Makanai - English Page

10 things to do in Kagurazaka: a walk there will give you a taste of traditional Japan! Kagurazaka is a district of Shinjuku in the middle of Tokyo. It's so packed with typical Japanese buildings, products, and food, that you can fully enjoy traditional Japan just by walking around for a few hours.

New products "Goldays" are coming soon...!

As the rainy season in Japan is coming to an end, we are preparing for the hot and humid season that's arriving very soon! To protect our skins from harmful UV rays, try our UV protection cream that is made of natural ingredients which are safe even for babies!

It's Friday night and a reason to party! Looking for ways to enhance your makeup without having to use commercial paraben, preservatives and chemical products? Try our all-natural lip colour that is made mainly out of plant extracts and sunflower oil. The lip colour palette comes with three shades of colours for every mood and occasion!

It's June Solstice 夏至 (pronounced 'geshi') today in Japan– the longest day in the entire calendar year. It happens when the earth’s axis in one of the hemispheres is most inclined towards the sun, resulting in the day with the longest hours of daylight. Celebrations are held all over Japan to celebrate sunrise. How are you spending the longest day of the year today?

Happy Father's Day from the Makanai team! In Japanese, Father's Day is Chichi no hi (父の日). Happy Chichi no hi and Arigatou (thank you)!

We know it's almost peak travel season around the world and if you do come to Japan, don't forget to drop by our stores to pick up some souvenirs from Japan! We have many visitors who have expressed their liking for our hand cream and other Japanese beauty secrets. Hop on down to our shops in Haneda Airport, Narita Airport, Tokyo Skytree, Shinjuku Mylord, Tokyu Plaza Ginza and Kagurazaka! And if you do come to Kanazawa, where we have our Heritage Store, you can enjoy some snacks and tea! Looking forward to seeing you!

It's Father's Day in about a week's time! How do you celebrate Father's Day? Father's Day presents an interesting challenge each year. What to get him and what to do? Dads are notoriously minimalist when it comes to gift ideas or things they’d like to do. How about getting him something from Makanai? Dads need pampering too!

Between June 6 and 14, the Ajisai Bunkyo Festival takes place in Tokyo! Ajisai, or hydrangea, is arguably the best-known summer blossom in Japan, and is especially associated with the rainy season. The quiet, low-key Hakusan Shrine becomes colorful in summer, thanks to the blooming of about 3,000 hydrangeas. Have a look if you are in Japan!

June has started and in Japan, this month is always associated with rain. This is the 梅雨(pronounced: tsuyu) season which is caused by the collision of cold northerly and warm southerly air masses, which results in a relatively stable bad weather front over the Japanese archipelago for several weeks. Let's stay away from the gloomy weather and pamper ourselves at home with some of Makanai's home care products, like our massage scrub. Prepare your skin for the sunny days ahead this summer!

May 29th is Konnyaku no Hi (Konnyaku Day) in Japan! Konnyaku is a traditional Japanese jelly-like health food made from a kind of potato called “Konnyaku potato” or else known as devil's tongue, voodoo lily, elephant foot and snake palm in other cultures. It was originally introduced to Japan as a medicine in the sixth century and has been eaten for almost 1500 years in Japan. Konnyaku contains Glucomannan, a dietary fibre which is all natural and great for health. At Makanai, we use Konnyaku to make a facial sponge, which many of our customers love! The Konnyaku sponge deeply cleanses, removes blackheads and gently exfoliates the skin. Konjac’s glucomannan is so soft and gentle that it can even be used to cleanse and care for even the delicate skin of babies. Try our Konnyaku Sponge if you haven't already!