Dec 28th 2016 | It's a Mixed Bag. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯🍬🍬
Your Japanese candies are almost there! This email explains what was in the box, so it could be a bit of a spoiler.
The items in the box are: Puku Puku Tai and a Tirol-Choco Variety Pack.
Puku Puku Tai
Taiyaki is a traditional fish-shaped cake in Japan. You can find them at food-stands outside of temples or at matsuri (festivals). They’re usually filled with anko (red bean paste), but I personally prefer sweet potato for its mild-sweet taste. This Puku Puku Tai is a cute wafer snack made by Meito. The outside is a crispy monaka wafer (think mochi, but an ice cream cone) while the inside is filled with lighter than air fluffy mousse chocolate. It offers a crunchy bite with a delicious soft center.
Tirol-Choco Variety Pack
Tirol-Choco is a relatively new brand inspired by the company president’s trip to Tyrol, Austria. They have nearly 400 flavors of chocolates. It’s really popular with children as they can purchase individual pieces at the konbini (convenience store) for around 10yen per piece. Nothing like standing behind an eight-year old count his yen for 50 pieces of chocolate. This assorted bag features 30 chocolates from a variety of different flavors. Which one is your favorite? The correct answer should be White & Cookie.
As I write this when we sent the box, it was New Year's in Japan. That means Japan is on lock-down for the next week while everyone visits their family and spend the holiday watching TV. Yes. That is what they do here. It's strange for me as an American because Christmas is the family holiday for us, while New Year's is for couples. It's reverse in Japan with couples celebrating Christmas and everything shutting down while people visit with their families. One thing that is the same is Christmas lights, known as "illumination" here in Japan. Here is a shot I took at Shibuya.
