Founded by the renowned confectionery brand FRANÇAIS, ichigo shop is Japan's only specialty store dedicated to strawberry desserts. Its signature creations perfectly combine sweet and tart strawberries with a rich milky flavor, offering exquisite treats such as strawberry milk sandwich cookies, mille-feuille pastries, and chilled cakes. They are also highly popular souvenirs from Tokyo Station.
ichigo shop by FRANÇAIS | Review by Linda Liao
Other Reviews by Linda Liao
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Hibiya Park
Hibiya Park is Japan’s oldest Western-style park, and it opened in 1903. Its large area covers 16 hectares, and since it’s filled with trees, grassy areas, and colorful blooming flowers, it’s a popular place to relax in the business district.
Ginza is a shopping paradise where many visitors love to browse and shop. After you've finished shopping and your feet are tired, consider taking a walk in nearby Hibiya Park. It's within walking distance of Ginza, so you can easily find yourself in this urban oasis while exploring the area. Each season has its own charm. In spring, you can enjoy soft pink cherry blossoms, while in fall, golden ginkgo leaves and colorful maple leaves decorate the park, creating different scenery as the seasons change. Sometimes it's nice to do nothing at all and simply sit quietly on a park bench, watching people pass by and children play while enjoying the afternoon sun.
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Kinrin Lake
Kinrin Lake is one of many popular tourist spots in the hot springs town of Yufuin. The lake sits under Mt. Yufu and as such was called takemoto-no-ike (lit. “lake under the mountain”) for years. However, it was renamed to Kinrin, or “golden scales”, by Mori Kuso in 1884 when he saw the golden glimmering scales of fish as they swam at sunset.
In the early morning, the lake was covered in a thin mist, and the chilly air made me instinctively tuck my neck into my collar, as if the lake were veiled in mystery. After waiting for quite a while, the sun finally began to peek out. The morning mist slowly lifted with the light, and the lake and mountains gradually came into view. Ducks swam leisurely across the water, creating an exceptionally peaceful and soothing scene. Kinrin Lake is said to have gotten its name from the way fish scales shimmer gold when the setting sun shines on the water. Also, hot spring water and fresh water flow into the lake from below, so the water stays relatively warm in fall and winter, making it easy for dreamy morning mist to form—one of the lake's special features. There is also Cafe La Ruche by the lake, where you can sit down with a cup of coffee and enjoy the view outside. Set aside one or two hours for a leisurely walk and some photos, and enjoy the relaxing time without rushing to your next stop~
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IBUSUKI NO TAMATEBAKO
This reservation-only sightseeing train makes three daily round trips between Kagoshima-Chuo Station and Ibusuki Station. Its name and concept come from the legendary Japanese tale of Urashima Taro and the Dragon Palace, famously set on the Satsuma Peninsula. The train’s striking exterior-half-black and half-white-represents the story’s transformation: when Urashima Taro opened the magical "Tamatebako" (treasure box), instantly turning his hair from black to white. Mist sprayed when the doors open evokes the white smoke from the box.
Riding Kagoshima's IBUSUKI NO TAMATEBAKO sightseeing train is itself a journey filled with fairy-tale charm! The train's design was inspired by the Japanese legend of Urashima Taro. Its exterior is black and white, symbolizing how Urashima Taro instantly changed from a young man into an old man after opening the tamatebako. Even more interestingly, white mist appears when the train stops at a station, just like the smoke rising from the treasure box when it was opened. It brings the fairy tale into the actual train experience, and I really admire the Japanese ingenuity behind these thoughtful details.
Stepping inside the train reveals a whole different world. The interior has warm wood tones, and instead of the uniform rows found on ordinary trains, the seats are arranged along both sides of the car so passengers can comfortably enjoy the scenery outside. The train travels along the coast, and looking out at the deep blue sea and wide-open sky made me feel relaxed as well. There are also cute children's books inside, so families traveling with kids won't get bored. You can see the care put into every detail!
Trying the train's exclusive pudding is also a must. It's a popular item, so I recommend buying it as soon as you board. Otherwise, if you wait too long, you may only be able to watch enviously as other people enjoy theirs. The train also thoughtfully provides commemorative stamps and postcards for passengers to use for free, giving you a special keepsake from the journey~
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