There’s more to this festive cake than just pretty packaging.
It’s been a whirlwind of a year for Starbucks releases, and the run of limited-edition surprises is now culminating in the long-awaited Holiday collection. In amongst the colourful festive goods and tasty drinks, however, is a food offering that tends to be overlooked — the stollen.
While the traditional German Christmas bread might not be everyone’s first choice at Starbucks, it has a lot going for it, starting with the pouch it’s sold in. Made with a cute pink corduroy material, the pouch has a sophisticated look, a smooth, supple feel, and the familiar Starbucks logo in the centre.
On the back, you’ll find a sweet “enjoy your day” message in handwritten-style embroidery, with a smiley face beneath it.
▼ Starbucks is all about spreading joy in the details.
The zip pouch isn’t just pretty, it’s practical too, with enough room in its 21 x 8 x 12 centimetre (8 x 3 x 5) dimensions to store things like makeup, small gadgets…and a chunk of stollen.
Uncut and dusted with a thick coating of powdered sugar, the stollen looks like the traditional ones you’ll find in Germany, but how does it taste? Taking it out of the bag, we could instantly smell the soft scent of cinnamon and cardamom as we cut into it, making us feel like the holidays had well and truly arrived.
Biting into it, we were greeted by the warming flavour of Christmassy spices, carried through the palate on a delectable crust with a moist, chewy centre. Packed with raisins, cranberries, orange peel, almonds, walnuts, and pistachios, we were able to enjoy sweetness and tartness in equal measures, with an overarching richness that grew in depth with every mouthful. It was a fantastic cake, and looking at the back of the packaging, we found there was a secret to its deliciousness.
▼ Every stollen is made by Takaki Bakery (“タカキベーカリー”), a local company that operates popular bakery brands such as Little Mermaid.
Knowing that the stollen is made by such a trusted company made it seem even more delicious, and the 2,350 yen (US$15.19) price tag was reasonable too. Considering you get a stollen and a pouch for that price, we might just make a return trip to snag another one while we can, as they’re only available in limited numbers until Christmas Day.
Source, images: Press release
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Kumacon provides everything you need to deal with up to a three-day bear siege, manufacturer says.
An unprecedented number of bear attacks have been taking place this year in Japan, with the situation having gotten so bad that mail deliveries are potentially going to be disrupted and even the Ground Self-Defense Force has been enlisted to help deal with ursine incidents. “I think the bears really have the upper hand here” one of my colleagues said the other day as we discussed the situation (having recently concluded our scholarly debate on who the best Final Fight character is), and if the government thinks military-grade training and equipment is required for an adequate response, it really does make you wonder what we ordinary civilians can hope to do.
One Japanese company, though, thinks it has the answer. Get yourself a bear shelter.
Pictured above is the latest offering from Jacaon: the Life Shield Container. The company also has a nickname for the product, though: the Kumacon, or “bear container.”
That might make it sound like it’s a container for bears, but it’s actually the opposite, a shelter where you and your fellow humans can take refuge while keeping any bears on the outside of the structure. The Kumakon is a redesigned shipping container, of the sort used on international cargo freighter vessels, but with additional features to keep you safe during a bear attack, even an extended one.
Starting on the outside, the Kumacon, which Jacacon developed in collaboration with Tokyo University of Science (not to be confused with the University of Tokyo), is strong enough to withstand any physical ursine aggression. The bite of a brown bear, the largest breed in Japan, is said to have strength equal to roughly 7 MPa (megapascals), but shipping container steel can withstand up to 350 MPas. Likewise, while an angry bear can pack a wallop with a force of a few hundred kilograms when it barrels into something in full run, the Kumakon can withstand over 192 tons.
While the outside is shipping container-sturdy, plenty of interior improvements have been made to help make your stay, if not necessarily cozy, at least bearable while you wait for it to be safe to step outside again. The Kumacon has a solar energy storage system that can power its USB power outlets. A toilet and ventilation system are standard, but you can upgrade your shelter with motion and infrared sensors to help you keep an eye on the animals, as well as flashing strobe lights and a public address microphone with which to try to scare the bears off. The Kumacon also comes with three days’ worth of emergency food rations, a supply of bottled drinking water, first aid kits, and bear repellant spray.
Jacacon, which specializes in repurposing shipping container designs for use as storefronts and lodging, says it hopes the Kumacon will serve as “a new form of disaster-preparedness infrastructure to protect the lives of people in locations such as on their home property or at educational facilities and camp grounds. In addition to bear attacks, the company says the Kumacon is “a multi-functional life shield” that can also keep you safe during natural disasters, though common sense dictates that it shouldn’t be used as an alternative to following evacuation recommendations when issued by local authorities.
The Kumacon will be offered in three different sizes, 12, 20, and 40-foot (3.7, 6.1, and 12.2-meter) configurations. The largest, if Jacacon’s concept images are anything to go by, looks large enough to hold a dozen people, and while there’s not much room to stretch out with that kind of occupancy, the lack of bears does make it a tempting place to hang out if there’s a potentially dangerous one outside.
▼ Jacacon doesn’t say why everyone is looking in the same direction here. Maybe there’s also a thirteenth person in the Kumacon who’s using its toilet right now.
Prices have yet to be announced for the Kumacon, but Jacacon says it’s going to start taking orders for the shelters in December. Ordinarily, you’d expect most bears to be hibernating by then, but ostensibly customers will have their Kumacons installed and ready by the time the bears wake up in the spring.
Source, images: PR Times
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Public reactions to redevelopment plan for Japan’s largest collection of historically significant artwork has been less than positive.
Located at the edge of Ueno Park, the Tokyo National Museum houses one of the most important collections of historically significant artistic and cultural artifacts in Japan, containing an estimated 10 percent of all the works officially designated as National Treasures in the country. Adult tickets are priced at 1,500 yen (US$10) by pre-sale or 1,700 yen at the door, which is a bit on the high side for museum admission in Japan, but doesn’t feel exorbitant, considering the care required in preserving the items inside.
And like many museums, the Tokyo National Museum, which is operated by a government-owned corporation, periodically has donation drives and crowdfunding campaigns. The purpose of its latest one is rubbing a lot of people the wrong way, though, since the museum is looking for handouts to cover the cost of removing its pond and replacing it with a space to be used for beer gardens and music events.
The pond, shown above, is located in front of the museum’s Main Building, or Honkan, which was constructed between 1932 and 1938. Under the Tohaku Open Park Project, announced by museum director Makoto Fujiwara last Monday, the pond will be demolished and covered with concrete, and its surrounding shrubbery removed to create more grassy lawn space.
The additional solid ground, the planners say, will allow the area in front of the main building to be used as a venue for outdoor events, with beer gardens and concerts specifically mentioned in the press release.
9 times out of 10 beer garden plans will get an enthusiastic thumbs up from most people in Japan, but reactions so far to the Tohaku Open Park Project have been much less positive. The Tokyo National Museum was Japan’s first national museum, and as a government-affiliated facility, many are saying that hosting loud, booze-fueled events is an inappropriate use of its grounds. Many are also lamenting the loss of the plaza’s classical aesthetics, particularly after sundown when the surface of the water takes on the warm glow of nearby lights and serves as a mirror reflecting the uniquely beautiful museum architecture.
東京国立博物館の池がなくなるなんて静謐で荘厳なものを国が守って欲しいここから意見が送れますhttps://t.co/I5DbWutEoO写真は2023年の今頃#トーハク #東京国立博物館 https://t.co/HYiIdjJMBb pic.twitter.com/o0GoL1Vsha— 原 知恵子 Chieko Hara ( chienoix ) Praha (@chienoix_praha) November 13, 2025
東京国立博物館の池のある風景 pic.twitter.com/5Xa27yVWGH— 在華坊 (@zaikabou) November 12, 2025
トーハク正面玄関の池は、晴れていれば水面に「逆さ本館」が映って 東京国立博物館をより美しく唯一無二のものにしていたと思うから、残念だなあ https://t.co/5gjd8cjaf8 pic.twitter.com/k38chGCStQ— くるっくる＊避難用 (@sannenseabura2) November 12, 2025
So while the planners are saying the purpose of the redevelopment is to “create a relaxing place that all people can comfortably and safely use in their own way,” many online commenters are saying the way they want to use the plaza is just as they originally did, tranquilly admiring the view, including the pond (and the planners mention of safety is laughable, as the pond isn’t at all deep and no drowning incidents have taken place in it). Adding insult to injury, in detractors’ eyes, is that not only is the Tokyo National Museum planning to pave over the pond, it’s asking the public for donations to fund the Tohaku Open Park Project, and is currently accepting donations through its website.
All of this has led to such angry online comments as:
“So they’re just spending money to destroy something of value? I have no idea why they think the National Museum needs to hold concerts and beer garden events.”
“I’ve never seen one of these redevelopment ‘projects’ that actually feels like an improvement. It’s always just some cliched eyesore that messes up the local scenery and environment.”
“You don’t go to a museum to drink beer and listen to music. The museum is supposed to be our nation’s greatest treasure trove of knowledge, so let it be that, there’s no need to try to attract everyone and everybody. If it’s a place where people who want to connect with the knowledge of people from prior parts of history, that’s all it needs to be.”
“Please keep the plaza as the quiet, beautiful place that it’s always been.”
“Oh, so they’re just doing this to hold events and get more money? Pitiful.”
“If they’re going to abandon their pride as a museum, they should just go all the way with it. Put in a sake corner where you can drink in front of the Buddhist statues on display. Use the National Treasure katanas to cut tuna sashimi…Just leave the existing façade, hollow the interior out, and build a modern entertainment complex on top of it.”
Comments in favor of the plan have been much fewer and farther between, but those that have been made contend that the museum’s pond is less than majestic in appearance, and others speculate that the cost of maintaining it isn’t worth the marginal aesthetic boost it provides. Lending credibility to the speculation that cost is a factor in the decision to get rid of the pond, it’s been drained of water for some time now.
東京国立博物館の庭の池を埋め立ててイベントスペースにする案は愚策すぎる。池の水は、もうだいぶ前から抜かれたままだ。国立劇場も閉鎖されたまま。行く末を憂う胸が痛む問題だ。 pic.twitter.com/rIrDjYsvgO— 長宗我部元ちな (@chinasyogi) November 12, 2025
However, numerous commenters have countered that if maintenance costs are an issue, they’d rather the Tokyo National Museum be soliciting funds to be used to cover those costs, not to cover the pond with concrete. Others have said that getting rid of the pond because it’s not financially feasible to maintain is a decision they can see the logic in, but if that’s the case, the museum should just say so, rather than trying to feed people lines about the redevelopment being necessary to “create a safe and relaxing place for everybody.”
Still, at the moment the Tohaku Open Park Project is scheduled to go on as planned, with an estimated completion date of March 2027. Those who think it’s the right call can contribute donations for the redevelopment through the Tokyo National Museum website here, while those of the opposite opinion can make their feelings known through the museum’s general feedback form here.
Source: Tokyo National Museum (1, 2) via Hachima Kiko, Tiwtter/@JapanArchitects
Top image: Wikipedia/Wiiii
Insert images: Tokyo National Museum
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Sometimes it’s good to be a petite Ghibli fan.
Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro contains what’s arguably the coziest looking nap in the history of animation. In the scene in which we get our very first look at the cuddly forest spirit, he’s snoozing away inside his burrow until he gets an unexpected visitor as Mei comes rolling in, then proceeds to take a nap on top of his ample tummy.
With winter on the way, though, it’s going to be too chilly to sleep on top of Totoro. Luckily, there’s a warmer alternative: the Totoro sleeping bag.
Just restocked by Ghibli specialty shop Donguri Kyowakoku, this microfiber-lined sleeping bag is soft and warm, and, most importantly, looks like a smiling Totoro. The zipper pull is shaped like an acorn, and the sleeping bag comes bundled with a fuzzy-fabric pillow too.
That’s not the only Totoro-themed sleeping bag currently on offer from Donguri Kyowakoku, as they’ve also got a Catbus version.
And yes, they made sure to include all 10 of its legs.
The zipper pull here is a mouse, like the ones that hang off the front corners of the Catbus.
The Catbus sleeping bag comes with a pillow as well, with its own unique fabric pattern.
The sleeping bags are both priced at 19,800 yen (US$132) and can be ordered through the Donguri Kyowakoku online store here. However, before you toss out the bed you’re currently sleeping in for these seemingly obvious upgrades, be aware that the total length of the Totoro sleeping bag, including its ears, is 140 centimeters (5 feet, 5.1 inches), so it’s meant for petite and/or young Ghibli fans. The Catbus version, meanwhile is listed with a length of 192 centimeters (6 feet, 3.6 inches), though again that includes the ears and also the tail, so depending on your own height, these might have to serve as blankets instead.
Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Studio Ghibli
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2), Studio Ghibli
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As foreign visitor numbers and overtourism concerns both reach historic highs, policymakers think they may have found a way to use one to address the other.
When planning a trip to Japan, there are a lot of expenses to take into consideration. First, of course, is airfare, the cost of getting here, and then there’s the money you’ll need to spend while in Japan for hotels, local transportation, food, and entertainment. But while it sometimes gets lost in the fine print, you’ll also need to pay in order to get out of Japan.
The “international tourist tax,” as it’s officially termed, is a departure tax that international travelers need to pay before leaving the country. Back in the old days, you actually had to purchase a tax stamp/certificate from a vending machine at the airport, but the departure tax is now usually bundled in as part of your total ticket cost when booking a flight that’s departing from a Japanese airport. Whether travelers are conscious of it or not, though, they still pay the departure tax, and it might be going up by a very big margin soon.
The Japanese government is currently in the middle of discussions for tax revisions for 2026, and among the topics is potentially increasing the departure tax. During a debate in September, one month prior to new prime minister Sanae Takaichi taking office, she said that she would be in favor of raising the departure tax to 3,000 yen (US$20) per person, tripling its current cost of 1,000 yen.
In the 2024 fiscal year the Japanese government collected 52.4 billion yen in departure taxes, and with the country experiencing its largest-ever inbound international tourism boom, tripling the departure tax could have a huge effect on tax revenue. So what would the government do with all that extra cash? Proponents of raising the departure tax say the additional revenue could be put to use combating the ill effects of overtourism.
Overtourism is currently a hot-button issue in Japanese society, and the government taking more active steps to address it would likely be seen as a good thing by most Japanese residents. However, it’s not only foreign tourists who pay departure taxes when flying out of Japan. Japanese citizens must also pay the tax when departing from Japanese airports for international travel, so raising the departure tax will affect them as well. To offset this, some policymakers have proposed reducing passport fees for Japanese nationals. Currently, obtaining a 10-year passport in Japan involves fees of 15,900 yen, and officials have estimated that 10,000 yen could be knocked off of that and offset by the increased departure tax revenues. If the departure tax does indeed jump from 1,000 yen to 3,000, even a 10,000-yen discount on 10-year passport fees would only end up benefiting Japanese people who travel overseas no more than once every two years.
Getting back to the topic of using increased departure tax fees, with the majority of the increased revenue ostensibly coming from foreign tourists in Japan, to combat overtourism, there are a number of points to consider. First, while no one would like having to pay an extra 2,000 yen per person in their party, that increase is unlikely to dissuade many tourists from coming to Japan. It’s a drop in the bucket compared to the total cost of a Japanese vacation, especially in light of the currently very favorable exchange rate for foreign tourists.
So if raising the departure tax isn’t going to reduce the number of foreign tourists, how is it going to help alleviate overtourism concerns? Ideas have been floated, such as using the extra tax revenue for things such as building more parking lots in an effort to decrease congestion on public transportation and roads. Other proposals have been to use the money to introduce reservation systems at popular tourism sites for better crowd management, or installing more public trash cans to decrease litter or increase public awareness campaigns aimed at foreign tourists reminding them to mind their manners while in Japan. Whether watching as their cityscapes transition to more parking spaces and posters asking people to have common courtesy, or having to book in advance to visit local cultural sites, are the sort of overtourism solutions Japanese residents want or not remains to be seen.
Source: Mainichi Shimbun via Yahoo! Japan News, Nihon Keizai Shimbun
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso
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Path through the forest of wild Pokémon could strain some visitors’ legs, ticket cost might be hard on their hearts.
Pokémon fans have been buzzing with excitement following the surprise announcement earlier this week that Poképark Kanto, the brand-new Pokémon area coming to Tokyo theme park Yomiuriland, has moved up its grand opening from the originally slated “spring 2026” to February 5. Before you toss an entry into the lottery for the first batch of ticket purchase rights, though, you might want to check your wallet, and also the physical fitness levels and ages of anyone you’re traveling with.
Starting with the fitness aspect, Poképark Kanto is composed of two sections. There’s Sedge Town, with rides, stage shows, and souvenir shops, and the Pokémon Forest. The idea is to give guests a taste of both aspects of the Pokémon Trainer journey, procuring supplies and experiencing events in town, and encountering wild Pokémon while wandering through the undeveloped parts of the world.
In pursuit of that immersion, the Pokémon Forest is an approximately 500-meter (1,640-foot) long nature trail with grassy sections and tunnels to pass through, and also some pronounced elevation changes. Because of that, the Poképark Kanto admission policy says that anyone entering the Pokémon Forest must be able to climb a stairway of 110 steps, and those unable to do so will be denied admission to the woods. Children under five years old are also barred from the Pokémon Forest, for safety reasons.
The park’s policy states that the age and physical fitness requirements will not be waived even if a parent or caregiver is in accompaniment, and this might be the reason why there are going to be three different types of Poképark Kanto tickets, one of which has a reduced price but only lets you into Sedge town.
Speaking of tickets, we already knew that Poképark Kanto tickets are functionally a supplemental fee tacked on to a Yomiuriland ticket, as every type of Poképark Kanto ticket also admits you to the rest of Yomiuriland too. Because of that, it was a given that Poképark Kanto tickets were going to be more expensive than Yomiuriland tickets. What was less expected is just how much more they’re going to cost. Here’s how much one-day, all-you-can-ride tickets to Yomiuriland (i..e. not including Poképark Kanto) cost.
● Adults (aged 18-64): 5,900 yen (US$39)
● Children aged 12-17: 4,700 yen
● Children aged 6-11, seniors (aged 65 and up): 4,100 yen
● Children aged 3-5: 2,500 yen
Initially, there are going to be two classes of Poképark Kanto tickets, both of which grant access to both the Pokémon Forest and Sedge Town sections. Prices for the less expensive ticket class, the Trainer Pass, are listed on the Poképark Kanto website as:
● Adults (aged 13 and up): starting at 7,900 yen
● Children (aged 3-12): starting at 4,700 yen
● Seniors (aged 65 and up): starting at 7,1000 yen
While that works out to only a minor additional cost for kids between the ages of 6 to 11, and none at all for 12-year-olds, it’s a pretty steep increase for everyone else, especially teenagers between 13 and 17, whose Poképark Kanto passes will cost them 3,200 yen more than the normal Yomiuriland ticket, a 68-percent increase if they want to go into the Pokémon zone.
The price increases get even more startling for the Ace Trainer Pass, also called the “Elite Trainer Pass” in Japanese, which grants priority line access for attractions in Sedge Town, free rides on its rides (regular Trainer Pass holders have to pay extra to ride), and a photo opportunity with Pikachu and Eevee, and special souvenirs. Prices for the Ace Trainer Pass are:
● Adults (aged 13 and up): starting at 14,000 yen
● Children (aged 3-12): starting at 11,000 yen
● Seniors (aged 65 and up): starting at 13,500 yen
Those are more than double the prices of regular Yomiuriland tickets, and in the case of seniors, more than three times as much. Sure, the souvenirs that come with the Ace Trainer Pass are probably pretty sweet, but are they “Let’s pay over 10,000 yen a person”-level sweet?
Things thankfully settle back down with the Town Pass, which is expected to go on sale sometime this summer. The Town Pass only lets holders into the Sedge Town area and lacks the special privileges of the Ace Trainer Pass, but it’s a lot cheaper. In fact, for some ages the price listed on the Poképark Kanto for Town Passes is actually lower than the current price for Yomiuriland tickets, though this may be a misprint or a sign that Yomiuriland tickets are going to be discounted before the Town Pass becomes available.
● Adults (aged 13 and up): starting at 4,700 yen
● Children (aged 3-12): starting at 2,800 yen
● Seniors (aged 65 and up): starting at 4,200 yen
It’s also telling that the Poképark Kanto website is showing its ticket price as “starting at” the specified price points, which seems to imply that while we won’t be seeing ticket prices below those marks, higher ticket prices, say for weekends, holidays, and peak travel seasons, are something Pokémon fans might need to brace for.
All that said, it’s likely Poképark Kanto will have no trouble selling out of tickets from its first purchase rights lottery, which will be accepting applications between November 21 and December 8. The real test will come once the initial hype dies down and prospective visitors start asking whether Poképark Kanto is really worth the price of admission.
Related: Poképark Kanto official website
Source: Poképark Kanto, PR Times (1, 2) via Oricon News via Hachima Kiko, Yomiuriland
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times (1, 2)
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Playful PlayStation team celebrates local Ryogoku culture and takes a PS5 to Kanda Shrine for a traditional autumn event.
There are certain parts of Tokyo that, upon hearing their names, bring up an instant mental image of something the surrounding neighborhood is known for. You can’t hear “Akihabara” without thinking of anime and video games, or “Tsukiji” without thinking of sushi.
Though it might not be quite as internationally famous as the two above examples, for the local population in Japan Ryogoku has just as strong and clear an image as it conjures: sumo. It’s where you’ll find Ryogoku Kokugikan, Japan’s most prestigious sumo arena, and dozens of sumo training stables as well as restaurants managed by retired sumo stars are located in the neighborhood too. Even walking through Ryogoku Station, you’ll see photos, statues, and illustrations of sumo wrestlers, and recently an especially eye-catching image was added: a giant sumo wrestler stopping a train with his bare hands.
11月14日（金）まで、JR両国駅構内にて「It Happens on PS5®」特別映像を放映中！大型デジタルサイネージに“魔人力士”が出現。圧巻の映像をお見逃しなく！#ItHappensOnPS5 pic.twitter.com/Nm7W3tBxMv— プレイステーション公式 (@PlayStation_jp) November 10, 2025
Judging from the E259-model train he goes up against, it seems that this top-knotted colossus has been hanging out on the Sobu Line platform. In the video above, the digital sumo wrestler is just minding his own business until he notices a train is pulling in. He then turns towards it and squares up his shoulders, drops his hips, and extends his hands out in front of him, catching the train with his palms and visually bringing it to a stop as he plants his feet and slides backwards from the impact.
So why’d he go to all this trouble? Because it turns out that in addition to the digital sumo wrestler, there’s also a digital kitty on the platform, and he wanted to make sure it didn’t get hit when the train was pulling in.
The clever mix of digital artistry and physical perspective is the work of Sony’s PlayStation team, though it’s meant as a general celebration of technological creativity instead of promoting any specific game series or character.
This isn’t the only nod to traditional Japanese culture the PlayStation team has been up to recently either. Wednesday marked the five-year anniversary of the PlayStation 5, and with the console now five years old, Sony decided to take it to Tokyo’s Kanda Shrine to celebrate Shichi-Go-San.
PlayStation®5、本日で5歳になりました。すこやかな成長を祈って、七五三のお詣りへ。これからもいっぱい遊んでいただけますように！#PS5 #PS5発売5周年 pic.twitter.com/3kf23MUyzj— プレイステーション公式 (@PlayStation_jp) November 11, 2025
Shichi-Go-San is a festival held every autumn in which parents bring their three, five, and seven-year-old children to Shinto shrines to pray for their continued health and prosperity. The family usually gets dressed up for the occasion and takes a few commemorative photos while at the shrine, and so Sony, like any proud parent, did too.
▼ They even picked an appropriate shrine for their visit, as Kanda Shrine (also known as Kanda Myojin) is the closest major shrine to Akihabara, and also hosted a special art event on the PS5’s original launch date.
オフショットもどうぞ。#PS5 #PS5発売5周年 https://t.co/hvBEvFUgVB pic.twitter.com/iJyRasEubR— プレイステーション公式 (@PlayStation_jp) November 12, 2025
Getting back to the Ryogoku Station sumo wrestler, unfortunately, it’s a limited-time display, and will only be around until November 14. With the design sorted out, though, it seems like it’d be easy to install again the next time there’s a major sumo tournament or other big event going on in Ryogoku, and the digital format means updating it with new reasons for the wrestler to be stopping the train would be pretty simple too, so hopefully we’ll be seeing it again someday.
Source, images: Twitter/PlayStation_jp
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Cleverly beautiful tiramisu sweets are only available three days a week.
Coffee is the key ingredient in tiramisu. Even the dessert’s name, meaning “pick me up” in Italian, is a reference to the energizing caffeine kick that comes from some strong java.
So if tiramisu is going to have the flavor of a cup of coffee, why not the appearance too? The obvious answer to that is “Because it would be really hard to make a cake look like a coffee cup,” but apparently it’s not beyond the talents of Tokyo sweets shop Kissaten ni Koi Shite, which has created this.
Called the Kisa Tiramisu (kissa being a Japanese word for “coffee shop” or “cafe”), what looks like a mug is actually a carefully crafted mousse made with mascarpone cheese sourced from Hokkaido, Japan’s top dairy-producing prefecture. Poured into the divot at the top is a Brazilian coffee sauce with a gentle bitterness, and beneath that is a coffee syrup-soaked sponge cake with bits of crisp chocolate mixed in, and the whole thing sits atop a disc of crumble pie crust-style chocolate.
The Kissa Tiramisu is sold in packs of two for 1,620 yen (US$10.80), so while it’s not an exorbitant luxury, it’s still meant as a special occasion kind of dessert. As a matter of fact, it can’t be an everyday indulgence, as it’s only sold on three days of the week, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, with the first batch of each day becoming available at around 11 in the morning and the second at 3 in the afternoon. Quantities are limited too, with each batch being a total of 30 boxes.
▼ The cakes are sold frozen, and take three to four hours to defrost in the refrigerator.
Kissaten ni Koi Shite has only one location, and it’s located on basement level 1 of Tokyo Station’s Gransta Tokyo section, near the Marunouchi Chika Chuo gate. The shop is inside the station gates, so you’ll need a ticket to access it, but that also means you’ll be able to pick up some of Tokyo Station’s famously delicious ekiben bento boxed lunches while on your dessert run.
Related: Kissaten ni Koi Shite
Source, images: PR Times
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