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Exploring Japan’s Delightful Souvenirs
When visiting Japan, the country’s rich culture, scenic landscapes, and delectable cuisine offer an abundance of experiences. Bringing back souvenirs is a cherished tradition for travelers.
If you’re a Muslim traveler or a plant-based enthusiast, you might be wondering what Japan has to offer that suits your dietary preferences and values.
Here’s a selection of halal, Muslim-friendly, and plant-based souvenirs to consider bringing back to your home country.
Matcha Powder
Japan’s famed matcha is a must-try. Matcha powder is versatile and can be used for making tea, desserts, or even as a flavoring for savory dishes. Among many matcha brands, Tsujiri is one of the famous ones offering a wide variety of matcha products using the best matcha.
Matcha powder can be found at local supermarkets or tea stores (store that sell tea-related products).
In the case of Tsujiri, they have shops in Tokyo Sky Tree Solamachi 6F (Tokyo), Daimaru Tokyo 10F (Tokyo), Tsujiri Gion Main Shop (Gion, Kyoto), and some pop-up shops inside the Shinkansen station such as Shin-Osaka Station, while the Tsujiri Gion Main Shop offers the complete selection of matcha including matcha powder with an option of sweetened and unsweetened.
Japanese Green Tea
Since Japan has a rich history and culture of tea and is still in the tea family, Japan’s green tea should be something special. Different from matcha, green tea has a lighter transparent green.
Even though both come from the same kind of tea, the cultivation differences make both matcha and green tea comes in different taste and flavor. Many people understand matcha as “green tea”, while in Japan, matcha and green tea are completely referred to as different kinds of tea.
Japanese green tea comes in a bright transparent green.
Japanese Green Tea comes in subtle bitterness and you can find it quite easily at the local supermarkets or convenience stores since the locals drink green tea daily. If you want to challenge a rare yet high-quality green tea (might be a bit pricey), you can try checking traditional tea shops such as Masuda-en Tea Shop in Asakusa, Tokyo.
See Also
Exploring the Diverse World of Japanese Tea and Its Rich Culture
One of the popular green tea brands among locals is Itoen. Its products come in various items, one of them is green tea (with matcha blend) tea bag.
Kaminariokoshi
Among the delicacies of halal snacks in Japan, Kaminari Okoshi stands out as a popular must-try snack for both locals and tourists who visit the bustling district of Asakusa. Kaminari Okoshi is a rice cracker made traditionally of puffed rice grains and has a refined sweetness, and comes in various flavors.
This scrumptious snack (halal-certified!) is sold exclusively at Tokiwado (Google Maps), a renowned sweet shop located right next to the iconic Kaminarimon gate in Asakusa, Tokyo.
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Royce Chocolate
Royce is a popular chocolate brand from Hokkaido, offering the land’s blessings in each item. According to their homepage, they mention that their products are not halal certified and the majority of their chocolate selection is completely liquor-free, gelatin-free, and made from plant-based ingredients.
In the case of their popular “Nama Chocolate”, they have completely liquor-free products which are also safely consumed by children; Nama Mild Cacao, Nama Ecuador Sweet, Nama Ghana Bitter, or Nama Mild White.
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Furthermore, ROYCE’s signature potato chip chocolate (original) is something you might want to check. It is made from potato chips (Japan’s domestic potato, vegetable fats, and salt), sugar, cocoa butter, cacao mass, and whole powder/emulsifier (derived from soy).
If you need further details, please check in-store with the staff.
ROYCE’s products can be found at Hokkaido’s antenna shop “Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza” Yurakucho branch (Tokyo) (Google Map), Haneda Airport Terminal 1, and other Hokkaido’s products shops/exhibitions, or at ROYCE’s Online Shop.
Ariake Yokohama Harbour
Ariake Yokohama Harbour is a well-known snack from Kanagawa Prefecture, which you can find easily even in convenience stores! The snack comes in boat-shaped cakes with chestnut fillings, made carefully using plant-based ingredients, including the chocolate flavor.
The complete variation is available at Ariake Yokohama Harbour main shop (Google Maps) in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, and souvenir shops in the city.
As they also have seasonal products, please check with the staff for any concerns.
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If you desire a personalized and enjoyable trip that caters to your needs and comfort, don’t hesitate to reach out to Halal Travel Japan. We are here to assist you with crafting a customized trip itinerary exclusively for you, right up to the introduction of a knowledgeable Muslim guide to enhance your experience.
