Spring can already be seen on our calendars, but it’s sure still chilly, isn’t it?

Today, we’re taking another look at cute spring-inspired sweets which can’t wait for the Hanami season.

Patisserie Kihachi
Patisserie Kihachi will sell all kinds of cherry blossom sweets at select branches in Japan starting February 28th for a limited period. Look forward to tucking into some kawaii springtime delights such as their “Mont Blanct Sakura” that has a faint smell of cherry blossoms, and the cherry blossom leaf inspired “Verrine Sakura.”

Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/90609

Pie Face
Pie Face is a pie shop that originates from Australia. Stores in Japan are set to release two new items: the “Mochi Mochi Warabi Mochi” and “Funwari Sakura Latte.” The former comes in the shop’s signature pie face pie with a cherry blossom flavour, while the latte is topped with cherry blossom flakes, evoking the call of spring.

Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/88796

Starbucks Coffee
Starbucks chains in Japan are currently selling cherry blossom flavoured coffee and beverages as well their ‘sakura season’ tumblers and mugs that are popular every year. There are 3 drinks to look forward to sipping, all inspired by cherry blossoms: a latte, frappuchino and tea! The secret ingredient added to the drinks are sake lees, making them very elegant drinks indeed.

Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/90669

YOKU MOKU Aoyhama Honten BLUE BRICK LOUNGE
Yoku Moku’s line-up features crème brûlée, a cake and a tea set that include cherry blossom and strawberry toppings to excite the mood of spring. These sweets are sure to tickle the fancy of girls.

Afternoon Tea
The theme of the new spring menu coming to Afternoon Tea is “Once Upon A Spring Day.” Available from March 6th, the menu includes a range of sweets, drinks and merchandise, such as a cherry blossom parfait filled with rice flour dumplings and syrup-covered anko, and a Hanami inspired tea set.”

Gin no Budo
Located in Ginza, Tokyo, Gin no Budo has a long history. Their longtime spring seller “Ooki na Sakura no Hanabira no Pai” will be available this year too. They are crunchy pies shaped like big cherry blossom leaves. They smell buttery and are coated with shiny pink sugar and sprinkled with shredded cherry blossom leaves. Enjoy their crunchy, fried texture.

Did you like this list? Get a taste of spring early with these cherry blossom inspired foods and drinks!

Hello, everyone! My name is Banako and I am a staff person of MOSHI MOSHI BOX Harajuku Tourist Information Center!

Have you heard of “Rainbow Soft Cream?” It is a sweets item sold in Harajuku that is gathering much attention on SNS nowadays. Harajuku is a place where many ice cream stores are located.

“LE SHINER” which sells this item is often featured in TV programs as a shop that is offering Instagrammable sweets items.

To get to the store, exit JR Yamanote Line – Harajuku Station / Takeshita Exit and walk straight down Takeshita Street. Then, make a right turn at the intersection where CROQUANTCHOU ZAKUZAKU is located. You can’t miss it, and the pink-colored bear sitting outside the shop will be there to greet you.

Rainbow Soft Cream (810 yen – tax included)

This is their popular sweets item –“Rainbow Soft Cream.” Rainbow colored fresh cream is placed around the pink-colored ice cream.

I love desserts, so I love this item. The look of this item and the store is so gorgeous and cute, so I took many photos.

 “LE SHINER” sells many popular items such as “Light Bulb Soda” and “Cheese Dog” in addition to “Rainbow Soft Cream.”

Why not visit this shop when you visit Harajuku.

Japanese anime is a big hit all over the world. Lately, a new one has been climbing the rankings. Have you heard of Pop Team Epic?

Pop Team Epic (Poptepipic) is a digital manga series that uses punchy images and snappy phrases. It has become increasingly popular as a surreal visual gag manga. Now, it’s not only turning into a big hit in Japan, but all over the world!

We heard that Harajuku’s dessert café Sweets Paradise is opening a collaboration café with Pop Team Epic, and as big anime fans ourselves, we immediately set off with MOSHI MOSHI BOX staff member Ruki to check it out.

To get there, exit Harajuku station (JR Yamanote line) from Takeshita exit and walk straight. On your left, you will notice the shopping centre SoLaDo Takeshita Street (SoLaDo竹下通り) . You will find “Sweets Paradise on the 3^rd floor.

To eat at Sweets Paradise, first you need to purchase a ticket from the machine at the entrance and then enter the café.

There are two courses available:

1 collaboration meal + drink + sweets banquet set ¥1950 (price including tax)

1 collaboration dessert + drink + sweets banquet set ¥2150 (price including tax)

You can also add foods and drinks from the Pop Team Epic collaboration menu to your chosen meal plan for ￥500. To do this, buy the appropriate ticket from the machine at the entrance.

There are Pop Team Epic decorations all around the café!

There is even a small set where you can destroy the Takeshobo publishing office, which comes up in the manga!

There are two types of seats inside the café: “anti-sama/ Takeshobo company employee seats” and the “believers’ seats” . The “anti-sama” tables are decorated very simply. In contrast, the “believers’” tables are draped with beautiful table cloths and are near a large screen that is showing episodes from the Pop Team Epic anime.

Being slightly peckish, Ruki did not waste time in scooping up the menu. This dish is called “Aaaaah ichimen no Kusomidori Pasta” （Aaahh a plate of gross green pasta）. The random words of countryside-raised Pop Team Epic character Popuko, has been made into a pasta dish.

Ruki: “Spinach, edamame and broccoli – this truly is a green dish! The basil sauce is very simple yet delicious! Is this the true taste of nature?!

This is the “Konna kao ni naru lemon Juice” (Lemon juice that makes you pull this face). Although a bold move, half the lemon is cut and placed as it is in the glass. Whatever the menu, the names of the foods are crazy! Just what you would expect from Pop Team Epic.

Riku’s reaction to the sour drink was predicted by the name of the drink!

This is the “Haken Parfait” (Hegemony parfait) You can even order one that is the size of Ruki’s head! This is one filling dessert! The word “覇権” (hegemony) is written on a macaron that sits on top of a pile of fruits and strawberry sherbet. At the foot of the parfait lies a wafer with a picture of a ladder on it.

The parfait is an original art piece that depicts a ladder which leads to the top of the parfait to have been toppled over. After looking up the word “覇権” and realizing its meaning, Ruki laughed a lot.

The last item Ruki ordered arrived. The Imi ga wakarimasu ka? Café latte. (Do you know what this means? Café latte) As you can imagine, it was quite difficult to say this name to the waiters and waitresses when ordering. There’s a pie chart drawn on the latte, but 90% of it is filled in with the answer “no”.

Ruki: It goes well with the desserts because it isn’t sweet!

If you order from the collaboration menu, you will receive a novelty 2019 New Year’s card… even though we have just started 2018…

Pop Team Epic goods are also selling at the cash register! The variety of goods stretched from stickers, keyrings and manga to toilet paper with scenes from the manga printed on it!

The café is only open until 13^th March. Opening times vary depending on the café, so make sure you check the opening times before turning up. Don’t miss out on your chance to eat at the Pop Team Epic collaboration café because the manga is becoming more and more popular!

Check out this link for more information:

https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/89750

Hi, everyone. Ellie here from the MOSHI MOSHI BOX Harajuku Tourist Information Center.

Recently at the MOSHI MOSHI BOX we’ve had a lot of people, guys and girls, come in saying that they want to eat some tasty pancakes in Harajuku.

So today, I’m here to recommend some shops that sell pancakes around Harajuku.

Café Casa

“Café Casa” is a long-standing shop whose flavours have remained the same, serving to parents and children through the generations. Everything from the signboard to the illustrated menu and stained glass window created by the owner will leave you feeling cozy. The colour green envelops the café against other vivid colours. Due to customer demand the hot cakes sold there (￥750) have been a familiar item on the menu for almost 20 years. The contrast between the crunchy outside and fluffy inside is exquisite. They’re different from your usual pancakes and have a nostalgic feel to them. Combine them with maple syrup and you’ve got yourself a truly delicious treat.

 Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/29317

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This stylish café can be found by walking from Harajuku Station down Takeshita Street for about 5-minutes. When you reach the end, turn right and look for the green signboard. The main food on the menu is pancakes, all of which are made with the best ingredients and made one-by-one after an order comes in. The most popular and recommended item on the menu is the fluffy “Premium Pancake” (￥950). The soft pancake wobbles as the waiter brings it over – it looks like it will collapse just by being placed on the table.  Eat this to experience the fluffiest and softest texture you have ever eaten.

Full Article: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/23455

@jeechenlimがシェアした投稿 – 12月 11, 2016 at 5:04午前 PST

Bills Tokyo Plaza Omotesando

Bills serve the world’s most famous breakfast and were responsible for causing Japan’s pancake boom. Located in Tokyo Plaza Omotesando Harajuku, the shop’s Australian Ricotta Pancakes. Spread underneath the thick pancake are slices of fresh banana which you eat together with honey comb butter and maple syrup. The marriage between the salty ricotta cheese and sweet syrup is to die for.

きむら ももかさん(@momokaaa0324)がシェアした投稿 – 2月 9, 2018 at 6:12午前 PST

Jinguen

“Jinguen” is a gallery café located in Ura-Harajuku. Recommended from their menu are their thick homemade hot cakes. The outside of the hot cake is crisp while the middle is silky smooth. Of course, they go really well with maple syrup. You can also add vanilla icing, whipped cream, and chocolate or strawberry sauce.

Yuka 🐩さん(@yuu_angel)がシェアした投稿 – 2月 23, 2018 at 1:40午前 PST

Working Holiday Connections – Harajuku Omotesando YM Square Branch

This café is just a one-minute walk from Meiji Jingu Station via Tokyo Metro on the second floor of YM Square. It has tall glass windows which open up the shop and give you a sense of space. Their original “Manly Pancakes” draw a line between standard pancakes and the recent emerging thick and fluffy pancakes to unveil an original and unique texture. The subtle flavour of the eggs make the pancakes melt-in-the-mouth and match perfectly with syrup and fresh cream.

yoshieasakoさん(@yoshieasako)がシェアした投稿 – 11月 7, 2012 at 4:52午後 PST

Sunday Jam – Harajuku Branch

This place’s specialty menu item is their Honolulu Pancakes. They’re incredibly thick, with a crumbly outside and soft middle. These luxurious pancakes have a special flavour made for adults. They are drizzled with butter and fresh cream, and you can choose sausages or bacon to go with them. Eating them with your choice of honey or maple syrup is simply irresistible!

Did you like this list? Try and find your favourite pancakes while in Harajuku!

This year’s Valentine’s Day has ended, and White Day is coming soon (March 14th)! Have you heard of “White Day” before?

White Day is a day when a man who has received gifts on Valentine’s Day, pays back the girl he received the present from by giving white chocolate or some snacks to show his feeling of thankfulness. White Day was first celebrated in 1978 in Japan. It was started by the National Confectionery Industry Association as an “answer day” to Valentine’s Day, Now however, this custom has spread to some East Asian countries such as China, Taiwan and Korea.

In this article, I will introduce to you some desserts which are suitable to be used as a present on White Day.

 “Zaku Zaku Blanc” Cream puff specialist shop CROQUANTCHOU ZAKUZAKU

The cream puff specialist shop, CROQUANTCHOU ZAKUZAKU have announced that they will release two new sweets items for Japan’s two romantic seasons: the dark chocolate clad Zaku Zaku Noir for Valentine’s Day and white chocolate Zaku Zaku Blanc for White Day. Zaku Zaku Blanc is the White Day dream, splashed with pure white chocolate. The white chocolate itself is sweetly rich and creamy and will dazzle your palate.

Detailed information：https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/85146

 “Sacoche” Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu

The new White Day gift, “Sacoche” is a cute chocolate, shaped like a hand bag using the motifs of polka dot and button. Colorful macarons (4 flavors – vanilla, chocolate, caramel, pistachio raspberry) are included inside the case made with chocolate! The standard dessert of White Day called “White Day Millle-Feuille o Phrase” is also recommended.

 “Ichigo no Truffle” Gin no Budo

The most popular White Day dessert of Gin no Budo “Ichigo (strawberry) no Truffle” was renewed. The product is a spring-limited product produced by Gin no Budo. The product is colored a strawberry pink and is known as one of the first photogenic desserts. The sweetness and sourness of this sweets item is superb!

 “White Day Cookie Tsumeawase” Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory

The sweets item comes with two cookies, Salt & Camembert, using thick camembert cheese and grand salt and Honey & Gorgonzola Cookie using gorgonzola cheese and honey made of rosemary flowers. The product is suitable to be used as a gift for persons who love to drink alcohol. Let’s get this product as soon as possible since the quantity is limited.

 “PAPOTER PAPOTER” Ginza Cozy Corner

The “PAPOTER PAPOTER” series which was released this Valentine’s Day will be renewed (White Day limited design). Cookies, madeleines and chocolates are included in the newly designed package using the motifs of cute animals. Message cards of animals’ illustrations and messages will surely make everybody smile!

 “Berry White Chocolate Pancake” Sarabeth

This menu item is an original pancake of Sarabeth created under the keyword of “pure love.” The product uses Sarabeth’s special pancake dough including white chocolate so it has a sweet and kind scent and you can also enjoy the soft texture. The combination of the pancakes and custard cream/strawberry sauce is excellent. It might be a good idea to eat this sweets item with your boyfriend/girlfriend or friends.

How did you like our White Day gift recommendations? Please refer to this article when you are not sure which sweets item to buy as a White Day gift.

Hi, everyone! Ellie here, I work at the MOSHI MOSHI BOX Harajuku Tourist Information Center.

A question we’ve been getting a lot at the MOSHI MOSHI BOX recently is about cafés where you can sit down – ones with free spaces. Harajuku is particularly crowded on weekends and holidays, so you do need a little courage when heading to a café there, right?

So today, I’m going to show you some little-known good cafés in Harajuku!

Shuu – Harjauku Omotesando Branch

恵里香さん(@elika_kumagai)がシェアした投稿 – 3月 29, 2017 at 12:59午前 PDT

“Shuu” is a café just one minutes’ walk from Harajuku Station. It has a really relaxed and retro atmosphere. The seats are roomy, and they even have lots of sofas, so you can spend a super chill time there. There’s also spacious VIP seats which may be relief to some adults out there. As well as the regular set menu, the café also serves up seasonal menus, so be sure to check it out.  

cafe na.  

ちはるさん(@chr_note)がシェアした投稿 – 10月 31, 2015 at 5:40午前 PDT

This small café can be found along Meiji-dori which neighbours the traffic lights at the exit of Takeshita Street. It’s on the 3^rd floor of a mixed residence building, so I reckon there’s not a lot of people who know of this place. It has a retro-decorated interior. They’re known for their omurice! The mild cheese and gentle flavour of the Japanese style dashi is to die for.

cafe masumiya

365日sandwichさん(@cafe_masumiya)がシェアした投稿 – 10月 12, 2017 at 7:00午前 PDT

This café is about 3-minutes by foot from Harajuku Station towards the lanes. I recommend their handmade sandwiches which come absolutely stuffed with fresh vegetables and juicy chicken. The interior décor is wooden, giving it a calm vibe where you can spend a relaxing time. If you love bread, then this café will be irresistible for you.

Enseigne d’angle

Enseigne d’angle is a 5-minute walk from Harajuku Station via the Takeshita Exit. It’s a coffee shop that stands still and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of Harajuku’s crowded streets. They’re famous for their “Kohaku Jouou” beverage and “Croque-monsieur.” They serve up authentic coffee and meals in a relaxed, calm environment.

Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/55919

Café Morinoterasu

Just a 1-minute walk from JR Harajuku Station or Meiji-Jingumae Station lies the Meiji Shrine. Just before the first torii gate you will find Café Morinoterasu, a tranquil place enveloped in nature. You can feel the warmth of the trees inside the café. The counters and chairs were made from old, withering trees on the shrine grounds. I recommend the eclairs and croissants prepared every day, or the tofu milk gelato. Not many people know about this hidden gem yet.

Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/51035

sorama gallery+coffee

You’ll know you’ve found “sorama gallery+coffee” once you see its red doors. To find it, leave the 5th exit of Meiji Jingumae Station and head past the nearby McDonalds and Senbikiya. If you then turn left just before the Ukiyo-e Ōta Memorial Museum of Art, you’ll find it there. The cafè is small and compact with just a wooden bench for about 3 people to sit on as well as a number of individual stools. The sunlight pours through into the shop, and because of its wooden interior, you can stay nice and warm. It’s so relaxing there that you won’t even see the time fly by.

Full Details:https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/32960

Did you enjoy this list? If you’re out in Harajuku and need a breather from the crowds, then please be sure find one of these hidden cafés and take some time to relax. And if you’re not sure how to get to any of these places, then pop into the MOSHI MOSHI BOX and we’ll help.