From May 20 until June 5, 2022, AppBank is bringing fans of Love Live! Superstar!! a special treat in collaboration with the HARAJUKU app! By launching the app at a check-in spot in Harajuku, users can win a limited-edition Love Live! toy at random, such as acrylic keychains or pins.

App Splash Page

HARAJUKU Map

Random Toy Screen

For those winning a toy, the item can be picked up in front of the CUTE CUBE HARAJUKU Love Live! Superstar!! Wall Panel or at YURINAN Harajuku Takeshita-dori Yu-rin An. In celebration of the event, CUTE CUBE HARAJUKU will be featuring Love Live wall panels during this period, so be sure to go get some great pictures!

The luxury hotel Grand Hyatt Tokyo will offer Easter sweets and baked goods at the on-site Fiorentina Pastry Boutique from April 1 until Easter, April 17, to celebrate the arrival of spring.

Easter Egg Macaroon

Easter Cookies with Icing

Easter Lollipop

Easter Bunny Brioche

This year, in addition to the new Easter Bunny and Easter egg macaroons, cookies with icing, lollipop chocolates, brioche in the shape of the Easter Bunny, and other sweets and bakery items will be available. Don’t miss it!

Japan-based chocolate specialty store Minimal is now offering a limited-edition set of gateau chocolates with fresh strawberries from Mei Strawberries in Kagawa Prefecture. These are available for preorder and are perfect for Valentine’s Day!

These sweets were a huge hit last year, selling out immediately. The rare variety of strawberries used is only found in 1 percent of Japanese strawberry farms, and these are blended with milk cream and specialty chocolate. 

The strawberry jam found on the top of each chocolate piece is made from these rare Nyohou strawberries.  Originally a small-grained variety, the Nyohou varietals send from Mei Strawberries in Kagawa Prefecture are larger with a beautiful dark-red color. Fragrant, juicy, and sweet, they also have a slight acidity that provide a more complex flavor.

To maximize the natural strawberry flavor, the chocolate is made from Madagascar cocoa beans with a more berry-like flavor. Only slightly roasted, the graininess is intact, leaving a more powerful and rich flavor. A milky sweet cream has also been added to the center to provide a better balance.

This is the second year that the company has worked with these strawberries from Mei, and after making a number of prototypes, Minimal has found the best possible way to express these unique flavors in harmony. 

From July 29 to August 11, over 320,000 people from around Japan voted for their favorite lesser-known local souvenir. Sponsored by Japanese e-commerce site Mercari, the contest highlighted 47 unique goods from around the country, one for each prefecture. The winners have been announced, and the White Rabbit of Inaba from Tottori Prefecture has won first place, receiving more than 60,000 votes.

A music video-style web commercial featuring the winning product is now being produced to support the shop and particular region of Tottori. The music will be performed by electro-pop group Frasco.

In Japan, the rabbit is known for bringing good fortune, and has been a beloved symbol since ancient times.  The white rabbit in particular, featured in the local Izumo myth ‘The White Rabbit of Inaba,’ plays a major role in connecting the characters Onamuchi-no-kami and Princess Yakami. In 1968, the famous confectionery ‘White Rabbit of Inaba’ was created in the hopes of bringing good luck to those visiting the area.

Much like how an indie music group has a small group of hardcore fans but may not be well-known outside of small circles, these indie souvenirs are popular with locals, but may not be known to those outside the community. On the official website, fans can see their favorite treats displayed on what looks like album covers as an homage to this fitting comparison.

On social media, there was incredible support for the project from all kinds of people: those who made the souvenirs in the first place, those who love their local area, and those who were seeing these treats for the first time and dying to try them.

Which of the 47 souvenirs would you be most happy to receive?

MUUN SEOUL is a cafe located along Tonchan-dori Street in Harajuku that serves Instagram-worthy South Korean food.

Photo by Nagisa Kobayashi @popo_318

Photo by Nagisa Kobayashi @popo_318

The cafe sells “fatcarons,” a South Korean-style macaron which have proven very popular with young women in Japan.

Photo by Taeco @taecostagram

Fatcarons are larger than the standard macaron. They are topped with things like strawberries, given marble textures, and more to give them a cute appearance. MOON SEOUL serves many different varieties, all of which are standout compared to normal macarons.

Photo by Sara @__sar310

But the fatcaron experience at MOON SEOUL isn’t complete without ordering the drink above. It’s strawberry milk flavoured, but the milk is whipped until it’s fluffy, giving it a taste like no other strawberry milk you’ve tried. It also has sliced strawberries inside and on top, so if you love strawberries, you’ll love this.

Photo by Yuina @popochan726

You can order your fatcarons for takeout too in a clear takeaway box so you can go have a dessert picnic with your friends, and get a great photo of them all together too.

Mister Donut Japan is now serving up a sweet selection of cherry blossom themed doughnuts; this includes 3 flavours of their “Sakura Mochi Doughnuts” which have a chewy texture and cherry blossom inspired shape, 3 flavours of the “Sakura French” doughnuts which take their classic cruller doughnuts and sprinkle them with cherry blossom flavoured powder, and a cherry blossom flavour of their popular bite-sized pop doughnuts.

Sakura Mochi Doughnuts

The “Sakura Mochi Doughnuts” were a hit with sweet tooth customers in spring last year, and have made a return in 2020 even more delicious and chewy than before. With a flavour and texture that’s just like eating cherry blossom mochi, these doughnuts come in three flavours: the pink coloured and kawaii “Sakura,” the soybean sugar-coated “Kinako,” and the “Azuki” which is filled with coarse sweet red bean paste and coated in white chocolate.

Sakura French

These doughnuts use Mister Donut’s classic French crullers and turn them into seasonal springtime sakura delights, like the “Sakura” which is glazed with a pink cherry blossom mochi flavour, and the “Sakura Jelly & Whipped Cream” which speaks deliciously for itself.

Sakura Pop Doughnut

A selection of Mister Donut’s popular doughnuts, like Old Fashioned and Chocolate, have been taken and topped with cherry blossom, strawberry, and other flavourings.

Taste the sweetness of spring this season in Japan with one of these tasty doughnuts.

Here at MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON, we have never failed to provide you with the essentials: updates on the best bubble teas around Kyoto. However, today we have a special sweet treat for you. After consulting expert Instagrammer kyoto cafe life tiara, we have compiled a list of Kyoto’s top purin that will fill you with satisfaction and as well as nostalgia. Purin is a type of Japanese custard pudding loved by the Japanese for generations. When it comes to searching for the best desserts in the Kansai region, kyoto cafe life tiara leaves no stone unturned . 

Cafe Yamamoto, Higashiyama

Pudding (Set): ¥750

The bitter and fragrant caramel sauce of this purin is to die for. This purin has a rich eggy flavour and is stiffer than a traditional purin. Enjoy your purin served in a silver plate which will fill you with the nostalgia of the retro Showa Era.

Every year choux pastry shop CROQUANTCHOU ZAKUZAKU sells 2 million of their unique, crunchy and creamy choux pastries. This Halloween, these white angelic sticks of heaven have been possessed by the Halloween spirit and will be sold from October 1 – 31.

The devilishly delicious Black Zaku and Black Zaku Soft Serve Ice Cream were overwhelmingly popular when they were first sighted last year. Now they are being revived again for the Halloween season and will be haunting practically all CROQUANTCHOU ZAKUZAKU branches across Japan. 

Black cocoa powder is infused into the crunchy choux pastry. The empty shell is then filled with a molten custard core which is made using Hokkaido milk and purple sweet potato paste. Once you take your first crunchy bite, you will be completely possessed by the Halloween spirit.

This Halloween, the original pure white ice cream has been inverted. From the ice cream to the wafer cone, the Black Zaku Soft Serve is completely black. The ice cream is incredibly soft and creamy and full of flavour. The black colour comes from white chocolate dyed with bamboo charcoal. This chilling ice cream is only around for the Halloween season and tastes wicked!

 There is more than just Halloween treats at the shop. The regular Croquant Chou Zaku Zaku and regular Zaku Zaku Soft® are also being served. Head to a store with an adjoining kitchen to sink your teeth into freshly made delicious treats. 

There is no better trick to treating yourself this Halloween than to indulge in a beautiful, black, crunchy and creamy sweet treat!

Sugar Factory is the mastermind behind four trendy brands in Japan including the colourful candy floss shop TOTTI CANDY FACTORY, which is famous for its giant Harajuku rainbow cotton candy, and candy coated strawberry shop Strawberry Fetish. On September 26, they will be opening a bubble tea shop in Ochanomizu called Wu-Cha which is committed to serving only the best quality.

Wu-Cha uses large tapioca pearls sourced from Taiwan. From start to finish, the process of making these fresh tapioca pearls involves four hours of careful procedures. They are boiled and steamed carefully according to a strict schedule to create a springy texture. As the pearls are soaked evenly in syrup, each pearl is packed with deliciousness that will explode in your mouth with every bite. 

Okinawa Brown Sugar Milk Tea: ¥470

Matcha Milk Tea: ¥550

Extensive research went into creating recipes to use these tapioca pearls. Raw ingredients such as Okinawa brown sugar and Kyoto Uji matcha have been carefully sourced from their places of origin to maximize the flavours. A generous amount of all these special ingredients have been used to develop these delicious and authentic milk teas. 

Strawberry Milk: ¥550

Mango Yoghurt: ¥ 550

The Strawberry Milk and Mango Yoghurt are made with fresh fruit pieces and look just as refreshing as they taste.  

Beautiful Skin Tea: ¥450

Fatigue Recovery Tea: ¥450

There is a large variety of drinks to enjoy with a range of healing effects. Alongside the bubble tea series and the fruity tea series, there is also a herb tea series. 

Whether you are tired, unwell or just in need of a quick sugar boost, this bubble tea shop is the fairy godmother to all your problems. Every drink is packed with love and you absolutely must try it. 

 Fruit tart specialist shop Qu’il fait bon will be selling a brand new kind of lovable tart which is made using a rare species of grape sourced from Yamanashi prefecture. The tart is currently selling at Grand Maison, Ginza and Hamamatsu. These will be available for a limited period only. 

The tart is covered with incredibly rare “My Heart” grapes, which were developed by the grape research institute Shimura Budou Kenkyusho. Growing and cultivating these grapes was no easy task and took an incredible amount of time. There was only a short window of time available to harvest the produce and even then the harvest was small, so stocking up was very difficult. Despite the challenges, these tongue-tantalizing tarts are being sold this year, however, they are in limited supply. 

Shine muscat grapes and loubell muscat grapes were crossbred to create this new kind of grape. The marvellous flavour of both parent grapes can be tasted. The new grapes have a high sugar content, a wonderful scent and the skin is wonderfully crunchy.  

Take a bite into the special Yamanashi Grape My Heart Tart and you will be filled with a sophisticated fruity flavour. The adorable heart-shaped grapes are layered perfectly on top of a bed of white wine custard. You just have to try this delicious and beautiful tart!

At MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON, we have introduced a lot of kawaii bubble tea drinks you can in enjoy in Kyoto. However, we have much more to offer you than just bubble tea news! Today we have summarised the top soda drinks you can enjoy in Kyoto which both look and taste amazing. With the help of kyoto cafe life tiara ‘s phenomenal photos, we will be introducing you our top six picks.

SHIN-SETSU /Nakagyō-ku

Blood Orange (left)  Blue Curaçao (right): ￥690

After a year of extensive research eating pancake after pancake, the one known as the “Pancake Prince” will open another branch of the Pancake restaurant VERY FANCY® in Omotesando on September 11. This restaurant will feature a unique Omotesando menu. 

The real identity of the legendary Pancake Prince is Satoru Sugimoto. In just one year, he visited a total of over 200 pancake restaurants in Japan and even overseas. His endless research led him to crafting a series of special recipes, which consist of high quality ingredients such as low viscosity wheat flour, aluminium-free baking powder, buttermilk and homemade cheese. The pancakes are fried carefully, creating a fluffy pancake with a new half-baked texture. 

VERY FANCY® has launched a brand new online advanced booking system which allows customers to quickly take to their seats without having to wait. Thanks to this new system, the restaurant has now become queueless. 

The menu at the brand new restaurant is based on the restaurant’s standard pancake menu. The additional Omotesando menu is full of original ingredients and toppings that are unique to Omotesando. If you turn up to this branch, you can enjoy a lot more than just pancakes as there will be a variety of collaboration contents offered as well. This restaurant has also prepared a kid’s menu and baby chairs. 

Homemade cheese kneaded into pancake batter and then fried to perfection ー this is just one example of the new fluffy “half cooked” texture pancakes that you absolutely must try. Come spend a wonderful moment munching marvelous pancakes surrounded by a cute and photogenic atmosphere.