Japanese aromatic raw chocolate brand MAISON CACAO is launching a new Kamakura-based brand called Shiki to Maison (“Four Seasons & Maison”) which will feature chocolates that capture the events and culture found throughout the four seasons in Japan.

The first entries to the series are cherry blossom chocolates which are available from March 26 to April 4, as well as cherry blossom drink which can be enjoyed on March 27 and 28.

Aroma Raw Chocolate SAKURA ¥2,200 / Cacao Vinegar Soda SAKURA ¥550 (Before Tax)

Aroma Raw Chocolate SAKURA

Indulge in a box of these luxury cherry blossom chocolates which are made with 100% cacao powder which have a refreshing white chocolate aftertaste. The chocolates are made with cherry blossom as well as a fresh cream laced with salt-pickled cherry blossom. They also include a paste made from liquid drawn from cherry blossom petals. It’s a taste of Japanese spring with every bite.

Cacao Vinegar Soda SAKURA

This springtime beverage includes a cacao vinegar made from cacao pulp and is coupled with fragrant cherry blossom. This one is available at the Komachi and Cacao Hanare branches as well as at CHOCOLATE BANK.

Southern Beach Hotel & Resort Okinawa has opened a new plan that includes an evening meal, BBQ, and accommodation at the beach hotel and resort.

Southern Beach Hotel & Resort Okinawa is in a favourable location—just a 20-minute drive from Naha Airport in the city of Itoman. It’s a 3-minute drive from Roadside Station Itoman, the largest farmers and fish market in Okinawa, and within 10-minutes drive of the new ‘iias’ shopping complex that opened in June this year, DMM Kariyushi Aquarium, and Okinawa Outlet Mall Ashibinaa.

The hotel’s impressive garden pool is 70 meters wide and is shaped in a unique way with five different levels of water spanning the entire length. Families flock to the pool in the summertime as the sun shines down and sparkles on the water.

The new plan includes access to the pool in the evenings right up to 9:00pm, allowing guests to cool down in the pool without having to worry about getting sunburned, as well as a delicious dinner to be enjoyed after fun in the pool.

The open air garden BBQ includes 90 minutes of all-you-can-eat meat, fish, and other delights to tuck into as the sea breeze caresses you.

Guests can also choose a buffet option instead which makes use of local Okinawan ingredients.

If you’re in Japan this summer, and are looking for the beach resort experience, then hit up Southern Beach Hotel & Resort Okinawa.

Japanese cafe Komachi Chaya and bakery, cafe and restaurant Dear Bread Kamakura have collaborated to release 10 cool shaved ice flavours at i-ZA Kamakura, a shopping centre that’s just a 1-minute walk from Komachi Street in Kamakura.

10 Tasty Shaved Ice Recipes Combining Japanese & Western Flavours

Komachi Chaya, which is located on the 2nd floor of i-ZA Kamakura, has a diverse line-up including a hydrangea-inspired shaved ice. All of their options are made using in-house made syrup. Dear Bread Kamakura, which is located on the 1st floor of i-ZA Kamakura, is introducing a rich new shaved ice made using specially-made foam.

Hydrangea: ¥1,420 / With Rice Flour Dumpling Ice Cream ¥1,630 (Tax Included)

This vivid blue shaved ice is inspired by Kamakura’s famous hydrangea flowers. It comes with lemon syrup which changes the shaved ice into a beautiful purple. You can pick two syrups from six to combine and create new and tasty flavours.

Whole Strawberry Sagahonoka: ¥1,100 / With Rice Flour Dumpling Ice Cream ¥1,310 (Tax Included)

The Sagahonoka has a super sweet taste and is made with an unheated strawberry syrup. It’s topped with fat and juicy strawberries and served with condensed milk.

Komachi Chaya is serving a total of 7 flavours. As well as the ones above, there’s an Uji matcha flavour, a plum pick made from two types of plums, and more.

Strawberry Milk Foam: ¥1,200 (Before Tax)

Dear Bread Kamakura’s shaved ices are made using foam. The strawberry one is made using in-house strawberry syrup and is topped with milk foam, giving it a cute appearance like light snowfall. The combination of strawberry and cream also gives it a taste similar to shortcake.

Brown Sugar Syrup Matcha: ¥1,200 (Before Tax)

Doused in a rich and sweet brown sugar syrup and covered in a matcha flavoured foam made with Uji matcha from Kyoto, this fluffy shaved ice has a slight bitter bite from the matcha which is balanced against the sweet syrup and red bean paste.

Dear Bread Kamakura will also serve a mango flavour made with two different homemade syrups instead of foam.

i-ZA Kamakura is maintaining social distancing measures as a precaution against COVID-19. The shopping complex has expanded its wooden deck terrace seating area as well as its eating-in space so customers can feel at ease.

On December 18, yakiniku restaurant LAMB ONE, which specialises in succulent matured lamb, opened in Kabukicho, Shinjuku. The restaurant provides the perfect opportunity for guests to grill their own light and healthy meal with friends and family. The high-quality meat is low in calories and high in protein. Each seat is at a counter and there are even single grill seats for the perfect dinner treat alone. 

The restaurant offers Japanese-style set meals which include meat, fried vegetables, rice, soup and kimchi . Some of the more basic set meals include the shio koji marinated lamb shoulder roast and the sesame miso lamb shoulder roast. For customers who are really looking for a luxury treat, there is a set that includes three different kinds of matured lamb and a set that includes Spring Lamb Chop Steak where you can enjoy both the shio koji and sesame miso marinades. You can swap your fried vegetables for caesar salad or your white rice for mixed grain rice. Just seeing this beautiful and balanced meal before your eyes will leave you feeling satisfied. After your meal, enjoy the small warabimochi dessert. 

When most people think of a yakiniku restaurant, the general impression is a large number of friends gathering together, merrily tucking in to meat and sides while the table fills with empty beer glasses. LAMB ONE, however, is the perfect place to enjoy a delicious Japanese-style meal in your own way without being disturbed by others. If you’re travelling around Tokyo, this would be the perfect hearty dinner to finish your day. 

kuLoーa company that sets up unique restaurants and eateries in Tokyoーhas announced the grand opening of the first branch of a new restaurant called 96 NIKUHOLIC, which will open in Nishi-Azabu, Tokyo on November 20, 2019.

This highly exclusive restaurant is home to only two private rooms which must be reserved in advance. If you manage to get a reservation, you can look forward to tucking into a luxury gourmet meal made with exquisite Japanese wagyu beef and high-quality ingredients.

96 NIKUHOLIC is drawing a line under your commonplace restaurant that serves high-quality meat, doing away with ordinary decor and replacing it with two private rooms themed as ‘hideouts.’

The domestic wagyu beef used is from the Japanese black cattle. The chefs scrutinise the beef parts and variety each day to join them with the best menu items to go with that day, so customers can rest assured they’ll be eating the meat at its most delicious when they dine at the restaurant.

The restaurant’s signature dish is the “Chateaubriand no Warayaki.” Chateaubriand goes for tens of thousands of yen per kilo. The speciality of this dish is that the chateaubriand is cooked on straw, which intensifies the flavour of the meat and imbues it with the fragrance of the straw. The restaurant also serves courses, side items and more, most of which incorporate wagyu.

Discover the new little-known-good-place and hideout that is 96 NIKUHOLIC.

Since opening in Harajuku last year, MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON’s ultra-kawaii hotel MOSHI MOSHI ROOMS has been the talk of the town. We are here to announce a new BBQ plan for guests which is held on the hotel rooftop and which you can attend empty-handed.

MOSHI MOSHI ROOMS is only an 8-minute walk from Harajuku Station. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you spot our neon sign pictured above. It’s on the roof of this building you can look forward to getting your teeth into a delicious BBQ and chugging down drinks.

The rooftop design takes on a pop appearance, mixing blue with yellow. This cute design alone is enough to get you excited for what’s to come. And since there are no tall buildings around us, you get a great view of Harajuku from below.

The BBQ plan comes equipped with everything you need: a fire, plates, cups, ingredients, and alcohol. We have a great option of drinks, including beer, wine, whisky, and soft drinks. There’s also a beer server so you can enjoy your beer nice and frosty. If we don’t have a drink you’d like, you can bring your own too. There’s a FamilyMart and other shops nearby, so head there to stock up.

BBQ Set – ¥6,000 Per Person (Before Tax)　*Photo is a select portion example for 5 people

For grub, our lineup includes meat, fish, egetables, fried onigiri, and sweets. There’s Japanese beef too, as well as Japanese chicken, pork, lamb, sausage, and more. We prepare the most delicious ingredients for the current season. There’s a lot of different meats to choose from, so rest assured you won’t go hungry.

All the food is seasoned for you, so you can drop it all on straight away and get straight to eating.

Make a toast with your drinks and tuck in! The wagyu beef is nice and plump once it comes off the fire. One bite of the soft meat will treat your taste buds to a luxurious sweetness and the meat’s delightful juices.

The chicken is seasoned sweet and spicy. It has a crunchy exterior and soft inside. The lamb is seasoned well too and has that distinct deep flavour lamb has.

Our fish and vegetables are all in season too. The fish pictured above is salmon cooked in foil and seared skipback tuna. The salmon is seasoned with butter and soy sauce. All of the delicious flavour of the skipback tuna is intensified while prepared on the fire, and the inside is sumptuously tender. It’s seasoned with citrus soy sauce.

This here is giant okra which I tried for the first time. Giant okra is in season right now too. It’s a lot more elastic than your regular size okra and has a juiciness when you bite into it.

I was so full already… until dessert arrived! These is a dessert sweet potato roasted on the fire.

I topped it with vanilla ice cream and tea flavoured ice cream before sprinkling on cornflakes to finish.

The mix of the hot potato and cold ice cream is a match made in heaven inside your mouth. The roasted sweet potato has a subtle sweetness which mixes perfectly with the creamy ice cream. I originally thought I was full but there’s always room for dessert.

There are parasols too in case it rains. You can even rent out tents from the hotel if you like.

If you’re looking to stay in Harajuku, come and see us at MOSHI MOSHI ROOMS and enjoy a BBQ with a rooftop view of Harajuku.

Writer: Sayuri Mizuno (MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON)

Translator: Joshua Kitosi-Isanga

Kasai Rinkai Park in Chiba is set to open SORAMIDO BBQ April 16 where you can enjoy a higher grade BBQ with meat, seafood and more all made with fantastic ingredients on a top quality grill.

Kasai Rinkai Park is easily accessible from central Tokyo and looks out over Tokyo Bay and Umihotaru, an artificial island. The BBQ is situated at a wooden terrace deck which lets in the sea breeze and feels like a resort holiday. It can also be used for all kinds of parties.

Food will include top grade meat such as Angus beef, rib eye steaks, pork chops made from Iwanaka pork, vegetable skewers. Other treats include whole-fried broccoli, grilled al ajillo with jumbo mushrooms, tacos and more.

The grill used is by Weber. It’s easy to use and rarely overcooks ingredients, keeping the fish and meat juicy and the vegetables sweet and delicious.

SORAMIDO BBQ: ¥6,000 (Before Tax)　*3-hour allocation

There are three food plans on offer: the standard “SEASIDE VIEW,” “SORAMIDO which comes with lobster, curry and more, and “PREMIUM” which comes with lobster, salmon and other items. Each BBQ course comes with all-you-can-drink soft drinks. You can upgrade to all-you-can-drink alcohol for an extra ¥1,500.

KID’S BBQ: ¥800 (Before Tax)

There’s also a kid’s option for families. Enjoy a comfortable yet luxurious BBQ surrounded by nature.

A BBQ will open at the Kinshachi Yokocho commercial establishment of Nagoya Castle on March 15 to bring Japanese hospitality to the people of the world.

Running until the end of September, visitors can look forward to dining in a beer garden where fresh seafood like oysters, caught in Japan, will be served alongside Kirin Ichiban beer. The BBQ will specialise in fresh shellfish shipped directly from Ise. Enjoy all-you-can-eat seafood such as bivalves of which they will have a good haul this year.

There will also be a kid’s play zone making the BBQ a family-friendly option.

Japanese chocolate brand VANILLABEANS will open a new branch in the seaside city of Kamakura on January 7, 2019. The chain’s flagship store in Minato Mirai turned 5 years old on January 18, 2019 where it has served close to 320,000 customers.

The new shop will sell a variety of chocolate products and merchandise exclusive to Kamakura. They are particular about the source origin of their cocoa beans as well as fair trade products and aim to bring smiles to those who eat their items as well as those who make them and farm the cocoa beans. A line-up of Buddha themed chocolates is ready to roll out once the store opens to pray for people’s happiness.

Limited Edition Kamakura Box: ¥1,980 (Before Tax)

This limited edition box contains an assortment of some of VANILLABEANS’s most popular products. Available at the new Kamakura branch only, these specially selected goodies combine the history, nature and excitement of Kamakura. The box makes for a great souvenir. *Available from February 7 to early May only.

When ordering a drink at the cafeteria customers will also be given a tiny Buddha shaped chocolate. Inside the dark chocolate exterior is a subtly sweet milk chocolate ganache. The store say it goes best with the organic VANILLABEANS Chocolate Latte.

VANILLABEANS Original Mug: ¥1,000 (Before Tax)

The shop is also selling a limited edition matte black Kamakura mug. When you’ve finished your drink there is a picture of a Buddha at the bottom. When you make tea or coffee for someone it’s sure to put a smile on their faces when they see it.

Enjoy a coffee and chocolate break after a stroll around Kamakura at the new VANILLABEANS store.

The new branch of DAIMYO SOFTCREAM opened in Kamakura on August 23, 2018 where they serve high quality Italian style soft-serve ice cream.

When you sit down at DAIMYO SOFTCREAM Kamakura you can order ice cream, coffee floats, cream soda and coffee. You’ll notice the t-shirts on the wall too – they sell their own merchandise under their own brand including t-shirts, bags and more. The cafe have a world class soft serve ice cream machine that was ordered in from Italy which makes fine and smooth ice cream as well as a mouth-watering flavour and shape.

The ice cream is made with delicious milk from the milk brand Ito Monogatari who continue to pour love and passion into their product. This milk is pasteurised over a longer period of time which gives it a fresh and sweet taste like freshly squeezed milk from a cow.

If you’re looking for something a little more Japanese then why not try the matcha soft serve, which is made using Yame Matcha, a high quality type of matcha grown in Hoshino, Fukuoka.

DAIMYO make their own original cones which are black in colour, have low calories and are packed with natural minerals. They are made in bamboo charcoal which is said to have a detox effect.

The coffee served there uses only superior quality beans which offer a perfect balance of flavour, fragrance and bitterness. Their beans are an original blend made with coffee beans from Latin America, particularly Brazil. The coffee goes great with their milk soft serves.

DAIMYO SOFTCREAM’s ice cream is popular for its authentic flavour – try it for yourself!

For this article, we’ve compiled a Top 5 list of great places to visit in Japan within just one hour of Tokyo. The commute is short, so they’re perfect locations for day trips if you’re staying in Tokyo. We’ve also included the easiest routes to get to them.

Nikko (Tochigi Prefecture)
Nikko is a popular site for tourism, home to the famous Toshugu Shrine which is a registered World Heritage Site. It has great access with Asakusa, making it a perfect location for shrine visits.

Recommended Spots: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/tag/nikko

Mount Fuji (Shizuoka Prefecture / Yamanashi Prefecture)
Mount Fuji was registered as a World Heritage Site in 2013. Its graceful, sempiternal beauty has made it an unmistakable symbol of Japan throughout the world.

Be careful when traveling there, as the closest station to the mountain isn’t Fujisan Station (‘Mount Fuji Station’), but Kawaguchiko Station. There is also a direct bus there to and from Shinjuku.

Recommended Spots: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/87612

Kamakura (Kanagawa Prefecture)

Kamakura is famous for its old-fashioned streetscape and shrines. It’s also close to other popular tourist spots such as Enoshima, a small island off the coast, so you can have a lot of fun there with plenty of things to do no matter how many times you visit. If you’re a travel lover, then we also recommend boarding the hugely popular Enoshima Electric Railway.

Recommended Spots: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/tag/kamakura

Hakone (Kanagawa Prefecture)

Hakone—Japan’s leading onsen, or ‘hot spring’ spot. Hakone Shrine is known for the red torii archways which sit on the bank of Lake Ashi. The town is also known for being home to countless nearby ryokan with hot springs, so you can enjoy hopping from one to the other. And to get there, you can take the direct Romancecar train from Shinjuku which goes straight to Hakone Station.

Recommended Spots: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/tag/hakone

Chichibu (Saitama Prefecture)
Chichibu is appealing for its rich natural environment. Those who love the outdoors will be enticed by this city. As will anime-lovers, since this is the place where Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day is set. They even sell maps of where all the places in the series are located, as well as souvenirs of the characters.

Did you like this list?

You might enjoy stretching your legs and branching out to see what else Japan has to offer during your time in Tokyo.

A beer garden serving authentic BBQ cuisine will open for a limited period of time from April 23 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 favourite ingredients and enjoy cooking it on the barbeque yourself. Of course, you can use it just for à la carte and drinks too.

The plan includes the ‘Casual BBQ Course’ (¥4,800 for 2+ people) where you can enjoy beef, pork and chicken; the ‘Premium BBQ Course’ (¥6,500 for 2+ people) that includes a T-bone steak, seafood and more; and the cook-it-yourself option (¥3,300). There’s also drinks to be enjoyed with each course as well as all-you-can-drink wine.

Step away from the hustle and bustle of the busy city a little and enjoy a top-tier BBQ atop a lush rooftop garden.