Dear You,   Hello, and nice to meet you all. My name is Miyu Higashi.I'm an ordinary office lady (23-years-old) and I work at a certain company in the city.I love Shinjuku, my home town, beyond all else.It's a town that births Tokyo culture, where you encounter many people, where you repeatedly see people off, where all kinds of stories are written.To say the least, it's the greatest place.What kind of people come here, and what sort of things are they thinking about?I decided to start this featured article series in hopes it serves as an opportunity to find out, if even a little.I hope that you―you are who are kindly taking the time to read this article―pays a visit to that person you'd like to visit the most.   Regards.     With all that out the way, here it is―the first article in the series! Yippee!! This first one is set smack bang in the middle of Shinjuku and Harajuku. (Which is, by the way, in Shinjuku Ward. Higashi's. Favourite. Place.)   It seems this store has been around for over 10 years and is greatly loved by the locals... It's a shop of deliiicious products, where a Ganko Oyaji is said to work!   Ganko Oyaji...? (..."Stubborn Old Man")   Huh? So what exactly is delicious about that???   I'd best find out, time to go and meet him!! Ta-da! We're off to Sendagaya! Come to think of it, this place also became famous because of the film Your Name. "Right, I wonder where we're off to today then! Right?" All jokes aside, I know where we're going. It's about a five-minute walk from Sendagaya Station. Ah... there it is!! Ta-da! The place with the stubborn old man who sells sweet products is Monmouth Tea. (Not Mammoth, Monmouth!)   I want to meet him already, but first thing's first. Since I've come all this way let's get one of the shop's famous "Monmouth Teas" and have a chat. Looks tasty! Milk is being poured into the cup. Here's the famous Monmouth Tea. The balance of the amazing aroma of the tea and milk make for a perfect match. It's sweet and delicious that you have to take a breather after taking a sip. I can't get enough of the rich taste of the tea and milk. Too good♥   This takes away my routine fatigue in one fell swoop... I'd like to dedicate this sweetness to all the office ladies around the country.   Just as I'm thinking this... "It's tasty, right?" A voice addresses me all of a sudden. There he is... there he is!!! Are you, perhaps, the stubborn old man of delicious products!? I wanted to meet you!!   Please tell me your story―in detail!   "I suppose I've got no choice," the kind owner says to me, and lets me in on it.     Higashi: "Why did you open this shop?"   Owner: "I originally set out to be a rock 'n' roller in my hometown. I moved to Tokyo with a guitar and worked hard to make my dream come true, but in the end it didn't work out. After that I worked as a salary man at a firm, but I quit ten years ago and took a fling to open this shop."   Higashi: "I see... but why a tea shop owner?"   Owner: "A while back I was obliged to the owner of tea shop in Shibuya. He took me on as an apprentice at that shop and taught me about tea. That's what made me decide to open this shop."   Higashi: "What a wonderful relationship. Your dream changed from wanting to become a rock 'n' roller, but now you're pushing forward with a new dream and goal."   Owner: "Well... the truth is I play music while working this shop. I make music with an acquaintance of mine. They're actually in a record company. I even released a CD some time ago. If you'd like, you sure give it a listen." He looked happy as he told me his story and gave me a copy of his CD. He's actually an active musician and performs live periodically. Higashi: "Wow! I'll give it a listen!! So right now your dreams and the road you are taking are different from the past, but in coming to work as a tea shop owner, your former dream to become a rock 'n' roller has come true. If somebody admired you and waned to open a shop like you, what would you say to them?"   Owner: "I'd tell them to forget about it [laughs]. People who imitate what others do will only ever be imitators. I thought that back when I climbed Mount Fuji. I thought that no matter how much I climbed I'd never reach the top. That at this rate, I'll never arrive. But step by step I walked, and I got there. In other words, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. If you properly take it one step at a time each day your dream will come true some day."   The owner spoke looked at me intently as he spoke. When I looked at him, I felt that the flavour and sweetness of my tea came to fruition out of his many life experiences.   I've actually been coming to this shop since elementary school.   Whenever I ran out of energy. Whenever I felt down. Whenever I was plugging away. Whenever I wanted a little more power. It's strange, but when I see the stubborn owner of sweet products and Monmouth Tea, I feel like I want to work hard tomorrow too.   You should visit next weekend too! Peace! ✌ See you next time, owner!   ~Today's doodle~ The owner looks good in his hat with cherries on them and his apron which says oyaji ("old man") on it. I made them red like the Monmouth Tea, but the wonderful owner, who looks good in red, had bought friendly pink.   Model/Writer: Miyu Higashi

Hello everyone! This is Midori from MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON.   Candy apples are the staple food of summer festivals. A crunchy candy coating and a sweet, fruity apple is such a divine combination. It can be quite difficult to find candy apples outside of festivals. That's where Candy Apple steps in. This is a brand new shop on the block that specialises in candy apples!   This is located just a five-minute walk from Shibuya Station's west exit. If you check out their saved Instagram story, you probably won't get lost. During the weekdays and on Saturdays, this is an Italian restaurant called Buonappetito. On Sundays, when the restaurant is closed, it transforms into a candy apple shop.   The shop interior is gorgeous.

Plain: ¥600

I ordered the plain apple without wasting any time. This is much larger than what you would usually get at a festival. Although these are usually eaten by immediately sinking your teeth in and biting out a big chunk, you can cut your apple here and enjoy it at your own pace. After taking your first bite, you will realise just how different this is to your normal candy apple. The apple is coated in a thin layer of candy, creating a delicious crunch. The apple is fresh, juicy and sweet. Some candy apples are made with mushy apples that are not fresh, however these apples are extremely fresh and delicious right to the last bite. These candy apples are full of a variety of flavours.

Cinnamon Sugar: ¥600

The apple with the dusting of beige-coloured powder is cinnamon-flavoured. The sweet cinnamon scent spreads everywhere as soon as you set it on the table. The sweet flavour of the apple and the fragrant cinnamon is a match made in heaven. 

Cocoa: ¥600

The apple covered in the brown powder is cocoa-flavoured. The slightly bitter flavour of the chocolate is a perfect match for the sweet apple. The colour contrast between the brown chocolate and white apple is also beautiful. ♪

Matcha: ¥600

The apple with the green powder is matcha as you may have already guessed! The flavouring of the Uji matcha used for this apple was carefully balanced to maximise the flavour when combined with the apple. After you take your first bite, you just won't be able to stop. 

Blueberry Yoghurt: ¥600

The bright white dusting on this blueberry yoghurt-flavoured apple is beautiful. The blueberry scent is mild and is perfect with the yoghurt.

Black Cocoa: ¥600

The pitch black colour of the Black Cocoa Candy Apple is very appetizing. The black cocoa is even more bitter than the cocoa apple, which really brings out the flavour of the sweet apple even more.You can even get chocolate fondue for your candy apple (¥400). By adding the fairly bitter chocolate to your candy apple, you can enjoy three different kinds of sweetness when it mixes with the chocolate, candy and the apple. You can even order your candy apple to go, making it the perfect summer souvenir. Taking it home to enjoy is also another wonderful way to make the most of your experience.    This candy apple shop is only open on Sundays, but you can order to take away on other days.    This is a flavour that a festival candy apple will never be capable of offering. You can tuck into your apple inside the beautiful shop, or take it home to enjoy at home at your own pace. 

If you've had the chance to visit Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea you will have tried the many delicious dishes and drinks on offer at its variety of restaurants. But did you ever know that Tokyo Disney Resort also offers afternoon tea?   Tokyo Disneyland Hotel serves the only afternoon tea set across the entire resort on occasion in line with certain events. We had the pleasure of joining Disney mega fan Kanako as she went to visit the hotel to try this very special afternoon tea. Tokyo Disneyland Hotel is the closest hotel to the entrance of Tokyo Disneyland. The first thing you will notice upon stepping inside is its use of Victorian decor. The ceiling also stands tall, opening the entire hotel up to give it a sense of space. The afternoon tea is sold at the Dreamers Lounge in the lobby. In line with the Donald's Hot Jungle Summer event currently taking place at Tokyo Disneyland until September 1, the tea set is also "hot jungle summer" themed. The first thing to note about the three-stack set is how refreshing and summery it looks - a perfect selection for the hot season. It comes with sandwiches, hors d'oeuvre, scones, desserts, and a choice of tea or coffee. Kanako started with the very top plate. The plate itself is decorated with what is supposed to look like Donald's footprints and splashes of water. The dessert on the left is haupia, a traditional Hawaiian dessert made with macadamia paste and roasted coconuts. It's crunchy and has an incredible flavour. Sitting temptingly next to it is the panna cotta and melon coulis. It contains a single sage leaf which adds flavourful herb notes. The entire dessert itself has a satisfyingly refreshing taste which covers your taste buds with a single mouthful. The middle plate features two types of scones: plain and pineapple. They come with separate servings of clotted cream and honey to lather the scones in. The latter scone is cute in that it's actually shaped like a pineapple. It's crunchy and delicious and goes exquisitely with the accompanying tea. The tea menu has many options. Kanako went for the "Darjeeling Summer" from the premium tea selection. When you order from the premium menu your tea is prepared in a sleeping pot that is both cute and extravagant as you would expect with an afternoon tea set. The bottom plate contains a bunch of different appetisers including tuna and okra tartar, mango and mascarpone canapé, tomato and fish capellini, keema curry quiche, and an ethnic pork sandwich. Kanako was very happy with her hors d'oeuvre, saying: "Everything is delicious, but I really like the combination of the pork and the slightly chewy bread for the pork sandwich!" The chilled cone cream scoop was very refreshing and a perfect palate cleanser. Finally, the cute hot jungle summer dessert plate which caught our attention from the very start. It comes with a tropical cream cheese and passion fruit mousse, white grape and shiikuwasha jelly, and Peach Melba which looks like flowing magma.   You might be surprised to find out that the jungle leaves on the plate aren't actually part of the plate's design but in fact green chocolate carefully sprayed on. Even the Goofy, Mickey and event logo on the plate are delicately made from chocolate. Once you know that you'll definitely be reaching for the camera straight away!   The Peach Melba is a lovely combination of peach compote and vanilla ice cream topped with raspberry sauce and almonds. Its mix sweet and sour flavours remind one of summertime. It's not everyday you see a cream cheese mousse, is it? The one that Donald is sat on. Kanako especially enjoyed its passion fruit scent and velvety texture. It's made even more delicious when eaten together with the jelly surrounding it. So, which was your favourite, Kanako-chan?   "Everything tasted amazing, but my favourite was the haupia♡ It's moderately sweet, and I really liked the flavour of the coconut! Everything in the afternoon tea set is cute down to the tiniest details, so it's perfect for taking photos for social media. I definitely wanna go again!"   The Donald's Hot Jungle Summer themed afternoon tea set is being served from 11:30-17:00 until September 1, 2019. Places are limited so I recommend making a reservation in advance.   Enjoy your summer to the fullest with this tropical afternoon tea set!   ©️Disney