Deep Fukuoka

Finding good souvenirs to take home or enjoy yourself is easy in Fukuoka. Located just steps from FANZONE in front of JR Hakata Station are two shopping centers that have a fine selection of unique and tasty souvenirs. Read about them here, and enter the station building and look for Hakata Hankyu Department Store and MING.


Hakata Hankyu
1-1 Hakataeki-chuogai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka (Located above JR Hakata Station)
• Sun. ~ Thu, all floors: 10:00~20:00
• Fri. & Sat. Basement to 4F: 10:00~21:00
• 5F to 8F: 10:00~20:00 *some exceptions
http://www.hankyu-dept.co.jp/hakata/

Japanese Snacks!

Hakata Hankyu’s selection of limited-edition, popular modern Japanese snacks.
Only available in Kyushu at Hakata Hankyu. Not available at convenience stores!
Sold in handy small sizes. They’re affordable and easy to eat on-the-go!
Available on the ground floor of Hakata Hankyu Department Store just behind the Rugby Fanzone.
Featuring local flavorings and ingredients!

Sugar Butter Tree


Sugar Butter Sandwich Yokozuna
These chocolate sandwiches with a unique, soft and creamy chocolate rightly deserve their title “Yokozuna,” which means grand champion in Japanese!

Price: 1 box (10 pieces) ¥1,000 + tax

Bâton d’or


Sugar Butter
A rich and tasty pretzel made with buttery dough for a super-rich taste.

Price: 1 box (6/pack × 6) ¥463 + tax

Calbee PLUS ESSENCE


ESSENCE POTATO
Kyushu Soy Sauce
Mentaiko Butter

Bite into these crunchy potato chips in limited-edition, local flavors including Kyushu soy sauce, mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and thick-cut – all with a buttery finish leaving you wanting more!

Price: 1 box (4 packs) ¥500 + tax

R.L


UMAKA Corocoro (cube / long)
This waffle specialty shop is offering cookie-texture waffles in limited-edition local flavors such as Amaou Strawberry and Hakata Mentaiko (seasoned cod roe).

Price: 1 cube box (40 g) ¥300 + tax each, 1 long case (145 g) ¥650 + tax each

HAPPY Turn’s


Cod roe with butter
A new crispy snack featuring powdered mentaiko (cod roe), Fukuoka’s most famous flavor, and creamy butter. The result is a spicy butter-rich snack that you’ll adore.

Price: 1 box (10 pieces) ¥500 + tax

MENBEI


Premium Menbei
Menbei crackers are one of the most popular souvenirs of Fukuoka. Try their premium crackers available in sea urchin, cheese, tomato & basil, and shrimp.

Price: 1 box (2/pack × 5) ¥500 + tax

Nanban Ourai


Nanban Ourai
Baked with Spanish almond known as the “Queen of Almond”, these limited-edition sweets are available in local flavors of Yame Hoshino Tea, Mojiko Banana, and Hakata Amaou Strawberry.

Price: 1 box (2 packs) ¥463 + tax

Souvenirs from Across Kyushu – Near Fanzone!

Browse through the shops inside Ming to find souvenirs from across Kyushu! The shopping mall is adjoined to the gateway of Kyushu, Hakata Station, and it’s where you can conveniently find traditional and trendy sweets, souvenirs, local specialties & delicacies and even some cooked-on-site foods.

Tables and chairs are available for those who wish to eat shopped items or just take a break. There’s two cafes too!

Thanks to its strategic location, Fukuoka, and the island of Kyushu acts as a gateway between Japan and other Asian countries. Back in the Edo period when Japan’s closed country policy was in effect, the nation’s only international port was in nearby Nagasaki. With such geographical and historical background, Fukuoka’s unique food culture was born from a fusion of domestic and global traditions.


Ming Hakata Ekinaka Shopping
1-1 Hakataeki-chuogai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
• Open: 9:00~21:00
092-341-1125
www.ming.or.jp

Hakata Station Food


The supermarket inside Ming (also inside the station building) is open from 9 am to 9 pm. Fresh vegetables, fish, cooked delicacies, and more fill the shelves of the store. Ready-to-eat bento boxes and packed fruits are available in many sizes, ideal for solo travelers.

Matsushima Chaten


Umegaemochi
The specialty of Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, where Michizane Sugawara is enshrined as the God of Learning, is best enjoyed hot off the grill. An episode of offering mochi to Michizane using a branch of an ume (plum) trees is said to be the origin of this roasted mochi with sweet beans inside. Yummy!

Price: ¥120/pc *¥130/pc as of Oct. 2019

Fukusaya


Fukusaya Cube
Founded in 1624, Fukusaya continues to make by hand a traditional Portuguese cake that arrived in Nagasaki during the Edo period. Using eggs, sugar, and flour, the brand maintains the traditional taste of castella while meeting the demands of today’s customers – a folded fork with two slices of cake sit neatly inside a cute, well-evolved box. It makes a great souvenir!

Price: ¥270/pc

Toundo


Niwaka Senpei
These sweet crackers are modeled after the comical masks used in the Hakata Niwaka, a traditional comedy of the region. The crackers are made from locally grown flour, eggs, and sugar and have been popular with locals since its debut in 1906. The funny faces on the crackers vary by the package as an extra bit of fun to be enjoyed.

Price: 3 crackers x 4 boxes ¥540

Red Balloon Akai Fusen


Fondant fromage cheesecake
Inside this fluffy and savory cheesecake, a special custard cream made from camembert cheese, mascarpone cheese, and fresh Jersey milk produced in the Aso area in Kumamoto awaits! Experience its silky texture and mild, milky flavor. Sampling is offered at the shop.

Price: ¥1,728 (12 cm round cake)

Fugetsu


Fondant Chocolat
Chocolate ganache using locally-sourced fresh cream will please your tastebuds. Heat it up in the oven if you eat at home – contrast of the crispy gateaux on the outside and melting chocolate inside creates an irresistible taste. The cake is packaged individually so convenient for a souvenir.

Price: ¥442/pc

Caffe Ospitale


Sfogliatella
The first sfogliatella shop in Japan to offer these shell-shaped Italian pastry with delicious fillings. Bite into the crispy, freshly-baked pie to find your favorite filling; cheese creme, cinnamon, orange peel and more. Grab a coffee beverage served by Italian-certified barista to pair with your sweet treat! Enjoy a relaxing morning coffee from 9 am.

Price: ¥300~/pc (6 flavors)

Takadaya Kahei


Poripori Warasubo
Odontamblyopus lacepedii, or warasubo, is only found in Ariake Sea not too far from Fukuoka. Its grotesque appearance is said to have been the inspiration for characters in the film Alien. The fish is often enjoyed as a snack by locals while drinking beer and sake. Freshly-caught warasubo also makes good sashimi!

Price: ¥648/2 pcs

Yumeyumedori


Cold Chicken Wings
These wings are made to taste best when served cold! Techniques used for making Cold Chicken Wings include: fry for over 20 minutes, dress with a special sweet sauce, and then quick-freeze them. To enjoy their premium taste, leave them at room temperature for 5~10 minutes before eating. They’re a great match to a mug of beer!

Price: ¥1,080 (250 g)
*240 g as of Oct. 2019
*box colors may change

Fukuoka’s Special Sweets

Fukuoka is home to many famous Japanese sweets. During the Edo era, Nagasaki was the only port from which the invaluable commodity of sugar entered Japan. Since the Kuroda Clan of Fukuoka was in charge of protecting Nagasaki, it was granted special permission to purchase sugar directly from the merchants. The popular sweets of this bygone era have undergone a few changes, but the people of today still know and love them.

Here we introduce some of the most popular sweets from long ago. Their backgrounds are fascinating. All these sweets are available in MING, just steps away from the FANZONE (JR Hakata Station).


Ming Hakata Ekinaka Shopping
1-1 Hakataeki-chuogai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
• Open: 9:00~21:00
092-341-1125
www.ming.or.jp

Saemon: Hakata Burabura

Saemon
The basic building blocks of traditional Japanese sweets are an (bean paste) and mochi (glutinous rice). A simple combination of these two ingredients, the Hakata Burabura is the archetype of Japanese sweets. But as simple as it may be, the secret of this confectionery’s long-standing success lies in the dedication to maintaining a consistent flavor. The whimsical package design features a kasahoko (lit., “umbrella pole”), a kind of hand-held float that was used in the Hakata Matsubayashi, the precursor to the Hakata Dontaku. According to lore, those who walk under the kasahoko will achieve perfect health. Hakata Burabura were first produced in 1974 to commemorate the extension of the Shinkansen bullet train to Hakata Station in 1975. They are made by Saemon, a traditional sweets maker that’s been in business since 1929.

Ishimura Manseido: Kenjo Tsuru no Ko

Ishimuramanseido
Tsuru no Ko are egg-shaped white sweets with a marshmallow outside and a center made from yellow an. In fact, you might mistake them for real eggs at first glance! These sweets, which have been in production for over 100 years, were first made as a means to use up the egg whites leftover from other sweets. Kenjo Tsuru no Ko are the highest quality products in the Tsuru no Ko lineup. Since the Meiji era, they have been presented to the Imperial Family as exemplars of Hakata sweets, and the production method remains unchanged to this day. Each sweet is handmade by veteran confectioners using only the finest of ingredients. Founded in 1905, Ishimura Manseido is a long-standing confectioner that offers a wide variety of both Japanese and Western sweets.

Hiyoko Hompo Yoshinodo: Hiyoko

Hiyoko
One glance at the cute chick-shaped Hiyoko sweets is sure to make you smile. Popular with people of all ages, these sweets from Fukuoka are now known and loved nationwide. The second generation owner of the shop, which was established in 1897, is said to have come up with Hiyoko after seeing a chick in a dream. After some trial and error, the Hiyoko as we know it was “hatched” in 1912. In an era when sweets were typically either round or square, the realistic, chick-shaped Hiyoko turned the industry on its head. The inside is made from egg yolks and string bean an, while the outside uses a special flour ground and milled right here in Kyushu.

Josuian: Tsukushimochi

Josuian
This mildly sweet mix of kinako (soy bean flour) and brown sugar syrup comes in a package that looks like it has been wrapped in a tiny furoshiki (traditional wrapping cloth). Since it was first created in 1977, Tsukushimochi has remained popular for its elegant presentation and refined flavor. The mochi is made from carefully selected rice and water, and the kinako flour is made from the rare Tamahomare soy bean. The brown sugar syrup is packaged separately, so you can add as little or as much as you wish. The president of Josuian, Kojiro Mori, says the sweet is based on his grandmother’s homemade kinako-mochi. In the 1830s, the precursor to Josuian, which was also run by the Mori family, used to make sweets for temples and shrines. The current company was renamed Josuian, borrowing its name from another name used by Fukuoka’s founding father, Kanbei Kuroda.

Chidoriya Honke: Chidori Manju

chidoriya
Simple yet delicious, the Chidori Manju is the trademark sweet of Chidoriya Honke. Consisting of a sweet paste of white string beans wrapped in a baked crust, you’ll find it tough to stop at just one! Founded in 1630, Chidoriya was one of the first local confectioners that learned how to make Portuguese sweets like castella and bolo—the latter of which it tweaked to make an original round cookie, the maru-boro. The name Chidori Manju was taken from a classical Japanese poem about Sugawara no Michizane, a Heian-era scholar who was later deified as the god of learning at Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. In Japan, chidori (in English, plover) have been considered lucky birds since olden times.

Fugetsu: Yuki Usagi

Fugetsu
The Yuki Usagi is a popular rabbit-shaped sweet consisting of white bean an wrapped in marshmallow. The red and white rabbit is a symbol of good luck taken from a folktale associated with Sofukuji Temple. According to the tale, a Buddhist monk who was studying in China rescued a rabbit and took it with him on the boat back to Japan. The boat encountered a violent storm, and when it was about to go under, the rabbit jumped into the ocean and calmed the storm, allowing the boat to continue safely to Japan. Fugetsu first opened as a cafe in Tenjin in 1949. It later expanded into the restaurant business, and began making and selling Western-style sweets and breads to accompany its cakes and other offerings. The now popular Yuki Usagi was born in 1965.

Royal Apetito: Sweet Potato

Royal
Royal was one of the first restaurants to successfully adopt Western culinary culture back when Western-style sweets and foods were still rare in the area. Its trademark Sweet Potato has been a best seller for more than 60 years. This delectable sweet makes the most of the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes, which are grown in Kagoshima, and the cream, butter and eggs are also made in Japan. What’s more, it contains no preservatives or artificial colors. Royal’s founder, who had ties to the occupying U.S. forces in the 1950s, was a pioneer in the restaurant industry. He expanded his business on the back of catering contracts with JAL for their domestic terminals and in-flight meals.

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