Twentythree

One of Tokyo’s biggest shopping areas is giving you the chance to try 19 kinds of the traditional spring sweet spanning two major regional differences.

Perhaps you’re on your way to visit Chiikawa Park in Tokyo’s Sunshine City shopping complex, or to stock up on the latest character goods at Animate’s flagship location just down the road. Either way, there’s a very good chance that you’ll be passing through Ikebukuro Station to get to your destination. In that case, on your way out, it would be super convenient to pop into Seibu Ikebukuro department store, which is directly affixed to the station. Its basement level functions as a collection of prepared food, sweets, and gift shops, where you’ll also find a sakuramochi festival going on for the next month or so.

▼ Sakuramochi Festival

Sakuramochi is a traditional Japanese confection wrapped in an edible, pickled sakura (cherry blossom) leaf. Usually consumed during sakura season and the Hinamatsuri festival on March 3, it can take many forms depending on the region of Japan as well.

13 shops in Seibu Ikebukuro’s basement food level are currently selling 19 kinds of sakuramochi as part of the festival. Enjoy sampling different variations of the pink sweet, comparing the regional styles, and deciding whether you’re part of the camp that eats the pickled sakura leaf or not. Below are several of the sample brands that you can find at the promotion.

● Kanto (eastern Japan) style, also nicknamed “Chomeijimochi”

The Kanto style of sakuramochi typically includes an outer crepe-like dough made from wheat flour or glutinous rice flour which is then filled with red bean paste.

Ginza Akebono’s sakuramochi
270 yen (US$1.74) / Available through April 14

Morihachi’s sakuramochi
238 yen / Available through April 5

Toraya’s sakuramochi
476 yen / Available through March 3 (goes on sale at noon each day)

Funawa’s red and white sakuramochi
195 yen / Available through March 3

Obusedo’s chestnut kanoko sakuramochi
454 yen / Available through April 7

Obusedo’s chestnut paste sakuramochi
454 yen / Available though April 7

● Kansai (western Japan) style, also nicknamed “Domyojimochi”

The Kansai style of sakuramochi uses course rice powder made from glutinous rice that results in a particular chewy texture.

Tsuruya Yoshinobu’s sakuramochi
432 yen / Available through April 15

Taneya’s spring mochi (includes sakuramochi and kusamochi, mugwort rice cakes)
1 box contains 4 sweets for 1,188 yen / Available through early April

Tsuruya Hachiman’s sakuramochi
346 yen / Available through April 10

Seikanin’s sakuramochi
249 yen / Available through March 3

Obusedo’s chestnut bean paste domyoji
454 yen / Available through April 7

Asakusa Umezono’s domyoji
297 yen / Available through April 19

Sakura season is in full swing already in Japan, with many stores and eateries offering sakura-themed goodies. Fill up on your sakura food fix everywhere from 7-Eleven to Starbucks next time you’re out and about.

Store information
Seibu Ikebukuro Main Store / 西武池袋本店
Address: Tokyo-to, Toshima-ku, Minami-Ikebukuro 1-28-1
東京都豊島区南池袋 1-28-1
Open: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Website

Source, images: PR Times 
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Sakura is usually associated with the colour pink, so why is this collection so blue?

As we enter meteorological spring in Japan, the blossoming of the sakura trees is now only a few weeks away. However, at Starbucks the season has already begun, with a pink-hued range of drinkware released in February. Now, a second series is about to arrive at Starbucks, and this time the theme is “Sakura Twinkle Gently“, which is designed to conjure up images of cherry blossoms dancing against a blue sky.

▼ The new collection will be available online from 8 p.m. on 3 March, and in stores around Japan from 4 March.

While “airy blue” is definitely the hue du jour, there are splashes of pink to be found in the collection. There are plenty of silvery, sparkly details too, including a shoulder bag for hanami picnics and a rhinestone tumbler with an eye-watering price tag.

So let’s take a closer look at everything in the range, starting with some of the larger bottles and tumblers.

▼ Three-way Stainless Steel Tumbler Stanley Shiny Airy Blue Gradient 414 millilitres (14 ounces) 5,200 yen (US$33.13)

▼ Stainless Steel To Go Bottle Airy Blue 473 millilitres (5,550 yen)

▼ Stainless Steel Bottle Glitter Airy Blue 444 millilitres (4,950 yen)

▼ Glass Tumbler Airy Blue 473 millilitres (3,500 yen)

▼ Stainless Steel Bottle Stanley Shiny Airy Blue Gradient 473 millilitres (5,700 yen)

The muted blue tones have a noticeable calming effect, conjuring up quiet, contemplative moments with the blooms.

▼ Strap Cup Shape Stainless Steel Bottle Airy Blue 355 millilitres (5,000 yen)

There are a number of lighter, creamier options that also suit the mood of the collection.

▼ Stainless Steel Bottle Shell White 355 millilitres (4,750 yen)

▼ Mug Medal Airy Blue 355 millilitres (2,850 yen)

The following two items are only available online.

▼ Heat Resistant Glass Mug Lustre (3,400 yen)

▼ Double Wall Heat Resistant Glass Cup 355 millilitres (3,650 yen)

If you’re of the mind that pink ought to be the star colour of any sakura series, then there is one tumbler that fits the brief, despite being called “White” in its description.

▼ Tumbler White 473 millilitres (2,450 yen)

If you want to look and feel fancy, then the next three items have the classy vibe you’re looking for.

▼ Stainless Steel Mug with Lid 355 millilitres (4,000 yen)

▼ Stainless Steel Tumbler Rhinestone Airy Blue 473 millilitres (19,500 yen)

▼ Bottle Shoulder Bag Metallic Pink (2,950 yen)

▼ You’ll definitely turn heads at any hanami flower-viewing picnic with a dedicated bag for your tumbler.

If you prefer to view the blossoms at home, then this sakura-shaped coaster will do the trick.

▼ Coaster Airy Blue (2,000 yen)

And if you’d like to share your love of sakura with a friend, this sparkly mini cup gift, which comes with a drink ticket, will put a smile on their face.

▼ Starbucks Mini Cup Gift in Airy Blue with drink ticket (1,150 yen)

It’s a bold move for Starbucks to step out with a blue-themed range for sakura season, when pink is ordinarily associated with the blooms. With last month’s pink range debuting alongside a pink Frappuccino, we’re now curious to see what colour Frappuccino will be unveiled with the Twinkle Gently collection.

Source, images: Press release
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Higher rates now in effect, projected to bring in more than 7 billion yen in extra revenue.

For many of the things that draw travelers to Kyoto, their appeal is timeless. The elegant architecture of a temple, the soothingly precise patterns raked into a stone garden, and the enticing aroma of a cup of freshly brewed, locally farmed tea are things that visitors to the city have been enjoying for centuries.

However, a big change has come to Kyoto travel this week, with the introduction of new, and potentially much more expensive, accommodation taxes that you’ll need to pay if you plan on spending the night in the city.

Kyoto collects accommodation taxes on a combined per-person/per-night basis. So, for example, if you’ve got two people sharing a room for two nights, the tax will be charged four times. Up until the end of last month, there were three tax tiers, based on the pre-tax per-person per-night cost of the hotel rooms.

● Previous Kyoto hotel accommodation tax tiers based on per-person per-night room rate
Under 20,000 yen: 200 yen
Between 20,000 and 49,999 yen: 500 yen
Over 50,000 yen: 1,000 yen

The new accommodation tax has five tiers, and anyone booking a room for 6,000 yen or more per person per night will be paying more, with the tax for the highest bracket rising to 10,000 yen (US$65) being 10 times as much as it used to be.

● New Kyoto hotel accommodation tax tiers based on per-person per-night room rate
Under 6,000 yen: 200 yen
Between 6,000 and 19,999 yen: 400 yen
Between 20,000 and 49,999 yen: 1,000 yen
Between 50,000 and 99,999 yen: 4,000 yen
Over 100,000 yen: 10,000 yen

▼ Accommodation fees are generally bundled into your bill’s total when making a reservation, so you may or may not be aware of them when staying in Kyoto, but you will be paying them.

The switch to the higher accommodation tax rate went into effect last Sunday, and swiftly follows a dip in accommodation tax revenue for the city. In fiscal year 2024, Kyoto collected 6.2 billion yen in accommodation taxes, but that slipped to 5.9 billion yen in 2025. Under the new structure, analysts predict that Kyoto will more than double its accommodation tax revenue in 2026 and rake in 13.2 billion yen.

So what will all that money go to? City officials are promising that it’ll fund overtourism countermeasures, such as “reducing traffic congestion and littering.” As Kyoto swells with tourists, there have been increasing complaints from locals about overcrowding on commuter buses that residents need to ride to get to work or school but which also pass by popular sightseeing destinations. Litter from tourists unfamiliar with or unwilling to follow Japan’s expected custom of hanging onto your own trash even if there isn’t a bin nearby is also a complaint that’s being made with greater frequency these days. The city administration also says that the extra accommodation tax revenue will be used for “preserving cultural heritage and the scenery,” “contributing and developing Kyoto’s traditional culture and industries,” “improving safety and convenience (adding gates to metro station platforms, etc.),” and improving tourist satisfaction and revitalizing local areas.”

On paper, it seems like an effective plan. Raising the cost of spending the night in the city should have a reductive effect on the total number of tourists, and the increased tax revenue from those who still choose to stay in the city should help to better fund overtourism initiatives. However, there are certain aspects of the situation that complicate things. To start with, Kyoto’s tourism boom is being largely fueled by foreign tourists, but the new, higher accommodation tax rates will apply to domestic Japanese travelers as well, and with the yen continuing to be very weak against foreign currencies, the higher rates will hit domestic Japanese travelers’ wallets harder. Many Japanese travelers are already losing interest in Kyoto as it becomes increasingly packed with tourists, and higher tax rates that foreign travelers are better able to absorb may accelerate the trend of Japanese travelers thinking that their own country’s cultural capital has become too expensive to visit. Even for Japanese domestic travelers who are willing to put up with the higher accommodation taxes, it’s likely that many will be unhappy about having to pay more in order to fund things like public awareness posters for what they see as common-sense manners and installing trash cans to accommodate people who’d otherwise just throw their trash on the ground.

That said, the largest increases are for those spending more than 50,000 yen per person per night, meaning it’s luxury travelers who’ll be shouldering the biggest increases. Still, with everyone spending the night in the city paying more, hopefully the increased tax money really will help make Kyoto more pleasant for both residents and travelers who can afford to stay there.

Source: Kyoto City Tourism Association (1, 2), Yomiuri Shimbun via Itai News
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert image: Pakutaso
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Celebrate the fleeting cherry blossom season with a plethora of things to do right around the Imperial Palace.

While one of Japan’s most scenic spots has canceled its annual cherry blossom-themed event this year due to overtourism, others are still proceeding as planned. Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward is pretty much as central as you can get, with the Imperial Palace of Japan located right at its center. That pristine location–with the palace grounds only a short walk away from Tokyo Station–should make it easy for native Tokyoites and visitors alike to soak in plenty of sakura scenery this spring during the Sakura Festival in Chiyoda 2026, slated to run from March 5 through April 22.

The crowning jewel of the festival is the row of cherry trees that will be lit up at night from late March through early April along the Chidorigafuchi promenade on the northwestern side of the publicly accessible palace grounds. In an eco-friendly modern twist, the CO2 emissions produced by the bulbs will be reduced to zero thanks to a new renewable energy system that Chiyoda Ward is testing for carbon offsetting.

Another spectacular way to take in the sight of 700 meters (2,297 feet) of illuminated trees with the sakura in full blossom is to do so from the even closer vantage point of a boat on the moat. Launching from the Chidorigafuchi Boat Pier, rowboats can hold up to three people and will be available for use between 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sales for “smart tickets” are set to begin on March 10, which will save you the hassle of waiting in line on the day of your visit. Even better, part of the boat proceeds will go to preserving the very cherry blossom trees that you’re there to see.

While the cherry blossoms themselves are the stars of the festival, there are plenty of other activities in which to indulge your sakura-loving self. On March 5, the Chiyoda Sakura Opening Live will take place to officially kick off all kinds of fun at the Wadakura Fountain National Park on the southeastern palace grounds. Between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., a musical ensemble of cultural tourism ambassadors for the Chiyoda City Tourism Association collectively called Rei will perform music using traditional Japanese instruments along with accompanying dances. The vicinity will also host a market with booths featuring regional specialty foods and crafts from various places throughout Japan.

▼ Rei

For those wanting something with a more modern flair, the festival has also collaborated with recent hit light novel/anime/live-action film My Happy Marriage to offer a collaborative stamp rally at five spots throughout Chiyoda Ward from March 11 through April 22. Small prizes will be awarded to those who collect all of the stamps.

Finally, new to the festival this year are some adorable Rilakkuma collaborative goods. Fan-favorite yellow bird character Kiiroitori donning a hanten (short winter coat) and sakura accessory in keychain form will be available for purchase beginning on March 17 at the Chiyoda Ward Tourist Information Center for 2,200 yen (US$14.19).

The relaxed bear Rilakkuma himself serves as a tourism ambassador for Chiyoda and is currently celebrating his fifth year anniversary in this role. Look for more cherry blossom tie-ins and a Rilakkuma-specific stamp rally of his own.

Plenty of other businesses in the surrounding area have also signed on for special deals for the duration of the festival, including a bar-hopping ticket for over 5o eateries in Chiyoda Ward and a campaign that provides coupons to over 100 stores in the area. There will truly be no end of ways to greet the cherry blossoms and the advent of spring.

The Chiyoda City Tourism Association has released a special Sakura Festival in Chiyoda 2026 website for visitors to see bloom status reports and track crowd levels in real time. You may also want to add on other sakura-themed celebrations throughout the city to your list, such as the Sakura Skytree’s light-up event at the Tokyo Skytree or swing by a local Starbucks to try one of the new seasonal drinks.

Source, images: PR Times
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