Kanda Matsuri | Review by Queena

Starbucks in Nakameguro, a feast for the senses of smell, taste, and sight.

As soon as you enter Starbucks, you’re greeted by a giant coffee roaster decorated with about 2,100 handcrafted copper cherry blossoms.
The aroma of coffee also hits you right away.

This time I ordered the “Matcha Cream Soda.”
It was my first time trying a carbonated matcha drink, and it surprised me. The delicate matcha aroma paired with the light fizz was very refreshing.
The floating vanilla ice cream added an interesting texture.
It wasn’t sticky or overly milky, but felt more like a dessert.
One drink fully showcased the fusion of a beverage and dessert.
It was truly impressive.

My friend’s hot spiced milk tea came with marshmallows. It was seriously a camera killer—we spent almost 10 minutes taking Instagram-worthy photos, and the marshmallows still stood tall. The marshmallows let you adjust the sweetness of the milk tea to your liking.
They weren’t boring to eat on their own either. It was also surprising to find this kind of marshmallow at a café.

There’s a wall decorated with mugs and another wall made from a collage of about 5,000 Starbucks Reserve coffee cards. From a distance, the cards form the word “TOKYO.”

These two walls are also real film killers. I took lots of beautiful photos while making sure not to disturb any customers who were relaxing!

You can spend 3–5 hours here. It’s a good place to take a short break and have a snack after shopping. After a good rest, you can move on to your next activity.

“Lake Shikaribetsu Ice Village Volunteer Activity”
The early morning sunlight falls across the endless white snow. Walking on the frozen Lake Shikaribetsu feels like being in a fairy-tale wonderland.
I met many friendly staff members and fellow volunteers here, all working toward one goal: the ice village.

The ice chapel, where lovers who have walked hand in hand for 10 years make promises for their future. One home, two people, three meals, four seasons—the ice in winter and the lake in summer. The one thing that never changes is our love for this place.

The ice hot spring, with its piping-hot water and warm friendships. One person asks, “Would you climb the mountain and stack ice blocks with me?” “Sure.”
Supporting your dreams and making your wishes come true. A friendship that feels even more like family than family. After returning home, where there’s no snow to build an ice hut, I think back on everything that felt like a dream—and on the friend willing to go all out with me.

The ice bar, where you carve an ice block into a cup. The owner said, “However big you want your cup, carve it yourself.”
A cup you make yourself has the most warmth. Although you can’t take it down the mountain, the warmth of the alcohol remains deep in your heart.
The “Lake Shikaribetsu sake” that belongs up here in the mountains is irreplaceable.
It tastes better than down below!

It’s okay if you don’t understand. Say it a few more times and you will. Language begins with listening, speaking, reading, and writing, but body language begins with a smile.
Conversations that feel like dancing, and the knowing smiles when you understand each other’s language, are truly moving.

The power of nature is irreplaceable. My body, mind, and spirit were filled with energy here.
It turns out snowflakes really are flat, just like in animated movies—only even more beautiful.