ByAdmin
Nov 19, 2018
Buying a Christmas Tree in Hiroshima 2019
If you are in the market for a Christmas Tree to liven up your holiday season you with trim and presents, you are in luck. Stocks are very limited so, don’t delay! The trees are a bit shorter than you might get used to but they have very nice shapes and I am certain they will bring you a Merry Christmas.
Real Christmas Trees
Home Centers
Around the holiday season, you can find real or artificial trees, lights, displays and other assorted holiday decorations at many of these stores around the area. What is in each one is impossible to say, but its worth a shot!
Artificial Trees
If the options above are sold out or are simply unwilling to deal with pine needles there is always the artificial option.
Ikea
The local Ikea is a reasonably good source for trees and decorations.
www.ikea.com/jp/en/search/?query=christmas
www.ikea.com/ms/en_JP (Store Locator)
Foreign Buyers Club (Online)
We probably don’t have to tell Kobe about FBC, but just in case… FBC is billed as “Food and Fun from home – direct to your door – anywhere in Japan;” this online international grocery store has been delivering the goods to the broader expat community in Japan since 1988. They have “pine trees” in various sizes, but they sell out quickly.
Costco
You can get trees, decorations, and paper here but you will find a small selection to choose from. On the plus side, they also stock lawn reindeer and tacky giant lawn Santa.
www.costco.co.jp/p/locations?lang=en
Don Quijote
Don Quijote stores are huge and seem to stock everything. Christmas decorations may be touch and go depending on which shop you try, but you can assume they will have SOMETHING for you.
Loft
Loft has a small selection of artificial trees and convenient locations around the area.
Tokyu Hands
Tokyu Hands has a small selection of artificial trees and convenient locations around the area.
Home Centers
Around the holiday season, you can find real or artificial trees, lights, displays and other assorted holiday decorations at many of these stores. What is in each one is impossible to say, but its worth a shot!
(Online) Nitori
Nitori has a number of decorations and a small artificial few trees. If you are looking for Christmas lights, for some reason Nitori has a wide selection of them.
(Online)Amazon Japan
Amazon Japan is a good source for trees and decorations, probably one of the widest selections available in fact.
By Kris De Curtis (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Nov 19, 2018
Best Places for Cheesecake in Kobe
Kobe is most famous for its beef, but it’s second most famous for its desserts. The top dessert of all is cheesecake. Kobe cheesecake is unlike anything you’ve tried before; plus, every restaurant, café, and bakery has its own recipe. A few places stand out as being the very best.
Kannonya
Although it is called Denmark Cheesecake, this dessert is definitely Japanese. The cake gains its name from the cheese it uses, which is imported from Denmark. The result is something completely unique.
The dessert features a top of melted cheese, which is stringy (even a little crispy) in texture and salty in taste. The center of the cheesecake is a soft sponge. You eat it hot, to properly enjoy the molten cheese.
Cafe Keshipearl
At Cafe Keshipearl, you’ll find several types of homemade cheesecake, different ones every day. Each is paired with coffee (produced with beans from Horiguchi in Tokyo), chosen to enhance the flavor. Patrons even receive instructions on how to consume the combination of coffee and cheesecake.
Cafe Keshipearl is ideal not just for trying cheesecake; it is also a place to find a sense of calm, despite being close to the business district. If you’re really craving serenity, be sure to visit on a Quiet Night — no talking allowed.
Konditorei
The cheesecake from Konditorei has won gold from Monde Selection multiple times. It is made from two types of cream cheese, one from France, the other from Australia. The recipe also uses yogurt to make the cheesecake extra rich and creamy.
You’ll receive your cheesecake in a gold box, perfect for storing in the refrigerator. However, you may prefer to eat it straight away, as cooling the dessert changes its texture — although, either way, it’s delicious.
Konditorei is a little further out of the city than the other options, located between Kobe and Osaka. It’s definitely worth your while buying the cheesecake there if you have the chance, such as if you’re heading to Osaka airport. Alternatively, you can purchase a dessert from their online store.
Other Desserts in Kobe
If cheesecake doesn’t take your fancy, you’re still in luck. Kobe has many other desserts to offer. A few treats to try include:
- Magic Pot Pudding. It’s hard to believe that pudding has only been available in Kobe for a couple decades, being that it’s one of the most sold desserts after cheesecake. At Frantz, you receive a (magic) pudding in a pot. The most popular is a three-layered caramel custard, but you’ll also find chocolate, strawberry, mango, and other flavors.
- Motomachi Cake sells a range of desserts, the most famous being their zakuro. This cream cake is a fluffy sponge covered in powdered sugar and topped with a strawberry.
- Kawara Senbei. You can find senbei across Japan, but Kawara senbei in Kobe is different. Rather than a savory rice snack, it’s a dessert made from flour, sugar, and eggs. You can purchase Kawara senbei in numerous stores, some of which even allow you to print your own image.
These are just a few of the most notable places in Kobe. Almost any bakery or café you visit will have its own original desserts. Explore the city to find your favorites.
zingyyellow [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Nov 19, 2018
Christmas Dining in Kobe 2018
With Christmas fast approaching, one thing sure to be on everyone’s mind is the good old Christmas dining experience. Kobe has a few restaurants that cater for its growing expat population with seasonal menus on offer. Whether you’re looking for a full festive party atmosphere or a quiet meal for two, check out our guide to find out what’s on offer. Be sure to book early to avoid disappointment!
Kobe Club
The Kobe Club is a private non-profit membership club for the city’s expat community. Located next to the Futatabi Hills near downtown Kobe, the club was founded nearly 150 years ago and has a range of facilities and events on offer. The traditional English Christmas dinner has been one of the annual highlights over the past few years with guests enjoying a home-from-home feast of turkey, stuffing, vegetables and Christmas pudding washed down with champagne.
Price: 20,000 yen per person
Website: http://www.kobeclub.org/
ANA Crowne Plaza
Situated only two minutes by walk from Shin-Kobe Station, the Crowne Plaza has a host of seasonal culinary delights on offer. A traditional Christmas buffet is available throughout December in the Terrace restaurant. If that doesn’t take your fancy, you could try the Italian Christmas lunch at Level 36, the Chinese Christmas feast at Suzhou, the Christmas Teppanyaki at Kitano, or the “Noel” Christmas dinner set (available December 22-25) at The Bar. For those with a sweet tooth, there is a two-day White Christmas Dessert Buffet and a selection of artistic Christmas cakes to order.
Prices: Vary from 3,000 – 16,000 yen
Website: https://www.anacrowneplaza-kobe.jp/en/christmas/
Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel
For a festive treat with an East Asian twist, the Oriental Hotel on the waterfront is well worth a try. There are six restaurants to choose from offering panoramic views of Kobe and a range of Japanese, Chinese, French and Western cuisine. The pick of the bunch is probably Santa Monica’s Wind where you can indulge in a Christmas lunch buffet that includes everything from Peking Duck to traditional Christmas favorites. Runs until Christmas day.
Price: Adults 4,039 yen; Children 2,424 yen
Website: https://www.kobe-orientalhotel.co.jp/
https://www.kobe-orientalhotel.co.jp/english/restaurant/santamonica.php
Kitano Club
The Kitano Club has been serving up premium French cuisine accompanied with smooth jazz music for 50 years in Kobe now. It offers an elegant dining experience and from December 22-25 will have a special Christmas menu available. Diners can choose from from French-style duck or beef fillet and a selection of festive desserts. Special festive cakes and macaroons are also available to lunch time guests.
Price: 11,880 yen per person (including tax and charges)
Website: http://www.kitanoclub.co.jp/
Bistrot Cafe de Paris
Situated near the Kitano Ijankan Museum, the Cafe de Paris is an award-winning establishment where you can enjoy a slice of Parisian atmosphere in the center of Kobe. The Christmas Dinner runs from December 22-25. A great place to enjoy a romantic festive meal for two with fruits de mer and roast beef to choose from. If the full meal option doesn’t suit, there is a lunch time menu offered at under half the price.
Price: 8,500 yen per person
Website: https://cafe-de-paris.jp/food/christmas-dinner-kobe-kitano
Cafe Terrasse de Paris
Another option for those fancying a French Christmas experience, this cosy top-floor restaurant in Kobe’s Kitano area has a reputation for fine artisan cuisine. During Christmas week, they will be serving up three festive options – a full Christmas meal, a Christmas lunch and a Christmas breakfast.
Price: From 3,500 – 10,800 yen
Website: http://terrasse-de-paris.jp/index.php/menu-cafe-terrasse-de-paris/xmas-kobe-kitano
Other options
If a set festive menu is not what you’re looking for, there are plenty of restaurants in Kobe that take party bookings if you just want to hire a space out where you and family or friends can have a party meal over the holiday season. You can also source all the produce you need to prepare your own seasonal banquet at home from The Meat Guy or the Foreign Buyers Club.
J o [GFDL or CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Nov 19, 2018
Local Music in Kansai
If you relocate to the Kansai region and are interested in live music, you’ll be pleased to hear that there is a vibrant music scene spanning many genres. Japan has a good reputation internationally for producing artists from pop to avant garde, and Kansai is a hub where you can find a number of thriving scenes that have produced many successful artists.
Rock Music
Kansai’s rock music scene is alive and well, with many venues across its cities attracting national and international as well as local talent. Osaka has several stores around the Umeda area and venues such as Billboard Live, Muse Hall and Club Quattro advertise gigs throughout the week. In Kobe, you can check out more underground indie and punk sounds at Helluva Lounge while many acts also play at the Space Eauuu gallery. Kyoto, meanwhile, has the trendy Metro that is popular with the younger generation.
Noise Rock
Japan has gained a reputation over the past few decades for doing noisy experimental music very well. Growing out of the punk scene in the late 1970s, noise rock grew in the 80s and 90s. Kansai developed a thriving underground scene and the “Kansai Noise Scene” rivaled the Tokyo indie scene with artists such as the Boredoms and Haijokaidan pushing the boundaries. The movement, known globally as “Japanoise”, is still going strong today with Osaka-based artists Incapacitants, Masonna, and Solmania at the forefront.
Electronic Music
Another movement that is infused with the experimental spirit, Kansai’s electronic music scene has grown rapidly in recent years thanks to social media and venues such as Osaka’s Nu Things and Kyoto’s Nano. Also influential has been Innit in Osaka, a party that invites DJs to “bring their own beats”. If you’re looking for cutting-edge sounds from Kansai, give a listen to the likes of Yulippe, Metome, Le Makeup, Toyomu, or Native Rapper.
Northern Soul
Believe it or not, those distinct soul sounds that got northern England dancing at the Wigan Casino in the 1960s and 70s are currently going down a storm in Kobe and Osaka. Nude Restaurant is a hugely popular monthly night at Kobe’s JamJam club. Elsewhere in Kobe, Pub Kenneth puts on regular nights playing soul as well as jazz and ska. Osaka has the Milk Bar, which plays a variety of 1960s and 70s soul from across the sub-genres.
Jazz Bars
If chilling out in relaxed or dimly-lit jazz joints is your thing, there are a few places across Kansai worth checking out. In Kobe, which is the birthplace of jazz in Japan, you can visit the JamJam Jazz Bar where live musicians and DJs play everything from classic jazz to Brazilian club jazz while customers drink coffee and chat. Elsewhere, you can enjoy great cocktails with your live jazz at Sone. Meanwhile, the Jazz Bar Bird 56 in Osaka offers up a classic dingy late night vibe where conversations are often sound-tracked by piano tinkling. Lush Life, next to Kyoto’s Demachiyanagi Station, is a tiny jazz cafe offering coffee, alcohol, vinyl and exclusive live performances from local jazz talent. Zac Baran, also in Kyoto, books gigs from jazz artists as well as blues and soul.
Japanese Folk Rock
Japan, like much of the Western world, had its hippie counter-cultural revolution in the 1960s that gave birth to psychedelic, progressive and folk rock artists such as Itsusu No Akai Fusen and Ryo Kagawa. Today, the influence of the scene lives on in places such as the Folk Rock Bar Phoebe that is crammed full of vinyl and nick-nacks from eras gone by. The owner can often be found spinning folk rock tunes from past and present and you can catch the odd live act there too.
Useful links
List of Kansai live music venues
Kansai Music Conference – annual event held in Osaka to promote the Kansai music scene.
Asacyan [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
