Ginza is a district in the heart of Tokyo famed for its extravagant streets lined with upmarket shops, luscious restaurants and fantastic entertainment. But it's not only worthy of note for its flamboyance – it's also rooted in rich culture and history.   Today, I visited Ginza West, a café that has been continuously loved in Ginza ever since it opened in 1947. Before entering I saw lots of delicious confections lined up on display. You can order takeout too. Your mind will wander off as you ponder on which to take away for snack time. The entire café is clean and tidy throughout and you can feel the decor has grace. It's different from other cafés in that it has a dignified atmosphere to it. It has an air of tension to it, the kind that makes you straighten up your back. It's a place that's nice if someone wants to enjoy a luxurious experience once in a while. I ordered cake and tea set! The tea cost ¥1,048. A cake set is the price of the drink plus ¥324. You can actually have them bring you samples of cakes being served on that day. There’s so many cake varieties it’s hard to choose. The most popular is this one – the Mosaic Cake! Its appearance is cute. I ended up wanting to take a lot of photos. The Mosaic Cake is made of cocoa sponge and butter sponge which is arranged to look like a mosaic piece. You can really taste the different flavours of each sponge. It’s only moderately sweet so it’s not too heavy. I wolfed it down! And then, and then! I got the white cream soda which I’d been wanting to try. It cost ¥1,188.   When you think of cream soda it’s generally green coloured melon soda with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top. But this one uses no colouring. The soda is clear and also served with vanilla ice cream. Try drinking it yourself after adding a syrup of your choice. It looks like a very elegant beverage. In terms of taste, if you eat the vanilla ice cream after drinking some of the soda (which is subtly sweet) it makes for an exquisite balance. It’s a flavour I’ve never had before – it’s a novel sensation. Delicious. The chairs in the café have something about them too! They feel extremely comfortable, I felt exhausted. The staff kindly told me the secret behind them.   The back legs of the chairs are a little wider than the ones at the front allowing you to lean back much easier and making it feel much more comfortable. The chair legs are also cut to a certain length to allow easier sitting. So that’s why. That’s why I felt so relaxed simply sitting on them. I felt I could be sat there no matter the hour.   t’s a kind of consideration you’d only find at a café. Hearing about those chairs made me think that cafes really are such wonderful places. The more you learn about them, the more you come to love their charms.   I wonder where I’ll visit next? Look forward to it!

Character cafés are an exciting experience in Japan which sees a café collaborate with well-known anime series, game series and various franchises by decorating the café interior with designs and illustrations based on them and meals and drinks inspired by them.   There's plenty of cute collaborations happening for the month of October, so let's take a look!   2PM Members x ZooPM (August 31 - October 8) ZooPM Café, which was first opened in 2016 for a limited time, has gotten a revamp has reopened. Each dish on the menu is inspired by the ZooPM characters such as the Pan. K half-cooked pancakes,  Pi Young cheese curry, emperor penguin and more, as well as a range of ZooPM drinks. You must book in advance and spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis so if you're interested be sure to get in there quick.   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/123052     Grand Blue x 46 Shokudo (September 3 - October 8) 46 Shokudo has joined hands with popular anime series Grand Blue is teaming up with to open a collaborative café called Grand Blue Shokudo which is open until October 8. The theme of the café is ‘a house by the sea.’ The menu is packed with themed food and meals including Food Stall Snacks, Ramen, Nanaka & Chisa’s Sisterly Curry, Kebako’s Keba Keba Waffle, and more. Enjoy the last summer of Japan’s Heisei Period with the members of Grand Blue!   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/125006     Natsume's Book of Friends: Tied to the Temporal World x BOX CAFE&SPACE (September 14 - October 14) To celebrate the release of the Natsume's Book of Friends movie on September 29, two themed cafes will open in Tokyo and Saitama as well as a character café booth at the Kyoto International Manga & Anime Fair 2018. They will serve a variety of themed dishes tied to autumn as well as merchandise with an autumn-time theme. Those who book at the Tokyo café in advance will receive one of four randomly selected original stickers pictured above. The menu items will differ at all three cafés, so be sure to try them all!   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/125852     The Secret of Kawaii Ribbon Furoku x DNP Plaza (October 3 - October 22) Japanese bookstore 'honto' is teaming up with DNP Plaza in Ichigaya, Tokyo to open a collaborative cafe themed on the shojo manga magazine Ribon and the free gifts included with the magazine called furoku. Customers can enjoy latte art with the familiar Ribon Mascot Comics mark illustrated by Ai Yazawa and can get their hands on coasters with designs from 6 popular authors including Momoko Sakura (Chibi Maruko-chan).   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/131026     Fate/Grand Order x Sanrio (September 20 - October 28) Sanrio are collaborating once more with the hugely popular online free-to-play RPG mobile game Fate/Grand Order―which is based on Type-Moon’s Fate/stay night franchise―to open three themed cafés. They will open in Tokyo and Osaka alongside Sendai for the first time with newly drawn Heroic Spirits. All the food, drinks and merchandise available at the cafés are inspired by the Servants of Fate/Grand Order who have been drawn with cute designs. Enjoy a Fate experience you can't get anywhere else.   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/123977     The Pokémon Cafe x Limited Edition Autumn Menu (September 8 - October 31) The Pokémon Cafe in Nihonbashi released a new menu for autumn which is being served until October 31. The cute menu is inspired by different Pokémon including Gastly’s Menchi Katsu Burger, Tangela’s Halloween Mont Blanc, Golbat’s Poisonous Float Drink and more. The cafe are serving their regular grand menu too, so whether it’s your first time or you’re a regular you’re sure to have a lot of fun!   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/126707     Shouta Aoi × Little Twin Stars Café (September 12 - November 4) The collaboration between Japanese voice actress Shouta Aoi and the Sanrio mascots Kiki and Lala, aka the Little Twin Stars, was so popular in Omotesando that they've teamed up once more to bring people the new Shouta Aoi×Little Twin Stars Café ~Halloween Party~ event. As well as serving the much praised collaborative themed food from last time, there will be a new range of Halloween themed food too, as well as merchandise, all with cute illustrations and designs for a fun Halloween. The cute line-up of Halloween merchandise features rare designs you won’t find anywhere else, so don't miss out!   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/126272     Star-Myu x Gakuensai (October 31 - November 27) *Dates depend on branch Two cafés based on the anime series Star-Myu will open in Tokyo (October 31-November 27) and Osaka (November 2-November 27) with the theme of a school festival. The café menu will features dishes inspired by the characters from the show. You can even order the legendary yakisoba nisuto from the series. There’s merchandise to get your hands on too, and the café interior will be decked out with school festival decorations to you can feel part of the festive fun. Don't forget that reservations are required to enter the café!   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/128485     Gudetama x Pompompurin (September 5 - November 30) Gudetama and Pompompurin are two popular characters from Sanrio who have joined hands at the Pompompurin Cafe in Yokohama. Four cute menu items are available to choose from, all celebrating the 5th anniversary of Gudetama, the theme of which is space.   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/125739     Badtz-Maru x Gudetama Cafe (October 1 - November 30) The Gudetama Cafe in Osaka, located in the HEP FIVE shopping center just a 3-minute walk from Hankyu Umeda Station, has teamed up with the Sanrio character Badtz-Maru in a new collaborative menu. There are 4 cute dishes to choose from as well as novelties with original designs.   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/129977     Nintama Rantaro x Chaya (October 12 - December 2) *Dates depend on branch Two cafés based on the popular TV anime series Nintama Rantaro are opening in Osaka and Tokyo for a limited time. The Osaka café will open at 'contact' in Shinsaibashi from October 12 and the Tokyo café will open at 'Omotesando Box Cafe&Space' from October 25. The menu includes udon, hitsumabushi, hamburgers, parfaits, a matcha latte and more, all themed on the characters Rintaro, Kirimaru and Shinbei from the show who are told that to become fully-fledged ninja they must be able to cook.   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/130902     The Very Hungry Caterpillar x J.S. PANCAKE CAFE (October 3 - January 31) Japanese pancake shop J.S. PANCAKE CAFE has begun its collaboration with the internationally beloved picture book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle at 12 of its J.S.PANCAKE CAFE branches and 1 of its J.S. FOODIES branches. The cafés will run for four months from October 2018 to January 2019 during sweet pancakes will be served depicting that will depict the story of the caterpillar's growth.  and tale of the caterpillar. For the first month, they are serving French toast style pancakes that represents the sun on the morning that the caterpillar was born. Under the gleaming smile of the sun sits a bed of colourful fruits, all of which serves as the beginning scene to the caterpillars growth. Don't miss this chance to immersive yourself in the vivid world of the tale!   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/129909     Kirby x Tokyo Solamachi (September 27 - February 17) Based on the popular Kirby game franchise, the Kirby Café is offering up a range of delicious themed food including 'Kirby’s Inhaled Caprese' (which best be eaten quick before Kirby himself inhales it!), 'Waddle Dee’s Afternoon Nap Omurice' which speaks for itself, and more, including drinks and dessert. The menu is one for both kids and adults to enjoy. But don't forget - you need to book in advance to enter!   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/129077       Did you enjoy this list? Let us know which café you want to visit the most!

We're already halfway through August, which means summer will be coming to a close soon. When autumn hits in Japan, lots of delicious food and desserts are released, so much in fact that the season even goes by the name shokuyoku no aki, or 'Autumn Appetite.'   In this article we're going to recommend numerous limited edition desserts available for this autumn only. "Limited Edition Autumn Sweets" at Grand Hyatt Tokyo Grand Hyatt Tokyo is a luxury hotel that is introducing a line-up of new desserts made with seasonal ingredients such as fresh Japanese pumpkin and apples. They will also sell a special sweet potato cocktail made with purple yam and sweet potato shochu. All of this will be available from the start of September to October 31.

Monte Bianco: Piece - ¥650 / Whole (12cm) - ¥3,500

The Monte Bianco is a seasonal product popular every year made with a paste made from fresh roasted Japanese chestnuts.

Fresh Chestnut Éclair - ¥600

This éclair is stuffed with a homemade paste made from fresh chestnuts and chopped chestnuts.

Melacotta - ¥600

This mille-feuille is topped with cooked apples and fresh cream to make a refreshing tarte Tatin.

Sweet Potato Cocktail - ¥2,400

      "Chestnut Sweets & Bakery" at Café Toastina Café Toastina, located in Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel, are serving up a chestnut themed 'sweets and bakery' menu that will run from September 1 to 30.

Orange & Chocolate Chestnut Tart - ¥550

This tart is made with a chestnut mousse that contains chocolate brûlée and an orange mousse all of which is encapsulated in chestnuts, almond cream and orange. The top of the dessert is luxuriously decorated with a whole chestnut, orange peel, a raspberry and more. The orange adds a refreshing accent to the rich chocolate and chestnut mousse.

Blackcurrant & Chestnut Mousse - ¥550

This dessert is layered with a blackcurrant cream, chestnut mousse and blackcurrant icing. and topped with a whole chestnut, raspberry and blueberry. This sourness of he blackcurrant and sweetness of the chestnut complement and bring out each other's flavours in this irresistible mousse.       "Limited Edition Autumn Sweets & Pastries" at Bakery & Pastry Shop Bakery & Pastry Shop which is managed by Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba will sell a line-up of desserts and pastries using seasonal autumn ingredients.

Pumpkin Anpan - ¥223 (Pre-Tax)

This pumpkin sweet bread is filled with a delicious pumpkin paste that's made with lots of kabocha bean paste.

Chestnut Danish - ¥241 (Pre-Tax)

These danishes have a perfect balance between sour blackcurrant and sweet chestnut. They are a perfect accompaniment to tea and coffee. The cream is made with chestnuts from Italy and the danishes are topped with candied chestnuts. If you love chestnuts then this is the autumn-filled dessert is for you.

Houjicha & Apple Éclair - ¥399 (Pre-Tax)

This éclair is made with sweet houjicha cream and brown sugar flavoured chocolate. The sautéed apples give texture and a delicious sourness to the éclair and add a Japanese essence.       "Candied Chestnut & Grape Mont Blanc Parfairt" at Afternoon Tea This limited-edition autumn dessert from Afternoon Tea releasing on August 30 combines the worlds of chestnuts and grapes. The parfait layers together homemade milk tea purin made with Earl Grey, raspberry gelato, and a mont blanc cream made using chestnuts from Italy. Also, to celebrate Afternoon Tea's 37th anniversary, you can get three times the chestnuts from September 10 to 12.       Autumn is one of the best times for desserts in Japan, so if you're travelling here during that time make sure to get to try all the limited edition seasonal products!