NIPPONIA Kosuge Genryū no Mura is a new hotel opening in the village of Kosuge in Kitatsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture on August 17. The hotel is renovated from an old Japanese-style house that was originally used for local personages and was constructed over 150 years ago. Kosuge is about two-hours from Tokyo and is completely enveloped in the natural environment with 95% of the land occupied by trees and nature. Its population is around 700 which is a mere third of its peak population. It is currently faced with a serious depopulation problem due to its ageing population. The hotel will open in an effort to pass on the beautiful landscapes and culture of the village to the next generation. It hopes to aid in solving the problem of its declining population and empty houses while acting as a means to bring in tourism and sightseeing. The hotel serves as just the first part of this village revitalisation project. It features 4 guest rooms called OHYA as a restaurant that seats 22. There are three rooms in the main building and one in the basement. Each is designed with privacy in mind and each has its own concept.

OHYA 1

From the rooms guests can enjoy the view of the gorgeous Japanese-style gardens surrounding the hotel. The restaurant menu concept is titled 24 Sekki, which denotes the twenty four seasonal turning points of the old Japanese calendar, and is made using carefully local ingredients so that guests can enjoy an authentic Kosuge experience. All the staff at the hotel are local villagers. The majority of the ingredients used in there are grown and produced by the farmers of Kosuge. The hotel also offers other services for guests to  get to know the area better such as nature walks and bike rides through the village. You are made to feel like one of the locals.   A second building will be renovated in May 2020 to accommodate two more rooms. There are 70-100 vacant buildings in Kosuge, so there are plans in place to receive permission from landlords to make further repairs, improvements and renovations.   If you're travelling to Japan and are looking for a truly remote experience then why not visit the quaint little village of Kosuge in Yamanashi Prefecture?

To celebrate the 1st anniversary of the PEANUTS HOTEL, which opened on August 1, 2018, the hotel has released a collection of original commemorative merchandise. The PEANUTS hotel is home to 18 rooms each with its own unique design. The merchandise collection is themed on each of these rooms.

PEANUTS HOTEL "Happiness is a warm puppy.." (Room 64) - ¥3,500

The theme of Room 64 is "Happiness is a warm puppy," so the PEANUTS HOTEL has made that a reality by creating a huggable Snoopy plush toy which is so cute and soft you'll never want to let him go. He is a smaller version of the big Snoopy you can hug in Room 64, meaning you can take him anywhere with you!

PEANUTS HOTEL 1ST ANNIVERSARY Postcards (5 Designs / 2 Included With Each) - ¥2,200

The hotel's postcard sets are popular with guests, and to celebrate the 1st anniversary, it is selling limited edition designs. Using special manufacturing methods, the hotel has released sets themed on Rooms 44, 57, 61 and 62. They are packaged in a beautiful box that looks like the outside of the hotel and its windows. They are great for both sending to someone with a message or for simply using them as decoration in your own room.

PEANUTS HOTEL x tegoto "solarsystem" (Room 42) - ¥49,000 (Only 30 Available)

PEANUTS HOTEL has teamed up with the internationally popular product brand tegoto to release mobiles inspired by Astronaut Snoopy which is the theme of Room 42. Each mobile is handcrafted individually and features Snoopy, Woodstock and the planetary system. Perfect for both kids and adults alike! *Only 30 available. Each comes with its own unique handwritten serial number.   PEANUTS Cafe Nakameguro and PEANUTS DINER Yokohama are also joining in the celebration with their own pop-up corner which will run for the whole month of August. For this limited time only, they will sell items which are usually exclusive to the PEANUTS HOTEL.

"Lila" Aroma Essential Oils - ¥2,300 / Aroma Air Mist - ¥2,200 / Aroma Stone Diffuser - ¥2,200 / PEANUTS HOTEL Bath Towel - ¥3,200, Face Towel - ¥1,800, Amenity Set - ¥3,400 / Compression Bag (Contains 5) - ¥1,500

These items are also available over on the PEANUTS Cafe Online Shop. Join Snoopy and his friends in celebrating the 1st anniversary of the PEANUTS HOTEL by picking up some cute merch!   *All listed prices are pre-tax.© 2019 Peanuts Worldwide LLC

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

Those interested in Japanese art should most definitely visit the hotel and museum Hotel Gajoen Tokyo which is now holding the 5th Wa no Akari x Hyakudan Kaidan art exhibition until September 1. It is taking place at its Hyakudan Kaidan, or '100 Steps Staircase'―which was registered by Tokyo Prefecture as a Tangible Cultural Property in 2009 for its exceptional architecture and artistic beauty. This year's event has been made bigger and better with brand new exhibits. Visitors will ride the exquisitely decorated elevator and first come to an Aomori Nebuta Festival-style float as pictured above with its bright colours and angry gaze. This piece was created specially for the event. It also gives off an original summery smell too. As you follow the path deeper into the exhibition―having first taken off your shoes―you will come a line of cloth crafts. You can switch on the lights inside to light up each piece which radiate the natural colours of the material. There are many cloth work pieces on display to enjoy. This is what it looks like when looking up the 100 Step Staircase from the bottom. You will come to several rooms when ascending the stairs with light displays in them. This is the first room inside which is a display created by bamboo lighting artist NITTAKE from Nichinan, Miyazaki. The bamboo is beautiful on its own but even more so when the lights are turned on in a dark room as the entire room is turned into artwork itself. Continuing on you come to the "Nagasaki Lantern Festival." You can see the lights before you even enter the room and they plunge you into that Japanese festival atmosphere. It's truly spectacular inside. It's different from the previous room which was dark with lights hanging from it. It's even more bright and colourful. It made me want to visit the real Nagasaki Lantern Festival which boasts 1 million visitors every year. This room contains umbrella art using Japanese umbrellas from Yamaga, Kumamoto. The colours of the umbrellas turn the room into something magical. The room has a relaxing, soothing vibe to it that makes you want to gaze in silence. Dangling further up the stairs are wind chimes which continue the summer vibes. There are many unique art pieces too such as these goldfish from Yanai, Yamaguchi. There is artwork from around 40 individuals and groups so there is lots to be discovered. Take your time to admire each and every thing in there. The stairs actually go up to 99. Once you have seen the final exhibition on the top floor it's time to return to the bottom where you take your shoes off. Whether you're interested in art or Japanese culture, this exciting event is one not to be missed this summer.

The area surrounding Tokyo Station is home to many different types of hotels. One standout location is Hotel Ryumeikan Tokyo. This hotel, which featured in Michelin Guide Tokyo 2017, renovated 30% of its guest rooms as part of its 10th anniversary. Its concept is a modern-style ryokan (a traditional Japanese in) and it stands just so as the closest to Tokyo Station. Today, we will take a look at the hotel's design rooms. Of its 38 rooms, 33 of them take on a ryokan style design. The rooms are fitted with small tatami flooring spaces where guests must take their shoes off on which sits a small chabudai, a short-legged table, on a raised floor. These elements have a nostalgic quality to them with Japanese guests and an inherently Japanese feel to them for foreign guests. The carpet is decorated with a chrysanthemum design in a traditional Japanese dusky purple colour. There are also kendama toys, books on Japanese confections and more to elevate that feeling of Japanese culture. There is plenty of space for tired bodies to relax after a long day trip. The other 5 rooms are "Office Rooms" made with business workers in mind. They come with a big sofa and whiteboards to create a lounge-type space.   All of the bed mattresses are the highest quality models provided by long-standing bed makers Nishikawa. They aren't excessively soft which I really liked and ensure a long, deep and natural sleep.   Rooms come with three types of original tea blended by the staff so you can pick whichever caters to your mood that day. The feature you must absolutely try however is the hotel's breakfast. It's served in a buffet style so there is plenty to choose from with everything from Japanese-style food to Western-style. The buffet is packed with vegetables too so you can get your daily intake nice and early.   All of the new rooms are double rooms and are priced from ¥27,000 per night. The price changes depending on the season to be sure to check the official website for more details.   If you're looking for a taste of Japan with that ryokan feel then be sure to check out Hotel Ryumeikan Tokyo.