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!
Enjoy the lit-up structures of an important shrine inside of Ueno Park this autumn complete with special omamori and more.
Ueno Park is usually known as one of the best places in Tokyo to view cherry blossoms in the spring, but the park’s dazzling fall foliage is also nothing to scoff at. This year, the park will also receive its own literal glow-up when a special illumination event titled “The Night of Light when Dreams Come True” takes place at Ueno Toshogu Shrine within its grounds from October 25 through November 9 every night between 5 and 7 p.m.
Established in 1627, many of Ueno Toshogu’s remaining structures date back to the early days of the Edo Period (1600-1868) and are now designated Important Cultural Properties by the Japanese government.
World-class Japanese light designer Motoko Ishii devised the special lighting equipment that was installed at the shrine last November, much of which serves to enhance the golden nature of the buildings with a soft glow.
Visitors will be able to admire the intricate details of various shrine carvings at night thanks to the illumination.
The pathway leading up to the main shrine building will be lit up with a stunning variety of colors.
Even the goshinboku sacred tree and rock garden on the grounds will be illuminated by their own soft yellow light.
Tying in with the theme of the event, omamori amulets specifically for making your dreams come true will be on sale for 800 yen (US$5.25) each. Their special design features a starry sky with a shooting star and two dragons flying over the roof of the main shrine hall. The dragons are actually important lore at Ueno Toshugu, deriving from the two dragon carvings that grace the shrine’s large karamon Chinese-style gate. Legend says that they take to the skies every night, just as depicted on the amulets.
In addition, a special goshuin shrine seal will also be available for 1,300 yen for the duration of the illumination event. The seal’s deep green paper is decorated with intricate gold foil and features fall foliage over a full moon as well as one of the dragons. Its iridescent colors will leave anyone spellbound.
Finally, special lanterns are also available for free rental, though numbers are limited. A unique detail is that each lantern projects the Tokugawa family crest on the ground directly beneath it.
Admission to the Night of Light when Dreams Come True illumination event at Ueno Toshogu Shrine is 700 yen for adults and 300 yen for children of elementary school-age. Those younger than that can enter for free.
There are plenty of more ways to enjoy the season throughout all of Japan, especially if you don’t mind going a bit off the beaten path such as by visiting Mino City’s festival of paper lanterns.
Source, images: PR Times
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Guile, as usual, is waiting.
As the cultural anthropologists who make up SoraNews24’s readership are well aware, autumn is tsukimi/moon-viewing burger season in Japan, when the nation’s hamburger providers serve up sandwiches topped with fried eggs that resemble a beautiful full moon.
However, it’s specifically early autumn that’s moon-viewing season, coinciding with the timing for the moon-viewing parties which courtly nobles use to hold. That means, sadly, that it’ll soon be time to say goodbye to this year’s tsukimi burgers, as the official McDonald’s Japan Twitter account reminded us on Tuesday.
▼ “It’s almost time for them to go back to the moon.”
そろそろ月に帰ります。 pic.twitter.com/CtXBBSWbZR— マクドナルド (@McDonaldsJapan) October 14, 2025
It’s a bittersweet moment, to be sure, but the very next day McDonald’s Japan gave us something new to get excited about.
▼ “Waiting for something…”
何かを待っている…。 pic.twitter.com/802TOIfDSi— マクドナルド (@McDonaldsJapan) October 15, 2025
So just what’s being waited for, and who, for that matter, is the shadowy figure doing the waiting? The first clue is the detailed pixel-art aesthetic, evoking memories of a pre-polygon era of video games, but not so far back as to be taking inspiration from the earliest days of the medium. But the more telling clue? Well, they say that one mark of good character design is when you can recognize who the character is from their silhouette alone, and that silhouette clearly belongs to Guile, from the Street Fighter franchise.
▼ You might think Guile’s hair is the most “could only work in a video game” thing about him, but that distinction actually goes to his crouching block, as we painfully found out.
And it doesn’t look like Guile is the only one getting set for a round at the Golden Arches, as the McDonald’s Japan Twitter account then posted another teaser featuring even more members of the Street Fighter cast, along with the name of series developer Capcom.
明日発表、やつらが会いにくる。 pic.twitter.com/cT0kcD69zL— マクドナルド (@McDonaldsJapan) October 15, 2025
The Street Fighter franchise spans nearly 40 years, with six mainline numbered entries and dozens of spinoffs and semi-sequels. For this collaboration with McDonald’s Japan, though, the focus looks to be on Street Fighter II, as the silhouettes in the tweets are all exact matches to poses the characters strike in its entries (though the second tweet’s use of the original 12 Street Fighter II characters suggests that the new challengers added for Super Street Fighter II and Super Street Fighter II Turbo won’t be part of the festivities). The second tweet also includes the message “They are coming to meet you,” a play on Street Fighter II’s tagline in Japan, “I’m off to go meet someone stronger than myself.”
As to what exactly the team-up is going to entail, a Street Fighter Happy Meal would seem like the most obvious choice, but McDonald’s Japan has been running into some problems with its high-profile Happy Meal collaborations as of late, so we might be getting special Street Fighter sandwiches like McDonald’s made for Godzilla, or they could be releasing sold-separately merch like the McDonald’s Evangelions. More info is expected to be announced later this week.
Source: Twitter/@McDonaldsJapan
Top image: Twitter/@McDonaldsJapan
Insert image: SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Tea with Totoro, anyone?
Fall is the most relaxing season, isn’t it? Nestled between the go-go-go excitement of summer and the chill of winter that makes staying in bed with your head under the covers all day feel like the wisest course of action, autumn is a time of year conducive to stretching out on the sofa with a good book and a nice cup of tea close at hand.
Of course, when you’re not holding that cup of tea, you’re going to want a coaster to put it down on, and if you’re a Ghibli fan, you’re going to want a Ghibli coaster, right?
So here to help keep your interior adorable and your furniture finish protected is Studio Ghibli specialty shop Donguri Kyowakoku, which has just restocked a trio of its cloth coaster sets. Each bundle consists of four designs, with the My Neighbor Totoro collection featuring the grey/big Totoro…
…white/small Totoro and Soot Sprite…
…Mei…
…and the Catbus.
▼ It’s unclear if beverages are allowed onboard the Catbus, but they can definitely be placed on this Catbus.
The gobelin-weave fabric provides an elegant touch, while still conveying the enchanting details of Ghibli art.
Check out, for example, how the designers made sure to include the coloring on Kiki’s cheeks in the Kiki’s Delivery Service set, where the texturing almost gives it the vibe of a mid-’90s Japanese PC game.
Also appearing in the set are black cat Jiji…
…plus his appearing-in-the-ending credits kids and the bread sign Kiki uses to advertise her courier venture.
Finally, there’s the Howl’s Moving Castle set.
Oddly enough, the eccentric and elusive wizard himself is nowhere to be seen, leaving it to Calcifer, Turnip Head, Heen, and the moving castle itself to hold down the figurative fort.
▼ Though we suppose you could make an argument that the moving castle is the real star of the movie, since they titled it Howl’s Moving Castle, not “Some Dude Named Howl.”
While variation-on-a-theme anime merch often takes the form of random gacha/blind-buy items, all three of the coaster sets are being offered as complete bundles of their four designs, priced at 2,200 yen (US$15) and available for order through the Donguri Kyowakoku online store here.
Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3)
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
A beautiful way to add a calming sense of escapism to your day.
Every animated film from Studio Ghibli will take you on a journey, but in the case of the 1989 movie Kiki’s Delivery Service, that journey begins right away, with young witch Kiki packing for a year of witch training. As she rushes around her room, picking out favourite items to pack, she reaches into her bookshelf to retrieve a red tin that’s been secreted away before stuffing it into her knapsack as one of her must-take items.
Now, that special tin has jumped out of the anime world and into the real one, thanks to a new range of teatime products produced by Ghibli specialty chain Donguri Kyowakoku.
While the tin in the film has a round blue accent on one side, the details of the design remain unclear. That gives Donguri Kyowakoku a bit of creative freedom with the product, and they’ve decided to place Kiki inside the blue circle, where she can be seen rattling the tin with a smile, just as she does in the moment she retrieves the item from her bookshelf in the film.
▼ A sweet case of Ghibli inception.
Other details around the tin depict some of the items seen in Kiki’s room, including the stuffed toys on top of her chest of drawers…
…and her knapsack, with the items she packs into it, as well as her father’s red radio, which she takes with her.
One side of the tin features Kiki’s feline friend Jiji, peering upwards and with tail upright, recalling the cat’s stance during the pre-journey bedroom packing scene.
And on the lid, we have a witch on her broomstick, with the sun and moon on either side, as a nod to the three images seen on the signboard outside Kiki’s home.
With gold accents throughout, the tin is beautifully made, and the attention to detail extends to the eight original tea bags inside, which contain a blend of Ceylon tea and chamomile. The tea is said to have a fruity aroma and is gentle and easy to drink, and the tag is gorgeous to look at, as it recalls the witch motif seen on the wooden board outside Kiki’s family home.
▼ The colourful appearance of each teabag is reminiscent of the tinctures and potions made by Kiki’s mother, Kokiri.
With the words “I’ve been excited about making this trip” appearing on one side of the tin, every sip of the tea will add a calming sense of escapism to your day.
▼ This product is aptly called “Kiki’s Departure Original Tea Blend“.
Once you finish all the teas inside, you can still enjoy the magic by repurposing the tin as a container for small items. Storing it behind the books in your bookshelf will really add to the anime charm.
With teas this good, you’ll want something equally enchanting to drink them in, and for that the chain has two options for us to choose from.
The Kiki’s Delivery Service One-Cup Tea Mug Jiji and Bread Wreath is the obvious choice for a cup of Kiki’s Departure tea.
This heat-resistant glass mug has been made by respected Japanese manufacturer Hario, and it comes with a convenient strainer that makes it easy to brew a single serving of tea.
The strainer is removable, so you can easily use the mug with teabags or loose-leaf teas. And if you turn the lid upside down, it acts as a stand to place the strainer on after brewing.
▼ With muted beige colour details, the color of the tea truly shines.
▼ The mug features Jiji on the front…
▼ …and a bread wreath design on the back.
Fans of My Neighbour Totoro will want to add the “Large Totoro and Soot Sprites” mug to their teatime collection.
▼ This design also comes with a lid and removable strainer.
▼ On the front of the glass is Totoro (or “Large Totoro” as he’s sometimes known)…
▼ …and on the back is a trio of cheeky Soot Sprites.
The Totoro mug is perfectly suited to green tea blends, which will give the characters a charming forest-like backdrop.
All these new products will warm your heart and your body as the cool weather descends, and they’re not too much of a splurge, as the tea tin is priced at 3,080 yen (US$20.20) and the mugs at 2,860 yen each. They can be purchased now at Donguri Kyowakoku stores around Japan and online (links below), where you’ll also find a collection of coasters that’ll add even more joy to your anime teatime.
Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Featured image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3)
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!