The second Tabekko Doubutsu Cafe Stand event opened in Omotesando on November 1, 2022. Paying homage to the classic snack first released in 1978, the cafe features a number of tasty snacks inspired by the thin animal-shaped cookies popular around the world.

This second event will run through January 9, 2023. Reservations are required, and many dates were completely sold out prior to the event’s start date, particularly on weekends. We decided to visit, anxious to see what the fuss is all about.

We were first shocked to see the popular animals enjoying oden! Original goods featuring the characters enjoying the quintessential Japanese winter dish are only available at the cafe. From acrylic keychains to figures, visitors can snag some adorable merchandise to commemorate their trip to the exclusive event. Why not snag some items that would be useful on a daily basis, like a notebook or an apron?

For food, visitors can snag a special Oden Set and Chinese Dumplings, both perfect for the winter. The oden features popular ingredients like egg, daikon, fish cake, and mochikinchaku, each branded with the popular animal characters. Drinks include soy milk, green tea milk, and milk tea. 

In addition to the exclusive Lion Cake which is limited to 25 servings a day, guests can find chocolate bananas and other sweets on the menu, including a Sweets Set limited to those reserving special seats at the venue. For every ¥1,000 spent on food and drink items, customers will receive one Tabekko Doubutsu trading card!

The exhibition space is a must-see for fans of this legendary snack, filled with rare works including an adorable and very colorful print of every animal holding a bowl of oden. Of course, a photo spot has been set up for visitors to take some prime shots for social media!

Don’t miss the animal meet and greet, which is making its triumphant return from the last event! Visitors can interact with different animals on different days, so check the official Twitter page (@tabekko_cafe) for the schedule and more information! The number of visitors per day is limited, so make a reservation as early as you can.

Come enjoy these heartwarming treats while you have the opportunity!

Mika Pikazo is an illustrator and character designer. The artist has designed characters for many popular titles including Fire Emblem Engage, the latest in Nintendo’s Fire Emblem series, as well as book covers and CD jackets.

Starting December 10, the artist will hold his second solo exhibition in three years at the Hz event space in Shibuya.

According to a press release, the exhibition is being held to show a number of creations Pikazo has made recently, and aims to show off new animation and past illustrations to merge his past and future selves. The creator hopes to challenge himself more going forward.

The first main visual, REVENGE, can be seen on the exhibition’s official website. A total of three visuals have been newly drawn for the event and will be released sequentially. In addition, a number of collaborative works with other creators will be on display, so art fans won’t want to miss out.

Limited-edition merchandise featuring new illustrations will be on sale at the venue, and autograph sessions are planned to be held. For more details, check the official Twitter page!

Be sure to come to see Mika Pikazo’s colorful pieces in person!

The 13th iteration of the BT21 Cafe will open at six venues in five cities around Japan. Fans in Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka, and Sapporo will want to visit this exclusive event titled ~MAGICAL TIME~. The first cafe opens in Shibuya on November 3. In celebration of BT21’s 5th anniversary, this special cafe is filled with joy and excitement and aims to give fans the best possible experience.

Cafe Menu

Magical Tea Time Set

Food Plate

Food Plate (7 varieties)

Dessert Plate

Dessert Plate (7 varieties)

Drinks

Magical Milk Tea

Black Tea

Iced Coffee / Hot Coffee

Original Goods

Acrylic Keychain (7 varieties, Random)

Acrylic Clip (7 varieties, Random)

Satin Sticker (7 varieties)

Clear Folder (2 varieties)

Handkerchief (7 varieties)

Tote Bag

Mug

Masking Tape / Balloon on a Stick

Dolomite Coaster (2 varieties) / Mirror (2 varieties)

[Online Store Exclusive] Acrylic Keychain (7 varieties, Random)

The cafe’s new menu includes afternoon tea, perfect for warming the body and soul during the cold winter months. The colorful food items and desserts are sure to be a hit on social media, and fans will enjoy the Magical Milk Tea and other dishes inspired by the popular BT21 characters.

In addition to new merchandise and bonuses featuring newly-drawn art, a photo spot will welcome guests to the cafe and invite them to celebrate this five-year milestone. 

Why not take a break from everyday life to enjoy a magical time with these cute characters?

©BT21

ANNA’S by Landtmann, a cafe located inside +Q Beauty on the 6th floor of Shibuya Scramble Square, has begun selling two Halloween cakes! These spooky sweets will be available until October 31, 2022.

Halloween Mont Blanc

Halloween Poison Apple

Guests will be able to snag the Halloween Mont Blanc and Halloween Poison Apple cakes, available for ¥580 each including tax. The Mont Blanc is filled with pumpkin custard and Chantilly cream. The Poison Apple is a sweet and sour cake featuring a blend of chocolate mousse covered in red glaze and applesauce with apple pulp.

Which of these two adorable cakes would you like to enjoy this autumn?

Japan’s largest sake event, TOKYO SAKE FESTIVAL 2022, will run from October 4 until October 6 at the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building’s Triangle Square.

The event’s aim is to make sake more mainstream around the world, with the first festival taking place in 2020. Tokyo Sake Festival blends sake with entertainment, showing off the very best of Japanese culture to those who may be new to craft sake. For the third year, former NMB48 member Yui Takano will serve as ambassador. Takano is known for leaving her idol career to manage the sake specialty store Yui Sake Shop. 

Tokyo Sake Festival 2022 is bringing together forty carefully selected sake breweries from around Japan, including Inoue Seikichi, winner of the Champion Sake award at IWC 2022. Tonoike Sake Brewery, winner of Kura Master 2022’s President’s Award, will also be in attendance. The full lineup can be found on the official website.

Popular influencers and artists from Raphael to BOYS AND MEN and Ukon Takafuji will take the stage during the event, so be sure to swing by if you’re a fan of Japanese spirits!

Taisho Pharmaceuticals has announced a new flavor of Vicks Medicated Drops available only in Japan! The Matcha flavor will be available starting October 1, 2022.

VICKS Medicated Drops are lozenges perfect to relieve sore throats, and in an attempt to make a product for everyone’s taste, 14 flavors have been developed so far–five fruit types, three refreshing types, and six sugarless types.

Matcha has become a more popular flavor among both young and old people in recent years, and this Japan-only flavor is sure to be a hit. The active ingredient, CPC, disinfects and sterilizes the mouth, so the next time you feel a cold coming on, try one of these lozenges out.

Fans of Yowamushi Pedal won’t want to miss this special collaboration! Chugai Grace Cafe, located on the seventh floor of Shibuya MODI, will be running the Yowamushi Pedal LIMIT BREAK cafe from September 22 until October 17, 2022.

Collaboration Menu

Sakamichi Onoda and Sangaku Manami’s Udon & Onigiri Plate 

Yasutomo Arikita and Kuroda Yukinari’s Hamburger & Salad Plate

Hayato Shinkai’s Chocolate & Banana Mini Parfait

Sohoku High School Mango Whipped Cream & Calpis Drink

Hakone Academy Mint Whipped Cream & Calpis Drink

Goods

Pin (Random Holographic included, 9 varieties)

Acrylic Figure Stand (9 varieties)

Pin, Mini Character Ver. (Random Holographic included, 16 varieties)

Acrylic Stand (16 varieties)

Table Plate (9 varieties)

Shoulder Bag

Menu Order Bonus / Online Preorder Bonus

Coaster (1st Half): September 22 – October 4, 2022

Coaster (2nd Half): October 5 – October 17, 2022

The collaboration cafe focuses on dishes you may find at home, such as udon, onigiri, and even a chocolate banana mini parfait as a dessert. New original goods with exclusive illustrations will also be available for purchase!

©渡辺航（週刊少年チャンピオン）／弱虫ペダル05製作委員会

To celebrate the debut of Dev-c, the new VTuber unit from VEE, a giant ad has appeared in Shinjuku Station! Fans should head to the Promenade connecting Shinjuku Station to Shinjuku 3-come from September 5 until September 11 to catch a glimpse of these new talents!

The ad shows Uriyone, Anew Uparu, Cotonoha, Luminous Sweet, and Aomiya Yozuri strolling down a Tokyo street.

Spread out behind them are images of the members of Dev-a and Dev-b, who previously debuted.

VEE has managed to bring together some incredible talents so far. On the right side, fans will see Dev-c’s key visual and a message from VEE to fans, so if you’re near Shinjuku, be sure to check it out!

From September 1 until October 31, the District Brasserie, Bar, and Lounge at the Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo will be offering a spooky Halloween-themed afternoon tea set. The tasty treats won’t be the only scary thing on the plate–the event will incorporate AR technology! By holding up your phone, you’ll be able to see monsters moving around on your plate.

The goodies will also be available for take-out, making them perfect for souvenirs or at-home Halloween parties! Nine types of Halloween sweets, six small dishes, and two tea sachets will be included. Why not spend Halloween in a more elegant way in 2022?

Burberry has announced a collaboration with the popular art manga Blue Period! The unlikely pair will team up on an original story featuring a new character Lola, who is an anthropomorphic version of Burberry’s iconic Lola bag designed by Riccardo Tisci. This original story booklet will be gifted exclusively to visitors to Burberry stores nationwide starting August 20, 2022. Fans can also enjoy the digital version on Burberry.com.

This story depicts the emotional journey of Yatoria Yaguchi and Ryuji Ayukawa as they meet and are progressively more influenced by Lola. Hachitaro is inspired by Lola’s boldness, inner strength, purity, and free self-expression, and is inspired to free himself from everything external and internal holding him back.

To commemorate this partnership, a special wallpaper featuring an illustration by Tsubasa Yamaguchi, the author of Blue Period, will be available exclusively from Burberry’s official LINE account starting on the first day of the collab. The Burberry Omotesando takeover event will also run through September 5, so come enjoy a fashionable manga world!

©Tsubasa Yamaguchi／Kodansha

From August 26 until September 18, Chugai Grace Cafe at Shibuya MODI will hold a special collaboration cafe with the popular series Kuroko’s Basketball!

Menu at a Glance

Ryota Kise’s French Onion-style Carbonara

Daiki Aomine’s Teriyaki Burger over Rice

Shintaro Midorima’s Lucky Monaka

Tetsuya Kuroko’s Vanilla Shake

Atsushi Murasakibara’s Violet Blueberry Water

Goods

Pin (Cafe ver.)

Type A (7 varieties)

Type B (7 varieties)

Mini Acrylic Stand (Cafe ver.)

Type A (7 varieties)

Type B (7 varieties)

Nametags (Cafe ver.)

Type A (7 varieties)

Type B (7 varieties)

Mini Bromide (Cafe ver.)

Type A (7 varieties)

Type B (7 varieties)

Holographic Sticker (Cafe ver., 14 varieties)

Clear Case (Cafe ver.)

Menu Order Bonus: 1 Coaster (28 varieties, random)

Web Order Bonus: 1 Coaster 

Fans of the series will be able to sample a number of unique dishes inspired by characters from Kuroko’s Basketball. Original goods featuring newly-drawn cafe-inspired illustrations will also be available, and guests will be able to enter a drawing to win a one-of-a-kind tapestry.

© 藤巻忠俊／集英社・黒子のバスケ製作委員会
©「黒子のバスケ」アニメ10周年プロジェクト

The Strings Omotesando will hold the Violet Masquerade sweets buffet at GRAMERCY HOUSE, a banquet venue on the second floor, on select dates from September 7 until October 27, 2022.

Guests can enjoy a selection of desserts featuring chestnuts, grapes, and other autumn treats in calming violet space. Why not come enjoy the feel of a masquerade while eating your fill of sugary delights?

The event will feature jewel-like tarts lavishly decorated with figs and grapes, strawberry cheesecake inspired by a courtly flower garden, and lemon mousse shaped like a fanciful headdress. The buffet itself will be decorated with masks and glittering ornaments.

The buffet will also include lunch with a lineup of savory dishes such as spiced grilled chicken, black curry made with charcoal, and purple sweet potato potage.

Visitors showing up to the buffet wearing violet will receive an original purple mocktail called Fancy Violet. Why not come for a girls’ night out or a family dinner this Halloween season?