In today’s installment of Tokyo Café, we head to Nanaya in Aoyama, a popular café that sells sweet and refreshing matcha gelato, perfect for the summertime.
Marushichi Seicha is a tea producer that estalished in 1988 in Shizuoka, Japan’s number one tea-growing district. They were the first in Japan to sell freeze dried matcha, which has since come to prove very popular and enjoyed throughout homes in Japan due to its ease of preparation. Marushichi Seicha set out to open “Nanaya” to take advantage of the flavour of matcha, something loved by people of all ages in Japan.
The shop’s special menu features a list of gelato, or ice cream, using this same delactable matcha. It offers seven varying levels of matcha intensity – level 1 begins with a more moderately sweeter flavour, but as you progress up the scale to level 7 the flavour of the matcha becomes richer and deeper. The menu also includes a range gelato using other teas too, such as houjicha (roasted green tea) and genmaicha (brown rice green tea).
The most popular item on the menu is the no. 7 level matcha gelato (￥560, tax incl.), which claims to be the most matcha-intense ice cream in the world. It uses matcha that received an award from the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. There’s a reason it has become so renowned, with its deeply rich and bitter matcha flavour inside which lies the right hint of refreshing sweetness.
As well as matcha flavours, Nanaya serves up other gelato too, such as the Genmaicha Gelato (pictured above on left / ￥370), a fragrant brown rice green tea that is popular among guys that visit the shop. You can customize your ice cream cups too and get double scoops (pictured above on right / ￥470) and even triple scoops (￥500), meaning you can order a variety of different flavours to try at once.
If you you’re thinking of ordering another gelato flavour to go with matcha, then you should try getting it with houjicha, which has a subtle fragrance of tea in its sweetness!
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Although the café has a Japanese taste to it, the interior of Nanaya all French casual combined with the local colours of Aoyama. The camel standing outside the shop is actually a box for disposable cups. It’s a really cute and fun objet and something that makes anybody that comes to visit smile.
Nanaya also has a rich collection of tea grown in the city of Fujieda that you can buy. You don’t need to use a teapot, just simply add it to water and enjoy – perfect as a souvenir to beat the summer heat.
It also comes in cute, pop packaging, so it doesn’t give that so called old fashioned Japan impression.
The unique t-shirts that the staff wear feature a picture of Einstein whose tongue has changed colour after eating matcha. You can purchase your own t-shirt at the café, so be sure to check them out after finishing your gelato.
Although it’s summer here in Japan, the rainy season persists, so how about treating yourself a Japanese-style summer treat to light up that summertime vibe again?
Address: Nanaya 1F, 2-7-12 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-6427-9008 Hours: 11:00〜19:00 Closed: Tuesdays (but open on Tuesdays when it’s a national holiday) Website: http://nanaya-matcha.com
Mika Pikazo is an illustrator and character designer. The artist has designed characters for many popular titles including Fire Emblem Engage, the latest in Nintendo's Fire Emblem series, as well as book covers and CD jackets.Starting December 10, the artist will hold his second solo exhibition in three years at the Hz event space in Shibuya.According to a press release, the exhibition is being held to show a number of creations Pikazo has made recently, and aims to show off new animation and past illustrations to merge his past and future selves. The creator hopes to challenge himself more going forward.The first main visual, REVENGE, can be seen on the exhibition’s official website. A total of three visuals have been newly drawn for the event and will be released sequentially. In addition, a number of collaborative works with other creators will be on display, so art fans won’t want to miss out.Limited-edition merchandise featuring new illustrations will be on sale at the venue, and autograph sessions are planned to be held. For more details, check the official Twitter page!Be sure to come to see Mika Pikazo’s colorful pieces in person!
The 13th iteration of the BT21 Cafe will open at six venues in five cities around Japan. Fans in Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka, and Sapporo will want to visit this exclusive event titled ~MAGICAL TIME~. The first cafe opens in Shibuya on November 3. In celebration of BT21’s 5th anniversary, this special cafe is filled with joy and excitement and aims to give fans the best possible experience.
ANNA’S by Landtmann, a cafe located inside +Q Beauty on the 6th floor of Shibuya Scramble Square, has begun selling two Halloween cakes! These spooky sweets will be available until October 31, 2022.Halloween Mont BlancHalloween Poison AppleGuests will be able to snag the Halloween Mont Blanc and Halloween Poison Apple cakes, available for ¥580 each including tax. The Mont Blanc is filled with pumpkin custard and Chantilly cream. The Poison Apple is a sweet and sour cake featuring a blend of chocolate mousse covered in red glaze and applesauce with apple pulp. Which of these two adorable cakes would you like to enjoy this autumn?
Starting October 10, the popular ice cream sandwich Biscuit Sandwich will begin a collaboration with the popular anime and manga series Spy x Family. The second season began on October 1.The collaboration will introduce limited-edition packaging in three styles featuring close-ups of the three main characters–Loid, Yor, and Anya. Two of the designs were newly drawn for this collaboration.While the main characters are featured on the front, the back shows Franky, Becky, and Henry Henderson. Customers will also want to search for a hidden Anya somewhere on the packaging. Along with this special packaging, three different campaigns will be underway featuring an original QUO card, a USB featuring original voice recordings, and a cooler bag shaped like the penguin that appears in the series. For those snagging the USB, you’ll be able to hear Anya begging for ice cream and some other cute lines. This USB will be delivered in a case made to look like an ice cream sandwich, and fans won’t want to miss out on their chance to add it to their collection!
Information
Biscuit Sandwich + Spy x Family Collaboration Packaging/Campaign
Taisho Pharmaceuticals has announced a new flavor of Vicks Medicated Drops available only in Japan! The Matcha flavor will be available starting October 1, 2022.VICKS Medicated Drops are lozenges perfect to relieve sore throats, and in an attempt to make a product for everyone’s taste, 14 flavors have been developed so far–five fruit types, three refreshing types, and six sugarless types.Matcha has become a more popular flavor among both young and old people in recent years, and this Japan-only flavor is sure to be a hit. The active ingredient, CPC, disinfects and sterilizes the mouth, so the next time you feel a cold coming on, try one of these lozenges out.
Fans of Yowamushi Pedal won’t want to miss this special collaboration! Chugai Grace Cafe, located on the seventh floor of Shibuya MODI, will be running the Yowamushi Pedal LIMIT BREAK cafe from September 22 until October 17, 2022.
Collaboration Menu
Sakamichi Onoda and Sangaku Manami's Udon & Onigiri Plate
Yasutomo Arikita and Kuroda Yukinari's Hamburger & Salad Plate
Hayato Shinkai's Chocolate & Banana Mini Parfait
Sohoku High School Mango Whipped Cream & Calpis Drink
Hakone Academy Mint Whipped Cream & Calpis Drink
Goods
Pin (Random Holographic included, 9 varieties)
Acrylic Figure Stand (9 varieties)
Pin, Mini Character Ver. (Random Holographic included, 16 varieties)
Acrylic Stand (16 varieties)
Table Plate (9 varieties)
Shoulder Bag
Menu Order Bonus / Online Preorder Bonus
Coaster (1st Half): September 22 - October 4, 2022