Society

Sakura Dream! The Most Beautiful Afternoon Tea in Tokyo

Apr 04 (Japan by Food) - It’s springtime in Tokyo, which means it’s the season for all things sakura, aka cherry blossoms.

These beautiful flowering trees mark the beginning of many things in Japan- the start of the school year, new jobs, and warmer weather. It also mean’s plenty of seasonal foods featuring this iconic flower!

Shizuka takes a trip to Haute Couture Cafe, a photogenic cafe overlooking the sakura trees next to the river in Naka-Meguro. They specialize in seasonal tea sets, and the cafe is transformed into an explosion of fluffy pink sakura for spring. Shizuka enjoys an afternoon tea featuring sakura-inspired sweets and savories. From a table-side fresh Mont Blanc to sakura-infused tea, she tries each meticulously detailed food to see if it tastes as good as it looks. Watch and find out if this aesthetically pleasing cafe is worth the hype!

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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