Big Mouse Coffee and Fermentation shop is a cafe in a ‘kominka’ (old Japanese country house) in a rural part of Nishi Ward in Saitama City. It is located in a former ‘Forest of Horses and Art’ that was destroyed by typhoon Hagibis. The Kominka used to house a bonsaiRead More →
Delicious, colorful, magical kakigori… and cheap too! Surprisingly cheap given that it is in a high end restaurant specializing in Kyoto Style food. Moreover, the restaurant is located in Saitama Prefecture’s capital city, albeit in a somewhat rural area of the city, in Nishi Ward. Be sure to check outRead More →
This year in October the Craft Gyoza Fes is coming back to Saitama Super Arena’s Keyaki Hiroba. The Craft Gyoza Fes is a travelling food fair, with the tagline “endless Gyoza”. If you are a fan of Gyoza, here is your chance to try many different types and flavors! ApologiesRead More →
Smiley is the name of a cafe in a Kominka in the Isanuma area of Kawagoe. The cafe is located in a Kominka: a traditional type of farmhouse, quintessential of rural Japan before the war. it is a ‘time share’ eatery – in the morning, until 2 pm, the kominkaRead More →
Cafe Chocotto is a very special place to me. I found it in on a cycle in the Kawagoe Satoyama Initiative area of Fukuda. I hit it off with the owner, one of the loveliest people you could meet. And so started a new relationship. The only reason I haveRead More →
The second annual Urawa Reds Bread Festival will take place this September. Following the success of the first ever bread festival in Saitama Stadium in 2022, Japan’s third largest football stadium, the fair will take place again in 2023. However, the organizers have been organizing bread festivals for many years,Read More →
Information for the seasonal afternoon tea at Shikitei Cafe in Saitama City. The 2023 Halloween event is called “Treat Afternoon Tea”. Seasonal Afternoon Tea Shikitei Cafe is a cafe restaurant located in a wedding venue Omiya Rikyu which since 2023 is more commonly known as Art Grace. Shikitei cafe isRead More →
The Turkey Bazaar is a Turkish (mosaic) lamp shop in Kawagoe. It is located up a quaint alleyway off Ichibangai, the main tourist thoroughfare of “Little Edo” as Kawagoe is called. The shop has been there quite a few years, but in 2021 they opened a cafe across the pathRead More →
Each year during summer there is a Shaved Ice (Snow Cone) Festival at Aeon Lake Town in Koshigaya. This year’s theme is literally something like ‘all ages from east and west’, but the general idea is ‘all ages and countries’ or all-encompassing. In recent years these type of food fairsRead More →
A new wind chime cafe opened in Kawagoe on June 1st and don’t you know, I went to check it out! This is the first chance I’ve had to introduce it on the blog. As I am going on holidays soon, I needed to get event posts out first. ButRead More →