王小鈞's Reviews Page 11/29

Black Thunder

This chocolate snack is very popular for its affordable price of 40 yen and deliciousness. Cocoa cookie and plain biscuit are coated with chocolate. You can taste the light bitterness of a cocoa cookie matched with the sweetness of chocolate. Crunchy texture and the volume which can fill your stomach lightly pleases you.

• Snacks

Japan’s super popular Black Thunder chocolate!

The name sounds intense, and eating it feels like getting struck by lightning from all the sweetness.

Every time I go to Japan, someone in my family always asks, “Can you bring back some Black Thunder?”

Personally, I think the sweetness is off the charts, and after one bar I want a cup of unsweetened tea. But my family just keeps eating one after another and can’t stop!

Crispy biscuits mixed with rich chocolate, tasty and budget-friendly. No wonder it’s been popular in Japan for so many years. You can often spot it in supermarkets and convenience stores.

For me, it’s a “sweetness overload alert.”
For my family, it’s “the No. 1 must-buy item in Japan” 😂

Jagarico

This popular potato snack has a crispy texture.The stick-shaped snack is packaged in a cup, making it easy to carry around.They come in salad, cheese, buttered potato, and tarako butter flavors. Their most popular flavor, salad, includes carrot and parsley.Limited-time and special regional flavors are also available.

• Snacks

Whenever I see these at a Japanese supermarket, it’s honestly hard not to toss them into my basket. Kids love them, and adults can’t help but keep reaching for one after another—this is such a popular Japanese potato snack!

The cup packaging is super convenient. Open it up and you get crispy potato sticks, perfect for watching shows, riding in the car, or snacking while traveling.

There are lots of flavors too, like the classic salad, cheese, buttered potato, and mentaiko butter. The most popular one is the salad flavor, with a light veggie aroma and hints of carrot and celery. The more you eat, the more addictive they get!

Alinamin EX Plus

Alinamin EX Plus is great for sleep-deprived, modern go-getters who face eye fatigue, stiff shoulders, and lower back pain. Alinamin is a trusted brand in play for 65 years.

• Medicine

This is a must-buy in Japan, and older family members ask for it all the time!
Every time I go to Japan, before I even finish packing, the elders in my family start reminding me, “Don’t forget to buy Alinamin!” Alinamin EX Plus tablets are known for supplementing B vitamins, and many people use them as part of their daily wellness routine to help with eye fatigue, stiff shoulders, and lower back tiredness.
You often see whole rows of it in Japanese drugstores, and tourists casually bring a few bottles back to Taiwan. It’s basically the classic Japan souvenir for the older generation.
Some people buy snacks or cookies, but my family’s wish list is always:
“You can buy fewer sweets, but remember to get a big bottle of Alinamin!”

Shigaraki Toen Tanuki Mura

Shigaraki is one of the six oldest kilns in Japan, and has the longest history of any of them. In this small mountain village surrounded by nature, there are many pottery studios and stores selling pottery, and everywhere you go you will be greeted by Shigaraki ware Tanuki.

• Shiga
• Experiences Facilities

When I arrived in the Shigaraki area of Shiga Prefecture, my first thought was, “Are there way too many tanuki here?”

Along the roads, in front of shops, and in gardens, you can spot Shigaraki ware tanuki everywhere, each with a charming, goofy expression, almost like they’re greeting travelers.

Shigaraki ware is one of Japan’s six ancient kilns and has a long history of pottery. The area is built into the mountains, and old climbing kilns and cave kilns are still preserved today. Walking through this little mountain village, the air feels simple, quiet, and full of earthy clay.

The cutest part is definitely the round little tanuki ceramic figures!

Some are holding sake bottles, others are holding account books, and each one has a slightly different expression. The more you look, the more soothing they feel.

In Japan, tanuki are also seen as lucky charms that bring good fortune and business success, so it’s no wonder so many shops have one out front.

Grapestone “Tokyo Banana Mitsuketa (found)”

“Tokyo Banana” was created in 1991 and has become a major souvenir from Tokyo. The fluffy sponge cake has a filling of pureed banana custard cream.

• Tokyo
• Snacks

Every time I go to Japan and pass by the airport duty-free shops, I can’t help but bring a few boxes home. It just tastes so much like a trip to Japan!
The fluffy sponge cake is as soft as a cloud when you bite into it, with rich, sweet banana custard cream in the middle. The banana aroma is natural and not too heavy, so it’s hard to stop after just one.
Tokyo Banana isn’t just a dessert. It’s like a little box of memories from traveling in Japan. It makes a great gift, and it’s even happier to enjoy it yourself〜

Takenoko no Sato

Takenoko no Sato is one of the signature products of Meiji Co., Ltd. (hereafter, Meiji). Following the huge success of its sister product Kinoko no Yama, it was developed as the second product in the series with a completely different concept. Since its launch in 1979, it has remained a long-selling favorite with a history of more than 45 years.

• Snacks

Every time I go to a supermarket in Japan, I can almost never resist tossing this into my basket. It looks like a little bamboo shoot, but it’s packed with chocolate temptation!
The outside is crispy and crunchy cookie, paired with rich chocolate. With one bite, the buttery cookie aroma and sweet chocolate come together perfectly, making it hard to stop eating.
Japanese snacks really know how to take cuteness to the next level. Even cookies can be shaped into adorable little bamboo shoots.
You don’t have to wait for a trip. Just opening a pack gives you that little happiness of feeling like you’re back browsing a supermarket in Japan.
I buy it every time I visit Japan. It’s great as a gift or just for yourself!

Shiroi Koibito

Everyone in Japan knows Hokkaido’s sweets, “Shiroi Koibito.” Ishiya Co., Ltd.was an ordinary candy maker to begin with, but utilizing quality ingredients in Hokkaido changed them into the producer of the classic dessert. More than 40 years passed since its beginning, but it is still the beloved souvenir of Hokkaido to this day.

• Hokkaido
• Snacks

Every time I go to Japan, I tell myself, “This time, I’m not buying Shiroi Koibito.”
But once I see it at the airport, my hands honestly just grab a box anyway...
I’ve had it countless times, but the crisp cookies with white chocolate are just impossible to stop eating. It makes a great gift and is comforting to enjoy yourself too. No wonder it’s been one of Japan’s top souvenirs for so many years.

GINZA BOUL'MICH Tokyo Skytree® Caramel Waffles

Founded in 1973, GINZA BOUL'MICH is a celebrated French-style pâtisserie based in Tokyo’s upscale Ginza district. Known for creating delightful surprises through taste, presentation, and engaging customer interaction, their sweets leave lasting impressions on visitors. Exclusively available at Tokyo Solamachi, these Caramel Waffles are gaining popularity as the latest trendy Tokyo souvenir.

• Asakusa, Tokyo Skytree
• Snacks

I originally just planned to walk around Tokyo Skytree, but somehow I quietly ended up carrying a box back to the hotel.
BOUL'MICH's Tokyo Skytree® Caramel Waffles are exclusive to this location. They're crispy on the outside and fragrant inside, with caramel cream that's just the right amount of sweet. Before I knew it, I had eaten half the box.
The word “limited” really does make it easy to lose all self-control!

Rokkatei Marusei Butter Sandwich

Since its establishment in 1933, the long-established confectionery maker Rokkatei has been dedicated to creating snack sweets that can be enjoyed every day with pocket money. A long-seller since its launch in 1977, their products have been a staple Hokkaido souvenir, cherished for their never-tiring taste.

• Hokkaido
• Snacks

Every time I go to Hokkaido, I make sure to leave space in my suitcase for these.
They look understated, but they’re seriously impressive! The cookies are crisp, the butter cream is rich but not heavy, and each bite has that lovely aroma of rum raisins. They’re so easy to keep eating that a whole box can quietly disappear.
No wonder they’ve been popular for over 50 years and are still a Hokkaido favorite. If you haven’t tried them, can you even say you’ve been to Hokkaido? This is one of those treats you can buy without a second thought. Great as a gift, and even better to enjoy yourself!

Ryukakusan

The throat medicine “Ryukakusan” has been used for over 200 years in Japan to treat coughs and sore throats.

• Medicine

Whenever I go to Japan, older relatives always tell me, “Don’t forget to buy Ryukakusan for me!”

I used to think it was just a must-buy for tourists, but once I got to Japan, I realized that a lot of Japanese people carry a pack around with them too. Ryukakusan has been around since the Edo period and has over 200 years of history. It’s a classic throat-soothing and cough medicine that many households keep on hand.

When my throat feels dry or I’ve been talking too much, taking a packet really helps. No wonder friends and family always ask me to bring some back. These days, if I go to Japan and don’t bring a few boxes of Ryukakusan back to Taiwan, it feels like I missed one of my shopping missions!