“Shop Tirol Chocolate” is located 5-minutes away from the JR Akihabara station on foot, which mainly handles regional limited products, route limited collaboration products, and outlet goods, with many unusual products that you can't find at the average supermarket, convenience stores, or candy shop.

Here, the cheap chocolates usually found by the side of the cashier at convenience stores are aplenty. On average. new flavors are released every month.

The interior gives a very hip atmosphere, with a giant Tirol chocolate cushion for photoshoot purposes. There’s no restriction to photography in the establishment, so let your fingers free to snap some shots!

While the products have no problems in taste nor quality, anything chipped or smashed that can’t be sold at regular shops get sent here.

In the picture above, although the items in the pack are worth 1000-yen in volume, they’re priced here at 500-yen (tax inclusive), making it basically half-price! While the volume of the pack varies depending on the condition of the factory at the time, all of the packs are fairly worth the money.

Feast your eyes on this shelf jam-packed with limited-edition snacks! From regional-specific goods to collaboration items with famous companies, the sheer variety is shocking as it is. Store manager Maeda tells us, “Many of the companies have given their sincerest thanks due to the success of the collaborations.” As expected of the well-known Tirol Chocolate brand.

There’s a lot to take in, so let’s go through each item one at a time!

“Seven Eleven’s limited edition “Big Tirol <Okinawan Assortment>” 15 pieces per box at 324-yen (tax inclusive).

This here is another product only sold at Seven-Eleven. The “Tirol Choco <Ruby Chocolate>” uses ruby chocolate, also known as the “4th type of chocolate”. 49-yen per piece (tax inclusive).

With a very berry-like color and flavor, ruby chocolate uses ruby cacao in its creation. Different from the other kinds of chocolate like dark or white, ruby chocolate has been officially recognized as the 4th type of chocolate. Enjoy the exquisite taste of this new flavor!

Here we have the “Big Tirol <Sanrio X Don Pen>”, a collaborative item with “Don Quixote”. 22 pieces per pack for 324-yen (tax inclusive). This combination of “Sanrio character goods” and Don Quixote’s mascot “Don Pen” makes this very popular with the ladies!

Another collaboration item is this tapioca milk tea chocolate, riding on the ever-popular bubble tea fad in Japan. 7 pieces per pack at 108-yen (tax inclusive).

A tie-in with the drugstore “Matsumoto Kiyoshi”, the “Ichigo Daifuku” comes in a pack of 7 at 108-yen (tax inclusive).

The “Ichigo milk mochi fukuro”, a collaboration item with “Okashi no Machioka”. 7 pieces per box at 108 yen (tax inclusive).

A collaboration item with the supermarket “Yaoko”, the “Ohagi mochi fukuro” with 7 pieces a pack at 108-yen (tax inclusive).

This one is the manager’s recommendation! A limited good only available at the supermarkets “Maruetsu”, “Kasumi”, and “Max Value Kanto”, the “Cinque Formaggi Tirol Choco” comes with 7 pieces at 140-yen (tax inclusive). The salty cheese pairs well with the sweet chocolate for a flavor adults will appreciate.

The “Cream Souffle Cake” is a collaborative item with Yamazaki, priced at 130-yen per piece (tax inclusive).

In the middle of the souffle is chocolate filling which uses Tirol’s chocolate for a familiar flavor in cream form. Perfect for a snack or dessert!

This item is a collaboration with Meiji dairy industries, a hit product known as “Kinako mochi Tirol” - pudding! It’s 151-yen a pack (tax inclusive).

There’s even stick type latte collab items! These are part of a tie-in with “Nittou Koucha”, priced at 389-yen for 8 sticks (tax inclusive).

Seeing this many might yelp in surprise, “Curry chocolate!?” However, Maeda the shopkeeper explains that it’s really just mild curry. 500-yen a pack (tax inclusive).

The sheer number of choices might intimidate some, so the store manager has kindly informed us of the 3 top picks by popularity! If you’re lost, why not consider some of these? Let’s take a look!

This product uses Ehime’s local soft drink, Pom juice, so widespread in the region there’s even an urban legend about a faucet that dispense Pom juice in the region. 20 piece a pack at 540-yen (tax inclusive).

Pom juice jelly and syrup lies in the center of the chocolate, undiluted and faithful to the original taste of the drink.

This is a revival of a classic item from 1962, when chocolate was still considered a luxury good. To cut cost and sell it at a price the average joe could buy, they coat nougats with chocolate instead. 27 pieces in a box, 324-yen (tax inclusive).

This one comes in a bar of 3 cubes, with each bar at 40-yen (tax inclusive). The original Tirol chocolate was apparently a bar-type rather than the cube-type.

This is a typical chocolate biscuit sold in a container form only available at LOFT. 18 pieces in each box, costing 1078-yen (tax inclusive).

The package is in a stackable container form, which makes it great for putting stationery or other accessories when you’re done with the chocolate.

It’s not all sweets and cacao here. The place also has an overwhelming selection of merchandise, a great choice for a present to your friends, family, or coworkers.

Using this Tirol thermal bag in the summer sounds like a good way to keep your chilly sugary treats from melting. 367-yen (tax inclusive).

Get a stamp for every 500-yen of purchase you make, with the stamps forming the word TIROL when completed. Cute!

On holidays the place becomes a haven for pedestrians, with about 1000 customers a day. It might eventually become the premier spot for Tokyo souvenirs among tourists and those on business trips one day.

*Prices and products are subjected to availability and may change. Some items might be unavailable due to overwhelming demand.

Written by Kurabayashi Jiei, Dali Corporation Inc.