The world’s first store dedicated exclusively to ninjas will open inside Tokyo Tower in 2022.   It’s said that Japan’s top three tourist attractions are Mt. Fuji, Kyoto, and ninja–but the latter has no dedicated location for visitors to enjoy. This shop will specialize in ninjas, for ninjas, by ninjas!   Ninja Tokyo Pro Shop will open on the second floor of Tokyo Tower, still one of Tokyo’s most popular attractions. With 22 years of experience, the company running the shop offers ninja-specific goods, armor, sweets, and more.  

Special Sanrio Characters are Back!

Sanrio Characters NINJA, an original brand first developed in 2016, will make a triumphant return! Original goods featuring new illustrations will be available at the store. The characters were first created to celebrate the Sanrio collaboration with the Ninja Cafe at NINJA KYOTO, but no new products in the series have been released since 2017.   The Ninja Tokyo Pro Shop will offer authentic armor that will satisfy not only domestic and international tourists but also ninja enthusiasts and cosplayers. Visitors can try on armor and enjoy a shuriken experience using the ‘Ninja Trainer’ as well! The store will include a large selection of original swords, bowls, and plenty of exclusive goods only available on site.   Be sure to visit in October 2022!

The Ise Shop, offering products from one of the most beautiful coastal cities in Mie Prefecture, is now open at Aobadai Tokyu Square in Aobadai Station, Yokohama, from February 2 until February 27, 2022. The store sells items that are usually only available in Ise!

Akafuku Mochi (8 pieces): ¥760 (Tax Included)/Akafuku Mochi(12 pieces): ¥1,100 (Tax Included)

  The Ise Shop sells about 100 food items and other goods, but the most popular item by far is Akafuku mochi. Only sold on Saturdays, these treats are often sold out by the afternoon!   Available on February 19, February 26  

ISE Cardamon Cola (720ml): ¥4,860 (Tax Included)

Traveling Ise Tea Assortment Pack: ¥900 (Tax Included)

  Ise Shrine houses the guardian deity of food, so these foods and drinks on offer are extra tasty. ISE Cardamom Cola is a healthy soda that contains no added color, preservatives, or flavors. It includes a blend of over a dozen spices and lemons from Mie Prefecture. The tea assortment pack is made with tea leaves from Mie, which offer plenty of natural sweetness.

Nakano Yogurt: ¥216 (Tax Included)

  This yogurt is made from Nakano Milk, which has been producing and selling milk in Ise since the Taisho Era. Served in a retro-style jar, it has a low acidity and is well-loved by the locals.  

Ise Shrine Guidebook: ¥1,100 (Tax Included)

  The shop also has a number of goods related to the famous Ise Shrine.

Ise Lululun (Tree Scented / 7 packs x 4 bags): ¥1,870 (Tax Included)

Hand Cream with Water from the Isuzu River (50g): ¥1,100 (Tax Included)

  Ise Lululun is a face mask containing Sakaki leaf extract from Ise Sakaki trees. The moisturizing ingredients help brighten the skin.    The Ise Shop also provides guests with information on sightseeing in Ise City! With travel still restricted due to the pandemic, this is a great way to feel as though you're getting away to this lovely seaside town.

Tama Plaza Terrace, a shopping centre in Yokohama, opened a limited-time pop-up shop on February 9 called ISE SHOP which is selling around 100 products shops located in Japan's city of Ise.   The shop opened in response to the reduction of sales of foodstuff, traditional handicrafts, and more in Ise due to the pandemic as people from Kanto can't easily travel to Ise. It has enjoyed enormous success over the past week and a bit since its opening and has even been picked up on Japanese television.    

A unique antenna store stocking 100 items from Ise

Located on the second floor of Tama Plaza Terrace, ISE SHOP is open for a limited time until March 28. The first thing to greet customers at the store is the enormous noren curtain which has a distinct colour inspired by the colours of the forest at Ise Grand Shine and of the ocean at Ise Bay. Displayed on the entry curtain are the striking chigi, or forked roof finials, of Ise Grand Shrine.    

ISE SHOP is like a museum

The shop interior is furnished with white and wooden notes to capture the natural landscape of Ise. The products are displayed like items in a museum.   A bounty of unique products    

Popular products from Ise are also on show

The popular face mask beauty brand LuLuLun sells a line-up of items exclusive to their Ise-based store, and these are also being sold at ISE SHOP.  

Ise specialty products

  The udon noodles made in Ise are a speciality product of the city, and there's plenty to pick from at ISE SHOP along with other tasty food.  

Cute omikuji fortunes

 

These shinju pearls are also a famous specialty product of Ise and come in a line-up of items from affordable to more special ones.

 

Hard candies perfect as souvenirs, Asao Nori seaweed for meals, and more

    Two individuals associated with Ise also pay a visitHikari Shibata and Yuri Suganuma are involved in the Girls Trip project being held by the Ise Tourist Association and they also visit the store. They were surprised at how many great things you can get your hands on from Ise despite being all the way in Japan's Kanto region.  

Left: Hikari Shibata | Right: Yuri Suganuma

Suganuma found a bunch of items she loves when she last went to Ise

     

Commemorative photo with the ISE SHOP-exclusive bag

  The ISE SHOP is hosting an event related to Ise's famous candy where you can pick up a selection of sweet treats on weekends. If you're staying in Kanto this winter, experience a taste of Ise at the ISE SHOP in Yokohama.

Tama Plaza Terrace, a shopping centre in Yokohama, opened a limited-time pop-up shop on Tuesday (February 9) called ISE SHOP which is selling goods and products from Japan's city of Ise. The shop opened in response to the reduction of sales of foodstuff, traditional handicrafts, and more in Ise due to the pandemic. Ise is known for its bounty of diverse products, and so this is a way to continue supporting it. Free tourist pamphlets are also being handed out detailing information about the city's wonders.  

Some of the must-grab items

The store is a showcase of Ise's history, traditional, and food culture. Shoppers will find staple souvenir items like Ise udon, sea lettuce, hijiki seaweed, pearls, and more. Other touches of Ise include a popular hand cream made with water drawn from the Isuzu River, a fragrance mist also made from the same water, all-new cosmetic items, cookies inspired by the oshiraishi stones spread over the most holy part of Ise Grand Shrine—the list goes on. 58 Ise-based businesses are stocking around 100 products inside the store, so it's a must-visit for anyone interested in the ancient city.

With people around the world restricted when it comes to travel, Japan, like other countries, has seen a sharp drop in tourism. To combat that, Odawara Tourism Association has announced the "Online Ninja Experience," an online event that people can sign up to to enjoy Japanese culture remotely—specifically, ninjas. Ninjas are known for favouring stealth and secrecy over strength and combat. Their goal is using intelligence to infiltrate without causing a ruckus, but they are of course equipped with lightweight weapons that can still bring a person down should it come to it. The online experience therefore will not showcase any kind of flashy action, and participants won't be taught how to cast any Naruto-style Rasengans. Those who join the online experience will learn what a ninja truly is and why they respect peace along with helpful hints that will prove beneficial in the daily lives of those in modern society. The 40-minute live tour will take place from the ninja building at Odawara Castle and be hosted by real ninja living in the modern day. There will be guide commentary available in both English and Japanese.

One thing I do at least once a week without fail is treat myself out to some delicious food or dessert. I find it very important time well spent in order to live a happy, fulfilling life.   This week, a business trip took me out of Tokyo to the city of Ise in Mie Prefecture. When the trip was over, I had some spare time to kill before my train arrived, so I went inside a cafe called Kinoshita Chaen which is close to Ise Grand Shrine. You can arrive at Kinoshita Chaen in just three minutes on foot is walking from Ise Grand Shrine, or five mintues from Ise Station. The exterior design of the building takes on a Western style, which I found to be both cute and retro. You can feel the warm and welcoming atmosphere of the cafe as soon as you step inside. The decor is decked out with all things wooden. The cafe has been around since the Meiji Period. It serves drinks and desserts all made using tea, and offers both eat-in and takeout services.   I ordered their seasonal-exclusive parfait. 90% of the people in there were ordering it, so I thought it must be popular!

Strawberry & Parfait Puree Parfait w/ Japanese Black Tea - ¥1,300 (Tax Included)

This super cute parfait is completely stuffed to the top with strawberries♡ You can snap cute photos of it no matter the angle♡ When I spooned the caramel puree, soft custard reveal itself. You get a delicious pairing of the bitter flavour and crunchy texture of the caramel with the subtly sweet custard.   The next ingredient to show itself was the mascarpone cream, which combines with the rest of the flavours perfectly. Once your mouth is satisfied with the sweetness of the flavour combinations, you're next met with Ise matcha gelato. The matcha gelato is a great palate cleanser for the sweet ingredients when eaten on its own. When eaten together with the sweet puree, you get a completely different kind of delicious flavour. I recommend trying it together with the puree, mascarpone cream, and the crunchy pie which is the next layer.   Moving on from the sweetness and bitterness, the next layer is fresh strawberry sherbet, which is a combination of sweet and sour. To finish, you're brought back to the subtle sweetness once more with white chocolate mousse, strawberries, and mixed berry jelly.   The final bites of a parfait can generally be hard to get down because you grow tired of the flavour, but the ones sold at Kinoshita Chaen are on another level. The various flavours and textures mean you won't grow tired as you spoon through the many layersーyou'll find yourself savouring every last bite. The Japanese black tea that came with it was luxurious. The cafe actually caters the type of tea they serve to each seasonal parfait. Enjoy a cup together with your parfait.

Matcha Soy Flour Dumpling Cream - ¥830

I didn't get to order them this time, but I'm really taken by the matcha soy flour shiratama dumplings... The dumplings are made in-house and are topped with brown sugar syrup from Okinawa and Ise matcha. The bitterness of the matcha together with the rich sugar syrup is sure to be delicious with some chewy dumplings. I'll definitely be trying them when I next visit.   I cannot recommend a trip to Kinoshita Chaen enough. Offering an exemplary menu of Ise flavours, their drinks and sweets maintain the culture and tradition of Japanese tea while keeping up to date with current trends in the world of sweets.    

Today's Souvenir

Houjicha Teabags - ¥400 (1 Pack) 

On the days you get to eat delicious sweets, you've got to share the happiness with friends and family. I bought some houjicha tea bags made with tea leaves grown in Mie Prefecture. They have various other teas too, and the packaging is really cute, so they're perfect as gifts for friends and family.