Enjoy an elevated Starbucks experience at this famous tourist site. Starbucks has a lot of beautiful branches in Japan, but the most impressive amongst them are the “Regional Landmark Stores“, of which there are only 29 across the country. Located in iconic or culturally significant sites like historic buildings, these special stores have unique architectural elements designed to reflect local scenery, history, and traditions, with the aim of blending in seamlessly with their surroundings. They offer visitors an experience beyond what you’d usually find at a regular Starbucks, and one impressive example can be found at Nagano Prefecture’s famous tourist spot, Zenkoji Temple. ▼ The Starbucks Shinshu Zenkoji Nakamise Street Store is one of the chain’s rarest locations. The first thing you’ll notice when visiting the store is the wooden Japanese-style building it’s housed in. With no evidence of the chain’s iconic green hue on the old building itself, the store fits in beautifully with the surrounding streetscape, making it seem as if it’s been in business at this location for centuries. Step inside, though, and you’ll find a spacious, two-storey interior with artwork featuring the crest of Zenkoji Temple, the standing hollyhock. Explore further and you’ll come across even more surprising artworks — two approximately four-metre (13-foot) tall tapestries depicting coffee cherries and flowers. ▼ The hand-dyed tapestries are incredibly impressive in person as they stretch from floor to ceiling. The interior utilises locally sourced wood, which gives the space a warm, calming vibe, and the open ceiling design enhances the relaxing atmosphere throughout. ▼ The heated recessed floor seating on the second floor is particularly sought after, especially in the colder months. Despite being in a bustling tourist area, the store is like a relaxing haven away from the crowds, making it the perfect spot for a break during a day of sightseeing. Regional Landmark Stores like this one deserve to be tourist destinations in their own right, and there are equally beautiful ones to be found in Kawagoe and Kobe City. Store information Starbucks Shinshu Zenkoji Nakamise Street Store / スターバックス 信州善光寺仲見世通り店 Address: Nagano-ken, Nagano-shi, Motozen-cho 483 長野県 長野市 元善町483 Open 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. Irregular holidays Photos©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Hayao Miyazaki’s latest anime makes its photo spot debut, but a classic Castle in the Sky scene is bowing out. Ghibli Park isn’t a typical theme park. Instead of rides and parades, the focus is on art and atmosphere, with one of the biggest draws being Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, which houses a variety of artistic artifacts and displays about how the famed studio creates its anime films. One of the highlights of the Warehouse is its Becoming Characters in Memorable Ghibli Scenes section, which invites visitors to step into famous scenes from Ghibli anime, taking the place of one of the characters and allowing you to see things from the in-movie perspective (plus snap some really cool photos). Soon, Ghibli Park will be making its first update to Becoming Characters in Memorable Ghibli Scenes since the park’s opening in 2022. The area currently consists of 14 scenes and will be getting seven all-new ones. Starting with the bad news, as part of the update some of the existing scenes will be going away. December 1 will be the last day for the Becoming Characters in Memorable Ghibli Scenes displays for The Wind Rises, When Marnie Was There, and Ocean Waves. Considering that those are among Ghibli’s less enduringly popular titles, there probably won’t be too many tears shed as they’re shuffled out, but December 1 will also be the last chance for fans to enjoy the Castle in the Sky/Laputa scene where they can catch Sheeta falling from the sky, one of the most memorable visuals in anime. But moving on to the things to smile about, four Ghibli anime will be getting their very first Becoming Characters in Memorable Ghibli Scenes displays. The most intriguing of the bunch is The Boy and the Heron, Hayao Miyazaki’s most recent movie, as guests are invited to take protagonist Mahito’s place as he and Himi have a fateful conversation with the mysterious powerful sorcerer Granduncle. ▼ The scene that serves as the inspiration for the new Ghibli Park display Also making their Becoming Characters in Memorable Ghibli Scenes debuts are scenes from My Neighbors the Yamadas, Ghiblies Episode 2 (an animated short that screened in theaters with The Cat Returns), and On Your Mark (the Studio Ghibli-animated music video for Japanese pop duo Chage and Aska’s 1994 song of the same name). Ghibli Park hasn’t given any hints as to which specific scenes will be featured for those three works, but in the case of On Your Mark, the sequence with the angel and the two policemen in the Alfa Romeo-esque convertible is largely considered its signature moment. In addition, Becoming Characters in Memorable Ghibli Scenes will be introducing three new scenes from Only Yesterday, Porco Rosso, and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya as part of the update, with all seven new displays being added on December 17. Ghibli Park hasn’t said what’s going to happen to the Becoming Characters in Memorable Ghibli Scenes displays that are being shuffled out, but it’s hard to imagine they’ll be destroyed, especially with how iconic the Sheeta scene is. Most likely they’ll be kept in storage so that they can be used in future traveling exhibitions of Ghibli art. Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse isn’t the only part of the park that’s getting a sprucing up, either. The Rotunda Kazegaoka cafe is currently closed for renovations, but when it reopens on November 1, it’ll feature a gigantic Savoia S-21, the beloved flying boat of Porco Rosso’s porcine protagonist. This woodcraft piece of art was previously on display at the Studio Ghibli Exhibition Tokyo 2025 event in Japan’s capital, but with it ending late last month, the anime aircraft is getting a new, and permanent, home at Ghibli Park. Source: PR Times Top image: PR Times Insert images: PR Times, Studio Ghibli ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Kitty-chan is celebrating her birthday in style. As we get deeper into autumn, picnicking opportunities usually start to dry up. What with the weather getting colder and the days shorter, it becomes tougher to plan one out and coordinate schedules with friends, and so oftentimes those picnic plans get pushed back to the following spring. However, this year’s picnic season isn’t quite over yet, and there’s an especially compelling invitation from none other than Hello Kitty. Coming October 29 to the Roppongi neighborhood of downtown Tokyo is the Hello Kitty’s Picnic Garden event. It’ll be taking place at the Roppongi Hills entertainment complex, and the duration of the event includes Kitty-chan’s official birthday, November 1. Though this is an open-air event, with Roppongi Hills’ O-Yane Plaza serving as the venue with grassy (or at least artificial turf) areas, it’s not clear whether or not visitors will be encouraged to actually bring a meal to eat while stretching out, as the organizers are describing it as a “picnic-like” experience. The visual motif is an English garden, referencing Hello Kitty’s birthplace of London (as per her official profile), and it looks like there will be a variety of photo spots, including a Hello Kitty statue and stylish apple tree. Kitty-chan herself is getting dressed up for the event, sporting a houndstooth-pattern outfit on a special plushie and gacha/blind-buy straps, plus stickers that’ll be given out to fans making purchases at the attached merch shop. While supplies last, visitors will also receive one of four mini fragrance bottles, with their scents called “Mama’s Apple Pie,” “Little Flowers Blooming in the Garden,” “The Tone of the Piano After the Rain,” and “My Favorite Ribbon.” Hello Kitty’s Picnic Garden is scheduled to run from October 29 to November 14, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on its first day and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. thereafter. Related: Roppongi Hills official website Source, images: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and Kiki’s Delivery Service feature in this new collection. Now that the days are finally getting cooler, Studio Ghibli is here to keep our toes and hearts warm with a bumper new collection of socks featuring some of our favourite characters. With a wide variety of styles to suit your needs and preferences, it’ll be hard to choose just one pair to add to our sock drawer. Let’s take a look at everything available below, starting with a trio designed to feel like marshmallows. ▼ Soft Marshmallow Crew — 23-25 centimetre sizes (9.06–9.84 inches) — 990 yen (US$6.49) each Each sock features an embroidered character on the outer side, while the inner side remains plain. The characters here are: ▼ The white Small Totoro from My Neighbour Totoro... ▼ …Jiji from Kiki’s Delivery Service… ▼ …and Hin (a.k.a Heen) from Howl’s Moving Castle. Next up, we have one special extra-fluffy pair in honour of black cat Jiji from Kiki’s Delivery Service. ▼ Kiki’s Delivery Service Fleece-lined Socks “Footprints” — sizes 23-24 centimetres (1,650 yen) With Jiji embroidered on the outside and a soft fleece lining on the inside, these socks are so cute and cuddly you’ll never want to take them off. ▼ My Neighbour Totoro Warm Room Socks — 23-25 centimetres (880 yen) This next duo of socks come with an anti-slip surface on the underside to help keep you steady on even the smoothest floors. The full pile construction provides excellent insulation and water absorption, and there are two character designs to choose from. ▼ Small Totoro ▼ Soot Sprites ▼ My Neighbour Totoro Blanket Socks — 22-26 centimetres (1,650 yen each) Finally, we have a trio of long socks that’ll hug your toes and your calves with the help of some beloved characters. ▼ The Caramel design features Totoro with autumnal motifs that include a nod to the character’s love of acorns. ▼ The Bordeaux design features Jiji with rows of pretzels. ▼ The Black design has No Face peering out at us…along with its fearful teeth. The new sock range is an adorable way to show your love for Studio Ghibli throughout the colder months, and they can be purchased at Donguri Kyowakoku stores in Japan and online (links below) while stocks last. Source: Donguri Kyowakoku Featured image: Donguri Kyowakoku Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Join us as we find out if these new items live up to the hype. It’s not long now until Halloween…that is, unless you’re at Starbucks in Japan, where the festivities are already underway. At the centre of the celebrations is a special limited-edition beverage called the Acai Berry Frappuccino (730 yen [US$4.79]), which is dressed up to look like a mischievous black cat. ▼ The chocolate ears make it seem like a cat is hiding out inside. The combination of cat ears and dark black and berry hues make this one of Starbucks’ most visually striking creations, and the flavours are equally intriguing, with a blend of acai, cassis, raspberry, and blackberry. ▼ On top, the whipped cream is drizzled with black chocolate sauce. We ventured over to our nearest Starbucks to try the new drink as soon as it was released on 10 October, and we were greeted at the front door by a cute black cat. The feline welcome sets the scene for the cat-inspired Frappuccino, and when we got our first sip of it, we found that the acai was subtle, with a stronger berry presence to counteract the tartness, creating a refreshing, easy-to-drink beverage. The acai drifts through every now and then, flitting through the palate like a feline in the shadows, while the nutty chocolate provides a crunchy contrast that’ll make you feel like a cat biting into a toy. The sauce atop the whipped cream is slightly bitter and rich in flavour, creating a perfectly balanced sweetness with a hint of bitterness that’s delicious with the clean-tasting berry base. Although the cat-eared Frappuccino clearly steals the show, another item called the Acai Berry Yuzu Citrus & Tea (590 yen) also made its menu debut on the same day. This drink builds upon the chain’s yuzu citrus tea with added acai pulp, and when we purchased ours, the barista recommended we switch it to a passionfruit tea for something a little different, at no extra charge. The acidity and bitterness of the acai berry blends well with the distinctly tart passionfruit tea blend nicely. Thanks to the yuzu citrus, the aftertaste is refreshing and clean, creating a beverage that’s so drinkable you’ll be tempted to buy it again. Both new drinks are absolutely delicious, and the celebrations don’t stop there, as the chain has a whole swathe of limited-edition Halloween goods in store, including a cute ghost mug with a special glow-in-the-dark feature. So if you’re looking for somewhere to celebrate Halloween this year, seeing as street parties in Shibuya are now strictly off limits, hop into your nearest Starbucks and treat your taste buds to a taste of the new drinks. They’re only being made in limited quantities while stocks last though, so be sure to get in quick to join the celebrations. Photos©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Our boss tested the limits of Tokyo’s most liberated neighbourhood and was detained by police. Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ni-chome district is recognised as Japan’s most liberated and vibrant LGBTQ+ neighbourhood, and it’s an area that never sleeps, with an exciting vibe that lingers well into the morning. It’s a place where stories are born, myths are made…and our founder, Yoshio, was once almost arrested. The incident occurred eight years ago, when Yoshio was coaxed into dressing up as Hentai Kamen (“Pervert Mask“) for an article by his subordinate P.K. Sanjun. With P.K. egging him on, Yoshio felt brave enough to walk out into the streets of Ni-chome as both of them bared their bodies in the minimal coverage of the character’s mankini body thong, but when they got close to the local police box, they were called inside and interrogated. What conspired was a brush with the law that proved to be unnerving for both Yoshio and P.K., but the story has an untold side, involving what our reporter Seiji Nakazawa experienced when he was called in to assist with the matter. On that day, Seiji was in the office, with only one other writer typing away on the other side of the room. The quietness of the room was suddenly interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing around midday, and when his colleague answered the phone, Seiji could tell she was turning pale just by the tone of her voice. Her mood shifted dramatically from the second word spoken and Seiji immediately knew this was no ordinary call. Turning to look at her, she briefly put the call on hold, placed her hand over the mouthpiece and said to him, in a hushed tone, “Yoshio just got caught!” Seiji almost spat out his tea. What exactly does one do when your boss and founder of the business you work for gets caught? He’d never contemplated such a situation, but since he was the only senior member of the team in the office, it fell upon him to respond to the police request that someone “bring clothes to the police box“. With anxious thoughts running through his head, Seiji brought a bundle of clothes to the police box, and inside, Yoshio and P.K. were standing. Not arrested, but apprehended and not allowed to leave. Seiji entered the station with a deep apologetic bow, and as he came eye-to-eye with his colleagues, he saw that Yoshio looked solemn but P.K. seemed to have a cocky attitude, like a junior high student who’d been scolded by a teacher. As the situation unfolded, Seiji felt that P.K. seemed to have put Yoshio in the lurch by pressuring him to walk the streets semi naked, but now, with some distance between the event, he decided to question Yoshio to find out how he really felt at the time. He started his interrogation with the following question: “When you were caught by the police, how did you feel?” Yoshio: “At that time, I thought I had done nothing wrong at all. So I didn’t understand why I was being yelled at.” “You didn’t intentionally expose your body to passersby?” Yoshio: “No, not at all. I was careful to cover my private parts with tape, so I didn’t think I was actually naked.” “How did you feel while you were at the police box?” Yoshio: “There was anxiety and fear. I thought everything would be over if I got arrested.” “Why did you decide to do what you did in the first place? Yoshio: “Because P.K. suggested we do it.” “So do you think you were set up?” Yoshio: “Not really. As the boss, I should have stopped it. I caused trouble for many people.” During police questioning, the officers actually threatened to escalate the situation by calling Yoshio’s boss, but when they asked them for their boss’s details, Yoshio surprised them with his reply: “I am the boss”. It was certainly a surprise to the officers, who ended up releasing him and P.K. with a warning. Still, it left a scar on the duo, and Seiji himself realised he too had unfinished feelings about it all. He’d long wanted to talk about the events of that day with Yoshio, but after fetching him from the police box, it became a sore point that neither of them were able to talk about comfortably. After conducting his own informal questioning though, Seiji felt a sense of closure, and with Yoshio expressing regret over his actions on that day, and the effect it had on everyone around him, he seemed to find some closure on the matter too. It was a lesson learned in how not to overstep the mark with what police deem acceptable on the streets, and now they know where the line is, they’ve been careful to keep the crazy antics contained within the office and at our cheap countryside house instead. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

A combination we’d never imagined, but is it one we’ll want to forget? The stock called dashi is one of the most ubiquitous ingredients in Japanese cooking. Made from kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi (bonito flakes), dashi can be found in miso soup, the broths for udon and soba noodles, and even as an ingredient in non-soups such as oyakodon (chicken and egg bowl) and gyudon (beef bowl). However, you usually won’t find dashi in ice cream. We say “usually,” though, because ice cream with dashi in it is exactly what we found recently in Niigata Prefecture. While walking through the CoCoLo shopping center attached to Niigata Station in Niigata City, our Japanese-language reporter Udonko stopped to browse at On the Umami, a dashi specialty shop. Udonko, who’s from Niigata, had previously picked up some dashi packets at On the Umami and was amazed by how well the soup she made from them turned out, so she was thinking about grabbing a few more, or maybe trying some of their dashi mixes that you pour into your rice cooker along with the grains. But all those thoughts were suddenly overpowered when Udonko saw the shop’s poster for Dashi Soft Serve Ice Cream (だしソフト). And no, “dashi” isn’t being used here as a tongue-in-cheek term for something else. This ice cream really does contain dashi, with the poster boasting that it’s a blend of three different types of kombu dashi. At 400 yen (US$2.70), this is just a bit on the pricey side for a cup of takeout soft serve, but considering that in all the years Udonko has been on this planet she’s never once come across dashi ice cream, she figured it could be equally as long until her next opportunity to taste it, and so she decided to give it a try. On the Umami doesn’t have its own eat-in space, but Udonko found a rest area not far from the shop where she could snap some photos and do her taste-testing. Visually, the Dashi Soft Serve is quite beautiful, a bright white with just the right amount of enticing contouring, with no appearance quirks that would give you reason to suspect it’s made with such an unorthodox ingredient. The fact that it looks like regular ice cream, though, made it all the more difficult to predict how it would taste. Would it be sweet like a dessert, salty like seafood, or something else entirely? But the old adage that “the first bite is with the eyes” is meant metaphorically, so the only way for Udonko to get the answer she sought was to take a bite with the mouth… …and was greeted by a fantastically creamy milk flavor! Thinking back to the poster for the Dashi Soft Serve, aside from the dashi, it also mentioned that it’s made with milk from Guernsey-breed cows. There are only about 300 Guernsey cows in all of Japan, and only 20 of them in the Niigata town of Nagaoka, where the ice cream sources its milk from. Guernsey milk is praised for having a rich flavor yet a clean finish, and those qualities shine through in the Dashi Soft Serve too. As for the dashi, it waits a while to make its presence felt. It was hard to notice at first, but as the ice cream began to melt a bit, Udonko could feel her tongue’s salt receptors starting to wake up. On the Umami has wisely deduced that ice cream fans don’t want the flavor of their sweet treat to be predominantly dashi, and so that element hangs in the background, but still builds to a gentle saltiness that helps accentuate and draw out more of the cream’s sweetness, Udonko says. So while the concept had Udonko’s mouth agape in shock, the result left her with a smile on her face and the knowledge that ice cream and dashi can be a combination that’s at least as tasty as coffee and sesame oil. Shop information On the Umami Address: Niigata-ken, Niigata-shi, Chuo-ku, Hanazono 1-1-1, JR Niigata Station building CoCoLo Niigata 2nd floor East Side 新潟県新潟市中央区花園1-1-1 JR新潟駅構内 CoCoLo NIIGATA 2F EAST SIDE Open 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Celebrate the fall season with chestnuts, grapes, and decadent matcha treats. For a limited-time this fall, matcha lovers throughout Japan will have the opportunity to indulge in a luxurious offering of some of Japan’s favorite autumn delights at Hotel New Otani Osaka. The “Super Sweets Buffet 2025: Autumn-colored Chestnuts and Matcha” is serving up a range of gorgeous seasonal sweets, combined with the elegant taste of matcha. The Super Sweets Buffet will be held from October 7 to November 30 and is open for anyone to enjoy. Guests can choose to be taken on an international Mont Blanc tasting journey, comparing three distinct versions of the dish from France, Italy, and Japan. Each of them offers their own distinct charm: Japan’s with its rich sweetness and fragrant aroma, France’s elegant and delicate sweetness, and Italy’s rich and moist texture. ▼ Left to right: France, Italy, and Japan You can also spend the whole 90 minutes indulging in the Matcha Roll Cake, Matcha Pannacotta, Matcha Cream Puff, and Matcha Gelato, among many other mouthwatering treats that are all yours for the taking, all for the price of 6,500 yen (US$42.50) on weekdays, or 7,200 yen on weekends. If you love all things matcha, and you simply can’t get enough of that rich green tea flavor, there’s an irresistible treat waiting for you: a Matcha Shot. Using Uji’s long-established tea maker Yamamasa Koyamaen’s Samidori matcha, which retains the true flavor of matcha while keeping bitterness and astringency to a minimum, an extra 500 yen will get you a glass of what tastes like pure essence of matcha. Or there’s the beautiful Matcha Latte for 1,500 yen, which contains a rich blend of matcha, milk, espresso, brown sugar syrup, ice cream, and marshmallows. Every sip brings you a deep, layered flavor that combines the refined sweetness of the brown sugar, the bitterness of the espresso, and the gentleness of the milk. To truly splurge and add some fruity sparkle to your meal, just pay an extra 3,200 yen and you’ll be brought the premium mocktail Vine of Grapes, a luxurious drink crafted with Shine Muscat and Nagano Purple, two top-class varieties of grapes. However, if you were thinking about paying extra for any of these delicious drinks, you’ll want to make a reservation beforehand, as unlike the buffet, they’re limited to only those who have booked online. At the end of all of this, if your cravings for matcha have still not been sated, Hotel New Otani has got you covered with an irresistible treat: extra matcha. Regardless of what is on your plate, be it desserts, pancakes, or salads, you can sprinkle over as much matcha as you like to create the perfect taste for you. For the ultimate experience, the hotel is offering a special accommodation plan that includes a guaranteed buffet reservation, a sumptuous breakfast, a complementary Matcha Shot, a Yamamasu Koyamaen tea bag set, and a serene stay in a room that has a stunning view of Osaka Castle. Plans start from 30,000 yen a night per person, assuming two guests are sharing. With a buffet packed with elegant sweets, the refined taste of matcha, and the seasonal flavors of chestnuts and grapes, Hotel New Otani Osaka’s buffet promises to be as delicious as it is beautiful, making it a perfect way to enjoy some of the best flavors that Japanese autumn has to offer. Hotel information Hotel New Otani Osaka / ホテルニューオータニ大阪 Address: Osaka-fu, Osaka-shi, Chuo-ku, Shiromi 1-4-1 大阪府大阪市中央区城見1-4-1 Buffet open: (weekdays) 11:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (last entry 2:30 p.m.); (weekends and holidays) 11:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (last entry 3:30 p.m.) Website Related: Buffet information and online reservation, Yamamasa Koyamaen Source and images: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

My haramaki Totoro. It’s hard to imagine Totoro ever feeling chilly. Part of that is because the events of the My Neighbor Totoro anime take place mostly in summer, but even in the end-credits illustration that shows the Ghibli star standing in the snow, he seems completely unfazed by the cold. From that, we can deduce that Totoro’s fur must be very warm, especially the section that covers his ample stomach, and with cold weather on the way, thankfully there’s a way to have a cozy Totoro tummy of your own. Pictured here is Ghibli specialty store Donguri Kyowakoku’s Totoro haramaki. Meaning “stomach wrap,” a haramaki is an old-school Japanese garment that slides around your midsection and stretches roughly from your navel to your lower hips. Made with soft, warm material, the fit is snug but comfy, and keeps your body heat locked in, acting like a constant warm hug. And as if the Soot Sprite on the front wasn’t already cute enough, there’s another on the backside, plus a rendering of Totoro’s tail. While haramaki are generally used as an inner layer when worn out and about, at home they can be used as outer-layer roomwear. As for why some of Donguri Kyowakoku’s photos show two Totoro haramaki together, that’s because they’re being offered in both kids’ and adult sizes, with identical designs. The item’s official name is the Totoro Tummy Marshmallow Haramaki, and while the acrylic/nylon/polyurethane fabric has some stretch to it, size-wise Donguri Kyowakoku recommends the adult size for wearers with a waist measurement of between 64 and 77 centimeters (25.2 and 30,3 inches), and the kids’ for waists between 47 and 55 centimeters. The adult Totoro belly warmer is priced at 3,080 yen (US$21) and the kids’ size at 2,860 yen, and following a restock they’re both available now through the Donguri Kyowakoku online store here. And if you’re looking to keep your feet just as cozy, they’ve got a whole line of Ghibli character marshmallow socks too. Source: Donguri Kyowakoku Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Yufuin is often thought of as Oita’s “other” hot spring town, but this ryokan plays second fiddle to nowhere. Oita has more hot springs than any other prefecture in Japan, and no city in Oita has more hot springs than Beppu. However, some onsen (hot spring) enthusiasts will say that the best bathing in Oita is to be found in Yufuin (a district of the city of Yufu) which has a reputation not only for excellent water but also a refined, elegant atmosphere that differentiates it from the more mass-marketed Beppu. Which of the two to spend the night in is ultimately a matter of personal taste, but making a strong case for Yufuin is the ryokan (traditional inn) Gettouan. We recently paid a visit to Gettouan as part of a press tour organized by travel agency Skyscanner. The inn is located about 10 minutes by taxi from Yufuin Station, nestled in the mountains such that it feels like its own little world. Stepping into the lobby to check in, you’re actually inside a nearly 400-year-old village headman’s manor, which originally stood in Yamanashi Prefecture before being disassembled, transported to Yufuin, and put back together and given periodic renovations. ▼ The irori (hearth) in the sitting area is a nice classical touch. However, there aren’t any guestrooms in this building. Gettouan is what’s called a hanare, or “detached,” style of ryokan, meaning that the guestrooms housed in their own separate structures, scattered around the grounds. As such, we knew we’d have a bit of a walk to our room, but what we weren’t expecting was for that walk to take us across a bridge in a breathtakingly beautiful forest, which passes over a stream that flows off from the nearby Shirataki River. Once on the other side, the path is lined with villas which contain individual guestrooms, as well as a common-use lounge and communal baths. There’s also an open-air private bath that can be rented out by couples or families, located next to the stream. Gettouan has a variety of room types, which can be perused on the hotel’s website here, and we were booked in one of the Standard rooms. However, “standard” is a relative term, and as you can see from these interior photos from the inn’s website, the Standard rooms are still very luxuriously appointed. Our room even included its own open-air bath with genuine hot spring water filling it. Gettouan’s meals are in keeping with its beautiful aesthetics and high-class atmosphere as well. Everything was delicious, but that was especially so for the sukiyaki made with locally raised Bungo beef and shiitake mushrooms. Gettouan even has its own exclusive sake, produced by Oita brewer Kuge Honten. Also called “Gettouan,” the sake has a gentle sweetness to it, making it pair nicely with pretty much anything you might be dining on. And if you’ve got a sweet tooth, back in the lobby building there’s a store… …and in the store is a refrigerator… …and in the refrigerator are the matcha green tea ice cream and kabosu citrus fruit sorbet made specially for the inn. Gettouan is in what feels like an ideal location for a hot spring inn getaway. It’s located close enough to a train station to be easily accessible, but far enough away from the city center to feel tranquilly secluded, rustically enchanting while still giving you all the amenities you need to relax and de-stress. It’s the kind of place where you probably can’t help but feel a little bittersweet when it’s time to go home, but at least you get one last trip across that beautiful bridge on your way to check out. Hotel information Gettouan / 月燈庵 Address: Oita-ken, Yufu-shi, Yufuin-cho, Kawakami 295-2 大分県由布市湯布院町川上２９５−２ Website Standard room interior photos: Gettouan All other photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!