Crumbs to Crunch

Japan is  well known for its cute characters, delicious treats and famous anime. There's one bakery that combines all these things together to create perhaps the most Japanese snack ever: The Totoro Cream puff. Totoro is one of Studio Ghibli's most famous characters. He first appeared in the 1988 film 'My Neighbour Totoro' and charmed the world with his cuteness. The owner of Shiro-Hige's Cream Puff Factory  is actually the sister in law of the director of the movie, Miyazaki Hayao. This charming little Tokyo bakery has a whimsical feel, partially hidden away down a small road and surrounded by lots of trees. The interior design is full of wood and warm colours, so its a lovely and cozy place to enjoy some treats. The stars of the show are of course the cream puffs. The flavours change depending on the month, so you can check what they'll be serving when you visit here .  We tried a chocolate cream and a caramel banana cream flavoured Totoro. You...

If you love board games but don't have a great selection at home, I have have found just the place for you - Draughts , London's first café dedicated to board games. My goodness, their collection is vast ranging from quick and easy games to complex strategy based games. The format is simple, you pay £5 for a session to access over 800 games and you can play as many as you like. My friend and I are board game amateurs so we stuck to the family section and had a laugh drawing terrible pictures in Pictionary, playing Banagrams and Who's in the bag? Not only can you play games with friends but also have a cuppa and a natter. While the cake selection is small, it is tasty. I enjoyed a gorgeously gooey brownie packed with chocolate chunks and a zingy lemon tart. All in all, it was an excellent way to spend the day, in from the cold. I would love to go back with a big group so we wouldn't be limited to two player games. I can't wait!

We have few obsessions that rival our love of food, but one that comes pretty close is our appreciation of stationery. Therefore imagine our excitement when we discovered that in Tokyo there is a stationery café, otherwise known as Bunbougu Café , near Harajuku.  As you descend the stairs into this basement café, you are surrounded by the amazing doodles that people have drawn in the café. The pictures are so good, be sure to have a look to give you some ideas for your own creations! The café itself is cosy and modern. There is such a relaxed atmosphere as everyone scribbles and doodles away. You can wander round the café and pick up various bits and pieces of stationery for your creations. If there's any pen or notepad that particularly takes your fancy, you can buy it in the shop after your meal. I particularly liked some crayons in the shape of hippopotamuses and some wonderful, thick and vibrant calligraphy pens.  The food is delicious too. With a menu tha...

Japan. A country where amazing, quirky ideas become realities. Take the universe of the themed café for example. Tokyo is abounding with cafés themed around every possible interest. There's cat cafés, owl cafés, cafés that give you pastries in the shape of Totoro, cafés in which you can be served by butlers, animé themed cafés... The list goes on and on. When searching around for our perfect café, we came across a concept café that we immediately fell in love with. The Moomin House Café. Situated at the base of Tokyo Sky Tree (right next to the Sky Tree station) The Moomin House café is the perfect stop off point when you need a break from your vigorous schedule of touristing. Just in case you have yet to encounter the joy that is the Moomins, let me give you a brief background. The Moomins are a series of books and comic strips written by the Finnish author Tove Jansson in the 1940s. With their large snouts and big eyes, they quickly became a huge internationa...