Japan Envy: Katamari Damacy Collab Cafe

If there was anything that could get me to brush the dust off of this blog, it would be a Katamari Damacy collaboration cafe. Running from July 25 to September 2 at TOKYO PARADE goods & cafe in Shibuya PARCO, it is exactly the kind of thing that makes me wish I could just hop on a train and go – thus making it the ideal subject for a Japan Envy post!

To my knowledge, there has never been a Katamari Damacy collab cafe since the game originally came out for PlayStation 2 in 2004. We’ve already passed the 20 year anniversary, so what’s the special occasion? I’m not sure, but I’m sure not complaining!

Fall in Love with Love with Pocky

5 / 23 / 185 / 23 / 18

When Glico announced back in December that they were doing a Pocky gijinka campaign where the different flavors would be transformed into handsome guys voiced by famous voice actors, I knew I had to get my hands on some. Luckily, @everydayfoxlife was kind enough to hunt down a few boxes for me! Later, I ended up finding the regular and heartful Pocky flavors here in Australia, so I picked up a couple more for good measure.

Bokksu Japanese Snack Subscription Review

3 / 26 / 18

Do you hear the crinkling of candy wrappers? That means it’s time for another Japanese snack subscription box review! This time, I’m checking Bokksu, a spiffy subscription service that specalizes in curated snacks from Japan. I was immediately intrigued by their service because they seem to offer a lot of locally-sourced snacks that you don’t see in a lot of the other subscription boxes. Check out my unboxing video to see what was included in their March Glamorous Tokyo box!

Coffee Coca-Cola Taste Test Video

11 / 8 / 17

Though not technically a Japan exclusive, I first became aware of coffee-flavored Coca-Cola when it started making the rounds in Japanese vending machines. Coffee soda?! Of course I had to try it! It wasn’t something I ever thought I wanted, but as an avid coffee fan and connoisseur of interestingly-flavored Japanese snacks, I had to see how it tasted for myself!

Poppin’ Cookin Tanoshii Ramenya-san Making Video

9 / 7 / 17

I can’t believe it’s been 6 months since my last food video! This one is extra special, too, because it’s a collaboration with my friend Meivu and her Meivu Makes series! We both decided to make Japanese food-themed Popin’ Cookin’ videos that include both footage of the candy kit making process and our thoughts on how the food tastes. Be sure to check out Meivu’s video after watching mine below!

You can tell it’s been a long time since I did a candy kit because I make a real mess of it! I also wanted to film the video while I still had good lighting, which meant that I didn’t read the directions very carefully and ended up “free-styling” a few things. Looking at the photo on the package, I think I should’ve put some of the gyoza filling candy in the soup, as well! Whoops!

Regardless, this video was a ton of fun to film! I have a lot of candy kits left in my cupboard, so expect a few more DIY candy videos over the next couple weeks!

Visiting the Melbourne Kit Kat Chocolatory

12 / 24 / 16

I’m something of a fiend when it comes to special Kit Kat flavors, to the extend that there was no way I was going to miss the Kit Kat Chocolatory in Tokyo when I was there last in 2014. When I heard they opened another location in Melbourne, Australia, back in October, I knew I had to make the pilgrimage! Luckily, I had the perfect excuse when I was down for an academic conference earlier this month. Read on for a full report!

Oyatsubox September 2016 Review

10 / 26 / 16

I’m always thrilled to receive a new OyatsuBox Japanese snack subscription box in the mail, and with their new bright red box, there’s no way I’ll miss it! It may be the end of October, but today I’m going to be covering their September box, which came packed full of great snacks and candy, and one very interesting drink. Check out my unboxing video to see my reactions as I open it up!