We might not be able to visit Japan at the moment but we can still keep up to date with the super cute food at Japanese character cafes, dessert shops and bakeries. Here’s 6 Instagram accounts to follow so you can enjoy the cuteness or make a wish list for your dream trip.
Pastel
Pastel is a dessert shop that specialises in purin (custard pudding/creme caramel) with locations across Japan. They regularly collaborate with Sanrio for super sweet limited editions and the next one is with the pudding puppy himself, Pompompurin! This range will be available during April and you can get a preview at Moshi Moshi Nippon. Instagram | Website
Dick Bruna Table
Dick Bruna Table is themed around the work of the Dutch artist who is most famous for creating Miffy. Based in Kobe and Yokohama, each space has a restaurant, bar, cafe and shop that’s more stylish than cute but that’s usually a good sign that the food will taste good too. The Miffy treats are still very adorable, especially the desserts and ice lollies. Instagram | Website
Disney Harvest Market
Disney Harvest Market is a character cafe that’s all about keeping things healthy, but still kawaii. It’s handily placed in Shibuya too, close to lots of our favourite Tokyo shops. Their new Spring Menu looks so pretty and you could copy some of these ideas with mini cookie cutters and rice moulds. Instagram | Website
Rilakkuma Sabo
I feel like Rilakkuma Sabo was the first big name character cafe to put the focus on fresh ingredients and they’re still going strong with lots of cute new dishes and takeaway snacks to try. They’re a little more out of the way – in Arashiyama (near Kyoto) and Miyajima (near Hiroshima) – but well worth a special trip, since they have exclusive products too. Instagram | Website | Read about our visit
Neko Neko Shokupan
I’m sure you’ve come across the cute cat-shaped bread by Neko Neko Shokupan bakery before, but did you know it comes in all kinds of different flavours? The latest two are swirled strawberry milk and coffee but there’s so many cute multi-coloured options. They’ve even started making desserts and have branches across Japan. Instagram | Website
Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory
I still can’t believe that I’ve not managed to visit Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory in Tokyo yet as their Totoro cream puffs are a long time kawaii must-try, and come in lots of different seasonal flavours. They don’t post very often on Instagram but it’s always cute, with behind the scenes info, special cakes and more Ghibli character treats. Instagram | Website
Want more? Check out our Character Cafes and Visiting Japan categories.
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