slayer Tarts

Demon Slayer Tarts | ¥231 (Before Tax)

An assortment of biscuit base tarts laced with caramel mousse. The tart designs feature a range of popular characters from the anime series including the Kamado siblings, Zenitsu, Inosuke, Shinobu, and Tomioka.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a manga series by Koyoharu Gotouge serialised in Weekly Shonen Jump. The popular series has over 100 million copies in circulation and spawned a hit anime series last year. The upcoming anime film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train, which is being animated by ufotable, is set for release tomorrow on October 16, 2020 will serve as a direct sequel to the 2019 anime series.

©Koyoharu Gotouge/Shueisha・Aniplex・ufotable

The Asahi Shimbun and Nippon TV are set to host an exhibition centred on Mickey Mouse at the MORI ARTS CENTER GALLERY in Roppongi, Tokyo, from October 30, 2020 to January 11, 2021, in celebration of 90 years since Mickey Mouse’s screen debut. The exhibition will showcase works shown at the Mickey: The True Original Exhibition held in New York in 2018-2019.

Before the exhibition opens, five participating Japanese artists have each revealed their never-before-seen artworks which will be on display.

The Tokyo exhibition will be a travel back through time, looking at Mickey Mouse from the past to the present. It will be split into three zones: “The Origin,” “The True Original,” and “Beyond.” The five artists showcasing their work early will be featured in the “Beyond” zone and include Tomoko Oshima, Kosuke Kawamura, Nana Soeda, Calligrapher MAMI, and WAKU. Below are their featured pieces along with their comments.

Tomoko Oshima | Comment

“What’s fascinating about Mickey Mouse is, for reasons I can’t begin to work out, how he became a part of each person’s life. I was raised in a household that banned cartoon characters, so it always felt like something unobtainable. Mickey Mouse is like a hero to all of us. He’s dazzling and radiant, a kind of being I can’t look directly in the face of. When working on my Mickey Mouse art [for the exhibition], my concept was to create a Mickey that’s special only to me, so I challenged myself to turning that Mickey Mouse that everyone feels happy looking at and loves into my usual art style.”

Oheya (Bedroom), Tomoko Oshima

Kosuke Kawamura | Comment

“What I find fascinating about Mickey Mouse is that no matter how old I get, he always transports me away from the real world to a world of dreams. He’s an idol of mine. I even have my own collection of merchandise I’ve been collecting over the years. For the exhibition, I needed to creating something for the Beyond [zone], so I tried shaping Mickey Mouse from how I see him in my head. I’ve always made sure to balance my artwork in such a way that it can be seen in two ways. When you stand close, you can see the detailed composition, but when you step away, it looks different. This time around I gave myself a little challenge and made the silhouette of his face and hands using flowers. If you get close to it you’ll see that it’s made up of lots of flowers, but stand from afar and you’ll be able to see the facial expressions and his pointing figure. I’d like people to give both a go, so when you’ve looked at it up close then take a step back.”

Untitled, Kosuke Kawamura

Nana Soeda | Comment

“I feel Mickey Mouse’s appeal from his long history and how he has changed overtime, so I tried to express these aspects in the piece I made. The theme for it is centred on Mickey Mouse in the future, so when I was thinking about what he might look like in the future, I looked to past [designs] and tried fixing them up. So in my piece there’s a trace of looking back at past Mickey Mouse while giving him an update. Creating those ‘futures’ made me feel like I was walking through my own past and processes. You can’t know exactly what’s to come in the future even for someone as internationally popular as Mickey Mouse. But by learning from past memories and mistakes, you can draw on those to create a future, don’t you think? That’s something I wanted to convey in this piece, and I did so by creating something that’s close to the Mickey Mouse of the past with both 2D and 3D surfaces. The Mickey Mouse I drew is the one of ages past that looks completely different to his appearance today. But those look at it might feel something newer about it than older. That, or they might feel uncomfortable seeing him in a way they’re not used to. I want people to take their time looking at both and feeling whatever they feel when they do.”

LOVE, Nana Soeda

Calligrapher MAMI | Comment

“I’ve captured Mickey Mouse’s silhouette as its own kanji by using calligraphy. His appearance is iconic worldwide, and by making him recognisable through this common language, I’ve tried to create a new kanji, effectively breaking the language barrier of calligraphy, something which is difficult in itself to overcome for people. Another thing with calligraphy is that you can write the same piece hundreds of times which means it can be fine tuned over and over. I believe that overlaps with Mickey Mouse’s design as he has too has evolved for a hundred years. But by no means have his designs he just spring out of existence immediately. He has undergone trial and error through the times, and always shines bright. It’s because of everyone who will see my piece as this exhibition that I’ve been able to create something I can feel from the heart.”

ZEN Mickey, Calligrapher MAMI

WAKU | Comment

“I think the appeal of Mickey Mouse lies in the fact that people around the world all remember him from their childhoods. We form memories during our childhoods, and ever I’ve been able to recognise those memories inside of me, Mickey Mouse was something that was always close to me. When I see three circles together, Mickey Mouse’s face comes into my mind. He might be the first internationally recognisable symbol. I felt that the affinity between symbolism and neon signs is very high. So for my piece, I incorporated the techniques used for traditional Japanese neon signboards, something which I see less of these days. I took that and created the three Mickey Mouse circles using light.”

Untitled (Still Being Worked On), WAKU

The 7th run of the popular BT21 Cafe is set to open in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya starting from October 17, 2020.

BT21 are the LINE messenger app characters created by K-pop group BTS. The cafe has seen six runs in Japan until now, and has proven immensely popular amongst fans for the selection of original dishes and drinks as well as exclusive merchandise. The 6th run ran back in February and March with a spring theme.

The theme of the 7th edition is centred on having a pyjama party in the long autumn evenings. The cafe artwork as well as food and merchandise is all themed on the autumn season.

FOOD

The food menu is a choice of a main, such as pasta or paella, and a side like clam chowder which is served up a cute character mug of your choice.

Fish Ragu Fusilli Pasta Set Menu Example | ¥1,490

A fusilli pasta dish served with a seafood tomato sauce.

Eggplant & Zucchini Lasagne Set Menu Example | ¥1,490

A lasagne served with the summer vegetables eggplant and zucchini as the main ingredient.

Seafood Paella Set Menu Example | ¥1,490

A Spanish dish containing Paella made with a seafood stock and served with potato wedges covered in a bravas sauce.

Margherita Pizza Set Menu Example | ¥1,490

The staple takeout pizza topped with tomatoes, mushrooms, and basil.

DESSERT

A selection of cakes served in different mugs with BT21 character designs.

Shortcake / Chocolate Cake / Mont Blanc / Cheesecake  – ¥1,290 Each

DRINKS

Drinks are self-service and include carbonated water, milk, and other beverages all of which can be topped with a dollop of character ice cream. This is a new kind of drink to be introduced at BT21 Cafe.

Character Drinks: KOYA／RJ／SHOOKY／MANG／CHIMMY／TATA／COOKY  – ¥990 Each

Glass Drinks: KOYA／RJ／SHOOKY／MANG／CHIMMY／TATA／COOKY – ¥500 Each

TAKEOUT DRINK | 1,690

The takeout drink is a blueberry milk combination.

GOODS

Fans can get their hands on a selection of original and exclusive miscellaneous merchandise all with the stay-at-home pyjama party theme.

Heart Pins | ¥600 Each (Design Chosen Randomly)

Card File | ¥1,300

Bonus Items

Cafe Original Cards

Cafe Original Coasters

Customers who book a table in advance will receive a free cafe original card, and those who order a drink a free coaster.

©BT21

Cheese Dish Factory, a restaurant in Shibuya MODI in Tokyo, released a new seasonal dessert for the autumn season on Monday called the ‘Tart Parfait Mont Blanc.’ The tasty bite’s foundation is an almond tart which is filled and layered with ingredients like a parfait before being topped off with mont blanc cream.

The dessert comes in for delightful variations such as the ‘Chestnut & Tiramisu’ which tops tiramisu with the flavours of autumn like chestnut ice cream and chestnut cream, and the ‘Berry & Berry’ which is piled full of strawberry cream and topped off with a strawberry. Sweet-tooths will discover a labyrinth of flavours as they gradually make their way through whichever they decide to order.

Chestnut & Tiramisu (Mascarpone Cheese) | ¥880 (Before Tax)

The tiramisu is made with mascarpone and has on top of it Japanese chestnut and chestnut ice cream. The chestnut cream is arranged like a mont blanc. The inner tiramisu adds a unique touch to make this a mont blanc for the ages.

Berry & Berry (Cream Cheese) | ¥820 (Before Tax)

This tiramisu is made from cream cheese which is topped with strawberry sauce and vanilla ice cream. A parfait mont blanc for the strawberry lover who won’t be able to resist the strawberry cream and the crowning fresh strawberry.

Fromage & No-Bake Cheesecake (Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese) | ¥780 (Before Tax)

A no-bake cheese cake combined with cream cheese ice cream and cream cheese. Inside you’ll find fresh white peach. There’s also a crispy texture brought by the Parmigiano-Reggiano. A must-try for cheese fanatics.

Matcha & Brown Sugar Syrup Soy Flour (Ricotta Cheese) | ¥780 (Before Tax)

A mountain made from matcha warabimochi, adzuki red bean paste, brown sugar syrup soy flour, and vanilla ice cream. This one’s full of Japanese flavours, but also ricotta cheese, making it a Japan x Western fusion.