A unique treat that combines traditional sakura mochi with western cake is set to seriously tempt your taste buds this spring!
cake (Page 6)
If Sunkus’ Red-Oni-Pants-Lookin’ Bread and Pom Pom Purin’s Purin Purin! Butt Cakes are any indication, 2016 is shaping up to be a great year for baked goods.
The beleaguered fast-food giant wants everyone in Japan to know that it is now your one-stop spot for decadent Viennese Sachertortes and delectable Chocolat Zuccotto.
Remember Touken Ranbu, that game where you turn historical Japanese swords into hot men? Well, one shop is now turning those men into delectable cakes!
Last week we took a look at a new brand of instant curry on sale in Japan that includes a DVD of a sexy model who pretends to be your girlfriend as you eat it. Now, who’s ready for some dessert?
In Japan, it’s not a proper Christmas Eve without a romantic date and some cake, so unattached anime fans will be thrilled to know that one of the industry’s most popular voice actresses is available for a dessert date this year. The only catch?
The date takes place in virtual reality.
The English and Japanese-language teams at RocketNews24 have entered into a strange sort of competition, as they try to one-up each other with foods that don’t look anything like they should. The English side fired the opening salvo in this war of the eyes vs. the taste buds with a sneaky pink soy sauce taste test, and now our intrepid Japanese reporter Mr. Sato has decided that revenge is a dish best served sweet with this cake from a Tokyo bakery that looks exactly like a pizza.
It’s so easy these days to try something new and creative since tons of people post really cool things to Instagram and Pinterest. A person can get a million fantastic ideas for their next project just by browsing for a few minutes. What’s especially helpful is that people will often post DIY tutorials and step-by-step pictures to allow even the commonest of folk to get their creative juices flowing. Whether your final product turns out as well as the instructions you are following is a bit of a crapshoot, it’s still extremely fun/funny just to try it for yourself.
So for a Studio Ghibli fan’s next big day, why not try and make one of these amazing Totoro cakes? Check out dozens of spectacular sweet treats featuring one of our favorite Japanese characters after the break.
With Valentine’s Day out of the way, and plum blossoms still in bloom, it’s time for early spring marketing to burst onto the scene in Japan. Leading the pack, as it does every year, is popular coffee chain Starbucks, with the nation’s other favourite flower, the cherry blossom, taking centre stage in their annual line-up of sakura menu items and merchandise.
This year, the humble cherry blossom meets caramel and chocolate in latte and Frappucino forms, and also finds itself in a beautiful pink and white chiffon cake. Curious to know what sakura tastes like when blended with such sweet partners? Join us as we bring you all the photos and flavours from our recent visit.
If you like cute little pet birds and happen to be in the Tokyo area, we have some good news for you! There’s now a special exhibit going on at the Tokyu Hands Ikebukuro shop until January 22 titled the “Parakeets and their Friends Exhibit (Inko to Nakama-tachi Ten)”.
Yes, pet birds seem to have quite a following in Japan, enough at least for a unique product like “pet bird flavored ice cream” to have come out in the past. Now, at this Tokyu Hands exhibit featuring pet bird-themed items from various artists and creators, you can apparently enjoy a set of “parakeet cakes,” and judging from the pictures we’ve seen, the cakes certainly look almost too cute to eat!
A lot of times, the simulated situations of a video game are a lot more enjoyable than they would be in real life. For example, a Street Fighter or King of Fighters session is a pretty fun way to kill an hour, but it’d be considerably less entertaining to, in reality, spend 60 minutes brawling with a string of 10 or 20 dudes, one after another.
But what about music and rhythm games? Sure, dropping a few hundred yen into Konami’s DJ simulator Beatmania is cheaper than cover charge at a club, and arcade staff members are much less likely to give you an attitude than a front door bouncer, but the digital version doesn’t give you the same chance to form a connection with potential romantic partners, does it?
Actually, sometimes it does, as seen in this newlywed couple’s Beatmania wedding cake.
We’d like to think that all things sweet and beautiful have a certain universal appeal, regardless of country and culture. Japan is no exception, and the Japanese public certainly loves sweets in all shapes and sizes, so much so that the word pâtissier, French for “pastry chef,” has become an established part of the Japanese language. From that viewpoint, an event that brings delectable desserts, beautiful fashion and entertainment all together in one package is something of a dream experience, at least for this writer. And just recently, we were fortunate enough to attend exactly such an event — the Tokyo Sweets Collection 2014!
Join us as we take you along on a sweet journey through this unique show in which six renowned pastry chefs serve up heavenly plates of desserts in a fantastical setting complete with lights, music, dancing and models in beautiful clothes, all designed to tantalize not just your taste buds but all of your senses!
We previously ran an article about Maplies, a bakery in Shinjuku that excels in the art of making cake look exactly like Chinese food, namely gyoza, ramen (salt or soy sauce), and tenshindon.
About a year has past since then and our reporter Mr. Sato had a sudden hankering for some cake that looked like egg, crab meat, and rice. He headed down to Maplies only to be shocked at what he found. The bakery had added a whole new assortment of cakes that look exactly like other foods!
Needless to say he bought one of each and brought them back to the office for a taste of pure confusion.
It’s been over seven months since Disney’s Frozen was released here, but love for the hit animated film still seems to be going strong in Japan. Walk into a bookstore around here, and you’re more than likely to find several different Frozen picture or music books, and you can bet that many kids in Japan will be dressing up as Elsa and Anna for Halloween this Friday. Well, it seems the world of pastries here is no exception. Major Japanese confection maker Cozy Corner has announced that they will soon be coming out with lovely offerings inspired by the movie, and yes, we’re thrilled, because these are exactly the kind of goodies we love — delightful to look at and delectably sweet to taste!
What’s evil yet sweet and a delight to pop into your mouth? Well the newest tempting items from Japanese confectioner Cozy Corner’s Disney cake collection certainly fit the description. Yes, for Halloween this year, some of Disney’s notable villains have transformed themselves into gorgeous mini-cakes, and by the looks of things, we have to say Disney magic probably doesn’t get much sweeter than this!
Christmas cakes (yes, it’s already time to start thinking about the holidays) come in all shapes and sizes, so it’s not surprising at all to see our favorite feline character and international celebrity Hello Kitty turn herself into one. But this “Hello Kitty Face Cake” requires just a little bit more artistic creativity from you than the average cake. You see, the cake doesn’t come looking like the picture above — you actually have to make it into its Hello Kitty form!
It seems only a short while ago that we were battling the unrelenting summer heat here in Tokyo, but now that autumn is on its way, apparently it’s already time to start hearing news about Christmas — heavens, it’s hard to keep up with the passing of the seasons!
Well, for those of you who like to start thinking early about the Holiday Season, one of the reporters from our sister site Pouch has a very special Christmas cake to introduce to you. It’s an absolutely gorgeous creation by gourmet ice cream brand Häagen-Dazs — which is more than enough to catch our attention and make our mouths water. And even though they’ll only be available in one shop in France, the cakes look so exquisite that we just had to share the pictures with you!
Even though I was an extremely finicky eater growing up, my palate has broadened quite a bit since moving to Japan. In the years I’ve spent living in Tokyo and Yokohama, I’ve become convinced that cooking a cut of tuna is the quickest way to ruin its flavor, spicy cod roe makes an excellent pasta sauce, and that chicken cartilage isn’t just something you can eat, but should.
Still, I’m not entirely sold on unagi, or freshwater eel. Honestly, the flavor is surprisingly mild and not unpleasant, but I still have a hard time getting past the mental image of the snake-like appearance for something that, in my opinion, tastes just OK and is a little on the expensive side.
On the other hand, unagi-shaped chocolate pastries make a much more compelling argument.
Tanuki, also known as Japanese raccoon dogs, hold a special place in Japanese culture. Often the center of folktales for their large testicles, magical abilities, and easygoing attitude, you can see them depicted in works of art all over the country.
However, now the tanuki is threatened. Not the actual animal, but a cake created in its image known as the tanuki cake. For many middle-aged Japanese people the mention of such a treat would awaken fond childhood memories. Despite this, the tanuki cake population in Japan has plummeted in recent years to the point of being critically endangered.
That’s why the website Tanuki Cake No Aru Toko Meguri has established the National Tanuki Cake Habitat Map, so that we may monitor and perhaps conserve these noble animal-shaped cakes.
The relatively small size of Japanese kitchens, and ovens for that matter, mean the average person doesn’t get many opportunities to bake desserts. Sure, once a year a lot of women will whip up a batch of chocolate or some other sweets, but February 15 is usually the beginning of a 364-day streak of no homemade goodies.
Looking to break this cycle was our Japanese-language correspondent Momo. But how would someone who charred all of her attempts at Valentine’s Day sweets to a crisp as a schoolgirl, fare at her Alice in Wonderland cookie and cake decorating class?
Sure, we’re crazy about cats and otters and penguins here at RocketNews24, but we’ve got to admit, pandas are pretty darn cute too, whatever form they come in (even when they’re not actual pandas but an entirely different animal in disguise) . This time, the pandas come in an edible form that’s sweet to both look at and eat. They’re the “Fluffy Panda Rolls” (Funwari Panda Roll), and like the countless other panda products out there, they’re utterly adorable!
MOST POPULAR
Now
We almost cried on our first visit to this under-the-radar budget Italian restaurant in Japan
Japan’s permanent Pokémon theme park zone announces grand opening date, ticket sale start
Starbucks Japan unveils the new Soupuccino
Tokyo hotel lets you make your stay a Sanrio one with special My Melody and Kuromi rooms【Pics】
Kirby mochi arrives at Family Mart, but is it as sweet to eat as it is to look at?【Taste test】
Top Japanese baby names for 2025 feature flowers, colors, and a first-time-ever favorite for girls
One of the busiest stations in Tokyo is changing the name on its signs, but not necessarily to make it easier for people to find their way around.
All-you-can-eat lunch buffet for just 850 yen right next to Shinjuku Station
What’s the best way to spend 1,000 yen at Denny’s in Japan?
Almost arrested in Tokyo: Hentai Kamen cosplay leads to a brush with police in Shinjuku Ni-chome
Weekly
Brand-new Pokémon park opens in Japan with larger-than-life-size Lapras【Photos】
Unique inclined elevator in Japan leads to a town that inspired Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away
Naturally brown-haired Osaka student sues government for forcing her to dye her hair black- Tokyo hotel lets you make your stay a Sanrio one with special My Melody and Kuromi rooms【Pics】
Real takoyaki is almost impossible to find in Tokyo, but this place has it, our hardliner says
Step into Japanese culture with Converse’s new Japan-exclusive shoes featuring gods, sushi style
New Kyoto experience package lets you film epic samurai battles with your friends
Studio Ghibli releases new Ursula’s blanket from Kiki’s Delivery Service
Tokyo all-you-can-eat senbei deal is perfect for newbies to the world of beloved Japanese snacks
Sanrio and Sonic the Hedgehog characters become fast friends with new plushie collection
Monthly
Studio Ghibli releases new “komorebi” plush toys to brighten your days
JR Hokkaido train driver in trouble for reading book about trains on stopped train- Sanrio and Sonic the Hedgehog characters become fast friends with new plushie collection
Studio Ghibli releases new anime tea and mugs in Japan
Tokyo bento boxed lunch shop charges different prices depending on how heavy your laptop is
Studio Ghibli anime stoles are here to keep you warm with a range of famous characters
Japan has vending machines that put protective film on your phone for you — Here’s how to use them- Brand-new Pokémon park opens in Japan with larger-than-life-size Lapras【Photos】
Totoro fountain figurine recreates the sights and sounds of one of anime’s most memorable scenes
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas Frappuccino and holiday drinks for 2025
Yearly
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Possessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
One of Japan’s most beautiful hot spring towns announces new limits on number of day trippers
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Top Japanese baby names for 2025 feature flowers, colors, and a first-time-ever favorite for girls
One of the busiest stations in Tokyo is changing the name on its signs, but not necessarily to make it easier for people to find their way around.
All-you-can-eat lunch buffet for just 850 yen right next to Shinjuku Station
What’s the best way to spend 1,000 yen at Denny’s in Japan?
Almost arrested in Tokyo: Hentai Kamen cosplay leads to a brush with police in Shinjuku Ni-chome
Brand-new Pokémon park opens in Japan with larger-than-life-size Lapras【Photos】
Are all Starbucks coffee sizes the same? Testing the viral video claim in Japan
Japan’s choco mushroom snacks hold fashion show with designer Junko Koshino【Video】
Stay in a hotel in Japan where you can see a UFO
Futuristic but grimy Nagasaki Station toilet proves Japan is really just “Blade Runner”
End of the strong chu-hi boom? Kirin launches new low-alcohol canned cocktail line
Japan turns the confectionery world on its head with stretchy mochi-covered chocolates
-
