Innovative outdoor-wear brand Columbia and select shop SHIPS have come together to release their new limited-edition RED HILL BUTTE TEE t-shirt collection.

The line-up makes use of Columbia’s Omni-Freeze Zero technology which keeps wearers cool in hot, humid, and sweaty, environments, and Omni-Wick which pulls moisture away from the body so sweat can evaporate quickly. Whether it be for camping or regular everyday use this spring and summer, the collection is a must-have for the hot weather.

RED HILL BUTTE TEE | ¥6,050 (Tax Included)

Colours: Black / Beige / Navy

Sizes: S / M / L

Embroidery on left of chest

The design weaves in Columbia’s DNA, taking inspiration from their fishing gear archive.

Back print

A fusion of nature and the city, paying homage to Portland, Oregon.

OMNI – FREEZE ZERO

Japanese bath house chain Gokuraku-yu, which is known for its diverse line-up of baths from open-air to jet, will launch a campaign in collaboration with the anime series Jujutsu Kaisen on April 23.

Jujutsu Kaisen x Gokuraku-yu RAKU SPA Collab Campaign

RAKU SPA Ticket + Jujutsu Plus Set

Those who buy the Jujutsu Kaisen ticket set at RAKU SPA (¥760) will receive one of 4 possible hand towels

Merchandise Batch ①

Pins (8 Designs) | ¥500 Each (Tax Included)

Acrylic Stands (8 Designs) | ¥780 (Tax Included)

Hand Towel | ¥780 (Tax Included)

Pouch | ¥1,320 (Tax Included)

Pin Set | ¥1,980 (Tax Included)

Acrylic Stands (4 Designs) | ¥1,650 Each (Tax Included)

Acrylic Key Ring | ¥980 (Tax Included)

Bag | ¥1,680 (Tax Included)

Sticker Set | ¥1,280 (Tax Included)

T-Shirt | ¥1,980 (Tax Included)

Die-Cut Postcard Set (2 Designs) | ¥1,580 Each (Tax Included)

Folder Set | ¥890 (Tax Included)

Merchandise Batch ②

Key Rings Each ¥480 (Tax Included) / Flags ¥1,080 Each (Tax Included)

Online Shop Exclusives

A1 Poster ¥1,680 (Tax Included) / A2 Poster ¥1,480 (Tax Included) / Four Posters Set ¥1,980 (Tax Included)

Themed Food (10 Items)

Drinks (4 Flavours) | ¥770 Each (Tax Included)

Coasters (12 Designs)

Fans can stock up on a range of sento bath house-related merchandise featuring both chibi and normal designs of their favourite Jujutsu Kaisen characters. A second batch of merchandise will also be added on May 14. There’s even themed food to be enjoyed at Gokuraku-yu restaurants which comes with a free coaster.

Gokuraku-yu branches will be decorated with pictures and tapestries of Jujutsu Kaisen for the duration of the collaboration, and there will be photo spots where fans can snap pictures at the bath houses. The campaign can be followed on Japanese social media with the hashtags #極楽じゅじゅやすみ #極楽湯 #らくスパ.

(C)芥見下々／集英社・呪術廻戦製作委員会

Japanese fast food chain First Kitchen is launching a collaboration on April 19 with the upcoming anime film Fate/Grand Order: Shinsei Entaku Ryouiki Camelot 2 – Paladin; Agateram at First Kitchen and Wendy’s First Kitchen branches in Japan. The film is set for release on May 5, 2021.

Exclusive limited-edition presents 

For every ¥900 spent at First Kitchen during the campaign, customers can receive a selection of merchandise freebies when they show the official campaign tweet on Twitter or the campaign’s website to the restaurant staff. This includes one of 8 possible folders which are available from April 19 to May 3, and one of 8 possible pins which are available from May 3 to 16.

Additionally, if customers show staff that they are following First Kitchen on Twitter and have retweeted the campaign post, they’ll be entered for a chance to win a B2-size poster.

12 branches of First Kitchen will also be decorated with pictures and posters from the anime film.

This spring, Hilton Nagoya is set to serve up a special afternoon tea set and buffet plan at its first floor all-dining restaurant IN PLACE 3-3. The theme of the afternoon tea line-up, which will be served either as a set-only plan or the set plus a buffet, is ‘Lost in Europe.’ Fans of Lewis Carroll’s beloved novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland can look forward to jumping in the rabbit hole as they indulge in a colourful and delicious line-up that sends them straight to wonderland.

The plans will run for three months during which three different menu line-ups will be served, each with a European feel to them as Alice finds her curiosity tending away from Japanese cuisine to the delectable assortments of overseas.

Spain will serve as the first menu. Travelling to Spain, Alice finds the country one overflowing with creativity in the arts, so says the story of this fun afternoon tea. Dishes will be plated with desserts fusing together Spain’s food culture with that of Wonderland, traditional Spanish desserts, sweet treats inspired by Spanish art, and more. Many of the irresistible items will also be made with almonds – Spain being the second largest producer of almonds in the world.

Inside the restaurant, diners will feel like they have travelled to a Spanish rendition of Wonderland with a mix of styles from both locations, such as Spanish sunflowers, mosaic tiles, stained glass windows, and more.

A little look at the menu (some of it)

1. Afternoon Tea Set Menu: ¥4,600 (Tax Included)

Cubism Cheshire Cat Arroz Con Leche

A coconut-flavoured Spanish rice pudding made with coconut lavender jelly. Its design, from the stripes to the grinning teeth, are references to the Cheshire Cat.

Blue Caterpillar Siesta Cake

A cake covered in striking blue chocolate, made with pistachio mousse, and filled with a mixed berry jelly.

Butterfly Windmills Mousse

An artistic delight made with smooth chestnut mousse and colourful butterfly wings attached.

Plate Menu

Pistachio Crema Catalana in Berry Sauce

A traditional dessert of Catalonia, this crema catalana features a rich pistachio-flavoured custard cream and is served with a berry sauce.

Savoury Items

Salted churros that are crunchy on the outside and fluffy in the inside, and a checked bocadillo filled with Spanish omelette.

Lost in Europe Afternoon Tea Set Summary

10 desserts, two savoury items, and a choice of a soft drink, coffee, or tea.

2. Afternoon Tea Set & Dessert Buffet: Adults ¥5,000 / Children ¥2,500

Mischievous Crazy Clock Cake 

A warped, melted clock made with passion fruit cream and orange and mango mousse.

Mosaic Tile Sangria Jelly (Non-Alcoholic)

A refreshing beverage made with non-alcoholic white wine and grape, strawberry, and grapefruit jelly, all made to look like mosaic tiles.

Savoury Items

Pick from nine different savoury items like paella, sopa de ajo garlic soup, patatas bravas, tapas, and more.

There are also a range of other desserts like a coffee jelly ice cream, a melon cake, and more, as well as fruity iced candies.

Afternoon Takeout Box

Customers can also get their afternoon tea set to go with a mix of desserts and savouries.

The beloved Chibi Maruko-chan from the manga of the same name is joining hands (or paws) with the Dutch children’s book character Miffy at the upcoming Maruko Meets Miffy fair that will be held at 16 branches of Miffy Style and 19 branches of KIDDYLAND in Japan for the whole month of May.

The creator and author of Miffy, Dick Bruna, was actually a friend of Momoko Sakura, the creator and author of Maruko-chan. They first met in 1999 when Sakura visited Dick Bruna’s atrium in Utrecht for an interview on her book Fujisan. 20 years later, their works come together at this special event that pays homage to their meeting and works.

Over 100 pieces of merchandise will be sold at the event, from stationery to gadgets, plush toys, and more. The exclusive cute artwork designed for the event is also sure to make fans feel warm and fluffy inside.

A small look at just some of the items on sale

<Clockwise> Socks ¥418 / Small Clear Case ¥748 / Memo Pad ¥495 / Mirror ¥1,485 / Blue Key Ring ¥528 / Yellow Key Ring ¥528/ Flat Pouch ¥1,320

<Clockwise> Square Glass Phone Case ¥3,168 / Plushie ¥3,850 / Wireless Charger ¥3,278 / Mechanical Pencil & Two-Colour Ballpoint Pen ¥550 / AirPods Pro ¥2,178 / Mascot Key Ring ¥1,980 / 4000mAh Lithium Ion Polymer ¥4,378

<Clockwise> Mug ¥1,650 / 5.5 Inch Plate ¥1,100 / 8.5 Inch Plate ¥1,760 / Bowl ¥1,210

Get a free bonus item

Fans who spend over ¥2,000 (tax included) on any of the Maruko Meets Miffy merchandise will receive this free mini notebook too!

Japanese women’s fashion brand SNIDEL released a new collection of clothing in collaboration with PUMA on April 16.

SNIDEL x PUMA Crew Neck Sweater | ¥8,800 (Tax Included)

SNIDEL x PUMA Sneakers | ¥11,000 (Tax Included)

SNIDEL x PUMA Jacquard Dress | ¥9,900 (Tax Included)

The collection features light sporty and streetwear colours and materials with feminine details added to every piece for a laid-back and stylish look.

Neko Neko Cheesecake is set to open pre-sales for its new Nyan Cheese Mikan cheesecake at Pastel branches of Neko Neko Cheesecake on April 22 before rolling it out at all Neko Neko Cheesecake branches.

Neko Neko Cheesecake is a sister brand of Neko Neko Kuu Pan from the same company which serves cat-shaped bread.

Nyan Cheese Mikan | Single Slice: ¥237 (Tax Included)

Nyan Cheese Mikan | Box of 4: ¥1,080 (Tax Included)

The cheesecake is made with Brie de Meaux, aka the king of cheeses, and cooked at a high temperature to add a gorgeous browned surface. They contain rich juice from mandarin oranges to give them a refreshing kick perfect for the spring season. A perfect snack or post-dinner dessert.

Bandai released a new chewy and delicious custard pudding-flavoured confection at Lawson convenience stores in Japan on Tuesday in celebration of Pompompurin’s 25th anniversary, the popular character by Sanrio.

Mochi Mochi Pompompurin Yaki Pudding Flavour | ¥158 (Tax Included)

The cute confection is made to look like Pompompurin laying down. The chewy delight is filled with Japanese custard pudding-flavoured cream.

The packaging also features limited-edition artwork for Purin’s 25th year milestone where he is joined by his cute furry friends.

©2021 SANRIO CO.,LTD. 著作(株)サンリオ

Fashion brand HUF, which was established in San Francisco back in 2002, has released a new Street Fighter Collection featuring vintage, 8-bit designs.

 The collection is sure to be a nostalgia fest for fans of Capcom’s iconic series, with designs featuring characters, stages, and more from Street Fighter in the form of shirts, tees, socks, hats, fleeces, and accessories.

The two resort shirts feature the background art of memorable stages from the games as well as Blanka’s Electric Thunder and more. There’s also a skateboard deck series for collectors which include references to the bonus stages.

A special HUF X hoodie featuring a Street Fighter arcade machine has also been added to the line-up amongst other must-grabs.

Japanese snack company Befco, which is known for a range of different products like Bakauke, Hoshi Tabeyo, Seto Shio, and more, is collaborating with the anime series Jujutsu Kaisen on its Bakauke rice cracker snacks. The items went on pre-sale at select convenience stores on April 12 and will roll out elsewhere on April 19.

Jujutsu Kaisen x Bakauke Soy Sauce Flavour | ¥120 (Before Tax)　　　　　　　　　　　

Following the success of the first collaboration in February, Befco is coming together with Jujutsu Kaisen again with all-new packaging for the soy sauce flavour of its bite-sized Bakauke senbei rice crackers.

Each bag also comes with one of the five stickers pictured above.

©芥見下々／集英社・呪術廻戦製作委員会

Japanese candy company UHA Mikakuto has collaborated with the video game TETRIS® to launch pre-sales on their new Tsumu Gummy TETRIS® which hit shelves on Monday (April 12) in Japan.

Tsumu Gummy TETRIS® | ¥370 (Before Tax)

The colourful gummies arrive in seven different forms, shaped and coloured like the blocks in TETRIS®, meaning you can stack them as well as eat them. They are an assortment of green grape, red grape, orange, and strawberry flavours, and one pack weighs in at 180g.

Tetris ® & © 1985~2021 Tetris Holding.

With just a small bit of ingenuity, turn everyday food into something cute using Kaori’s Easy Recipe! With a few simple ideas, an ordinary recipe magically transforms into a cute dish.

Today, I’ll teach you how to make Baymax mushi-pan steamed bread.

Ingredients

This recipe makes 5 portions

140g strong flour

20g granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

3g dry yeast

3g baking powder

5g vegetable oil

85ml-90ml milk (room temperature)

1

Mix everything together in a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, you can also knead the ingredients well by hand.

2

Ferment at 40℃ for 40 minutes. If you don’t have a fermentation machine, leave in a warm environment.

3

Once the dough has doubled in size, divide into five portions and put into separate cups. If using paper cups, rub a little bit of oil inside.

4

Bake in the oven at 40℃ for 20-25 minutes.

5

After baking, steam in a steamer for 12-13 minutes. If you don’t have a steamer, put into a frying pan or large pot with a little bit of water and cover.

6

Once cooled, use some nori seaweed to make Baymax’s face and you’re done!