A winter tradition in Izu, the capybara open-air bath at Izu Shaboten Zoo will be held again this year from November 19 until April 2, 2023. During the event period, guests can watch the adorable capybaras as they enjoy a hot bath once a day at 1:30 PM on weekdays and twice a day at 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM on weekends and holidays. 

This season marks the 40th anniversary of the popular event, though it all began as a happy accident. In 1982, an employee cleaning the enclosure with hot water noticed that the capybaras were huddling together in a warm puddle. Since then, each year, employees prepare a warm bath for the animals during winter and early spring. 

During the event period, in addition to the standard open-air baths, the water will be decorated with unique items depending on the season, from yuzu to rose petals.

40th-anniversary goods will available at the Animal Mart Gift Shop at the zoo, as well as the official Izu Shaboten Zoo online store. 

For more information about the event’s schedule, visit the official website.

Izu Shaboten Zoo’s annual “Capybara Yuzu Hot Bath” event is set to return this winter from December 19, 2020 to January 5, 2021.

In Japan, there’s a saying that you won’t catch a cold if you take a hot yuzu bath, and so it has been a custom since the Edo period to float the fruits on top of the water during the winter season.

Izu Shaboten Zoo’s “Capybara Yuzu Hot Bath” event first started in 1996 and has continued every year since throughout the winter and over the New Year. Visitors flock to see the capybara looking content as they enjoy their warm citrus-smelling baths.

The zoo’s adorable capybara plush toy makes a return this year too. They are made with traditional Japanese colours like indigo blue and emerald green. Their cute appearance are sure to have you feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

Izu Shaboten Zoo in Ito, Shizuoka has opened its very own hotel Izushaboten Village Petit Hotel which is less than a minutes’ walk from the zoo itself, making it an ideal location for those looking to see the animals so they can take their time at their own leisure.

The hotel offers various different rooms, from modern and chic to the Izu Shaboten Zoo Room, Pirate Room and more. Each room has its own unique touch you won’t find anywhere else. The hotel also offers an accommodation plan that comes with entry tickets to the zoo.

For food, guests can enjoy dining at La Chic, a new restaurant that opened in spring this year that makes use of homegrown vegetables and produce sourced from contracted farmers. Food is served in a semi-buffet style in mornings and evenings so you can make up your own dish. Non-guests can eat here too if they make a reservation*.

*Reservations for non-guests are dependent on free tables and other conditions. The menu style and ingredients and subject to change without notice.

If you’re looking to visit Izu Shaboten Zoo, consider booking a room at their official hotel.

Hirakawa Zoo is home to 12 koalas, the most of any other zoo in the country. Last month, one of the mothers gave birth to three baby koalas who have now crawled into her pouch.

The zoo is located in Hirakawacho, Kagoshima. It houses 1,000 animals of around 140 different species. Some of their most popular residents are the koalas and white tigers. The giraffe site is a popular spot too as people like to snap photos with them and Sakurajima in the background, an active volcano.

The marsupial babies are growing slowly day by day. They are weight each day to keep an eye on their health.

The zoo is now currently taking suggestions from the public to help name the three babies. One is male and the other two are female. Each of them were born on different days and are not related.

Head to the zoo and to the koalas for yourself and help them come up with a name. Full details on how to submit can be found below.

From the end of March to the beginning of April, sakura will bloom at Hirakata amusement park. There are approximately 300 sakura trees and eight varieties of tree including Yoshino cherry blossoms. Amongst the park attractions is the “Skywalker”; a giant ferris wheel that overlooks the park. The path to the ride is hilly and lined with sakura trees, so during full bloom, the path is completely covered in a bed of pink petals!

This theme park is unique in that you can enjoy the cherry blossom view and the rides simultaneously! The roller coaster ride “Red Falcon” is also located near a road lined with sakura trees, so you can enjoy an even more wonderful sakura-viewing experience! Plus, you can take your cherry blossom viewing to a whole new level on the “Skywalker” as the carriages of the ride overlook the park from the sky and remain in mid-air for approximately 10 minutes. ♡

Thanks to the arrival of spring, you can enjoy Hirakata Park sakura to the max!

Boneless Café 2019 is a collaboration with the popular LINE messenger app stamps Boneless Dog & Boneless Cat that’s set to run from February 28 in Harajuku and March 13 in Osaka.

The duo were created by Niigata-based graphic designer and illustrator Mofuya. When they arrived on LINE their popularity shot through the roof and they have gone on to sell books, merchandise and more, and their fan base continues to expand.

Boneless Cat’s Fried Rice & Salmon (w/ Chinese Soup): ¥1,390 (Before Tax)

Boneless Dog’s Snug Doughnuts: ¥990 (Before Tax)

The café’s concept is that both animals have found themselves lost in a world of food. The designs of the food and merchandise incorporate Boneless Dog’s lovely-dovey personality and Boneless Cat’s morose attitude.

Boneless Café Acrylic Key Rings (7 Designs): ¥500 Each

Boneless Café Pin Badge (8 Designs): ¥350 Each

Also on sale is a range of exclusive merchandise not sold anywhere else.

There is also bonus merchandise available to those who book a table online. This includes stickers, lunch mats and more.

Dive into the delicious world of food together with Boneless Dog and Boneless Cat.

A female giant panda was born at Adventure World, a wildlife park with a panda exhibition in Shirahama, Wakayama, on August 14, 2018. She turned 8 days old on August 22.

She is the smallest giant panda cub ever to have been born at Adventure World and the first to be born in two years. She is well fed by her mother Rauhin, drinking from her six to seven times a day. Her weight has increased from 75.0g when she was born to 96.0g, and her height from 15.5cm to 18cm. Details as to when she can be viewed by the public will be released at a later date. For now, the mother and child are being observed by the park.

The new cub marks the 16th panda looked after by Adventure World. Rauhin was first born at the park on September 6, 2000. Eleven of the pandas born and raised there have traveled to China. Four of them are used for breeding and have raised twelve children as of November 2017.

There are said to be just 1,800 giant pandas in the wild. To ensure their protection and increase their survival, important research is being carried out to breed them. Adventure World opened in 1994 as the Japanese subdivision of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Both country’s worked together and started the world’s first breeding lawn for the natural breeding of giant pandas.

The same facility also runs the ‘Shiawase Keikaku’ (Happiness Plan) which ensures the happiness of the giant pandas and all of the people involved with them.

Let’s look forward to the public unveling of the new addition of the Adventure World panda family.

©Sekiguchi

The name ‘Monchhichi’ is a combination of the French word mon which means ‘mine’ and the Japanese puchi which means small and cute and chichi which is the sound of sucking of a pacifier.

New details for the Attack on Titan and Tobu Zoo collaborative event which was announced last month have been released. The event is set to run from July 14 to October. Let’s take a look at the latest news.

Original Illustrations

Original character designs have been specially drawn for this event. Fans can look forward to seeing main character Eren together with Levi dressed as animal handlers, as well as characters dressed up as animals.

Panel Showcase

There will be life-sized cardboard cutouts of characters from the series, as well as a photo spot recreating the event’s key visual. There will also be boards of the characters disguised as zoo animals.

Life-Size Exhibition

Expect to see a giant 4-meter tall balloon head of the Colossal Titan, life-sized figures of Eren and Levi, and more. There’ll also be a display of the Maneuver Gear that the humans use when taking down the Titans.

Original Merchandise

A huge line-up of original merchandise will be sold featuring artwork drawn for the event, such as badges, acrylic keyrings, folders, tote bags and more. Those who spend ¥2,000 or more (tax included) will also receive an original sticker.

Photo Booth

Take a commemorative photo of your day with cute designs of the characters dressed as animals. Photos can be printed.

Price: ¥600 each

Attack on Titan Themed Food

Enjoy food and dessert inspired by the series. Those who order from this menu will receive an original postcard.

Location: Cornet Pancake House at Tobu Zoo / Event Plaza

Character Voice Announcements

The voice actors and actresses of the series have recorded special announcements specially for the event. They will go off several times a day and each lasts around a minute.

Attack on Titan fans won’t want to miss out on this very special collab!

In Japan, May 5^th is Children’s Day (Kodomo no Hi). During this time, it is custom to put up decorative armour and helmets around the house. In olden times, this was a practice held only by military families, but it was common amongst the masses in the Edo Period. This custom is still practiced even today.

The Sheraton Miyako Hotel Osaka’s café and gourmet shop Café Bell is now selling a helmet-shaped cake for Children’s Day.

Helmet Cake

This chocolate crunch cake is layered with more chocolate, vanilla and strawberry mousse and coated in even more chocolate. The helmet crest is sprinkled with reddish-brown gold dust. It has an image that yells ‘brave’ to it.

Children’s Day Plan

A traditional kaiseki multi-course dinner with free drinks has been prepared for families to celebrate Children’s Day. There’s also a children’s bento that contains chimaki – a rice cake wrapped in bamboo leaves – that’s said to ward off evil and contribute towards the healthy maturity of a child. Also, as a bonus to the plan, anniversary cakes will be given out!

Don’t miss out on this special menu at Sheraton Miyako Hotel Osaka.

Glorious Chain Café, managed by DIESEL, introduced two brand new matcha desserts to their menu on February 16th. They are sold at Glorious Chain Café branches in Shibuya, Osaka and Shinsaibashi.

The new items include a matcha smoothie made with fruits and a matcha parfait that’s packed with jelly, rice flour dumplings, a waffle and more, giving a layered texture to the dessert.

Rice Flour Dumpling & Adzuki Bean Matcha Parfait – ￥1,480 (tax incl.)

Piled inside this parfait is sweet adzuki bean paste, rich matcha flavoured jelly, and sticky rich flour dumplings. The parfait is topped with a waffle which you can stuff with the ingredients in the glass. The highlight of this Japanese dessert is the mix of bitterness and sweetness.

Matcha & Fruit Smoothie – ￥800 (tax incl.)

The strawberries decorating the side of the smoothie will catch your eye for sure. The matcha smoothie is mixed with fruit berries and banana, and at the bottom sits whipped cream and strawberry puree which, while stirring, can be enjoyed as a sweet drink with the same texture as a parfait.

Tuck into these new Japanese-style matcha desserts at Glorious Chain Café.

Hotel New Otani Osaka is selling Christmas cakes at “Patisserie SATSUKI” under the theme of “a Christmas where you can eat a full-fledged dessert.” (from the 20^th of December 2017 (Wed.) to the 25^th (Mon.).

Christmas is a time when many people want to spend a gorgeous time by exchanging presents with their boyfriend/girlfriend or family members or enjoying eating dinner at a restaurant.

Full-fledged Christmas cakes which are suitable to be eaten during the romantic Christmas season made by skilled patissiers of Hotel New Otani are now being sold.

 Christmas Love Short Cake – height 8cm × length 17cm – 16,200 yen (10 pieces per day)

A cake which uses one whole high-quality muskmelon produced in Shizuoka Prefecture and “Amao®,” the king of strawberries produced in Fukuoka Prefecture. A dough made of almond milk and diced strawberry solidified with arrowroot is put inside the three-layered sponge cake so the texture of the cake is very unique. It makes for a perfect gift.

Extra Super Christmas Amao Short Cake – diameter 18cm – 19,440 yen

This cake uses strictly selected “Amao®” strawberries produced in Fukuoka Prefecture and almond cream and “wasanbon” (refined Japanese sugar) cream add spice to the flavor of strawberries. A regular short cake includes thinly sliced strawberries, but this short cake uses half-cut big strawberries. Thus, the cake has a juicy flavor and is a gorgeous product that uses lots of strawberries.

Super Christmas “Amao®” Strawberry Short Cake -diameter 21cm – 12,960 yen

“Super Christmas Short Cake” uses strictly selected ingredients using a sponge cake made of expensive wheat and castella produced in Nagasaki Prefecture. The strawberries are sandwiched between “wasanbon” sponge cake and sugar sponge cake and the cream produced in Omuta (Kyushu) will makes for a superb texture.

The cake uses the 2L sized “Amao®” strawberries produced in Fukuoka Prefecture and are marinated with natural honey produced in France. Let’s eat this special product which is simple but uses gorgeous ingredients.

Super Christmas Double Short Cake – diameter 24cm – 27,000 yen

A gorgeous product where you can enjoy very popular “Super Short Cake” and “Super Melon Short Cake” at once. The product uses the highest quality muskmelon (the price per melon is around 10,000 to 15,000 yen) produced in Shizuoka Prefecture which is known as the area of production. A Christmas dessert which both dessert-lovers and fruit-lovers will love.

Super Christmas Opera – 18cm × 18cm – 32,400 yen

“Super Christmas Opera” is a cake which has fabulous decorations and is made of 14 layers. The height of the cake is 8.5cm and each layer uses different ingredients. The product uses two kinds of butter cream and almonds coated with caramel. The decisive factor of the taste is caramel butter cream and all the ingredients are sandwiched with seven-layered biscuits which has the flavor of espresso. On top of the dark chocolate, high quality, precisely made decorations are placed. It is a cake for adults who love chocolate.

Let’s enjoy a special Christmas with “Hotel New Otani Osaka’s” gorgeous cakes.