What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (11/26 - 11/30, 2018)
Are you sick of getting late news on the newest hot topics in Japan? Here's a quick and easy weekly digest that'll give you the scoop on the top 3 trends making waves on Japan's social media platforms! This week we have plenty of seasonal sweet and adorable treats for you to drool over! From Pikachu donuts to Santa crepes and Christmassy animal manju, Christmas festivities are truly on their way in Japan!
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Pikachu Strikes! Mister Donut's Pokemon Donuts
Hold onto your caps, Pokemon fans! For 5 months only, you can get your hands on Pikachu and Monster Ball donuts at Mister Donut, a popular donut shop chain in Japan!
The Pikachu donut is filled with whipped cream and covered in banana and chocolate icing, while the Monster Ball Donut has a strawberry glazing and white chocolate coating.
Along with the adorable - and super cool - donuts, Mister Donut was selling the above limited edition seasonal cups as well. Sadly, Pikachu's popularity knows no bounds, and they've already sold out of them.
Christmas is not all about Pokemon at Mister Donut, though. They have some adorable snowman donuts, available in white chocolate or strawberry flavors, as well as the seasonal Pon de Ring Red Snow and Chocolate Snow, and the unfortunately titled Wreath Fashion Yellow Snow.
Not a massive fan of Pikachu and his pals? There are plenty of other character-themed things you can do in Japan, including visiting this Hello Kitty-themed tea house located in the major tourist hotspot, Kyoto's Ninenzaka.
Go on, Treat Yourself to a Taste of Christmas!
Don't Santa and Rudolph look so snug in their crepes? These adorable, limited edition creations can be found at Treat Myself, a small creperie in Osaka's Horie area, until December 26th. As you can probably understand, the Christmas-themed crepes are hugely popular, so make sure to get there before they sell out for the day!
But if you get there and there is no Santa or Rudolph to be seen, don't worry. Treat Myself has plenty of other delectable crepes, including Caramel & Cheese, Chocolate Banana, and healthy galettes made with buckwheat flour.
Don't have time to get to Osaka? Don't worry, there are plenty of sweet treats to be had in Tokyo! Check out this article for the best dessert spots in Asakusa.
Cuteness Overload! Animal Manju with Christmas Hats!
Japan sure knows how to do cute! These little Christmassy animals are manju, a traditional Japanese confection made with a flour-based outside, and usually filled with sweet bean paste. At Okashi Mansaku they craft adorable animal manju, and for Christmas they have special seasonal ones complete with santa hats! They're almost too cute to eat!
The Christmas ones need to be ordered by November 30th, but there are plenty more cute animals that you can buy all-year-round. The tanuki and monkeys in the photo above have banana-flavored fillings.
You gotta admit, they're just as precious as little Rudolph and snowman.
Okashi Mansaku also makes heart-shaped dorayaki (two pancake-like cakes with sweet bean filling), which go nicely in a set with any of the animal manju.
There is an option to get up to 15 of your favorite animal manju in a box, so hopefully you won't have too difficult a time making a decision on which of the bite-size animals you want!
These cute little manju would make such great souvenirs, but it may be difficult to bring them home as they need to be stored in a freezer. So, here are some other ideas for Japanese souvenirs that you can get for your family and friends.
Bonus: Have a Blazing Fun Time in the Cold! 10 Fun Events in Hokkaido During Winter
With lots of snow and gorgeous scenery, Hokkaido really is a winter wonderland. So, as we enter winter, why not plan a trip to Hokkaido and see all that it has to offer? Here are somethings you can check out in the cold and magical land of Hokkaido in winter, from the infamous Sapporo Snow Festival to floating candles in a canal in the sleepy town of Otaru!
And that's that! The trends are always quickly changing, so there will always be something new from week to week. Check back in once a week and see if anything catches your eye!
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Check out the weekly trends from the past 5 weeks!
What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (11/19 - 11/23, 2018)
What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (11/12 - 11/16, 2018)
What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (11/5 - 11/9, 2018)
What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (10/29 - 11/2, 2018)
What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (10/22 - 10/26, 2018)
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The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.
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