Kyoto luxury just off the beaten path at Maruyama Park’s Chourakukan【Photos】

Beautiful architecture and so, so much delicious food with just a quick detour from the standard tourist itinerary.

Kyoto’s Maruyama Park sits to the east of the Gion geisha district and north of Kiyomizu Temple. As those are two of the city’s most popular tourist attractions, many visitors to Kyoto add a stroll through the park to their itinerary, perhaps making a quick stop at Yasaka Shrine, which is located inside the park.

Today, though, we’re headed to another site inside Maruyama Park, a unique spot that combines beautiful aesthetics of both the traditional Japanese and classically western sorts, and which offers amazing food and elegant relaxation.

Chourakukan was built in 1909, and was originally a villa owned by businessman Kichibei Murai. It later became a state guesthouse, hosting traveling dignitaries from both elsewhere in Japan and from overseas, and in 1986 was granted tangible cultural property status by the city of Kyoto.

Chourakukan now operates as a dining and travel accommodation complex, with multiple cafes and restaurant plus a hotel housed within the building. It’s also sort of a de-facto architectural museum, with a beautiful interior that includes both the minimalist beauty of tatami rooms…

…and the palatial opulence of Western tea rooms.

Some spaces even blend styles, such as the inclusion here of stained glass windows with shoji sliding paper doors.

We stopped by Chourakukan as part of a press tour organized by Central Japan Railway Company. We weren’t spending the night, which meant we weren’t able to grab a drink at the lobby’s check-in desk, which turns into a private bar for guests of the hotel at night.

We were, however, just in time for lunch.

Chourakukan offers multi-course meals, afternoon tea services, and a la carte cafe orders of light fare and drinks. For the multi-course meals, the restaurant’s head chef spends some three hours each day scouring local farms and restaurants for the freshest, highest-quality ingredients, and only after he’s procured them does he decide on the menu for the day.

On the day of our visit, the dishes included grilled ayu (sweetfish) and roast beef, both of which were exquisitely fresh and flavorful.

After our entrée tasting, we looked over the cafe menu too and decided to try the mille-feuille, which came accompanied by a scoop of caramel ice cream.

At 1,700 yen (US$10.60), this is definitely a luxury dessert, but one that justified its price.

The pie crust was somehow both sturdy enough to hold its shape until we cut into it with our fork, but so soft and airy that it almost felt as if the crust was parting itself for our utensil, rather than us slicing through it. The custard, too, had a magical not-too-firm-but-not-too-soft texture, and we couldn’t find a single thing to be dissatisfied with in terms of the taste either.

▼ A few more of Chourakukan’s cafe spaces

To close out our meal, we ordered a Vienna coffee.

At 1,200 yen, this, too, is in the treat-yourself-to-something-nice price tier, but once again, we felt like we, and the coffee, were worth it. The rose-shaped dollop of whipped cream is a cute and classy touch, and if you set it down in your cup gently, you can continue to appreciate its shape as you sip.

▼ The afternoon tea area

Before leaving, we also took a peek at one of the guestrooms, which offered a panoramic view of Maruyama Park.

But even if you’re just there for an hour or so at the cafe, Chourakukan will make you feel like you’re living a life of luxury.

Location information
Chourakukan / 長楽館
Address: Kyoto-fu, Kyoto-shi, Higashiyama-ku, Yasakatoriimae Higashi-iru Maruyamacho 604
京都府京都市東山区八坂鳥居前東入円山町６０４
Website

Related: Central Japan Railway Company Sou da Kyoto, Ikou travel portal
Top image: SoraNews24
Insert images: Central Japan Railway Company, SoraNews24
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Dodger Stadium’s exclusive Cheese & Guacamole Takoyaki coming to Japan for a very limited time

American Japanese food coming to Japan!

Not a day goes by that I don’t brag to everyone I meet that I discovered Shohei Ohtani way back in 2012, knowing full well that he would go on to great things. And even though Major League Baseball has yet to call me regarding my amazing scouting ability, it’s still nice to see that Ohtani has not only gone on to be an amazing player, but a defining athlete of his generation.

His influence can even be seen off the field as his new home of Dodger Stadium opened a takoyaki stand after the star professed his love for the deep-fried balls of batter and octopus. The concession stand is run by major Japanese chain Gindaco and offers Americanized versions of takoyaki with flavors such as Cheese & Salsa, Cheese & Guacamole, and Tempura & Sweet Soy Sauce.

Takoyaki purists may scoff at anything other than octopus meat and a specialized tangy sauce, but more than a few people in Japan saw these new flavors and thought, “I’d like to try that too…”

Now, it looks like Gindaco has responded and will bring the Cheese & Guacamole takoyaki to the shores of Japan for three days only. Starting on 5 July, which just happens to be Ohtani’s 30th birthday, the Dodger-Stadium-style takoyaki will be available at all Gindaco stores across the country, with the exception of stadium and event stands.

Although the ingredients won’t be exactly the same as the American counterparts, the octopus balls will be topped with cheddar cheese to give it that U.S. feel. The guacamole will be prepared in-store and is said to go easier on the seasonings to match the typical Japanese palate better. Finally, some fried onions are placed on top for a little added zing.

Thankfully, the prices in Dodger Stadium, where a serving of six takoyaki sells for $13.99, will not be imported to Japan. Instead, you can get eight takoyaki for 780 yen ($4.85) which works out to about a 75-percent reduction in price per ball. On top of that, anyone with a Gindaco stamp card on those days will get double stamps that go towards a free order of takoyaki.

So, be sure to stop by Gindaco between 5 and 7 July to get a rare taste of American takoyaki in Japan, and don’t forget to keep on rooting for Ohtani as he fights for a World Series Championship. Hopefully we’ll get the salsa one if he does that.

Source, images: Gindaco
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Sesame Street characters turn into awesome shaved ice desserts at Tokyo Sesame Street cafe【Pics】

And yes, the Cookie Monster shaved ice includes a cookie!

“Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?” asks the theme song of the beloved children’s show, and yeah, sure we can. You just take the train to Ikebukuro in downtown Tokyo, and from there walk to the Sunshine City shopping center. Sesame Street is on the first floor.

That’s how you get to Sesame Street Market, anyway, Tokyo’s permanent Sesame Street cafe and specialty shop. Being open all year round means the cafe can offer special seasons treats, and with summer here that means shaved ice, in the form of clever desserts based on iconic Sesame Street characters.

The first four joined the menu on June 27, starting with the Elmo Ice (Strawberry & Milk).

Each shaved ice features facial features made out of chocolate, plus other tempting toppings, like the sliced strawberries for Elmo.

Naturally the Cookie Monster Ice (Melon & Milk) has a chocolate chip cookie, plus whipped cream to add extra richness and sliced melon inside the mound of ice.

The grouchy green Oscar Ice (Matcha Tiramisu) is drizzled with both green tea syrup made using Uji matcha and tiramisu sauce, with an extra sprinkling of matcha powder. A little bitterness seems perfectly appropriate for the routinely crabby Oscar, but he’s got some sweetness inside too, where you’ll find chocolate an sweet bean jam.

Rounding out the first batch is the Big Bird Ice (Manco & Cream), but there are two more Sesame Street shaved ice desserts coming later in the summer. : the bold Abby Ice (Peach & Cheese), with Nagano-grown peaches, cream cheese, camembert cheese, and oiri (round rice puff candies) on July 18…

…and The Count Ice (Grape and Cream), with whole Nagano-grown grapes and chocolate cookie crumbles, on August 8.

We’ve mentioned Nagano a few times, and in fact even the water used to make the ice is sourced from Nagano, since the prefecture is known for having some of the purest, most delicious water in Japan. those gourmet ingredients do mean that the Sesame Street shaved ices cost 1,980 yen (US$12.40), but they also look big enough to possibly share.

The Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Big Bird shaved ices will all be sticking around for the whole summer, until September 1, while Oscar is available until July 17, Abby August 7, and The Count September 1.

Cafe information
Sesam Street Market / セサミストリートマーケット
Address: Tokyo-to, Toshima-ku, Higashi Ikebukuro 3-1-1, Sunshine City Alpa section 1st floor
京都豊島区東池袋３丁目１−１ サンシャインシティ 専門店街アルパ 1F
Open 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Website

Source, images: PR Times
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Is Starbucks Japan’s new Frappuccino better than the 7-Eleven smoothie?

Two icons go head-to-head, but one is a poor man’s strawberry.

Starbucks has been going bananas for, well, bananas this past month, first giving us a Banana Brulee Frappuccino, and now, a Strawberry Banana Frappuccino.

Our reporter K. Masami was quick to try the new drink when it was released on 26 June, but after she tasted it, she got the feeling it was similar to something else she’d tasted before — the Strawberry Banana Soy Smoothie from 7-Eleven. To find out which one deserves your hard-earned yen, she decided to compare both drinks on the same day, and as it turns out, there’s one clear winner, so let’s begin the taste test with…

▼ …Starbucks’ Strawberry Banana Frappuccino.

Priced at 690 yen (US$4.29), this is a beautiful-looking drink, with the yellow banana pulp sauce in the base blending with the pink strawberry milk in the body to create a gradation in colour that conjures up images of a sunset on a tropical island.

The blend of flavours was just as impressive as the blend in colours, as the sweet-yet-tart strawberries paired well with the juicy, sweet, pulpy banana. It reminded Masami of the mixed juice beverages that are a specialty of Osaka — which also became a Frappuccino in Japan at one point in time — but as mentioned earlier, it also reminded Masami of something else.

▼ The Strawberry Banana Soy Smoothie from 7-Eleven.

At 306 yen, this drink is less than half the price of the Frappuccino, and as you can see, all the ingredients are visible in the cup, requiring customers to use the machine near the front counter to blend it all together.

▼ The main ingredients here are soy milk, bananas, strawberries, pineapple, and syrup.

Once the drink has been blended, it looks remarkably similar to the Frappuccino, with the shade of pink being pretty much identical. However, that’s where the similarities end, unfortunately, because although the drink is strong in banana flavour…

▼ …the taste of strawberry is incredibly subtle.

It’s also a lot thinner too, giving you less of a moreish mouthfeel, and less satisfaction as you drink it. In its defence, it’s a tasty drink that holds its own in the smoothie world, and it’s a lot closer to the mixed drinks that are popular in the Osaka area, but when it comes to dessert beverages, you just can’t beat the Frappuccino.

▼ Starbucks delivers bold notes of strawberry and banana, while 7-Eleven is heavy on the banana, making us crave more berry.

However, considering that the Frappuccino is over two times more expensive than the smoothie, you do get what you pay for. So if you’re craving a fruity drink on a budget, 7-Eleven isn’t a bad option, but for those with fatter wallets, Starbucks is the place to go.

▼ If you really want to indulge, you can pair your drink with Starbucks’ decadent Lemon Cube Cake (300 yen).

While the 7-Eleven smoothie is available indefinitely, the Starbucks Frappuccino will only be around for a limited time, until 9 July.

Related: Starbucks Japan, 7-Eleven Japan
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Fighting mild hunger with a Japanese soda that turns into jelly in the stomach【Taste test】

Solidifies in your stomach, not in your hands.

A little while back we reported on a new drink by the makers of the In Jelly brand of nutritionally fortified pouches of gelatin. This drink, called In Tansan, is sold in the form of a can of soda, but once drunk it reacts with stomach acids to become a heavier jelly which reduces a person’s hunger.

Many people, including myself, were intrigued by the product and wanted to try it out. However, at the time it was incredibly difficult to find. Demand was high and the only place to buy the limited supply was through Amazon in cases of six for 1,426 yen (US$9) or 30 for 7,128 yen ($44). I had to check the Amazon page for Morinaga, the company that makes the drink, several times a day trying to catch a moment when orders could be placed, and then had to wait about 10 days for it to be delivered.

Once a six-pack of lemon-flavored In Tansan was in my possession, I prepared to put it to the test by eating a light breakfast of a single muffin and lighter lunch of some convenience store pancakes.

▼ Quick shout out to 7-Eleven’s Tsubuan & Whipped Cream Pancakes. They’re phenomenal even if they do make for a horrible lunch.

I then waited until about three o’clock when the usual afternoon hunger creeps in, pulled out a can, and drank it at a normal pace. The cans are rather small at about 190 milliliters (6.4 ounces), which is around the size of most canned coffees, so it doesn’t take long to drink.

In Tansan comes in lemon and dry grapefruit flavors, with the dry grapefruit having zero calories and the lemon just 18 calories due to the addition of sweeteners Stevia and monkfruit. I opted for the lemon since I’m not all that worried about the damage 18 calories will do to my figure and kind of hate the taste of grapefruit.

▼ “Per 100 mL: 18 calories, 0 grams protein, 0 grams fat, 6.3 grams carbohydrates, 0.12 grams salt equivalent, 15 milligrams GABA, 0 grams caffeine”

The taste of the lemon flavor was like a very normal carbonated lemon drink with a good level of sweetness and none of that “weird” sweetness I usually get from diet sodas, but right away I noticed a considerable difference in the texture.

Even though the drink was fully liquid, there was a subtle jelly-like consistency present too. As a result, it tasted rather creamy compared to other carbonated drinks. I thought it was different but not bad at all, though this kind of thing really is a matter of personal preference and I could see some people being potentially put off by it.

After drinking the whole thing, there was a noticeable reduction in hunger. It didn’t go away completely, but it wasn’t as nagging. I’d compare it to a pre-hunger feeling where I could eat but wouldn’t mind waiting if need be. On the other hand, I still felt the lightheadedness that comes with hunger since all I really “ate” was some nearly empty jelly.

▼ In the hopes of getting some pictures of the drink in jelly form, I tried to simulate stomach acid with a 100-milliliter solution of lemon juice but it didn’t work. It looks like there are other factors beyond acidity at play – possibly temperature or other chemicals.

The one can held me for about two hours before the hunger pangs started coming back, so I decided to down another can. Much to my surprise the effect seemed even stronger that time around. My hunger almost completely subsided and my head was even feeling clearer, possibly due to the additional dose of GABA. This effect lasted for about another two hours.

In Tansan is marketed as a “hunger management” drink, which is a pretty appropriate term for it. It’s not as simple as just chugging a can and wiping away hunger, but with the right management of time and the amount needed, it works really well. This time, I was unusually hungry, so one can didn’t quite kill my hunger, but it probably would have completely solved my afternoon snack craving if I had eaten a normal breakfast and lunch.

Since one can of In Tansan works out to 238 yen ($1.48), it’s not a bad substitute for a snack price-wise either. It’s just too bad that these cans can only be bought in bulk online rather than having the option of grabbing a can at the convenience store when needed. Still, at least they’re much easier to order from Amazon these days, so go ahead and pick up a pack if you’re looking for a simple way to stave off hunger without packing on unnecessary pounds.

Related: Amazon/Morinaga
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Japanese randoseru backpacks for dogs are back【Photos】

And it’s thanks to, of all people, Shohei Ohtani.

Japan’s boxy leather backpacks called randoseru are traditionally worn by elementary school kids, who use the same pack for all six tears of elementary school. However, with their high-quality materials and distinctive appearance, in recent years some designers have begun making randoseru for adults too.

But Tokyo bag maker Tsuchiya Kaban is the only company that’s making randoseru for dogs.

Officially called the Pet Randoseru, the the exterior is leather with metal fittings, like all proper traditional randoseru, with nylon straps.

The Pet Randoseru is actually a two-part design, consisting of a harness that the bag attaches to or can be separated from.

There’s also a spot to clip a leash to, located on the bag portion…

…so that you can also carry it yourself, if you’re letting your dog off the leash at a park or dog run.

The bag measures 14.3 x 10 x 8 centimeters (5.6 x 3.9 x 3.1 inches), and can hold up to 8 kilograms (17.6 pounds) of snacks, bones, or other doggy necessities.

This actually isn’t the first time for Tsuchiya Kaban to offer the Pet Randoseru, as it first appeared last October, but had since been sold out for some time. A surge of new interest occurred this month, though, thanks to none other than baseball star Shohei Ohtani.

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A post shared by Shohei Ohtani | 大谷翔平 (@shoheiohtani)

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ designated hitter made a post on his Instagram account to mark the half-way point of the current Major League Baseball season. Among the included photos is one of Ohtani walking in the Dodgers Stadium parking lot with Dekopin, his pet Kooikerhondje, and in the photo the pooch is wearing Tsuchiya Kaban’s Pet Randoseru.

With Ohtani being just about the best-loved celebrity in all of Japan these days, online commenters started asking where they could get this randoseru for their dogs too. Noticing the chatter, Tsuchiya Kaban sprang into action and announced that it will be offering a new batch of Pet Randoseru which will go on sale July 1, exclusively through the Tsuchiya Kaban online shop here, with delivery scheduled for October.

【再販売のお知らせ】

7月1日（月）10:00より、ご好評につき「ホームコレクション ペットランドセル」を予約販売で再販売いたします。

▼詳細はこちらからhttps://t.co/sJS5cisTXh pic.twitter.com/5YxuDI4a5e

— TSUCHIYA KABAN 土屋鞄 (@tsuchiya_kaban) June 28, 2024

In keeping with randoseru authenticity, the Pet Randoseru doesn’t come cheap, and is priced at 49,500 yen (US$309). Still, demand is likely to be high, and Tsuchiya Kaban has said that quantities will be limited, so anyone looking to snag one will want to act quick when preorders open at 10 a.m. on July 1.

Source: Twitter/@tsuchiya_kaban via IT Media, Tsuchiya Kaban
Images: Tsuchiya Kaban
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