September might be fried egg time in Japan, but during the first double-digit month of the year, things go from savory to sweet pretty quickly. Since October is the month of Halloween, it’s basically 31 days of nonstop spooky sweets and desserts made with chestnuts, one of the symbols of autumn in Japan. And as luck would have it, some of the best places to find them are in Yokohama.
Food & Drink
You won’t have trouble finding Halloween-themed desserts anywhere in Japan in October. In fact, you’ll be surrounded by so many spectral sweets, ghost goodies and paranormal pastries, you won’t know which one to try first, so we narrowed it down for you. All of these offers end on October 31, unless indicated otherwise.
Yokohama Royal Park Hotel, Delica & Lounge Coffret
The Yokohama Royal Park Hotel is holding a Halloween Fair. There are pumpkin and caramel pound cakes, pumpkin Mont Blanc (a sweetened chestnut purée dessert), ghost-shaped Crémet d’Anjou with berry jelly and mummy-themed cheesecake with purple sweet potato. Additionally, you can enjoy ghost, bat and pumpkin-shaped cookies and much more.
Shin Yokohama Prince Hotel, Top of Yokohama Bar Lounge
A chance to enjoy Halloween Afternoon Tea. It features bat-shaped chestnut chocolate tart, berry verrine, ghost pumpkin pudding and more sweets on a three-layer stand. Savory options also include “Halloween-colored” smoked salmon cocktail and chestnut-and-sausage pincho skewers.
Hotel New Grand
Hotel New Grand’s Halloween sweets are offered in two separate areas: The Café and The Lobby Lounge La Terrace.
The Café features favorites like pumpkin Mont Blanc and grave-shaped Black Forest Cake. The Lobby Lounge La Terrace offers a full Halloween Afternoon Tea Set. This set focuses primarily on photogenic Halloween sweets. They come in popular spooky shapes: mummies, ghosts, jack-o-lanterns graves, bats and more.
All Day Cafe & Dining The Blue Bell, in Pia Arena MM
These autumn pancakes are proof that not every dessert in October has to be spooky. At The Blue Bell you can enjoy two autumn pancakes: the Marron-Beige Mont Blanc version with marron chestnuts and persimmon and the Ruby-Red variety with apples, black currants and mascarpone cream. Available until November 30.
Events & Exhibitions
激しいシマ模様🚨
悪魔の魚と呼ばれてます((((；ﾟДﾟ))))#ミミックオクトパス【告知】
2021年8月17日生まれの2匹のアオウミガメの赤ちゃんの名前を募集中詳しくは公式HPをご確認下さい。https://t.co/ygn5B6o29F
応募期間
8月28日(土)10：00～年9月20日(月祝)18：00ご応募お待ちしてます！ pic.twitter.com/JULytoLCLY
— ヨコハマおもしろ水族館/赤ちゃん水族館 (@omoshiroaq) September 18, 2021
Halloween Under the Sea in Yokohama
Everyone who’s seen Jaws knows that fish can be scary. But can they also be cute-scary, like what Halloween has become over the years? The Yokohama Omoshiro Aquarium says “yes” with a special exhibit focusing on fish that resemble popular paranormal creatures.
During the “Halloween Aquarium” event you’ll be able to get a closer look at the mummy-like weedy scorpionfish, the awesomely named black ghost knifefish and the white ribbon eel. The last one is actually a dead ringer for the Ittan-momen specter from Japanese folklore. Usually depicted as a sentient, this scary creature of legend is also said to be able to wrap around people’s necks and strangle them to death. But no worries, the event is kid friendly.
Where: 144 Yamashitacho, Naka-ku
When: Until Oct 31
How Much: ¥1,500 (Adults), ¥750 (Children Over 4 – Middle School Students)
Cat Nap Exhibition 2021 in Yokohama Minato Mirai
No animal has mastered the art of relaxation more than the cat. And relaxation is definitely something we could all use in these times. That’s the idea behind the Cat Nap Exhibition 2021. This October, come visit the Mark Is Minatomirai complex to enjoy a photo exhibit of cats taking it easy and forget your worries for a little while. Alongside photos of resting cats, the showcase will also include plenty of cat merchandise to commemorate your visit to the exhibition.
Where: 3-5-1 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku
When: Oct 9–Oct 24
How Much: ¥600 (Elementary school students and younger enter for free)
Zou-No-Hana Futurescape Project 2021
Staying within the realm of animals, art and Yokohama, we also want to mention the upcoming “Zou-No-Hana Futurescape Project 2021” that is happening. This series of events will be held at or around Yokohama’s Elephant Nose Park. The various workshops, exhibitions and seminars headed by artists from all over Japan are linked by the theme of “New (Normal plus Creative) Life” and focus on, among other things, artistic uses of public spaces in the time of Covid-19. Lots of fun and what’s more, the events are free of charge.
Where: 1 Kaigandori, Naka-ku
When: Until Oct 24
Featured image by Nechaphat via Shutterstock
