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.

On November 18 and November 25, national free broadcasting service BS12 will air ‘NEXT TRIP: A Luxury Resort Trip to Ise and Shima.’ The host for the excursion will be popular model Shibata Saki (nicknamed Shibasaki), who is a well-known figure to women of all ages.NEXT TRIP is a new travel program that helps travelers figure out where to go next. The theme of the series is “Where should I go once the world settles down?” From visiting popular city spots to faraway resorts in Japan and abroad, the show aims to introduce people to locations they haven’t discovered yet, showcasing what the world has to offer. Those watching should keep a lookout for spectacular scenery, gourmet local food, outdoor activities, and so much more.    [Part 1] November 18, 2021, 9:00 - ‘NEXT TRIP: A Journey to Ise’ In this episode, Saki Shibata travels to Ise, Mie Prefecture, first visiting Ise Shrine to pay her respects. The shrine is one of the holiest and important sites in the Shinto faith and was said to be established in the year 4 BCE. After visiting the Inner Shrine on a bright and sunny morning, Shibata travels to the ancient Okage Yokocho street to find some souvenirs and enjoy a local cafe to enjoy Ise’s famous rice cakes and traditional Japanese sweets. For lunch, she visits a very retro western-style building. At the nearby Ise Ninja Kingdom, guests can wear ninja costumes, and Shibata does just that! As the day comes to an end, Shibata opts to stay at a luxurious ryokan, Ikyuu, and highlights the incredible dinner and other services the lodging offers.   Air Date: November 18, 2021 / 9:00-10:00   [Part 2] November 25, 2021, 9:00 - ‘NEXT TRIP: A Luxury Resort Trip to Ise and Shima’ The second part of the trip begins with cycling. Visiting the famous Married Couple Rocks on the coast of Futami, Shibata sets out for Shima. After enjoying the breathtaking view from the ‘Mailbox in the Sky’ on the Ise-Shima Skyline, she stays at a resort overlooking the Shima coast. Guests are welcome to take a leisurely stroll around the grounds and enjoy a luxury cruise or dinner. The sunset is something Saki Shibata will surely never forget. Air Date: November 25, 2021 / 9:00-10:00   Where do you want to travel in Japan once the world settles down?

VMG HOTELS & UNIQUE VENUES has renovated a four-room building located inside the Iga-based ryokan NIPPONIA HOTEL IGAUENO JOKAMACHI and transformed it into a new accommodation called MITAKE. The new building opened on May 1, 2021.   The ryokan is located in the former castle town shitamachi area of Iga Ueno Castle in Mie Prefecture's city of Iga. The city is a hub of historical architecture with countless buildings left over from multiple periods including Edo, Meiji, Taisho, and Showa. Its historical value earned it a spot on the 20th Century Heritage List carried out by ICOMOS. However, more and more buildings are becoming vacant in the city due to a decrease in its population in recent years, leading to many of these traditional sites being unused. This is where the idea to open MITAKE came from as part of an effort to renovate historical buildings and townhouses.The two-storey building exterior has polearm-shaped ultra-fine lattice windows. It has also kept the same wood that was used at the time of its building during the early Meiji Period. It was originally preserved as a centre for the future of traditional townhouses but management by NOTE eventually ceased. It is now managed by VMG.All guest rooms have the original exteriors and beams preserved but have been given a modern touch with new furnishings to create a sophisticated combination of old and new. All necessary social distancing and COVID-19 precautions are being carried out at the hotel and new building.

Yukai Resort, a company in Japan which manages lots of famous hot spring resorts across the country, opened Yukai Resort Premium Toba Saichoraku in Toba, Mie on June 5, 2020.   Yukai Resort manages 29 well-established hot spring resort hotels and ryokan throughout Japan, including hotels where you can get one night with dinner and breakfast from just ¥7,500 (before tax) to ryokan where you can enjoy kaiseki meal courses, and more. All their luxury establishments feature hot springs surrounded in lush environments.   Yukai Resort Premium Toba Saichoraku opened on June 5, 2020 and is taking all of the necessary precautions against COVID-19 to protect guests and so that guests can enjoy a comfortable stay.   Yukai Resort Premium Toba Saichoraku is 10 minutes by car from Toba Aquarium and 30 minutes from Ise Grand Shrine, making it a great location to enjoy the sightseeing spots of Ise and Shima. The hotel's concept is centred on being an "active resort" where you can get the full Toba experience with history, the sea, and activities. The large open-air communal baths look out onto Toba Bay. The baths are designed like infinity pools, giving the effect that they are connected to the sea. Guests can enjoy a dip in the day or evening so they can enjoy both a blue sky or starry sky. There are also saunas. There is also an indoor swimming pool with warm water, as well as foot baths, a kids play park, karaoke room, and many more fun features. Yukai Resort Premium Toba Saichoraku also houses Yukai Resort's first ever indoor glamping guest rooms with large tents decked with beds, sofa, carpet, cushions, and other amenities for a glamorous camping experience. There are glamping rooms with their own open-air baths that look out onto Toba Bay too, as well as both Japanese-style and Western-style rooms. As a precaution against COVID-19, the restaurant is serving its food for takeout only until August 31, 2020. Guests can enjoy their meal in their rooms or in one of the many communal spaces. There's plenty of health Japanese food to enjoy including sushi, Matsuzaka roast beef, eel, tuna, and more.

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.

Sai Sai Jaran Jaran is a featured series here on MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON from the members of the all-female band SILEN SIREN (aka Sai Sai) who visit various hot spots in Japan and experience different things, the Sai Sai way.   Band bassist Ainyan enjoys a beer or cocktail, but she wants to step into the world of wine, so we will join her on her journey today as she goes to learn all about wine from the very basics. It's a clear sky today. Great weather for going for a drink during the day, am I right? We visited Fukagawa Winery Tokyo in Monzennakacho, an area located in Shitamachi, Tokyo. We were looking forward to going there because it offers the full wine experience, allowing visitors to see wine brewing up close to learn all about it. This experience is offered twice a day on weekends and national holidays at 14:00 and 16:00.   Fukagawa Winery Tokyo opened in Tokyo in 2016 as a winery where the ordinary person could go and see wine being made to fully understand its process. It has expanded its circulation in recent years and is now able to take in grapes from across Japan, including Tokyo, to craft many different wines. On the day we visited we saw the staff bottling up the wine. On average, the winery ships out around 30,000 bottles a year. The corks have illustrations of "Wine Man" on them, a character created by Fukagawa Winery Tokyo. Ainyan was fairly fond of him! Time to see how the winery works!   When you step inside, the scent of grapes is the first thing to hit your senses. The one in charge of Fukagawa Winery Tokyo is Kousuke Ueno, who was kind of enough to show us around. He taught us the process of wine making, as well as what types of grapes and tools they use. "This machine separates the grapes and stalks using the propellers. This method has been used for 150 years," explained Ueno.   There are periods when visitors can observe this machine being used to separate the grapes. It takes place between mid-August to November, so follow Fukagawa Winery Tokyo's social media for announcements and details. "Wow! It smells so good!" said Ainyan. We got to see a bucket where Cabernet Sauvignon was being made. They put in whole grapes with the skin on and add natural yeast for the fermentation process. The sweet smell of the grapes fills the air and makes you want to have a glass. Now for what Ainyan has been waiting for: taste-testing time! She learned everything about the wine making process, so it was time to taste and compare some different wines. The winery allows taste-testing until 17:00. You can try 3 types for ¥700. And of course, if there's one you tried that you really liked, you can buy it there and then. So sip, scrutinise, and select! "Please try this one first. It is wine, but it's like a lemon sour," explained Ueno, recommending that Ainyan first try the Yamanashi  Delaware Sparkling. Soak up all the notes of the drink by having a good smell first before taking a small sip. "Smells really good. This sourness really is like a lemon sour! I wonder why?" said Ainyan.   This wine uses premature grapes which gives the wine a sour taste. The sourness of this wine can play the part of lemons, so it's best paired with fried foods or meals with chicken in them. The second drink was the Yamagata Delaware Muroka. It's an unfiltered wine made from completely ripened Yamagata Delaware grapes.   Unfiltered means that the filtration process to take out visible solids and such is not used. This gives it a slightly cloudy appearance and an exquisite taste that's somewhere between wine and juice.

Left: Unfiltered Yamagata Delaware / Right: Filtered Yamagata Delaware

For the third glass, Ainyan ordered the filtered Yamagata Delaware to test the difference between it and the unfiltered version. "The filtered one has a good balance of flavours and is refreshing. The unfiltered one has a smooth juiciness to it. They're both delicious, but I like the unfiltered one more!" said Ainyan. Her fourth glass was an unfiltered red wine: the East Bay Assemblage Red B. The grapes used are a combination from Hokkaido, Nagano, and Aomori. It really is an assemblage! "The red wine has such a different taste and colour depending on the type too! This dark red wine is close to what I usually drink!" said Ainyan with a happy smile. At the end of the session, Ainyan had tried 10 wines and bought two bottles! She was delighted with her experience, saying: "I was surprised how different each and every one of the wines I tried at Fukagawa Winery Tokyo were. I think I'm getting hooked on the appeal of unfiltered, natural wines."   With Christmas and New Year around the corner, now is the season to indulge in wine. If you're in Tokyo this December, pay a visit to Fukagawa Winery Tokyo for a full wine experience.     Writer：Yuki YokooPhotographer：Kayo Sekiguchi