UDS HOTELS is set to open YUEN BETTEI DAITA, a new onsen ryokan (hot spring Japanese inn), in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, on September 28, 2020. The hotel is just a 1-minute walk from Setagaya-Daita Station and an 8-minute walk from Shimokitazawa Station.

YUEN BETTEI DAITA sits in a quiet location surrounded by old, historical Japanese houses and is basked in nature. It houses 300 guest rooms and has open-air baths, a spa, and offers traditional Japanese food the tea ceremony.

The inn is equipped with considerate facilities and has a relaxed atmosphere. It caters to modern day needs while still promising a traditional Japanese inn experience. And it doesn’t have to be just used as a hotel either – guests can just spend the day there in the hot springs if they like, allowing locals to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city and their busy Tokyo lives.

The Design

YUEN BETTEI DAITA bases itself on the appearance of residences seen back in Tokyo back in the day. The hotel has taken in furniture and materials that were inherited in a thatched-roof residence in Setagaya which has over a 100 year history, which gives a nod to the history and culture of traditional Japanese architecture, while still incorporating more modern techniques in the wooden roofing and other areas. All of this combines to create a sophisticated Japanese culture-imbued space.

Guest Rooms

There are 35 guest rooms in total, each coming in one of seven types ranging from 19㎡-32㎡. The rooms open up into a tatami and seating area. Guests are provided with yukata and leather-soled geta shoes, and are treated to Japanese tea and confections from local shops.。

Open-air onsen baths (1st Floor)

The large open-air baths receive water from Odakyu Hotel de Yama’s own water source in Hakone. Guests can enjoy looking at a traditional Japanese garden while they bathe and listen to the sound of the water from Mount Fuji. The female baths also have scented mist saunas while the male baths have dry saunas.

Cooking & Tea Ceremony (1st Floor)

Kappou Tsukikage

Enjoy seasonal vegetables harvested from the local farms in Setagaya as well as Japanese sake and wine chosen to pair perfectly with the dishes.

Saryou Tsukikage

Guests can also experience the Japanese ceremony with local tea. Daita was once rich with tea farms, and so guests can look forward to enjoying delicious and authentic tea.

SOJYU spa

If guests want to relax the hotel’s SOJYU spa offers full body massage, original essential oil treatments, and much more. The spa will also be open to non-guests from spring next year.

The Kirby Café in Tokyo and Fukuoka released three new dishes for autumn last Friday (September 18).

The menu items are made with seasonal flavours like pumpkin, sweet potato, and chestnut.

Filling Autumn Plate – Salmon Cream Pasta & Pumpkin Salad Sandwich | ¥1,480 (Before Tax)

One plate packed with fall flavours including a rich salmon cream pasta and pumpkin salad sandwich. If you look closely, you’ll spot cute pieces of Waddle Dee cheese.

Fallen Leaf Waterfall☆Mont Blanc and Baumkuchen With Friends | ¥1,280 (Before Tax)

Rick, Kine, and Coo feature on this tasty-looking dessert plate which is a baumkuchen piled with a chestnut mont blanc cream.

Kirby’s Hot Sweet Potato Sticks | ¥1,080 (Before Tax)

Crunchy on the outside, hot in the middle, and seasoned with fresh rosemary. Kirby is a pro at inhaling food, but don’t burn yourself with these!

In commemoration of Miffy’s 65th anniversary, the new Miffy Café opened on the first floor of Tokyo Solamachi on September 11, 2020 and will remain open for a limited time. The café is also collaborating with Japanese illustrator Shogo Sekine.

We visited the café to check out the themed menu, merchandise, and other fun things on show to see.

Stepping into the café is like stepping into a picture book world. It’s really colourful in there. My mother read Miffy to me when I was a child, so I was hit with a real sense of nostalgia when I entered the café. No matter your age, you’re sure to enjoy your time there – that’s the kind of fun atmosphere they have created.

Terrine-Style Open Miffy Sandwich | ¥1,499

I ordered the terrine-style open Miffy sandwich and Miffy orange float from the themed menu.

The open sandwich arrives in the shape of Miffy, so it almost seems a waste to eat, but it was really cute and delicious. Simply the best. It’s filled with potato salad, an avocado sauce, and salmon.

Miffy Orange Float | ¥899

The ice cream that tops the orange float is made to look like Miffy too!

Snapping a photo while drinking the float is pretty Instagrammable, so it’s a must when visiting.

All of the items on the menu have Miffy somewhere on them, meaning anything you order is guaranteed to be kawaii. They have takeout too, which is great if you don’t have much time to hang around or just don’t want to dine inside.

Speaking of which, each table in the café is separated with an acrylic board to protect customers during the pandemic, and all of them have super cute designs. Another photo opportunity for sure!

The café sells original merchandise too. The fashion items and illustrations with English on them were designed by popular Japanese illustrator Shogo Sekine. There’s a whole range of different goodies, from plush toys to fashion and more.

Don’t you feel happy just looking at all these colours? You’ll find yourself spoilt for choice on what to buy.

The Miffy Café is open until October 18. You can book a table too, so if you’re in Japan during this time, be sure to visit the café website below.

Illustrations Dick Bruna © copyright Mercis bv, 1953-2020  www.miffy.com

Model & Writer：Eri Tanioku

Photo: Haruka Yamamoto

Translator: Joshua Kitosi-Isanga

Japanese company LEGS has announced the opening of the limited-time Ojamajo Doremi Cafe 2020 ~FRUITS PARLOR~. The themed cafes will open in Tokyo on October 29, Osaka on October 30, and Aichi on October 23.

Ojamajo Doremi is an original magical girl created by Toei Animation that ran from February 1999 to January 2003. To celebrate the series’s 20th anniversary last year, LEGS opened a different Ojamajo Doremi limited-time themed cafe in collaboration with Cafe&Kitchen which welcomed lots of magical girl fans.

This year once again welcomes Etoile et Griotte as the art director for the fruit parlor-inspired cafe.

Ojamajo Doremi Cafe 2020 ~FRUITS PARLOR~ celebrates the 20th anniversary of Ojamajo Doremi Sharp is the second series in the Ojamajo Doremi series. Fans will be able to get their hands on a range of exclusive magical merchandise as well as tuck into pastel coloured fruity food.

FOOD

Doremi’s Cheese Steak Doria in Cherry Sauce | ¥1,699

Steak is Doremi-chan’s favourite food, so it was a must-have on the menu. The cream cheese is coloured like Doremi, and there’s a cute musical note topping too. It comes with a cute lunch mat that looks like Doremi’s skirt.

Hazuki’s Omurice in Porcino & Orange Cream Sauce | ¥1,399

The omelette is made to look like Hazuki’s yellow skirt. Enjoy together with the delicious porcino sauce and orange combination.

Onpu’s Waffles With Crepe & Mascarpone | ¥1,299

Blueberry sauce-drizzled and mascarpone-topped waffles served with a mashed potato skirt. The sweet and sour mix is to die for.

DESSERT

Aiko’s Blueberry Float | ¥999

A fresh blueberry float inspired by Ai-chan. Mix everything together to create a different flavour.

Momoko’s Lemon Cheesecake Parfait | ¥1,399

A fresh lemon cheesecake packed parfait with lots of enjoyable flavours and textures.

Rhythm Tap Tart | ¥1,300

Inspired by the Rhythm Taps seen in the series, the tart imagines Doremi’s transformation scene in Ojamajo Doremi Sharp.

DRINK

Onpu Melody Drink (5 Flavours) | ¥1,099

A rainbow line-up of colourful Onpu drinks available for takeout.

Movie Theater Menu

Girls Meet Sushi | ¥1,299

Inspired by the meat sushi that Sora and the gang eat in the animated film Majo Minarai wo Sagashite. Comes with an original postcard.

Exclusive Merchandise

Acrylic Keyrings (6 Designs) – ¥600 Each

Letter Set (1 Design) – ¥1,200 | Folder Set (2 Designs) – ¥700

A selection of super kawaii cafe-original merchandise is available for fans to grab.

Bonus Items

Those who book a table in advance, order a drink, or spend more than ¥2,000 at the cafe will receive one of six possible A5 folders.

Become a magical girl like Doremi at the Ojamajo Doremi Cafe 2020.

©Toei Animation

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.

Walt Disney’s concepts and ideas are formed around innovation, creativity, imagination, and storytelling. And one character who walked that journey with him and continues to this day is none other than the iconic Mickey Mouse, who since making his first appearance in Steamboat Willie in 1928, has gone on to be a symbol of the Walt Disney Company loved by people the world over.

Mickey: The True Original Exhibition in New York

The Mickey: The True Original Exhibition held in New York looked at how Mickey Mouse has influenced art and pop culture over the years, covering everything from Steamboat Willie which hailed as Walt Disney’s first black and white sound film to over 100 colour short animations, artwork, and more.

Keiichi Tanaami – “Mickey’s Japan Tourism”

Javier Sanchez Medina – “Studio for Mickey’s hands”

The exhibition was ran from November 2018 to February 2019 and saw installations from over 20 international artists including New York-based artist Daniel Arsham and Los Angeles-based artist and graphic designer Brian Roettinger.

Brian Roettinger – “(L)imitation of Sound”

DRx – “3000% Mickey Be@r”

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 Beyond zone will welcome original artwork from five Japanese artists.

Original Merchandise – Pin Badge

Original Merchandise – Ballpoint Pen

The exhibition’s museum shop will have exclusive Mickey Mouse merchandise for sale, as well as pre-sales on other items. See new official goods from works like Steamboat Willie and Fantasia as well as items designed by Japanese artists. It’s a chance to see Mickey in a variety of different ways.

Free eco-bag

Visitors to the exhibition will also receive one of four original eco-bags for free upon arrival.

TOKYO MYSTERY CIRCUS, the world’s first and Japan’s biggest puzzle-themed theme park, has announced a new escape game centred on the Japanese pop group Perfume. Titled “Escape From The Room Next To Perfume,” the game is set to hit the indoor theme park on September 22, 2020.

An escape game is a real-life interactive experience that has players solving puzzles to escape a room. The story of the Perfume game puts players on the same team as Perfume. As players wait in anticipation, an LED display made to look like a window opens to reveal the Perfume members, who greet players and encourage them on their escape. And so begins the game.

There are various items and pieces of information in the room for players to solve the puzzle, including dance poses by Perfume which give hints for the next step. It’s an interactive experience that makes it feel like Perfume are really there with you.

Perfume fans can get their hands on a range of exclusive merchandise too, like a sticker set, folder, and message cards. These items will be sold at the TMC GOODS SHOP at Tokyo Mystery Circus as well as the online stores SCRAP GOODS SHOP and Perfume’s own A!SMART.

The Pokémon Café in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, is adding an apple flavoured Eevee frappe to its ever-growing Pikachu Sweets by Pokémon Café menu. The frappe will be available from October 2 to December 4.

Eevee Apple Pie Frappe

The sweet tang of the apple combines with the caramel to create a tasty dessert drink, topped with whipped cream, crunchy piece bits, and a cute Eevee tail cookie.

Buy the separate Eevee sleeve to put on your drink to make a fully complete and adorable Eevee frappe♡

© 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.

KAWAII MONSTER CAFE HARAJUKU is set to collaborate with Tokyo’s three branches of Alice’s Fantasy Restaurant to serve up a Halloween themed menu. It will be served from September 19 to October 31.

The Halloween season is right around the corner, and the KAWAII MONSTER CAFE is once again joining in with the spooky festivities. This year, the cafe has joined hands with Alice’s Fantasy Restaurant to create a collaborative Halloween menu lineup.

Colourful Rainbow Pasta With Halloween Cream | ¥1,400

Colourful pasta served in rich pumpkin sauce and with a variety of different ghost creams.

Singing Alice’s Caesar Salad | ¥1,360

Alice’s Fantasy Restaurant’s popular Caesar salad heads to KAWAII MONSTER CAFE, an assortment of purple carrots, pumpkin, and other tasty delights. Alice is also hidden in the pasta somewhere as a black witch.

Kingpin Choppy & Henchman Humpty Dumpty Curry | ¥1,300

KAWAII MONSTER CAFE’s mascot is served wearing a silk hat and comes with his fellow henchman Humpty Dumpty.

Cheshire Cat Splatter Ice Cream | ¥1,100

Soft serve ice cream topped with crunchy cereal, cotton candy, and chocolate, all drizzled in a splattered sweet strawberry sauce.

Customers who post a photo of their foot onto social media with the hashtag #tokyohalloweencollection can enter for a chance to win some Halloween merchandise.

UNIQLO TOKYO, the global flagship store of UNIQLO, is now holding an exhibition themed on its knitwear at its first floor LifeWear Square area until October 11, 2020. It’s a consolidation of everything that goes into wearing the symbolic style of their LifeWear lineup, covering the art, science, and craftsmanship behind the items.

About UNIQLO TOKYO

UNIQLO TOKYO opened back in June this year in Ginza, Tokyo, as the country’s biggest store and global flagship store. UNIQLO TOKYO is the embodiment of UNIQLO’s “LifeWear,” clothing that the company has created to “improve everyone’s life.”

SCIENCE: 3D knit installations by Rhizomatiks Architecture

Rhizomatiks Architecture have created a range of installations including mannequins centred on knitwear. Customers will be able to see knitwear being made by the machines right before their eyes.

CRAFTSMANSHIP: Tools used in the manufacturing process

See the strict standards and measures taken to carefully craft each and every UNIQLO cashmere sweater, from the processes carried out to the materials and tools used in the manufacturing process, samples, and more.

ART: Styling

See the headpieces created by Shiseido’s top hair and makeup artist Tadashi Harada for displaying the knitwear. Each and every one was made with care and attention for the 20 mannequins.

OH MY CAFE, a chain of cafes in Japan, is now running a special Pixar-themed food event called ‘PIXAR FEST’ which will run in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya.

“Keep On Smiling” is the the concept of the event, which will serve up a whole range of different foods including a Lightning McQueen exclusive on September 5, a special drink inspired by Disney Pixar’s Onward which released earlier this year, a collection of strawberry desserts centred on Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear to celebrate Toy Story’s 25th anniversary, and more. There’s lots to see, so we follow MIOCHIN to the Tokyo event in Omotesando.

PIXAR FEST at OH MY CAFE is packed full of exciting things for both kids and adults alike. Here’s our report.

The fun begins even before you enter the cafe, as at the entrance, you are met with a wall poster of numerous popular Pixar characters.

The moment you step inside, Sully is there ready to greet you! You can even take a picture with him, so if you visit, don’t miss the chance.

You’ll find familiar faces scattered all around the cafe, like Woody, Buzz, Mike, Nemo. The decorations and designs are really wonderful.

The original menu has a cute lineup too, with dishes, drinks, and desserts inspired by characters from the animated movies.

The food tastes really good too, so be sure to pick out a menu item based on your favourite movie.

Until October 9, you can order the special Onward and Lightning McQueen menu items. This includes ‘Ian & Barley’s Pink Sunset Blue Mallow Tea’ and ‘Lightning McQueen’s Kachow Lightning Hamburger Sandwich.’ You can see the full menu lineup here. It makes you want to watch Pixar movies all day then grab some Pixar food!

Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear from Toy Story 3 will have his own special menu items too: the ‘Lots-o’s Strawberry Chicken Hamburger’ and ‘Lots-o’-s Strawberry Drink.’ These will be served from October 10 to November 24.

The cafe has its own collection of PIXAR FEST merchandise in three different types: the “PIXAR FEST Series” which uses the cafe’s main visual for its design, the “Vintage Series” which uses a cute purple, and the “Alien Mix” which has a pop design with the Little Green Men from Toy Story.

Customers can also receive a limited-edition OH MY CAFE sticker if they order something from the menu, buy some merchandise, and post their thoughts about the cafe and their items on Twitter with the hashtags #キャンペーン #PIXAR FESTカフェで最高の思い出を作ろう #OHMYCAFE. Be sure to get involved if you’re in Japan this summer and autumn.

PIXAR FEST at OH MY CAFE is a dreamland for Pixar fans, and is best experienced in person.

©Disney/Pixar

Hisaya-odori Park is a park and shopping complex which opened on Friday (September 18, 2020) in Nagoya, Aichi. It will serve culture, experience, and products next to the newly renovated Nagoya TV Tower.

Hisaya-odori Park

Hammock Day

Park Wagons

The park is split into five areas like Hammock Day where you can kick back in one of the hammocks while listening to music, pick up some produce at the Farmer’s Market, do some morning yoga, and more. The park will also have a line of trucks and wagons selling food, drink, items, and more.

RAYARD Hisaya-odori Park

RAYARD has also opened its second shopping complex at Hisaya-odori Park following the opening of RAYARD MIYASHITA PARK in Shibuya. The complex houses 35 restaurants and shops, 22 of which have never opened a branch in Nagoya before, which will deliver fashion, sports, food, communication, and so on.

A variety of popular cafes in RAYARD are opening in Nagoya for the first time, like the Snoopy-themed PEANUTS Cafe, the the bakery and cafe ESPRESSO D WORKS which is known for its “100 one hundred” bread which is world’s first made with 100% water content, and Karuizawa’s very popular cafe and restaurant Eloise’s Cafe.

There’ll be plenty of sweet treats to tuck into too, like crepes from ROCCA&FRIENDS CREPERIE to TEA which is so popular in Osaka that people can be waiting up to 2 hours in line, matcha desserts from Kyoto-based sweet shop Shimizu-Ippoen, and bonbons from South Korea’s number one cafe Cafe de paris.

If you’re wanting a real meal, enjoy some casual Italian dining at Arcoba which is managed by the former head chef of Kyoto’s famous restaurant IL GHIOTTONE. Or perhaps yakiniku from Yakiniku Tokugawaen which uses Japanese black wagyu from Kyushu as the main meat on its menu. Kouji MARUTANI will also be there serving up local ingredients from Mikawa, food made with koji, a variety of craft sakes, and more.

RAYARD Hisaya-odori Park will offer a wide range of interactive experiences too such as at the creative community cafe FabCafe Nagoya which makes use of 3D printing and digital fabrication, Snow Peak which provides a live view of nature, T4 NAGOYA where you can play ping pon indoors and outdoors, narifuri which sells bicycle apparel, and so on.

There is much and more to see at RAYARD Hisaya-odori Park, so if you’re in Japan this year, head to Nagoya to enjoy the autumn atmosphere.

The Tokyo, Osaka, and Makuhari branches of Hotel New Otani are now serving seasonal autumn versions of their specially made pancakes at their coffee shop and all-dining restaurant SATSUKI until November 30, 2020

Fantastically fluffy pancakes

Hotel New Otani has been serving its special pancakes for the past 10 years which have become a favourite amongst guests.

The hotel’s pastry chefs have whisked up a variety of flavours in line with the changing seasons this past decade using strictly-selected ingredients including strawberry, melon, mango, chestnut, and more.

A marriage of rich chestnut and fluffy pancake

Hotel New Otani Specially Made Chestnut Pancakes 2020 | ¥2,800 (Before Tax/Service Charge)

Chestnuts are the flavourful theme for autumn 2020’s pancakes, made with strictly-selected chestnut astringent skin, sweet bean jelly, and topped with a chestnut macaron.
The pancakes are served with melt-in-the-mouth Italian ricotta. There are two different doughs, one made from coffee flour which has high nutritional value, and the hotel’s original “White Cereal” which is a combination of millets and amaranth.
The pancakes are cooked on a low heat for about 5 minutes on each side so they rise to a fluffy 5cm thickness and become startlingly smooth.

Strawberries for winter

For this year’s winter, the hotel will be serving strawberry pancakes.

Enjoy a selection of seasonal pancakes when staying at Hotel New Otani.