As soon as I see the red cups return to Starbucks I know it’s Christmas, and my mind instantly turns to Japan. Starbucks in Japan has some really inventive seasonal flavours, and Christmas time is no exception. This year’s offerings are クラッシュ マロン パイ フラペチーノ (Crushed Marron Pie Frappuccino) and クラッシュ マロン パイ ラテ (Crushed Marron Pie … Continue reading
It’s time for A to Wa of Japan again! Last week’s post was about things beginning with こ (ko) and we looked at kotatsu (炬燵), koto (箏) and cosplay (コスプレ). This week we are looking at things beginning with さ (sa). A big thank you to everyone who joined in with suggestions this week: Jay Dee suggested sakura (桜 / cherry blossom), Saitama (さいたま / … Continue reading
Next Saturday, 9th June, there will be a small charity gig in North London to raise money for those affected by the 11th March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku, Japan. The gig, held in association with Seven Beach Aid, will be at Starbucks in Golders Green, and will feature music from O-ARC, Nicolas Bush, and ADOBO (Johan … Continue reading
Last week’s post was about Inarizushi (いなりずし / 稲荷寿司), so this week I need to start with し (shi). Thank you all for your suggestions: ラマタ with Shinjuku (新宿), japanaustralia with Shizuoka (静岡), Shibuya (渋谷), Shinjuku (新宿), shinbun (しんぶん / newspaper), shinkansen (新幹線 / bullet train), or shio (しお / salt), and itsumojapan shiki (四季 / しき / four seaosns). They were all … Continue reading
It’s no secret that I would happily book a holiday to Japan today if I had the money, and I’m always on the look out for more reasons to add to my list of “why it’s ok to consider getting into debt to visit the country I love”. So, throughout the year I will sometimes … Continue reading
Just before Christmas I went on a little holiday to New York and while I was there I made sure to keep my eyes open for Japanese-related stuff. I wasn’t disappointed! On my first night I visited Starbucks and was delighted to discover that the rumours I had heard were true – Matcha (Green Tea) … Continue reading
When contemplating the next post in my A-Z of Japan series, I thought I might write about geisha (芸者), ganguro (顔黒) or gashapon (ガシャポン). However, there was another topic that was in my mind, a topic I haven’t been able to forget about since leaving Japan. So… G is for… Green Tea Frappuccino! Known as “Matcha … Continue reading
I had to stay in a lot this week because I was waiting for a delivery. By the time it finally arrived I had serious cabin fever and had to get out! As well as cabin fever, I had a bit of “homesickness” for Japan. It wasn’t just Japan that I was missing, but also … Continue reading
I was planning to write about the Starbucks sakura campaign but I’d been a bit lazy about it and now Alice over at SuperHappyAwesome has gone and beat me to it. But her piece is so lovely and the photos are so beautiful, so I don’t mind being beaten to the post (literally!). 😉 Anyway, … Continue reading
OK, so this is my third Starbucks post this month. What can I say? I just love Starbucks at Christmas! Here are the totally kawaii Christmas decorations I bought in Starbucks last year and this year:
Haikugirl's Japan 