Green tea lattes, desserts, snacks… Japan is matcha crazy and they don’t care who knows it. In Tokyo there’s even a gelato shop which offers the most intense matcha experience in the world where you can choose ice cream from a scale of mild to strong green tea flavour. Lauded for it’s taste and health benefits, matcha is gaining popularity overseas as well, making the myriad options for green tea goodness in Japan very appealing for tourists. An ever-popular choice is Starbucks beverages such as the Matcha Frappucino. But there’s a new luxurious trend gracing the instagrams of young Tokyoites, the gold leaf matcha soft serve. Where to Buy Gold…

Japan releases new umeshu (Japanese plum wine) flavored Kit Kats. When not asking you to vote on and create the latest Kit Kat flavor or making the world’s first ruby chocolate bar, Nestle Japan seems to be padding their resume with exclusive regional Japanese flavors such as double rich matcha and premium sake. Now as a follow up to their hit sake Kit Kats, Nestle is releasing chocolate bars inspired by another favorite Japanese liqueur in the form of umeshu Kit Kats! Source: Nestle Japan As with the Premium Masuizumi Japan Sake Kit Kat, Nestle is teaming up with a distinguished umeshu maker in Heiwa Shuzou to capture the deep…

For the uninitiated, pizza in Japan can be an experience that makes you forget whatever dogmatic belief you have about permitting pineapple as a topping. Very few first-timers are properly prepared for a Japanese pizza party when Corn-Mayonnaise makes a dramatic entrance. Corn-Mayonnaise: a Japanese pizza staple hajimeganeさん(@hajimegane8)がシェアした投稿 – 2017年 1月月13日午後8時23分PST Of course, many standard varieties and universal favorites are available, but many Japanese pizza chains offer flavor and topping combinations that, while may appear to weird as some, are considered fan favorites. Further spicing things up is a Japanese fondness for using regional and seasonal ingredients for limited time goods–a trend pizza delivery chain Aoki’s Pizza (a local pizza…

A Japanese variant on Chinese dumplings, gyoza become the go-to comfort food for many an ex-pat. Often called pan-stickers in the U.S., these stuffed pockets of garlic-y pork are cheap, juicy and satisfying. As the pinnacle of Japanese pan fried food, gyoza couldn’t get any better. Or could it? In accordance with the ‘cheese makes everything better’ rule, Warashibe Gyoza in Kanda are happy to oblige. Warashibe Gyoza’s Teppan Gyoza Cheese Fondue Source: © Grape Japan At this establishment, the main attraction is the teppan gyoza fondue. Sixteen pan-fried gyoza line the sides of the hot plate with a generous layer of cheese between them. If you’re feeling even more…

Cheap and delicious karaage is popular with foreign tourists If you’ve ever visited an izakaya (Japanese tapas bar or gastropub), you’ve probably seen karaage on the menu. Although technically, any meat can be prepared karaage (literally meaning “simply fried”) style, in absence of any other qualifying noun, karaage almost always refers to fried chicken. Considering the high quality of chicken raised in Japan, it’s no wonder that reasonably priced and plentifully available karaage is very popular not only with locals but with foreign visitors as well. The best karaage restaurants in Tokyo If you’re eager to try some karaage in Tokyo, but aren’t sure where to go, then look no…

Despite starting off as an April Fool’s stunt by Nestle Japan, Sushi Kit Kats became very real last year. Sadly these rare treats were only available for a limited time, and only at one location in Tokyo at the opening of the Kit Kat Chocolatory in Ginza. 本日4/1、#キットカット よりついに寿司味が新発売！ ”キットカット日本酒”との相性もばっちり。 築地直送の新鮮な美味しさをお楽しみください♪#エイプリルフール #AprilFool pic.twitter.com/8HvOpYhD2U — KIT KAT Japan (@KITKATJapan) 1 April 2016 Sushi Kit Kats Are Back in Japan This time around they are only available in Osaka to celebrate the opening of a Kit Kat Chocolatory inside Itami Osaka International Airport. Last year’s trio of maguro, uni and tamago will be reprising their roles in this line up too. All…

Coca-Cola Japan is releasing frozen Coke slushie packs as a new summer beverage. Coca-Cola Japan has recently been adding to its lineup of beverages with some creative offerings including Coca-Cola Coffee and even an alcoholic variety. With inklings of an upcoming hot and humid summer starting to form, the beverage company has now released “Coca-Cola Frozen Lemon”, a frozen citrus blend of the popular cola sold in a squeezable slushie-style packaging. Coca-Cola Frozen Lemon Source: PR Times The drink is sold in both frozen and non-frozen varities (should you wish to take it home and freeze it to your liking), and comes in a squeezable packaging. Similar drinks are sold…

Cowboy Bebop is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a Cowboy Bebop-themed cafe in Tokyo and Osaka next month! As fans of mega-popular anime series Cowboy Bebop await a U.S. live action television series with cautious optimism, they’ve been able to tide themselves over with a Blade Runner 2049 short helmed by series director Shinichiro Watanabe, and perhaps re-listening to Yoko Kanno’s celebrated soundtrack. As soon as May 15th, however, fans will be able to literally whet their appetite as they can join in on a celebration of Cowboy Bebop’s 20th anniversary with an official Cowboy Bebop Cafe opening in Tokyo and Osaka. Animate Cafe (an anime store cafe with character…

Japanese animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli creates worlds so beautiful that anyone would want a little piece of them in their home. For that reason, any new merchandise inspired by their stories captures the imagination of legions of Ghibli fans. Curling up with a cup of tea and watching a Studio Ghibli movie sounds like a perfect way to spend an evening, so now you can make it even better by drinking tea inspired by the stories themselves. Source: PR Times In a collaboration between Studio Ghibli merchandise purveyors Donguri Republic and luxury tea brand Lupicia, a set of teas in beautifully designed tins will be sold from 13th April 2018….

Creative latte art has become a big trend in recent years, with coffees getting more and more Instagrammable as time goes on. It requires a lot of skill on the part of the barista and depending on their experience, you can get something quite spectacular that goes beyond the common heart and leaf designs. If you’re looking for something that doubles as a beverage and a piece of art, you’ve plenty of options already in Tokyo coffee shops, ranging from 3D kitty cats to your actual own face staring back at you from the foam. But for something that just screams aesthetic it’s got to be the Rainbow Latte from…

Most major cities in Japan have their share of cafes that were established in the Showa Era and have weathered the changing times by maintaining a loyal customer base, providing a welcoming atmosphere, a beautiful decor, a distinctive menu or a combination of these things. For example, we previously covered the 60-year-old Café Benisica in Tokyo, birthplace of pizza toast in Japan. If you are interested in experiencing Showa Era cafe culture when you visit Kyoto, you can’t go wrong with Salon de thé François. A cherished Kyoto fixture with a long history dating back to 1934, the cafe is the perfect place to relax and unwind. You can listen…

Traditional Japanese sweets or ‘wagashi’ are experiencing a boom overseas as interest in Japanese culture grows. Japanese desserts are usually paired with green tea and characterized by flavours such as matcha and red bean paste, making them less sweet than European and American treats. Source: haagen-dazs For those in Tokyo who want to sample some high quality Japanese desserts, Häagen-Dazs is opening a limited time only cafe with the theme of harmony, pairing traditional style sweets with various ice cream flavours. Eat Wagashi Japanese Sweets in Tokyo Although it seems unexpected that Häagen-Dazs are the ones to open this café, the global ice cream brand is very popular in Japan,…

The international popularity of bonsai, the art of producing miniature trees through cultivation techniques, seems to be growing in recent years. The bonsai boom reached a new high last year with the excitement around the World Bonsai Convention which was held in Japan for the first time since 1989. As a result, a growing range of bonsai-inspired products have hit the market. For example, we’ve seen paper bonsai kits, floating bonsai home decorations and even a “smart” bonsai that follows you around and can hold a conversation. Now, a restaurant in Urahara (or “underside of Harajuku”), an area known for its mix of Japanese street fashion and bohemian culture, has…

The host clubs of Japan are a particular quirk which will always surprise visitors to the country. While other countries seem to view paying young attractive people to entertain you as a somewhat male activity, Japan also indulges lonely women. In host clubs the female clientele can drink all night with charming hosts, provided of course, that they have healthy bank accounts. This sort of special treatment doesn’t come cheap! For Valentine’s Day this year, Japanese chocolate stick snack Pocky brought out some romantic AR anime boyfriends to represent each of their flavours, but Nissin’s Cup Noodle have taken a bit more of a risqué advertising technique by anthropomorphising their…

If you want the convenience of sake dispensed on demand but also seek to enjoy numerous varieties of sake, there is a paradise waiting for you in Niigata Prefecture, less than 90 minutes away by shinkansen train! Ponshukan is a unique store concept with two locations in Niigata Prefecture, one in Niigata Station and the other in Echigo-Yuzawa Station, where you can experience kikizake, or sake sampling. We had reported on Ponshukan before based mainly on reports we found on Twitter. However, since our grape Japan staff happened to pass through Echigo Yuzawa Station on a personal ski trip last weekend, it was the perfect opportunity to visit in person…