We’ll start our trip at HIRO COFFEE, a specialty coffee brand that’s been in business for over 45 years. Though their head shop is in Suita, Osaka, we're visiting Coffee Gallery HIRO at EKI MARCHÉ OSAKA. From a coffee stand to aisles upon aisles of coffee-related goods, the store offers an irresistible line-up for coffee lovers. Among the many items you might consider taking home, the coffee yokan jelly is gaining popularity as an unexpected combination. Yokan jelly is a traditional Japanese sweet with a gelatinous texture. It comes in a variety of flavors, but coffee-flavored yokan jelly is unique, to say the least, and I strongly recommend giving it a go. You'll be surprised how perfect this pairing is.

Onishi says, "There are two types of coffee yokan jelly available. The one made with Mandheling coffee beans has a bold bitter taste, while the one using Mocha coffee beans has more of a mellow flavor. The beans are roasted at HIRO COFFEE's roasting studio, and they go well with the sweet red bean paste used to make the yokan jelly."

This light, easy-to-eat snack pairs perfectly with coffee.

Coffee yokan jelly is something of a rarity, so many people buy the mini size first to be safe. I also bought a mini one, but I ate it so fast that I regretted not buying a large one. That's how easy it is to eat.

These chocolate-coated whole coffee beans have a satisfying crunch, like peanuts. Available in milk, bitter, fraise (strawberry), and assorted flavors (all three types in one package). A bag of these makes a perfect small souvenir from Osaka.

According to Onishi, "The most popular is the assorted. These are a big hit with women, both as a snack and a gift."

Different types of coffee beans are used for each flavor, so the chocolate used is a perfect match for each bean. There's a burst of coffee flavor with each bite, and it has a wonderful aroma. In winter, the Christmas-themed packaging makes for a great present.

Taiyaki is a popular Japanese street food consisting of a pancake-like outer shell stuffed with any variety of sweet fillings, like red bean paste or custard. They're great as a snack or a gift.

I came to the first basement floor of Daimaru Umeda to visit Taiyaki Specialty Shop Tokachi Anko no Sazae, which opened in October 2022. The rows of taiyaki baking in the storefront whetted my appetite and made my stomach growl. The auspicious fish-shaped taiyaki is filled to the tails with red bean paste made from 100% Tokachi azuki beans. They're so full they look like they might burst.

They make "thin-crust" taiyaki with a thin pancake shell, and you can choose between three flavors of filling: chunky sweet red bean paste, custard cream, and pistachio cream (seasonally). The Danish taiyaki is filled with mochi rice cakes and chunky red bean paste. I had the thin-crust taiyaki filled with scrumptious homemade red bean paste. The quality is no surprise since they specialize in making ohagi, which are rice cakes covered in red bean paste. The slightly salty flavor is not too sweet, so it's easy to eat a ton.

"The most popular item, by far, is the thin-crust taiyaki filled with chunky red bean paste,” mentions the store manager, Yoshida. “It's popular among people of all ages, from young to old. On weekends or holidays, when we have a lot of customers, we bake 300 to 400 of each type of taiyaki per day, or about 1,000 taiyaki in total. They almost always sell out."

Although they might be overshadowed by the chunky, sweet red bean paste in terms of popularity, the custard cream and pistachio cream are also fantastic, and they have a thick texture that matches the chewy dough.

Danish taiyaki is a unique variation of taiyaki. The crispy and fluffy Danish is filled with mochi and red bean paste, a perfect match for the texture of the dough.

While I speak with Yoshida, I see people of all ages, including office workers, housewives, and young men, purchasing taiyaki. Some people buy just one as a quick snack, while others get sets of five or ten as souvenirs. Even after the taiyaki cools, it can be re-baked in a toaster oven to get back that crispy texture, so it really is the king of Japanese snacks.

Osaka isn’t just about the sweets, they have savory treats as well: like at Chips & tips. Their BUTTER POTATO CHIPS are popular as a souvenir, and they go great with alcohol. Rice flour is blended into the chips to make them less oily while giving them a puffed-rice texture. They're slightly chunky, with a solid crunch and robust flavor that makes them addictive.

Onishi says, "There are six flavors in total, with the top three being anchovy, pink salt, and honey."

The anchovy flavor, with its salty and rich umami, is unrivaled in popularity. Incidentally, Onishi recommends the bacon flavor, which goes great with beer.

Plus, the packaging is stylish, with an eye-catching striped pattern. The store's shopping bags are transparent so that the package of chips can be seen, and the fun design can double as a gift bag. You can also purchase a variety pack in box or bag form.

Onishi says, "With the box, you choose your favorite flavors and bundle them together. The bag comes pre-packed with four different flavors – a balance between popular and less well-known kinds. The variety packs are very popular as gifts."

There is also a package that includes all the flavors, which apparently is especially popular with men. If you're struggling to pick a single flavor, you can just try them all instead.

"The garlic flavor is very tasty when crushed and sprinkled on a salad!” Onishi remarks. “The texture of the chips and the garlic flavor go well together, even making a good substitute for dressing."

You can enjoy them as a snack or in your cooking. Try all six flavors to find the one you like best.

Our last stop on the OSAKA STATION CITY souvenir tour is Namiyoshian, a long-standing maker of Japanese sweets established in 1858. We recommend the aburi mitarashi rice dumplings, which are grilled and coated in a special soy sauce. These frequently get media coverage and have amassed a loyal following of repeat customers. The ingredients are quite simple: rice flour (100%), sugar, and water. Although it may seem minimal at first glance, the ingredients are carefully chosen, and the product is made with love.

"The ingredients for the sauce are kelp from Rishiri, Hokkaido, and tamari shoyu [a thick soy sauce made using less wheat] from Yuasa. The dumplings are roasted over Kishu binchotan charcoal, which is beloved among chefs,” remarks Akita, the store manager. “The original recipe and grilling technique using binchotan charcoal allows the dumplings to retain their moisture content and remain soft even after cooling down.”

Namiyoshian's rice dumplings remain soft even after they cool, which is their best feature. Rice dumplings may seem like a risky gift, since they harden so quickly, but you can rest assured that these aburi mitarashi rice dumplings will stay perfectly soft. Another plus is that they don't contain any additives. Anyone can enjoy them with peace of mind.

The Namiyoshian EKI MARCHÉ OSAKA location holds an event called Aburi Mitarashi Day on the fourth Tuesday of every month. If you buy a box of five or more dumplings, you'll receive an extra one for free! This event has become so popular that some people hesitate to buy the day before in anticipation of Aburi Mitarashi Day.

Another Namiyoshian product I recommend is the mochi-an doughnut. The dough is made with glutinous rice flour that gives it a satisfying chewy texture, and the doughnut is filled with smooth sweet red bean paste. Only an expert in Japanese sweets could craft a unique donut like this.

"The goal was to devise a doughnut that only a maker of Japanese sweets could create. After a lot of trial and error, the final doughnut borrows some of the best aspects of Namiyoshian's rice dumplings," mentions Akita.

These doughnuts reflect all the expertise of their creators, who know exactly how to fine-tune sweetness, whether it's in red bean paste, rice dumplings, or dough. You can restore the doughnuts to their crispy glory by baking them in a toaster oven. They are great as a snack or a souvenir, so be sure to try them.

On weekends, Entrée Marché Osaka attracts about 6,000 customers a day. If you're low on time and don't want to run around to a bunch of stores, or if you're set on finding the perfect gift from Osaka, then visit the kingdom of edible souvenirs: Entrée Marché Osaka! You can choose from a whopping 1,200 kinds of treats, from sweet to salty and everything in between.

The manager, Tanaka, recommends the Chorokenpi crispy sweet potato sticks for 1,398 yen (w/ tax). Inside the tin, you'll find several small gift bags included so you can easily split the snacks up and gift them to multiple people. It's a convenient as well as delicious choice.

If you're wondering what to buy, Entrée Marché Osaka has you covered. There is a wide range of souvenirs, from quintessentially Osakan items, to souvenirs only available in western Japan, to treats from famous shops that you can't go wrong with. You can even find strange and wacky souvenirs that will make you giggle. Check out their ranking of popular souvenirs and see what's currently trendy!

Final Thoughts
So that's our souvenir tour of OSAKA STATION CITY. It was hard to narrow it down to five stores because so many places jumped out to me. Honestly, OSAKA STATION CITY is huge, and there are so many unique things to see. Daimaru Umeda, EKI MARCHE, LUCUA, and LUCUA 1100 all have so many different stores that one day was not nearly enough time to look around. The Entrée Marché Osaka store is a treasure trove of souvenirs, so much so that it's hard to choose. There are a lot of hidden treasures around every corner in OSAKA STATION CITY, so be sure to stop by.

(*Information in this article is as of November 30, 2022. Prices and availability of products mentioned may change.)

Editor: KOTSU SHIMBUNSHA
Writer: Kotaro Shimada