Each spring cherry trees around Tokyo blossom while friends, families, and co-workers gather under the blossoms to enjoy the ritual of hanami. If you are lucky to be in Tokyo this week, it is the quintessential Japanese experience. A few tips on how to best enjoy hanami.
Most essential is to pick up a bentō. The best place to select from a wide variety of bentō is depachika, the epicurean basement food floors of department stores. Here is my list of the top ten depachika in Tokyo. But, if a depachika is not on your way to the park, no worries, a convenient store will have lunch boxes or sandwiches, chips, and other snacks.
The bentō above comes from AEN at Shinjuku Isetan, which came in a beautiful bamboo box and had genmai (brown rice) with two types of grilled fish, croquette, pickles, and more. The saké is a junmai ginjō from Shoutoku in Fushimi, Kyoto. It was only 12% alcohol, lighter than most saké which is about 16%, so perfect with lunch. And, I couldn’t resist the packaging.
Another bentō company I love and can’t get enough of is Yonehachi, which has branches in almost every depachika. Yonehachi is famous for its okowa, a mix of mochi-gomé (sticky rice) and uruchimai (regular rice) that is steamed with different vegetables and meat or fish. You can select what kind of seasoned rice you want with your bentō. This one here has takénoko (bamboo shoots) and fuki (a type of spring mountain vegetable), both seasonal spring vegetables.
Yonehachi bentō, again, as it is my favorite. This one with the takénoko and fuki rice and the kuri (chestnuts) and red beans okowa. The saké with this bentō is from Masumi, a great saké brewery in Nagano. Masumi has an excellent portfolio of saké, including this junmaishu Okuden Kanzukuri. This saké is light on the palate and perfect for sipping under the cherry blossoms. I’ve also had this warmed up and it is lovely hot or cold.
Once you’ve picked your bentō and drink, stop by a convenience store to get a plastic sheet to sit on. For some reason these are usually blue.
And, then get to your hanami spot early as the choice spots tend to be taken early in the day.
Be sure to do some research on where to go. I was surprised to see that Shinjuku Gyoen doesn’t allow alcohol to be brought in. There are security guards who check your bag on your way in. Guards are walking throughout the park as well to make sure everyone is abiding by the rules.
Enjoy and have fun enjoying food food and saké under the cherry blossoms.
Now through March 22nd in Ginza (Ginza 2-6-3) there is a pop-up Jack Daniels bar. Hours are weekdays 17:00 – 22:00, Saturday 13:00 – 22:00, Sunday and holidays 13:00 – 21:00. No table charge, as you will find at a lot of bars. And light snacks are also served.
Tokyo has some unique cafés where customers can play with cats, dogs, and rabbits. I was surprised to hear that there is a bird cafés, yes, more than one. There is a Falconer’s Café in Mitaka and the Tori ga Iru Café in Kiba (Koto-ku, Kiba 2-6-7) where you can see an owl, hawk, parrot, or parakeet.
Qusca in Akasaka is a ladies only café for sleeping and relaxing in Akasaka (Akasaka 2-14-3, Sakaeya Shimizu Bldg. 2F). Check out their website. The shop opened in December of 2012. It offers many services besides the napping room (complete with beds and aromatherapy). It is also a place to recharge. There are power outlets to recharge your laptop, a complimentary buffet of light snacks and drinks, free wifi, a make-up space with cosmetics and hair accessories, and the café also serves light meals (added cost for the meals). The pricing is simply 150 yen for every ten minutes.
Now through May 12th at Tokyo Station’s Ichibangai Okashi Land is Happy Turn‘s sembei shop (Tokyo Station, Marunouchi 1-9-1, Ichibangai B1, . Happy Turn is a rice cracker made by Kameda. Here you can try new flavors like strawberry, mattcha, camembert cheese, and maple.
Kyushu Shochu Chocolates
Junmai Ginjo Saké and Uméshu Chocolates
Tengumai Saké with Tsujiguchi’s Nama Chocolate
* all photos are from the Takashimaya website
If you are traveling to Tokyo between now and February 14th, be sure to stop by a department store to check out all of the chocolates that are for sale. Valentine’s Day in Japan is done like nowhere else in the world. Chocolate is given from women to the men in their lives. Not only to your boyfriend or partner, but to colleagues at work, family members, and good friends.
This being Japan, gift-giving is not a one-way street. Men return the favor to the women in their lives a month later on March 14th, White Day. However, the okaeshi, or return gift, is typically white chocolate. There is a good reason for that. No re-gifting. Also, it was interesting for me to see that on White Day, many of the older men who were returning gifts often bought much nicer presents, such as wine.
Working at Takashimaya for two years I was able to observe the retail side of this tradition. First of all, my colleagues were surprised to hear that it is only in Japan that this is done. Most of them would laugh at themselves and say how brilliant the chocolate companies are to sell so much chocolate during a holiday that isn’t even Japanese.
Most department stores attract customers to their stores by offering unique chocolates that are only available at their shop. Each year the offerings vary as do the chocolatiers who are invited to create special boxes of chocolates.
This year, Takashimaya’s offerings include chocolates from Japanese chefs like Sadaharu Aoki, who currently has a great program on NHK on making French pastries at home. Of course, world-famous chefs like Pierre Herme, Michel Chaudun, and Pierre Marcolini.
I am always attracted to any that involve any type of alcohol like the three in the photos above. Most of these unique sweets are only available this time of year. And, it is no secret that some of the chocolates that are sold this time of year is by women buying for themselves.
Department stores will hold these chocolate fairs usually the first two weeks in February. If you are near any department store, stop by the concierge on the first floor to inquire into the chocolate events. Most often they are held on the special event floor, but some are held in the depachika as well. Nihonbashi Takashimaya starts on Saturday, February 2nd. Shinjuku Takashimaya starts on Friday, February 1.
France Fair at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi October 10 – 15, 7th floor
Hokkaido Fair at Nihonbashi Takashimaya October 10 – 16, 8th floor
Mie Fair at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi October 17 – 22, 7th floor
Kyoto Fair at Ikebukuro Seibu October 18 – 25, 7th floor
Aji Hyakusen at Nihonbashi Takashimaya October 24 – 30, 8th floor
Matsuya Ginza Hokkaido October 25 – 30, 8th floor
Hokkaido Fair at Shinjuku Takashimaya October 30 – November 11, 11th floor
Kyushu & Okinawa Fair at Shinjuku Odakyu October 31 – November 5, 11th floor
For more information on the department store locations, see Tokyo’s best depachika listed here.
The food of Miyazaki, Kagoshima, and Okinawa at Nihonbashi Takashimaya’s 8th floor today through Monday, October 8th. The event closes at 6 p.m. on the final day.
Ueno Matsuzakaya hosts an autumn Hokkaido food fair on the 6th floor now through Monday, October 8th. The event is on the 6th floor.
Shinjuku Odakyu is also hosting an autumn Hokkaido food fair now through Tuesday, October 9th. The event is on the 11th floor and closes at 5 p.m. on the last day.
Umaimonya (map of floor plan in Japanese) at Shinjuku Takashimaya is a great festival filled with great food finds from all over Japan. It covers a wide variety of products including sushi, wagashi, Western pastries, pickles, and seafood. There are two eat-in restaurants serving gyutan from Miyagi and sushi from Hokkaido. Now through Wednesday, September 26th, ending at 6 p.m. on the last day. The event is on the 11th floor.
Tohoku Food Fair at Nihonbashi Takashimaya today through Monday, September 24th on the 8th floor. Specialties from all of the Tohoku prefectures including gyutan from Sendai and oyakodonburi with Akita jidori.
Note that the event closes at 6 p.m. on Monday.
Click here for information on my favorite depachika in Tokyo.
Italy Food Fair at Nihonbashi Takashimaya from 9/12-17 on the 8th floor.
Kyushu Food Fair at Shibuya Tokyu Toyokoten from 9/13-19 on the 8th floor.
For more information on depachika, my list of Tokyo’s top depachika.
Food and wine events this week worth checking out are:
Wine Fair at Ginza Matsuya now through 9/11.
Hokkaido Fair at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi now through 9/10.
Hokkaido Fair at Shinjuku Keio now through 9/11.
Umaimon Fair at Shibuya Tokyu Tyokoten now through 9/11.
Note that these are on the upper floors, not in the depachika. Inquire at the concierge stand at each department store which floor the event is taking place on.
My list of Tokyo’s best depachika.
