Discover insider tips, travel guides, and inspiring stories for your next adventure in Japan
Until June 30, 2026, the all-day dining restaurant SATSUKI at Hotel New Otani Tokyo is featuring a special matcha pancake and a matcha brioche French toast, both served alongside Japanese-style accompaniments including warabi mochi and oshiruko jelly.
Miyagi-based sake brewery Ichinokura has launched a limited-quantity junmai sake made with 100% Toyonishiki rice grown on its own farm, as part of a hands-on employee brewing project.
Japan's top-selling crepe chain Dipper Dan is teaming up with "Ikizulive! Love Live! Bluebird" for a limited-time collaboration campaign running from July 2 to July 20, 2026, featuring exclusive crepes and novelty coasters.
The boutique luxury hotel Ayanna Miyakojima on Irabu Island, Okinawa, is set to rebrand as "JIVANA Miyako Island" and expand from 7 to 14 rooms, adding a private sauna and new restaurant "JIVANA KITCHEN." The rebranded property is scheduled to open in June 2027.
Starting June 1, 2026, JW Marriott Hotel Nara has opened its popular cultural experience programs — sake brewing, tea ceremony, wagashi-making, Nara brush crafting, and hand-drip coffee — to all hotel guests, not just those booked on dedicated package plans.
A new hostel rooted in the sights, sounds, and culture of the Mutsu-Minato port district is set to open in Hachinohe, Aomori in spring 2027. Construction on KAMARI Hostel & Tours began in 2026.
Japan's first crab-specialized open factory, Kani Factory Koragumi, opens in Tsuruga, Fukui on July 16, 2026. Advance reservations for hands-on crab experiences, including a free shell-peeling session, open on June 16 at 10:00 AM.
Kanzashi-ya WARGO has released a new series of kanzashi wrapping bags featuring painterly designs, with six patterns each offered in two contrasting colorways, available from June 12.
For five Saturdays in August 2026, the Buffet Restaurant Etoile at Kawagoe Prince Hotel will open for dinner service, offering a "Saturday Night Half Buffet" that combines a prix-fixe main course with a free-flow buffet, themed around Southern Europe.
A four-piece collection of Tochigi leather accessories inspired by the Hinotori Limited Express goes on sale at Kintetsu GOTO-CHI stores and online from June 18, 2026, featuring handcrafted business card cases, IC card cases, pass cases, and a multifunctional keychain in a refined black and red design.
KUM, a stationery brand originating from Germany, is introducing a new series called "Style it your way!!" — five pop and colorful items for everyday use, with the first four releasing in early July 2026.
Kumahei (Japanese plum liqueur), a craft ume liqueur made with premium Kishu Nanko plums from Minabe, Wakayama, earned top gold at two of the world's most prestigious spirits competitions — scoring 98 out of 100 at the IWSC and 99 out of 100 at the SFWSC.