The warm spring season is almost over, and summer is coming soon. BBQ parties and beer gardens are the two most exciting events of the hot summer season. In this article, I will introduce to you some recommended BBQ parties and beer gardens.

Top Picks for BBQs & Beer Gardens in the Kansai Region for 2018

Saitama Prefecture – Light & Music Beer Garden
The theme of the event is a “Japanese summer festival” (Natsumatsuri) and it will take place in a traditional Japanese-style beer garden. As you come through the bamboo lantern-lit entrance, you will be engulfed by soft lights in a wide, open green space.

Ordering the special offer Roast Beef Sushi (1 person 3 pieces) gives you the chance to see the expert chef put on a fiery flambe show. There’s also a buffet with a mix of around 20 Japanese and Western foods such as skewered and grilled food, savory egg custard, sushi wrapped in fried tofu, juicy sausages and much more as well as a line-up of close to 15 drinks served free flow style including beer and Japanese cocktails.

Detailed information：https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/102961

Tokyo- ARK HILLS SOUTH TOWER ROOFTOP LOUNGE ～ROPPONGI BBQ BEAR GARDEN～
A beer garden serving authentic BBQ cuisine was opened on top of Ark Hills South Tower where a luxurious rooftop garden sits. Despite being in the middle of the big city, the garden has a freeing, spacious feeling with plenty of greenery and even sofa seats. Food includes filling T-bone steak that uses carefully selected Iwanaka roasted pork shoulder, as well as a selection of seafood and vegetables. In addition, downstairs in the same building, you can buy meat to take to the BBQ too. Choose your favorite ingredients and enjoy cooking it on the barbeque yourself.

Detailed information：https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/103521

Tokyo – LUGAR HA AMOR
LUGAR HA AMOR is a beer garden where you can enjoy an extraordinary space, foods, videos and music on the rooftop of MACHIDA MODI. The word LUGAR HA AMOR means “a place filled with love” in Portuguese. The space created under the key word of “luxury beer resort” has three kinds of comfortable sofas that are couple sofa, bed sofa and low table sofa. You can also enjoy the video show projected on the wall of the building and project a message to your precious person.

TOKYO – Hono no Bulgogi Densetsu β
The rooftop beer garden, Hono no Bulgogi Densetsu β was opened on the 16th floor of Tobu Hyakkaten Ikebukuro Honten. The theme of 2018’s bear garden is “wellness.” Healthy spinach and pea sprouts are added to the Bulgogi pot as well as vegetables. The spiciness of the bulgogi pot including eight kinds of vegetables, meat, bean starch vermicelli, kimchi, toppogi can be adjusted at your own will. They also offer beer/sour/whisky servers and a gin server!

Kanagawa Prefecture – Umi no Mieru Beer Garden Hama Beer!
Yokohama Grand Intercontinental Hotel opened their popular beer garden, Umi no Mieru Beer Garden Hama Beer! The terrace is very close to the ocean, so you can enjoy eating and drinking in the beer garden while feeling the breeze from the ocean.

The theme of the dishes this year is “American-style BBQ.” Gorgeous meat dishes and American-style dishes using special spices and sauces which go well with beer, are offered. As a main dish, you can enjoy a big steak (100g.). Let’s enjoy full-fledged hotel dishes at this beer garden♡

Kanagawa Prefecture – BAYSIDE BEER GARDEN 2018
Three kinds of BBQ beer gardens are offered at tables cook & LIVING HOUSE in Yokohama. The first BBQ is NEW YORK BBQ where you can enjoy juicy and thick smoked pork with a special BBQ sauce. You can also make your own customized burger at your own will! They are also offering many countries’ BBQs including seafood BBQ and grilled steak! Fruits cocktails and plum wines are also available!

Top Picks for BBQs & Beer Gardens in the Kansai Region for 2018

Did you know that there are lots of places to eat irresistibly delicious curry in Harajuku, but not that many people know about them yet? Now you can get in on the secret.

From standard Japanese-style curry to more unique flavours, here’s our list.

Suzuki Satomiさん(@_suzukisatomi_)がシェアした投稿 – 2017年 7月月6日午前1時36分PDT

YOGORO

This spinach-based chicken curry (¥900) is a reputable item on YOGORO’s menu, made in a tetsunabe pot! There are two types to choose from: one with spicy tomato as the base and fresh cream, and a milder version made with spinach. You can pick from pork and chicken for the meat to enjoy an original combination. We also recommend it topped with the soft-boiled egg!

@beggar_manがシェアした投稿 – 2018年 5月月3日午前6時34分PDT

Minoringo

This Keema curry (¥900) looks just like a decorative cake. The top of the curry is flooded with cheese. Its rich flavour is simply irresistible! We also recommend the standard Keema curry without the cheese too♡

カレーとスプーンさん(@curry_spoon)がシェアした投稿 – 2018年 4月月5日午前8時09分PDT

Curry Up
This curry house is produced by ‘A Bathing Ape’ founder NIGO. The beef & butter chicken curry (¥1,100) has a distinct mild yet rich taste to it. It’s enjoyable to enjoy two different flavours in one as seen in the picture. You can also combine your own flavours to your liking.

Akiko Shibataさん(@akiko.shibata)がシェアした投稿 – 2018年 3月月25日午前5時21分PDT

SHANTi
If we’re talking soup curry, then where else to go than SHANTi. The spice is on point and there’s a hearty serving of vegetables. There’s also many varieties of curry to choose from, so expect to be spoilt for choice. During lunchtime you can get a large serving of rice for free, and you’re free to enjoy a second helping, so if you’re a big eater, look no further.

@mi__ko__がシェアした投稿 – 2017年 5月月4日午前4時01分PDT

BRITISH INDIAN CAFE 1930
You wouldn’t think that this is a curry house, with its landmark stylish red wall. They serve Indian curry made the way the British do. Their popular butter chicken curry mixes together honey and fresh cream to give it its distinct sweet flavour. The faint spiciness and milk sweetness has made it a particularly popular dish with female customers. The softness of the tandoori chicken is great too. Being British-style, the curry goes well together with black tea.

@i.nori_jpがシェアした投稿 – 2015年 5月月15日午後9時02分PDT

HENDRIX
You could call the chefs at HENDRIX spice masters. They’re extremely thorough and attentive with the timing of when they put their spices in the curry. A popular dish on their menu is their pork curry. It’s cooked gradually with a large amount of spice and has a deep flavour that doesn’t just simply scream ‘hot.’ They’re also particular about their saffron rice which complements the curry. They use only koshihikari rice from the city of Inzai in Chiba Prefecture. The fact they’re even particular about the rice means you can look forward to some truly layered flavours!

MOKUBABZA

This keema curry restaurant is located on the corner of a secluded street. It originally used to open only as a night bar, but keema curry became the talk of the town for being delicious, so it came to be open during lunchtime too. The most popular item on their menu is undoubtedly their ‘Cheese Keema Curry.’ It offers a large serving of rice topped with keema curry and melty mozzarella cheese. Placed again on top of that is a perfectly round egg yolk, giving it a unique appearance. This exquisite dish is cooked thoroughly with carefully selected spices.

Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/38757/2

Drooling yet? You’ve absolutely got to try the exquisite curry hidden away in Harajuku. Tuck in during lunchtime or dinnertime!

Hi, everyone. I’m Shiota, the Director of the MOSHI MOSHI BOX Harajuku Tourist Information Center.

Foreigners coming to Japan love ramen, as shown in our questionnaire where it ranked 2nd place. I’m sure there’s a lot of you reading those who like it too.

AFURIさん(@afuri_official)がシェアした投稿 – 2017年 8月月27日午前2時15分PDT

Did you know, there’s actually a famous ramen place in Harajuku listed by Michelin? Today, I’ll introduce you to AFURI Harajuku, a ramen shop recognised worldwide.

It’s easy to get to. Just take the JR Yamanote Line to Harajuku Station and it’s a 3-minute walk from there. Head left out of Takeshita Exit and make a right when you come to Nescafe Harajuku. You’ll be able to see it on your left.

The restaurant itself has a very stylish and modern exterior. You’ll actually wonder whether it’s really a ramen shop when you see it. It has a welcoming atmosphere even if you go by yourself. When we went, despite it being 3pm on a weekday, most of the seats were taken up. And half of the customers were non-Japanese! As expected of such a popular restaurant.

The smell of citrus hits your nose upon entering the restaurant, something you wouldn’t expect in a place that sells ramen.

The inner section of the U-shaped counter is in fact an open kitchen, giving the whole restaurant a feeling of openness, and the background music that plays is calm. It feels like you’re in a fancy café.

I ordered the Yuzu Salt Ramen (¥980).

The toppings are simple. It comes with juicy mizuna, a boiled egg, bamboo shoots, char siu chicken fillet, and refreshing yuzu skin. You can choose from a boiled char siu packed with the chicken’s good flavour or a light and healthy chicken char siu.

Infatuation Denverさん(@infatuation_den)がシェアした投稿 – 2016年12月月12日午前9時34分PST

The noodles are thin and a healthy mix of wholewheat flour from Hokkaido and rye. The soup is made with carefully selected ingredients such as roast chicken,  seafood and potherbs that have been carefully cooked in natural spring water from Mount Afuri. The flavour is both full-bodied and light and will have anybody who’s tasted it addicted.

Maria Eduarda Costaさん(@duudacostaa)がシェアした投稿 – 2018年 3月月14日午後8時23分PDT

There’s also a vegan ramen (¥1,350) option too made with seasonal vegetables for vegans, vegetarians and healthy eaters. It’s made with freshly-harvested Kamakura vegetables. No animal products are used in the dish, whether that’s in the noodles, soup or toppings. The salted soup goes perfectly with the vegetables. This option is also recommended for people who aren’t good with thick ramen.

AFURI in Harajuku is celebrated not only by worldwide fans of ramen, but healthy eaters and vegetarians too. There’s no doubt you’ll become hooked once you give their food a try.

Restaurants in Japan have a very different list of rules, on-the-house services and etiquette standards compared to other countries. If you enter a restaurant when in Japan without knowing some of these things you might make a mistake!

We’ve put together a list of 10 important points to learn before dining out in Japan.

1.Don’t give tips

The fact that you don’t need to give tips as restaurants in Japan can be bewildering to some foreign tourists. In Japan, there’s normally no service charge, unless it’s a high-end restaurant, in which case it’s possible that a service charge will be added. If you force a tip on the staff, they will get told off by their superiors later, so keep that in mind.

2.Watch out for ‘Otooshi’

Otooshi, also known as tsukidashi, are small appetizers served at bars and establishments that sell alcohol, particularly izakaya. They will be served event if you didn’t order them, and you can be charged for them. There are numerous reasons they give for serving ootoshi, such as ‘proof that we have taken your first order’ and ‘something to eat while you wait for the first food to come out.’ Lots of tourists not accustomed to this practice have felt cheated.

3.Water is free

When you sit down at a restaurant in Japan, you’ll be served water. Many tourists are surprised at the fact that cold water is served all year round the majority of the time in Japan. There are also establishments that serve free hot green tea instead of water.

4.The unexpected things are expensive (or cheap)

It’s not rare for things like delivery pizza or Korean pork belly BBQ, which are extremely cheap and common foods in other countries, to be expensive in Japan. On the other hand, you can eat Japanese foods like sushi, tempura and ramen at a very cheap price.

5.You order alcohol first at an izakaya

It’s not a set rule, but generally when you go to an izakaya, ordering a drink gives you plenty of time to read through the menu. Beer is often ordered before anything else. There’s even a set phrase for it, toriaezu biiru (‘[I’ll have] beer for now’). Try saying it in Japanese when you’re at an izakaya.

6.All-you-can services

Restaurants in Japan often have all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink services. If you pay a set price, you can eat or drink as much as you like. Many places offer this service, including, but not limited to, izakaya, yakiniku restaurants, and sushi bars. We recommend this to people who want to pay a little to get a lot!

7.Oshibori are free

Oshibori, or moistened towels, are given for free at Japanese restaurants. They are wet towels used to wipe your hands and face before a meal. Depending on the restaurant, you may be given a cold or hot towel. Staff at izakaya will also hand them to you. A lot of tourists praise this service as high quality.

8.Rules and menus are different at fast food restaurants

International restaurant chains like McDonald’s and Subway are of course in Japan too. If you’re a tourist bored of Japanese food, you’ll probably want to eat something familiar like fast food. In those times, you’ll be baffled by the differences between a fast food joint in your own country and in Japan. For example, in the case of McDonald’s, the Japanese large-sized drinks are smaller than the medium-sized drinks in the US. There’s also no self-service. Instead, the staff will pour the drink for you.

9.You cannot take food into restaurants (though there are exceptions)

One rule that puzzles a lot of people from Asia that come to Japan is the rule that states you cannot enter a place with food or drink. However, select establishments, such as food courts in large shopping malls, will permit you to do so. Be sure to do some research beforehand.

10.Take your shoes off on tatami

At izakaya and traditional Japanese restaurants, they implement customary Japanese style seating and tatami flooring. If you’re dining at a place with tatami mats, you must take your shoes off before stepping on it. The table seats and tatami are split into different areas even if it’s the same restaurant, so even if it’s OK to wear your shoes at table seats, you’ll need to take off your shoes when using tatami in most cases.

Did you learn something new? Sit alongside the locals when you come to Japan and enjoy some delicious Japanese cuisine!

If you have any questions you want answering about Japan, then please be sure to get in touch with us on the MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON Facebook page!

https://www.facebook.com/msmsnippon/

As well as being a hub for shopping, Odaiba is a popular sightseeing destination. It’s seen as being a little far from central Tokyo, but you can in fact arrive there in about 20 minutes from Shibuya and Shinjuku.

Here are 6 locations in Odaiba that we recommend for foreign tourists. Be sure to take note if you’re planning a trip there!

愛緒唯さん(@_aoooooi)がシェアした投稿 – 4月 4, 2018 at 6:18午前 PDT

AQUA CiTY ODAIBA

This is Odaiba’s huge shopping complex. There’s a huge range of facilities to be found there, including a shrine, ramen, 4DX® and much more. One place you mustn’t forget to visit is Odaiba’s “Statue of Liberty” which has become a famous photo spot. It’s relatively smaller compared to the one in New York and the replica in Paris, but you’ll still see a lot of people snapping pictures.

yuko888さん(@yuko__888)がシェアした投稿 – 4月 11, 2017 at 3:20午前 PDT

Odaiba Tourist Information Center
At this information center you will find a realistic looking android by the name of Chihira Junko. She is 26-years-old, was born on June 1^st and comes in at 165cm tall. This is the only place in the world with an android permanently set up at a tourist information center. She speaks Japanese, English and Chinese.

澤田 清仁さん(@kiyoto.sawada)がシェアした投稿 – 3月 29, 2018 at 10:00午後 PDT

Tokyo Ramen Kokugikan Mai
Ramen is a popular food in Japan as we discovered in our questionnaire held at the MOSHI MOSHI BOX on people’s favourite Japanese food. Tokyo Ramen Kokugikan Mai is a collection of six famous ramen restaurants from around Japan that are popular both in Japan and overseas. They serve up an original menu that you can’t taste anywhere else.

Pamella Alferesさん(@pamellaalferes)がシェアした投稿 – 4月 3, 2018 at 5:22午前 PDT

Ｈello Kitty Japan
This shop serves up a compelling collaboration between the Japanese style and Sanrio characters. It’s lined with merchandise of popular characters from Hello Kitty to Gudetama and beyond. They also sell kawaii sweets inspired by the characters in the sweets corner of their eat-in section♡

内原 正詞さん(@famikisha7307)がシェアした投稿 – 4月 2, 2018 at 8:08午前 PDT

Life-Sized Unicorn Gundam – THE GUNDAM BASE TOKYO
THE GUNDAM BASE TOKYO is an official Gunpla store aimed at Gunpla fans worldwide. You can enjoy Gunpla to the absolute max by buying, using, looking and learning. On the first floor there’s also a gigantic life-sized Unicorn Gundam towering at 19.7m high. Its knees and shoulders move, and it even lights up. In the evening, the statue and screen at the back showcase scenes from the anime series.

yumika☺︎✴︎さん(@ymk_28)がシェアした投稿 – 2月 19, 2018 at 7:52午前 PST

Madame Tussauds Tokyo
Madame Tussauds Tokyo is home to over 60 realistic life-sized statues of world famous stars and celebrities from Hollywood stars to musicians, historical figures, sportsmen – the list goes on. You can take a picture with the figures on show and you can also make a giant figure of your own hand.

Did you like our pick?

Odaiba has so many things for you to see in one day, so make sure to visit all its great spots!

Hi! I’m Ellie from MOSHI MOSHI BOX Tourist Information Centre. At MOSHI MOSHI BOX, we get a lot of people asking us to recommend a place where they can eat authentic Japanese food in Harajuku. That’s why I’ve decided to take a trip to “Sakura Tei”. Sakura Tei is a restaurant not far from MOSHI MOSI BOX that serves a typical Japanese dish – onokomiyaki. Half of Sakura Tei’s customers are tourists from outside of Japan, so I would really recommend this place to foreigners.

What exactly is okonomiyaki? Its basic form is a savoury pancake made from water, wheat flour, shredded cabbage and fried batter pieces. The name okonomiyaki means grilled (yaki) as you like it (onkonomi). Therefore, it can be customised with seafood or meat. The ingredients are mixed together and then grilled in a cast iron pan. This is one of the most popular dishes in Japan.

Look out for the artistic exterior and bamboo

Walk down Meiji-dori in the direction of Murasaki Sports (ムラサキスポーツ) . Meiji-dori is the street on which MOSHI MOSHI BOX is also located. Once you are at Murasaki Sports, walk down the street between Murasaki Sports and New Balance (NB) and then turn left at the Family Mart. You will immediately notice that the road splits off into two directions. From this point, take the thin pathway on your left. You will see a white building on your left called “DESIGN FESTA GALLERY”. The restaurant Sakura Tei is on the left of this building. Look out for the vivid wall art and bamboo exterior – this is a sign you are in the right place. If you get lost and don’t know the way, don’t hesitate to ask us for help at MOSHI MOSHI BOX.

The interior is also photogenic! Each wall is painted with beautiful artwork. A new design is painted on the walls every half year, so you might see something different if you come back later in the year! Some paintings were offered by a solo exhibition artist from the “DESIGN FESTA GALLERY” next door. Other designs were even painted by the restaurant staff! The restaurant seats more than 200 people, making it perfect for even large parties.

Being hit by a wave of beauty, it was fun to take pictures of the interior even before having entered.

What caught my attention the most were the trees that are growing inside the restaurant. I was told that they were growing here before this place became a restaurant, and rather than cutting them down, the owner nurtured them, incorporating them into part of the restaurant. From this dynamic and unique idea, an atmosphere of freedom formed. You wouldn’t even believe you are still in Harajuku. The atmosphere is so relaxing.

Order an original Okonomiyaki at Sakura Tei!

Besides okonomiyaki, the menu includes an abundant range of dishes such as monjayaki (similar to okonomiyaki), yakisoba (fried noodle dish) gyoza (dumplings) and teppanyaki (grilled food served on an iron plate). There is also an English menu available and many foreigners belong to the team of staff. They can speak many languages including English and Korean. You can order vegetarian and vegan food too so if you have any questions, feel free to talk to the staff!

I ordered Sakura Tei’s most popular item off the menu – the “Sakura yaki” (￥1,400). All the prices on the menu are the prices including tax. Pork, squid, shrimp, matsutake mushrooms, welsh onions, pork belly slices and egg are the eight ingredients mixed into the batter of this okonomiyaki. Each table has a hot teppanyaki plate fitted into it so you can make your own okonomiyaki yourself.

It’s ok even if you’ve never made one before! Easy instructions on how to make it are provided on each table.

I immediately took up the challenge of making one. First, you have to mix the ingredients with the batter with all your might – that’s the key to making it so delicious. After mixing well, place the batter onto the grill plate and form it into a round shape. Then, place the pork belly slices on top and cook until golden brown (Approx. 6-8 minutes).

Once the underside is golden brown, it’s time to flip it over! It’s heavier than I thought… I wasn’t sure if I could do it…

I drew up all my courage and went for it!!

I did it! Whenever customers flip their okonomiyaki particularly well, there is always a mini celebration. It’s all about celebrating the process of making okonomiyaki and having fun here. A staff member even mentioned: “I love seeing the customers having fun while making okonomiyaki”.

After flipping, cook for another 6 minutes.

When your okonomiyaki is cooked, place your egg on top (that you lightly cooked on the teppanyaki grill) and then add the original sauce and mayonnaise. Sprinkle on some katsuobushi (dried skipjack tuna flakes), some more mayonnaise and you are done!

I immediately took my first bite while it was still piping hot. Normally, okonomiyaki is slightly thinner than this one…but what about the flavour..?

…Super delicious!!! The batter is packed with ingredients that taste great with the seafood stock. The slightly sweet sauce makes it into a delicious specialty that can only be experienced at Sakura Tei! Normal okonomiyaki uses wheat flour that makes you full very quickly, however Sakura Tei’s okonomiyaki is soft and thick – you will hungrily eat it all up! ♡

A fried parfait?! My first dessert experience here

After having okonomiyaki, you always want something sweet in your mouth! Skimming the menu, the one thing that caught my eye was the “ama-imonja yaki banayan” (￥550). Monjayaki uses wheat flour that is lightly mixed with water amongst a range of ingredients and then fried on the pan. It resembles okonomiyaki but is thicker. I quickly gobbled up the ama-imonja yaki.

It was easy to make! Just mix all the parfait ingredients together and then cook it. Just looking at this dessert made feel like an excited child. I had never tasted anything like this before!

It tasted a bit like a banana muffin and the caramelised golden-brown areas were sweet – I just couldn’t stop! You should try making this one too!

There is one more thing I would like to recommend you to have after your meal. The homemade “Sakura Lemonade” (￥500 ). Their lemonade includes a Sakura-salted flavor that is popular among foreigners. The fresh flavor and taste of sakura brings back memories of spring. You can enjoy this drink at any time of year, so please check it out!

That was my first visit to Sakura Tei. It wasn’t just the okonomiyaki, dessert and drink that I enjoyed, but also the way the restaurant makes the customers laugh and smile. If you’re ever in Harajuku, make sure to check this place out!

Model & Writer Ellie