Sanrio Puroland opened a special new event last Friday (January 8) called “Sweets Puro” which is themed on strawberry picking.

Characters greet guests in their strawberry-designed outfits

Guests participate in an augmented reality strawberry stamp rally

New character videos play at the illuminations

A strawberry-packed dessert menu

Limited-edition merch

Tables in the food court receive makeovers

Guests can look forward to seeing sparkly new pink-coloured illuminations, snapping sweet photos at the entrance photo spot, getting involved in the AR strawberry picking stamp rally using their smartphones, and more. They can also pay to spend one minute with the park characters who will be dressed in their strawberry outfits, and if they arrive 30 minutes before the first floor character food court opens, they can get the limited-offer morning breakfast “Strawberry Morning Bread Set.” The park will even be serving up seasonal alcoholic drinks like the Sweets Puro Strawberry Peach Sour.

The first day of the event saw the characters come out to greet guests in their adorable strawberry and dessert themed costumes. This was followed by a new illumination show, Puro Sweets Party, which took place at Puro Village, and My Melody sang and danced to the music against the bright and beautiful lights. Guests enjoyed a selection of limited-time food like the Pompompurin’s Croissant Doughnut Strawberry Sandwich and Hello Kitty’s Sweet Strawberry Milk.

©1976, 2009 SANRIO CO., LTD.　©1975, 1976, 1990, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2017, 2021 SANRIO CO., LTD.

The popular wine bar Dick Bruna TABLE, where customers can enjoy a glass of wine with a meal together with illustrations by Dick Bruna, the creator of Miffy, is now selling a batch of Miffy cookies created by the popular confectionery Theo Blom located in Utrecht, Netherlands.

Miffy Cookies & Chocolate | ¥4,000 (Before Tax)

Miffy Cookies | ¥4,000 (Before Tax)

Utrecht is the birthplace of Miffy author and creator Dick Bruna, and Theo Blom is a place that Bruna himself actually often visited. The confectionery is known for its tins which can be reused after the contents are eaten. The cute Miffy tins are definitely keepers.

McDonald’s Japan is bringing back its popular Belgian Chocolate Pie from last year and is also introducing a new Crème Brûlée Pie, both of which will hit the menu at all McDonald’s branches from January 13 for a limited time.

Crème Brûlée Pie | ¥150 (Before Tax)

Belgian Chocolate Pie | ¥150 (Before Tax)

The hot pies are filled with deliciously sweet cream and are a perfect, cosy treat during the cold weather.

Nana’s Green Tea is serving up a brand-new dessert in collaboration with Häagen-Dazs for Valentine’s Day at 77 branches in Japan. The dessert was released on January 6 and will be available up to February 14.

Matcha Chocolate Glass with Häagen-Dazs | ¥880 (Before Tax)

The dessert is a tempting sight to behold – not only is it delicious but visually appealing to the eye too, and layered with various textures so that every bite is a surprise.

The dessert is made with Häagen-Dazs’ “Sweet Chocolate” ice cream coupled with Nana’s Green Tea’s own original matcha ice cream, soft and crunchy meringue sticks, crumbled cookies, white chocolate whipped cream, and matcha chiffon cake. Sat at the bottom waiting to be discovered is a sweet strawberry sauce for a tangy kick.

Mister Donuts has teamed up with Belgian chocolate brand Pierre Marcolini to release the “misdo meets PIERRE MARCOLINI Collection” of doughnuts which hit Japanese branches on Friday (January 8).

Fondant Chocolate Doughnut – Chocolate | ¥200 (Before Tax)

Fondant Chocolate Doughnut – Caramel | ¥200 (Before Tax)

Fondant Chocolate Doughnut – Raspberry | ¥200 (Before Tax)

Fondant Chocolate Doughnut – Hazelnut | ¥200 (Before Tax)

Danish Chocolate – Raspberry | ¥230 (Before Tax)

Danish Chocolate – Hazelnut | ¥230 (Before Tax)

The doughnuts are part of Mister Donuts “misdo meets” series which first began in 2017 to combine the highest quality ingredients and techniques to in order to bake up the best possible doughnuts. This time, it has joined sticky bakers fingers with the popular Begian chocolate brand Pierre Marcolini to create a new kind of fondant chocolate doughnut and danish. The line-up is made with high quality authentic chocolate and has a bitter kick to it – perfect for those who aren’t into sweeter treats. The heart-shaped danishes are also spot on for the Valentine’s season in Japan.

Japan’s online dTV service posted a new trailer for the upcoming net anime special Gintama The Semi-Final which is set to begin airing on January 15, 2021.

 

Gintama The Semi-Final

The anime special will air exclusively on dTV and serves as a prequel to the Gintama: The Final anime film which itself was released on Friday (January 8).

The trailer itself apologises for the net special’s delay and acknowledges the irony in the prequel being released a week after Gintama: The Final.

 

Gintama The Semi-Final x Tower Records Cafe

Gintama The Semi-Final is collaborating with Tower Records Cafe to serve up two different themed menus as well as exclusive merch, bonus items, and more. The first menu slot is now over with the second having started on January 8.

 

Fans who order a ticket to eat the themed food at Tower Records Cafe using Ticket Pia can get their hands on an exclusive coaster.

Collab Menu Postcards – Batch ①

Collab Menu Postcards – Batch ②

Fans will receive a free lunch mat for dining at the cafe on the 2nd slot and can also get their hands on a random bookmark if they order a meal, dessert, and drink at once.

 

©Hideaki Sorachi/Shueisha･TV Tokyo･Dentsu･BNP･Aniplex

Floresta Nature Doughnuts, a doughnut cafe that hand-makes doughnuts using organic ingredients, is baking up two new Gudetama doughnuts with New Year’s messages on them. They will be served from January 9 to 24.

Florest Gudetama Collab Doughnuts | ¥450 (Before Tax)

The doughnuts capture the lazy and lethargic energy of Gudetama. The crowning Gudetama is made from Japanese pumpkin and is sat on a bed of sweet white chocolate. Both doughnuts are also available as a set coming with an extra of any of Floresta’s signature doughnuts.

 

Relax and take in the new year together with Gudetama.

Isetan Shinjuku has announced a special one-week event titled “7 Days of Loving Strawberries” which is centred around cute and delicious strawberry desserts and will run this month from January 13-19. Ten cafes and restaurants are participating with a sweet and succulent line-up including strawberry daifuku, strawberry shortcake, special parfaits and crepes, and more.

Strawberry Candle Pavlova @ mihopan popcake | Two for ¥972 (Tax Included) *Limited quantities

MIGAKI-ICHIGO Strawberry Parfait @ Ichibiko | ¥1,980 (Tax Included)

Strawberry Shake @ Ichigo-ya Sunsunen | ¥721 (Tax Included)

Crispy Strawberry Mille-Feuille Crepe @ Sorairo Crepe | ¥935 (Tax Included) *Limited quantities

Strawberry Shortcake Parfait @ Shiseido Parlour | ¥1,045 (Tax Included)

Strawberry Daifuku @ Berry UP! | ¥432 (Tax Included)

Ripe Strawberry Milk Pudding @ Kanjyuku Ichigo Kashi Kekyusho | ¥486

Whole Strawberry Sandwich @ Sajisakon | From ¥864 (Tax Included)

MIGAKI-ICHIGO Strawberry Daifuku @ Seigetsudo Hoten | ¥432 (Tax Included)

Saryo FUKUCHA in Kyoto is now serving up a very special selection of succulent strawberry and matcha parfaits until May 30, 2021. These exquisite delights will see only 10 made of each per day.

 

Saryo FUKUCHA is a cafe that was opened by FUKUJUEN in Kyoto Station in April 2019. This year, they have brought back their extremely popular strawberry and matcha parfaits : the Konome, Konoha, and Konoka. They have also introduced a new addition to the line-up: the Strawberry & Matcha Milk Parfait. Also on the menu is a strawberry matcha latte.

Matcha & Strawberry Parfaits

Konome | ¥1,350

Konoha | ¥1,450

Konoka | ¥1,550

Strawberry Matcha Milk Parfait | ¥800

Strawberry Matcha Latte | ¥650

Discover the taste of Japanese tea in a new way with Saryo FUKUCHA’s matcha and strawberry parfaits and latte.

discord Yohji Yamamoto, a luxury accessory brand spearheaded by Yohji Yamamoto, has launched a collaboration with German pet brand HUNTER to release a collection of dog collars, leads, and other accessories like bags and wallets.

 

HUNTER was established in 1980 and has gone on to mark its territory across the world as a provider of high quality pet goods, praised for for the design, functionality, and safety of its products.

Black Dog Collar & Lead

The dog collars are fitted with studs as part of the collaboration. Both the collar and lead feature the same colouring as discord Yohji Yamamoto’s products, arriving in the brand’s signature black as well as beige, the latter of which is often used for its bags and small leather products. They are also clipped with a signature charm which has a design symbolising the collaboration.

Beige Dog Collar & Lead

The accessories are made from elk leather which is soft and made extra durable with double layering. Having the collar and lead the same colours also adds a sophistication to the design when fitted on a dog.

 

The collection will be released at discord Yohji Yamamoto stores in GINZA SIX, Shibuya PARCO, and Isetain Shinjuku, as well online. More details can be found on the official website here.

 

discord Yohji Yamamoto Black / Beige Selection

Y BACKPACK Nylon Studs | ¥148,000

ORIGAMI Tote | ¥98,000

Triple Clutch | ¥58,000

Diagonal Bag | ¥45,000

 

Y SERIES Studs

Y BODYBAG Studs | ¥138,000

Y BACKPACK Studs | ¥158,000

Small Leather Goods

Card Mini Wallet | ¥17,000

Key Wallet | ¥20,000

Tower Records is promoting the release of the first DVD and Blu-ray volume from the ongoing TV anime series Jujutsu Kaisen with the launch of a celebratory campaign on January 19, 2021 as part of their “NO ANIME, NO LIFE.” brand. The campaign will run at Tower Records and TOWERmini stores, as well as the official Tower Records online store, in Japan.

 

Before the official launch of the campaign, Jujutsu Kaisen fans in Japan can head to one of 15 major Tower Records branches as well as their online shop from January 16 to get their hands on some limited-edition collaborative merchandise. There will also be an exhibition at SpaceHACHIKAI on the 8th floor of Tower Records Shibuya.

 

NO ANIME, NO LIFE. x Jujutsu Kaisen Collaboration Campaign

1. Special collab poster

A special collab poster will be displayed at Tower Records stores featuring the main Jujutsu Kaisen characters playing instruments.

 

2. In-store announcements by the characters

When the shops open, in-store announcements will be made by the three main characters of the anime series: Yūji Itadori (voiced by Junya Enoki), Megumi Fushiguro (Yuma Uchida), and Nobara Kugisaki (Asami Seto).

 

3. Life-Size Character Cutouts

Life-size cutouts of various characters will be displayed at the following Tower Records branches:
・Nobara Kugisaki @ Tower Records Sapporo PIVOT
・Ryomen Sukuna @ Tower Records Sendai PARCO
・Yūji Itadori @ Tower Records Shibuya
・Panda @ Tower Records Ikebukuro
・Maki Zen’in @ Tower Records Urawa
・Satoru Gojō @ Tower Records Nagoya Kintetsu Passe
・Megumi Fushiguro @ Tower Records Umeda NU Chayamachi
・Toge Inumaki @ Tower Records Kyoto

 

4. Signed promo poster

The following Tower Records branches will display a signed poster by Junya Enoki, the voice actor for the Jujutsu Kaisen protagonist Yūji Itadori, along with some comments.

 

Running: January 19, 2021, – February 1, 2021
Participating Branches: Sapporo PIVOT, Sendai PARCO, Shibuya, Nagoya Kintetsu Passe, Umeda NU Chayamachi

 

5. Win a special collab poster on Twitter

10 lucky fans in Japan have the chance to win the special collab poster. To sign up, participants must take a photo of themselves next to the collab poster in one of the participating Tower Records stores, follow Tower Records on Twitter @TOWER_Anime, and post the photo with the Japanese hashtag #呪術廻戦_tower. Winners will be DM’d by the official Tower Records account.

 

Collab Poster Campaign
Tower Records Anime Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOWER_Anime
Running: January 19, 2021 – February 1, 2021

 

6. Extra bonus items at Tower Records

10 more lucky fans in Japan have the chance to get their hands on the special collab poster by pre-ordering the first volume of the DVD or Blu-ray of Jujutsu Kaisen by the campaign cut-off date. Winners will be selected randomly.

 

1st volume bonus

An A4 folder will be included with purchases of the first volume of the DVD or Blu-ray of Jujutsu Kaisen for a limited time.

 

All volumes bonus

All volumes of the Jujutsu Kaisen DVD and Blu-ray will feature an original A3 poster.

 

Jujutsu Kaisen x Tower Records Collab Merch

Jujutsu Kaisen x Tower Records Collab Visual

 

Merch Line-Up

Jujutsu Kaisen x Tower Records Acrylic Stands

Jujutsu Kaisen x Tower Records Hoodie

 

Jujutsu Kaisen x Tower Records exhibition

Tower Records Shibuya Exhibition Main Visual

 

Running: January 16, 2021 – February 14, 2021
Opening Hours: 12:00-15:00 / 16:00-20:00 (Last Entries 19:30)

*Closed 15:00-16:00 for ventilation, entry prohibited during this time
Location: SpaceHACHIKAI (Tower Records Shibuya Floor 8F)
Entry: Free (But you must book a slot)

Online Ticket Registration: January 6, 2021

Online Ticket Booking: January 8, 2021 at noon (JST)
Ticket Info: http://towershibuya.jp/news/2021/01/04/150866

 

Limited-Edition Merch

Tower Records Shibuya Exclusive T-Shirt

Jujutsu Kaisen x Tower Records Shibuya Exclusive OSMO Stamp (14 Designs)

 

Bonus items

Cards (15 Designs)

For every ¥2,000 spent (tax included) on merchandise at the exhibition you can receive one of 15 possible business card-size cards.

Numbered tickets

For every ¥5,000 spent (tax included) you can get a numbered ticket.

Jujutsu Kaisen Quiz

Those who answer all questions correctly on the quiz given to them upon entering Tower Records you can win a free postcard, but you have to follow Tower Records Shibuya on Twitter @TOWER_Shibuya as one of the conditions.

 

©芥見下々／集英社・呪術廻戦製作委員会

BOTANIST’s flagship shop BOTANIST Tokyo is set to begin serving up its spring season menu for the new year at its second floor BOTANIST Cafe from January 8 to March 31.

Quinoa Teapot Salad & Potage (Vegan-Friendly) | ¥1,500 (Tax Included)

A sophisticated salad of quinoa, crunchy carrot and red onion, tomato, and more, all served in a cute teapot.

Salmon Salad & Waffles | ¥1,500 (Tax Included)

Naturally sweet vegan waffles with lime-drizzled vegetables and served with slightly salted salmon and cream cheese. Pour over the maple syrup to make the cream cheese even richer and enjoy a completely different flavour.

Cherry Blossom Jelly & Fromage Mousse (Vegan-Friendly) | ¥50 (Tax Included)

Refreshing cherry blossom flavoured jelly made with rich and velvety soy cream. The cherry blossom petal topping and sparkly appearance of the jelly makes this a luxurious looking dessert.

Cherry Blossom Chiffon Cake | ¥800 (Tax Included)

A fluffy cherry blossom chiffon cake dusted with cherry blossom powder. It’s a sweet and subtly salty mix topped with fresh cream.

Left: Three Berry Smoothie, Right: Strawberry & Raspberry Sweet Sake Smoothie (Vegan-Friendly) | ¥850 Each (Before Tax)

The Three Berry Smoothie incorporates the chunky texture of strawberries, sweetness of blueberries, and tangy taste of raspberries, creating a rich but not overly-sweet beverage. The Strawberry & Raspberry Sweet Sake Smoothie is one to go for if you love amazake.

Strawberry Decoration Hot Chocolate (Collaboration Drink) | ¥800 (Tax Included)

This luxurious strawberry hot chocolate is made in collaboration with Dari K, a craft chocolate maker who uses high quality cacao beans from Indonesia.

 

Select items on the spring menu are available for takeout as well as via Uber Eats in Japan, perfect for enjoy an indoor hanami this year.

BOTANIST Tokyo’s first floor shop will also release its spring series of products, such as the limited edition Botanical Spring Hair Perfume.