Premium Matcha Sweets at Mister Donut Japan

Mister Donut Japan has teamed up with Uji tea shop Gion Tsujiri in Kyoto to release a tasty range of new matcha donuts and drinks as part of their Misdo Meets series. The limited edition 9 premium matcha products are available for you to enjoy from April 6th until the end of May in Japan.

The Uji district of Kyoto has long been famous for its premium quality matcha which is known for its deep flavor and sharp fragrance.

The theme of this new matcha series is “deep matcha” and the products certainly live up to that with the perfect combination of deep matcha flavor with the sweet donuts. The donuts are made using flavor combinations typically found in traditional Japanese sweets, such as kinako (soy bean powder), azuki (sweet red beans), mochi (rice flour dumpling), and warabimochi (starch dumpling).

Here is a look and short description of the 9 products available right now at Mister Donut in Japan.

Pon de Ring Double Uji Matcha (¥151) 

The popular ‘Pon de Ring’ donut is Mister Donut’s signature donut and is made with rice flour giving it a very chewy texture. This special matcha edition is made and coated with Gion Tsujiri’s rich Uji matcha giving it a double matcha hit.

Pon de Ring Uji Matcha Kinako (¥151) 

This ‘Pon de Ring’ donut is also made from Gion Tsujiri’s rich Uji matcha and is coated with kinako (soy flour chocolate) giving it a real traditional flavour.

Uji Matcha Whipped Cream (¥151) 

One of Mister Donut’s fluffy donuts is filled with Uji matcha whipped cream and coated with Uji matcha chocolate. If that is not enough, it is even dusted with some kinako (soy bean powder) sugar powder for accent.

Choux Cream with Uji Matcha and Azuki (¥183) 

This fluffy and chewy profiterole style donut is layered with sweet azuki beans and whipped cream. It is also coated with matcha chocolate using Gion Tsujiri’s rich Uji matcha and kinako sugar powder.

Choux Cream with Uji Matcha and Brown Sugar Syrup (¥183) 

Another profiterole style donut which is filled with brown sugar syrup jelly and whipped cream made from Gion Tsujiri’s rich Uji matcha. It is also coated with soy flour chocolate and kinako sugar powder.

Brown Sugar Donut with Uji Matcha and Mochi (¥194) 

This brown sugar donut contains sweet azuki beans, Uji matcha from Gion Tsujiri and a mochi rice flour dumpling.

Brown Sugar Donut with Uji Matcha and Warabimochi (¥194) 

Another brown sugar donut with the center filled with a brown sugar syrup jelly, warabimochi and Uji matcha from Gion Tsujiri.

Uji Matcha Au Lait (¥302) 

Uji Matcha Au Lait Whipped Cream (¥356) 

To accompany the donuts, we have two special beverages made with Uji matcha from Gion Tsujiri.

Head to your nearest Mister Donut shop in Japan and give these tasty treats a try. I am sure you will not be disappointed.

I am happy to say that I have tried a few of these goodies already and really enjoyed them. How about you? Please leave your comments below.

Mister Donut Japan https://www.misterdonut.jp/ 

Credit: Mister Donut Japan 

Coca-Cola Frozen Lemon in Japan

Coca-Cola Japan has been busy in recent months with a wave of exclusive new products and limited-edition releases hitting the shelves. Hot on the heals of Peach Coca-Cola is the release of the world’s first frozen Coke slushie packs in Japan.

Coca-Cola Frozen Lemon has been eight years in the making and will be a frozen version of the popular lemon-flavoured Coke. The drink will be sold frozen and unfrozen, allowing those who don’t want to drink it straight away to pop it into their freezers at home to enjoy at their leisure.

The slushie comes in a handy portable resealable pouch which is believed to be a world-first for frozen beverages. The packaging allows customers to massage the pouch to get their desired level of crunch, while also enjoying the taste of Coca-Cola with “a refreshing sherbet sensation”.

Credit: Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is banking on the drink being a hit and a summertime favourite that it is also going to release a range of Fanta frozen drinks in classic orange and grape.

Coca-Cola Frozen Lemon will go on sale at stores around Japan at a recommended retail price of 130 yen (USD$1.20) from 16 April.

I will definitely be giving this one a try. How about you? Please leave your comments below.

Coca-Cola Japan 

Credit: Coca-Cola

Takachiho Gorge Miyazaki

I have been writing this blog for over 10 years now and being based in Gifu, which is in the heart of Japan, I rarely get the chance to venture down south to Kyushu Prefecture.

Kyushu (九州) is Japan’s third largest island and is located southwest of the main island of Honshu. It is famous for its subtropical climate, active volcanoes, beaches and pristine nature. One of its most popular tourist attractions is Takachiho Gorge, which should be on everyone’s bucket list for Japan.

Takachiho Gorge (高千穂峡) in Miyazaki Prefecture is both a natural wonder and an important religious site to the Japanese. The impressive gorge was formed from lava from Mount Aso which over time eroded to create 80 ~ 100-meter-high cliffs. The ravine has countless waterfalls cascading into it, including the 17-meter-tall Minai-no-taki Waterfall. You can enjoy the beautiful gorge by hiking along its edge, but the best way to see it is up and close and personal in a row boat. You can rent a boat for ¥2000 for a 30-minute ride. The best time to visit is early summer for the vivid green leaves or fall for the tinted autumn leaves.

Image Source

Takachiho is associated with many myths and legends about the founding of Japan. Nearby Ama-no-Iwato Shrine (天岩戸神社) is a sacred Shinto shrine, where according to myth the sun goddess Amaterasu hid in a cave located on the shrine grounds. Another legend suggests that this is the place where Amaterasu’s grandson, Ninigi-no-Mikoto descended to earth to establish Japan’s imperial family.

Image Source

Please enjoy the amazing video below by Jon Bear, a cinematic videographer from Fukuoka in Kyushu, who recently visited Takachiho Gorge in Miyazaki and shot this video on behalf of us here at Japan Australia.

Ippin Japan Mall

Ippin is an online shopping mall for Japanese products with more than 150,000 Japanese products available on their platform from Japanese food & fashion to electronics & hobby goods. Their mission is a simple one, bring the widest selection of quality Japanese products to your doorstep, and by doing so, bring Japan to the world.

Ippin specializes in Japanese alcoholic products such as sake, shochu, whisky, and umeshu. With a vast online collection of more than 1350 Japanese sake products on their platform, they have one of the largest sake collections online. Some of their products are so unique that it can even be difficult to buy them in Japan such as Juyondai sake, known for its bold and expressive flavor.

Sake, a traditional Japanese rice wine has grown in popularity around the world in recent years. This fermented beverage is such an intrinsic part of Japanese culture that it is a common sight in Japan. Now, this rich element of Japanese culture can be yours with a simple click of a button. Visit the Japanese Sake section of the Ippin Japan Mall to view their extensive collection of sake.

Other Japanese alcoholic products available on Ippin include shochu, a distilled beverage typically made from rice, barley or sweet potatoes, umeshu, a plum wine liqueur made from ume (plums) which are steeped in shochu and sugar, and Japanese whisky.

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