choux pastry – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today. Fri, 08 Aug 2025 05:00:37 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/05/en_rocket_1024.png?w=32 choux pastry – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com 32 32 176746664 You can now buy Studio Ghibli shaved ice desserts in Japan https://soranews24.com/2025/08/08/you-can-now-buy-studio-ghibli-shaved-ice-desserts-in-japan/ https://soranews24.com/2025/08/08/you-can-now-buy-studio-ghibli-shaved-ice-desserts-in-japan/#comments Fri, 08 Aug 2025 05:00:26 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=709195 
Yes, Totoro — we can now eat your kind, but only for a very limited time.
We are currently reaching peak summer in Japan, which means it’s time to call in the big guns of summertime refreshment. This month, the Studio Ghibli-affiliated Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory, run by the brother of Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki, is answering the call with a shaved ice dessert that’s big on flavour… and cuteness.
Shaved ice desserts, known as kakigori in Japan, generally consist of a mound of crunchy shaved ice, drizzled with a colourful syrup topping. However, Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory adds a Ghibli twist to the much-loved dessert, with a small white Totoro perched on top, accompanied by a Soot Sprite on a green leaf.
There are three varieties to choose from, and according to Shirohige’s chef-hatted porcine character — Shirohige literally means “white moustache” — each one comes as a set with a small plate of sweets on the side.
The strawberry variety comes with berries and jellies, the chocolate is paired with cream and slices of citrus, and the matcha and adzuki red bean is accompanied by anmitsu, a classic summer dessert comprising of fruit, cream, cubes of kanten (agar jelly), and shiratama dango. While customers can eat the kakigori and sweet sides separately, it’s generally common practice to add the sweets as toppings once you get the ice down to a manageable level in the cup it’s served in.
Sales are very limited in quantity as they’re only available at the Daita store while supplies last, from 10:30 a.m. on the following 10 days in August: 8-11 , 15-17, 22-24. Most of these days are Fridays to Sundays, with Monday 11 August being a public holiday, so long lines are anticipated. Each dessert set costs 1,500 yen (US$10.16), and as the kakigori is freshly made, customers will receive a voucher upon paying at the register and will then be asked to wait outside until their order is ready, when a staff member will bring it out to you. The store says the desserts are designed for takeout and not to be eaten inside, but given the difficulty in eating a set like this on the go, it’s expected that customers will polish off their treats outside the store, preferably at the outdoor seating area, and using the trash cans provided.
Having experienced similar limited-edition summertime releases at Shirohige’s Daita store, we highly recommend getting there early to avoid missing out. And you might want to bring some bug spray with you, because while the nature-filled surroundings are beautifully reminiscent of a Ghibli film, they’re also home to insects like mosquitos, which are yet to look as cute in real life as they do in the world of anime.
Cafe information
Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory / 白髭（しろひげ）のシュークリーム工房
Address: Tokyo-to, Setagaya-ku, Daita 5-3-1
東京都世田谷区代田５-３-１
Hours: 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m., closed Tue ( or Wed if Tue is a public holiday)
Website
Source: Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory
Top image: Studio Ghibli
Insert image: Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2025/08/08/you-can-now-buy-studio-ghibli-shaved-ice-desserts-in-japan/feed/ 0 709195 Studio Ghibli My Neighbour Totoro anime sweets shaved ice Shirohiges cream puff factory cafe Tokyo news Studio Ghibli bakery has a Totoro cream puff delivery service…but it’s super hard to get https://soranews24.com/2025/03/12/studio-ghibli-bakery-has-a-totoro-cream-puff-delivery-service-but-its-super-hard-to-get/ https://soranews24.com/2025/03/12/studio-ghibli-bakery-has-a-totoro-cream-puff-delivery-service-but-its-super-hard-to-get/#comments Wed, 12 Mar 2025 03:00:48 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=693083 
Now you don’t have to visit Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory to get a taste of Totoro.
Studio Ghibli fans were treated to some very happy news last August, when Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory announced it would be opening an online store, allowing people in Japan to finally purchase its famous Totoro cream puffs without having to travel to its two stores in Tokyo.
Our Nara-based reporter K. Masami was one of the many fans who was thrilled by this new development, but she soon became one of the many to be disappointed, as the online store was so popular it became impossible for her to make a purchase. With stocks being sold months in advance of delivery, and selling out within minutes of being released, Masami kept trying to no avail until the end of last year, when she was finally able to place an order for a set…that would arrive in February this year.
After months of waiting, it was a happy day when Masami’s frozen cream puffs arrived on her doorstep in Nara, in a box that was so cute she’s now using it to store things in her study.
▼ Reflecting the contents of the box, the packaging design features a frozen Totoro.
Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory is run by a relative of Studio Ghibli director and co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, which is why you’ll find illustrations by the master director and Ghibli-related paraphernalia inside its stores. Miyazaki even drew the porcine baker used by the factory as its logo, as a sign of affection for his younger brother, who ran the company with his wife for many years.
▼ Shirohige means “grey beard”, which is fitting as both Miyazaki brothers have been known to sport grey beards.
Inside the “おとどけトトロ” (“Otodoke Totoro” [“Delivery Totoro”]) box is a handy “おいしい食べ方” (“Oishii Tabekata” [“Delicious Way To Eat”]) instructional pamphlet (pictured above and below), which recommends thawing your Totoro for 10 to 20 minutes. The more it melts, the sweeter and softer it becomes, so you can choose your timing accordingly.
It’s an impatient wait for them to thaw, though, as the box contains four flavors: vanilla cream, chocolate cream, matcha cream, and strawberry cream, and each one is absolutely gorgeous.
▼ The Totoros come with an expiry date of about 60 days, but with looks this cute, they’ll be gone in no time.
If we’re being Totoro-technical, then these cream puffs are most closely modelled on what’s known as the Medium Totoro. In Japan, the white Totoros seen in My Neighbour Totoro are known as “小トトロ” (“Shou Totoro” or “Small Totoro”), while the blue are called “中トトロ” (“Chuu Totoro” or “Medium Totoro”) and the star character with grey fur is called “大トトロ” (“Oo Totoro” or “Big Totoro”).
▼ The Medium Totoro has a cute nose like the Big Totoro, but more rounded ears that closely resemble this type.
Still, a Totoro is a Totoro, and Masami is happy to eat any of them, although she couldn’t resist starting with the matcha cream. She also couldn’t wait long enough to bite into it, which is why it was still partially frozen inside, but she says this was exactly how she wanted it, as it tasted like a Totoro ice cream.
The pastry casing was a bit on the thin side, but Masami didn’t mind that at all. The combination of pastry and matcha cream was incredibly delicious, and she could taste the love and attention to detail that went into it.
After 30 minutes of thawing, she tried the Vanilla Cream, which had a more familiar cream puff texture by that stage. The cream melted on the tongue, allowing her to enjoy a Totoro mouthfeel that was softer but just as delicious as the first.
Tasting the cream puffs at various thawing stages adds an element of fun and wonder that you don’t get when purchasing them at the store, where they’re sold at room temperature. In that sense, the Otodoke Totoro are unlike anything else in the sweets world, captivating not only lovers of sweets, but lovers of Studio Ghibli and My Neighbour Totoro.
▼ Each Totoro is piped full with cream
▼ And it’s true that each one gets softer and gooier the longer you leave it.
▼ Each Totoro appears to have its own unique expression, adding to the cuteness.
At 3,500 yen (US$23.66) per box, plus postage, this is a fantastic way to get a taste of Studio Ghibli, no matter where you are in Japan. The only hurdle is getting your hands on them before they sell out so be sure to check out the online store for notifications and updates!
Related: Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory, Otodoke Totoro Reservation Site
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