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.

CAFETEL Kyoto Sanjo for Ladies, a hotel in Kyoto exclusive to female guests, is offering a new Halloween room plan between October 1 and November 1. There is just one room and it can only be booked for one day between that period. This plan was offered last year and was a resounding success amongst guests.

Last year’s Halloween room took on a more cute and bright theme, but they’re going for something darker this time. The theme this year is “The Secret Witches-Only Get-Together,” with all ideas and designs conceived and handmade by the hotel staff themselves.

Guests will find decorations all around the room, such as bats on doors and walls who will listen in on the witches’ gossip to creepy crawly spiders in the bed. Candles are provided in the room to set the Halloween mood, and there’s even witch and devil costumes and props for guests to dress up in.

Free goodies for the witch get-together

Guests can enjoy a gorgeous view of the Kamogawa River from their room. They are also presented with a free Halloween drink exclusive to those who stay in this room.

Hotel Gajoen Tokyo, a museum and hotel combination, is home to New American Grill “KANADE TERRACE,” the hotel’s restaurant popular for its food grilled in the open kitchen, its afternoon teas made with seasonal ingredients, and cocktail lineup.

This autumn, Hotel Gajoen Tokyo is serving up its new “Shine Muscat Parfait,” an richly-sweet and elegance-scented dessert made using Shine Muscat grapes.

Shine Muscat Parfait ¥2,800 | With Champagne ¥3,600 (Before Tax & Service Charge)

The parfait is layered with Kyoho grape and shampagne jelly, crémet d’Anjou which is made from fresh cheese, and maqui berry granola. It’s topped with blackcurrant sherbet and tuile.

Tokyu Land Corporation are set to open the new hotel “nol kyoto sanjo” in central Kyoto on November 1, 2020. The hotel is just a 5-minute walk from Karasuma Oike Station.

A place where you can be yourself

Hotels in Japan are more and more catering to a wide variety of guests’ needs as well as not only providing convenience and being affordable, but creating a space that really places importance on peoples’ stay experience. And nol kyoto sanjo follows suit, allowing people to both let their hair down where they can be themselves as well as enjoy the local area. This comes in response to peoples’ desire to have a stay experience that feels like it’s their own home.

Clad in Kyoto, living in Sanjo

The concept for the hotel’s design was conceived by Kyoto Vintage. Sanjo-dori is connected to Kyoto’s main street, making it a convenient location for reaching the city centre. It’s also home a variety of architectural examples from old, ancient buildings to more modern ones built during the Meiji Period. Surrounding the hotel is a whole selection of cafes famous for their breakfast menus, restaurants that use local ingredients, long-standing stationery shops, and more. The hotel sits in the perfect spot for coming in contact with the local people and city.

The hotel lounge built from an old townhouse

The hotel site is renovated from a townhouse that was built during the Edo Period. It was formerly used as a place for selling Kinshi Masamune sake. To ensure that old, quaint charm was preserved in the refurbishment, the hotel hired a Japanese designer and planner who is known for renovating these kinds of townhouses in Japan.

The entrance to the hotel greets guests with the lounge which gives people a chance to kick back and relax in this authentic building. Guests are even given some Kinshi Masamune sake as a welcome drink.

High grade guest rooms for medium to long stays

There are three kinds of guest rooms including 2-people rooms, 4-people rooms, and rooms with an additional Japanese-style room attached to it, for a total of 48, all of which face the hotel gardens. The rooms were designed by Yukio Hashimoto who has made sure to preserve both the townhouse and feel of the materials which have only ripened with age while adding a high grade feel to them. The scent of hinoki leaf invites you to relax in your room. All rooms are equipped with microwaves, washing machines, and mini kitchens too, making it perfect for guests looking to stay a while. Pick up some local ingredients from town and get cooking.

Old-time Kyoto served in a new style

Old townhouses used since ancient times are on the decrease in Kyoto. By renovating and reusing, new life can be breathed into them while promoting that ancient culture. If you’re planning a trip to Kyoto, be sure to check out nol kyoto sanjo, opening November 1, 2020.

Kato Pleasure Group is set to open its 4th branch of FUFU NIKKO hotels in Nikko, Tochigi on October 2, 2020 following their Atami, Lake Kawaguchi, and Nara branches.

A resort steeped in Japanese history and culture

The site in which the hotel is located has a sacred air to it. It dates back to the Meiji Period and has continued into modern times. Upon entering the hotel, your ears are treated to the sound of classical music. Overhead you will spot high ceilings made from wood which give it a warm and welcoming atmosphere.The shadows of the outside walls, the warmth of the inviting lights, and the metallic decorations which catch the light present a calm and quiet mood.

Classy and sophisticated cuisine

Both the food and plates it is served on capture the essence and beauty of the Japanese way. Meals are prepared using seasonal ingredients from Tochigi as well as high quality foods like foie gras, truffles, and caviar. Each dish expresses elegance and refinement and combines both Japanese and Western flavours.

Hot spring water sourced from Tamozawa

All rooms at the hotel are fitted with hot springs or large baths which natural light from the outdoors shining through. In the open-air baths, guests get to experience the surrounding sights of nature coupled with the sound of the flowing stream and chirping birds.

Grand Front Osaka opened its new cafe PANCAKE&books bibliotheque on September 11, 2020, serving a wide variety of fresh pancakes made with high quality ingredients.

Special Fruit Genmai Guilt-Free Pancakes | ¥1,500

These pancakes are made using gluten-free brown rice flour which creates a delicious fragrance and delightfully chewy texture to the pancakes. The pancakes are made even more chewier thanks to the incorporation of silken tofu, an ingredient which is also said to be good for dieting and the intestinal tract. The pancakes are topped with nuts and dried fruits, making them a very nutritional option.

Strawberry & Marshmallow Brûlée | ¥1,300

A hybrid pancake of two different desserts. It’s loaded with fluffy caramelised custard sauce to create a brûlée-like appearance and texture and is topped with sliced strawberries and roasted marshmallows. The caramel sauce drizzled on top adds a sweet and slightly bitter edge, bringing everything together.

Whole Peach & Fromage Blanc Cream Pancake | ¥1,500

Served with a whole juicy peach, these pancakes are combined with refreshing fromage blanc. The peach adds an ambrosial sweetness that melts perfectly with the fluffy pancakes. Complete the pancakes with a drizzle of the accompanying mint anglaise sauce.

Kyoho Grape, Blackcurrant, & Mascarpone Cream Pancakes | ¥1,700

A special combination of seasonal fruits including Kyoho grapes and blackcurrants. The mascarpone cream adds sweetness and the blackcurrant sauce a sour kick. If you’re wanting to taste autumn, then this one’s for you.

Mont Blanc & Praline Cream Pancakes in Caramel Sauce | ¥1,400

These pancakes make you feel summer changing to autumn with its fat dollops of rum-infused chestnut cream and praline cream. The chestnut cream brings a rich sweetness to your taste buds and the caramel sauce an appetising bitterness.

Pancake Burger | ¥1,300

bibliotheque’s incredible pancakes have also turned into hamburgers stuffed with a hand-rolled patty, melted cheddar cheese, sunny-side up egg, tomato, and lettuce.

Eggs Benedict Pancakes | ¥1,500

Pancakes towered with bacon, tomato, salad, and poached egg. The runny egg is a match made in heaven when combined with the homemade hollandaise sauce.

Salmon & Ricotta Cheese Pancakes | ¥1,500

Salad pancakes of smoked salmon, ricotta cheese, and poached egg. They are finished with rich Gruyère cheese.

Original Milkshake “Mixed Shake” | ¥700

A hybrid drink of authentic milkshake and Osaka’s speciality “Mixed Juice” beverage, this shake contains sakura tamago egg from Awaji Island and premium grade milk from Hamanaka in Hokkaido. It’s also made with vanilla cream and is topped with an apricot compote.

Last year, the PEANUTS HOTEL celebrated its 1st anniversary by selling giant Snoopy plush toys, all of which sold out. The hotel is doing the same again this year, releasing two different sizes on September 4.

ROOM64: “Happiness is a warm puppy”

Lucy squirms when Snoopy kisses her, but she sure loves hugging him, because of his warmth. ROOM64 is inspired by this lovable comic, and uses millennial pink for the walls, chairs and even the fireplace. There’s also a big pink Snoopy that you can hug any time you want. Lucy’s iconic Lemonade stand stands next to a signboard that says, “1 cent for hugging a cute puppy”. It is a room filled with humor and warmth.

PEANUTS HOTEL -ROOM64-

Guests will be able to buy plush toys of the giant puppy from ROOM64, because happiness is a warm puppy.

Small: ￥2,400 | Large ¥6,400 (Before Tax)

The small size Snoopy comes with a key chain so it can go on your bag, while the large Snoopy is perfect for sitting on your sofa or bed and for hugs. Both are super fluffy so you won’t be able to resist.

© 2020 Peanuts Worldwide LLC

SOKI ATAMI is a new hot spring accommodation set to open in the town of Koarashicho in Atami, Shizuoka, on November 1, 2020.

The town of Koarashicho is considered the annex, as it were, to Atami. SOKI ATAMI can be reached in around 40 minutes by bullet train from Shinagawa Station. The accommodation takes into account the value of Atami’s hot spring resorts and what’s on offer there. It will serve a ‘sojourn style’ of accommodation that allows you to return to yourself as you are, without any stresses, something which is enhanced thanks to being situated away from the hustle and bustle of the city in nature.

Just being yourself

The accommodation, surrounded by nature, offers a panoramic view of the ocean, and consists of a reception wing, guest room wing, and restaurant wing. In the ‘Village Garden,’ there are trees growing citrus fruits and a variety of plants and crops, showcasing the regional lifestyle and natural features.

Guest Rooms

There are 54 guest rooms in total ranging from 40㎡ to 65㎡ which can fit up to 4 people. Guests can enjoy the hot springs with all room types. TONERICO:INC. is in charge of the inter design who have given it a natural feel.

Tea Salon & Bar

The Tea Salon & Bar on the top floor overlooks Atami Bay. Guests can enjoy sipping on tea grown in Shizuoka as well as tucking into seasonal meals made using Japanese ingredients. There’s also a terrace from which guests can enjoy the firework festivals held at Atami Bay throughout the year.

Public Onsen

The public baths benefit from the changing seasons which changes up the bathing experience. The water is perfect for de-stressing, moisturising, and making your skin look beautiful.

Dining Room

In the restaurant wing is the dining room designed by age co.,ltd which has worked on many different ryokan and restaurants. Fish, vegetables, and other ingredients are all sourced locally and directly.

Hilton Osaka has revealed a special dessert buffet called “Mysterious Sweets Forest ~Hello Kitty, My Melody & Kuromi’s Collaboration Tea Party~” which will be served at the hotel’s Folk Kitchen restaurant from September 18 to December 20 this year.

Themed on a mysterious magic forest, the dessert line-up is a tantalising buffet of 25 sweet treats made with chestnuts, sweet potatoes, apples, pear and other tasty bites. The buffet will also have several photo spots for people to take cute photos, including one with a giant Hello Kitty ribbon and one with My Melody and Kuromi.

Following the success of the “Summer Sweets Buffet Festival ~Hello Kitty & My Melody Collaboration Tea Party~” held at Hilton Osaka this summer which we also covered, the Sanrio characters return, this time with the cute and mischievous Kuromi joining the party.

Mochi Mochi Doughnuts Parfait

The “Mochi Mochi Doughnuts Parfait” is a sweet mix of Japanese gyuhi and raspberry jam topped with a doughnut that has a cute Hello Kitty chocolate on it.

Kuromi’s Jet Black Heart Chocolate Mousse

Kuromi’s chocolate mousse is made with fruity organic chocolate from Dominica and is topped with fruity chocolate crunch pieces for added texture.

Magic Pudding

The Magic Pudding is made using sweet potato and is served with a square-shaped chocolate that has different My Melody illustrations on it.

There’s also the “White Candle Cake” which is made to look like a candle you would light at home, made from moist almond sponge and filled with berries and vanilla Bavarian cream. It’s finished with a chocolate Hello Kitty ribbon.

Forest Mushroom Cinnamon Bavaria

The hotel’s pastry chefs recommend the Forest Mushroom Cinnamon Bavaria. Their yellow colour and red dots will catch your eye, and one bite will have you hooked as sweet and sour redcurrant jelly and cinnamon Bavarian cream create a harmony of flavours on your taste buds.

Snow Covered Gateau Chocolate

This snow-covered chocolate cake is filled with various spices like cloves and ginger and a coating of snowy cream. This one’s really giving those winter vibes.

Children of the Forest

The “Children of the Forest” which are actually lemon cakes dipped in chocolate. Other desserts include the “Vegan Chestnut Cream Cupcakes” which are generously topped with mont blanc cream, “Apple Pie” made luxuriously with apples, “Mysterious Forest Mousse” which combines sour yuzu citrus with bitter matcha, and lots of others.

There’s also savoury options too like curry, mushroom soup, pumpkin and mushroom salad, and more.

Finally, Hilton Osaka’s cafe and bar “MYPLACE” is also getting in on the tea party by serving up a special Hello Kitty, My Melody, and Kuromi afternoon tea, all served in a beautiful jewellery box.

Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo has announced a collaboration with Tsuji Rihei—a tea shop that first opened in 1860 in Uji, Kyoto—to serve up a new “Premium Uji Matcha Afternoon Tea” in its lobby lounge Le Jardin from September 1.

This will be the hotel’s fifth serving of the Premium Uji Matcha Afternoon Tea, which first began in 2016. Last year saw 5,000 customers enjoy experience.

Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo actually began serving the afternoon tea from April 13 this year, but had to stop service in May as a result of COVID-19. September 1 will see its return.

The food and drinks in the afternoon tea are all made with a Japanese green tea known as Kuradashi. The first fresh leaves picked from springtime have been put to one side for the summer serving, so customers can enjoy an enrichened tea-sperience.

Top Tier – Desserts: Sencha Jelly, Genmaicha Egg Tart, Kabusecha Souffle Cake, Kyobancha Tiramisu

Middle Tier – Scones: Plain Scone, Gyokuro Scone, Hojicha Scone

Bottom Tier – Savoury: Tea Leaf & Walleye Pollack Open Sandwich, Lily Bulb Honey Ham Tart, Smoked Salmon & Plum Mayo Sandwich, Smoked Dick & Cheddar Cheese Japanese-Style French Toast

Drinks: Uji Tea (3 Flavours), Hotel Original Blend Tea (15 Flavours)

The afternoon tea set is three tiers of desserts, scones, and savoury snacks, all served with a tea of your choice. Summer ‘falls’ into autumn with this lovely selection of delights.

Hotel Gajoen Tokyo has announced that it will serve up a Halloween Afternoon Tea and Black Halloween Cocktail for the whole month of October at its restaurant New American Grill “KANADE TERRACE.”

New American Grill “KANADE TERRACE” is popular not only for its grilled food which cooked up in the open-style kitchen, but its afternoon tea service and cocktails too which are served using seasonal ingredients.

Halloween Afternoon Tea: ¥3,800 | With Champagne: ¥5,300 (Per Person/Tax & Service Charge Not Included)

“Halloween Night” is the theme this October at the restaurants where guests can expect to tuck into a blood-curdling, but delicious, assortment of pumpkin, grape, purple sweet potato, and other October delights for the afternoon tea. Such delights include a skull-topped, red and black verrine layered with Black Forest chocolate cake and other scary secrets, witchy bon bon chocolates, a cafe au chocolat littered with marshmallows shaped like monsters, and more. On the savoury side of things, there’s a pumpkin and pine nut salad, chestnut potage—the looming list goes on.

Black Halloween Cocktail | ¥1,500 Tax & Service Charge Not Included)

The restaurant’s refreshing Black Halloween Cocktail is made with a licquer containing black pearls and also has in it fresh blackberries and blueberries.

Private Half Space: ¥5,000 (Before Tax/Booking Required) | Private Full Space: ¥10,000 (Before Tax/Booking Required) *Can be used for 4+ people

The restaurant itself will also receive a Halloween makeover, offering a chic and stylish yet spooky atmosphere.

SUN-CREA Co., Ltd. opened the new 10-room Mizugiwa no Lodge along with its own Italian restaurant Selvaggio on March 20, 2020. It is located at Nametoko Gorge in Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park which is known as Japan’s leading canyoning spot.

Nametoko Gorge is a secluded region about a 2-hour car ride from Matsuyama, the capital of Ehime Prefecture. It stands as an activity resort basked in green nature with a long list of programs and activities such as hiking, canyoning, and more. It’s also home to Yukiwa Falls, one of the waterfalls included on the One Hundred Waterfalls of Japan list. The waterfall cascades over a 40 meter high granite rock where you can experience canyoning. This, along with it having the biggest natural waterslide in Japan, brings in people from inside and outside Ehime Prefecture.

The guest rooms

Mizugiwa no Lodge sits along Nametoko Gorge, where you can see deer and fawn, and is the first entry to Mori no Kuni Hotel’s regeneration project. The lodge’s red triangular roof and classic look is reminiscent of the mountain resorts of the alps.

The lodge’s open lobby has its own fireplace. There are two floors and 10 guest rooms, each of which can accommodate 4-6 people, and each with bunk beds. From the rooms, guests can hear the sounds of the river and smell natural the scents of the forest. This sense of natural is heightened with the natural colours and wooden furniture used in the rooms. Every guest room has around 15 books related to nature too, so guests can kick back, relax, and enjoy the trickling of the river and chirping of the birds outside while they read.

Dining at the lodge

Selvaggio is Mizugiwa no Lodge’s official restaurant, located on the first floor. The menu was created by Masakazu Iwasawa, the owner of award-winning restaurant PIZZERIA GTALIA DA FILIPPO in Tokyo. The pizzas are cooked in a wood-fired kiln and are made from a wheat made by Chef Iwasawa himself in Hokkaido.

Pizzas include classic “Margherita” made from tomatoes with excellent acidity grown by farmers in Matsuno, “Quatro Formadge” made from citrus fruits and honey, and much more.

Activities

Yukiwa Falls, which is included on the One Hundred Waterfalls of Japan list, is 80 meters high and 20 meters across. It is called Japan’s biggest natural water slide and is popular with people across Japan as being the country’s best canyoning spot. Canyoning is the river sport of traversing canyons using a variety of techniques such as climbing, using ropes, jumping, and so on. The instructors at Nametoko Gorge are very helpful and will explain how best to enjoy your experience, so even beginners can challenge themselves to the task.

There’s also tree climbing, guests can enjoy breakfast by the riverside, go picking fruits and vegetables, and much more to enjoy at Mizugiwa no Lodge.