Food & Drink | DESSERT WATCH Feb 29, 2020
At Ochaba, food fads collide to create the ultimate trendy snack
by Patrick St. Michel
Get your matcha, crepe or bubble tea fix simultaneously with Ochaba's green tea tapioca drinks or lineup of matcha-centric crepes.
National / Media | BIG IN JAPAN Dec 21, 2019
Japanese media pundits deliver their verdicts on 2019's hit products
by Mark Schreiber
While consumers may take ownership of certain products for granted, there's something reaffirming about acquiring a product that's been designated a hit, and my experiences over the years tell me Japanese aren't especially different from other nationalities in this regard. The origin of Japan's own ...
Food & Drink | DESSERT WATCH Dec 21, 2019
Milksha: 'Fresh Milk' bubble tea gets some fresh new flavors
by Patrick St. Michel
There's a plethora of subpar bubble tea shops out there. Fortunately, Milksha is not one of them.
Food & Drink | 2010s: Decade in review Nov 16, 2019
How Japanese social media changed 2010s eating habits
by Makiko Itoh
Move over complicated bentos: Japanese recipes in the 2010s are all about making cozy, unfussy food that looks good online.
Food & Drink Nov 2, 2019
Bubble tea or bust: Japan's ongoing love affair with tapioca
by Donican Lam
Currently in the midst of its third tapioca boom, Japanese consumers' demand for bubble tea is still going strong.
National / Media | BIG IN JAPAN Aug 24, 2019
Double bubble, tapioca tea and garbage trouble
by Mark Schreiber
Food and beverage fads come and go. On frequent occasions, "Gatten," NHK's health-oriented Wednesday evening program, used to present evidence that eating this food or drinking that beverage achieved seemingly miraculous results, including weight loss, lower blood pressure or relief from constipation. Soon afterward, ...
Food & Drink | KONBINI WATCH Jul 20, 2019
Gear up for summer with three new sweets from Seven-Eleven
by Patrick St. Michel
Seven-Eleven is on a hot streak with its new watermelon ice bar, double cheesecake and tapioca milk tea jelly.
National / Media | Japan Pulse Jun 29, 2019
Social media backlash against bubble tea fails to dent enthusiasm
by Patrick St. Michel
While the internet can play a crucial role in pushing trends in Japan, it can be just as effective in turning people against the crazes it helps to hype. What’s the latest fad to find itself caught in the crosshairs of social media? Bubble tea. ...
Food & Drink May 11, 2019
Tokyo's tapioca boom: Where to find bubble tea in the capital
by Patrick St. Michel
Tokyo is in the middle of a "tapioca boom," and there are plenty of bubble tea options across the capital. Here's where to go for the best bubble tea concoctions — just in time for summer.
Food & Drink | KONBINI WATCH May 11, 2019
FamilyMart is making bubble tea more summer-worthy ... by freezing it
by Patrick St. Michel
FamilyMart recently unveiled a tapioca tea latte kakigōri (shaved ice), transforming trendy bubble tea into a fully fledged dessert.