Omiyage culture is the reason why Japanese airports (visitors swoon over Narita, but the regional airports like Sapporo’s Chitose and Osaka’s Itami are really where it’s at), train stations, and rest stops are full of boxes of individually packaged sweets and savories. If you go on a trip, you must bring back something for everyone you know, especially if they are your colleagues1.
A Cautionary Tale
I met Hazel, an Australian attorney seconded to a very Japanese firm during my year as a Tokyo expat. She took frequent business trips from Tokyo to Ulaanbaatar. Being unaware of Japanese omiyage culture, she returned from her first trip empty-handed and was met with a reprimand from her manager.
Hazel-san, you didn’t bring anything back?
Fool me once! Thought Hazel. On her second trip to Ulaanbaatar, she surveyed the scant offerings at Buyant-Ukhaa and brought back a box of chocolates, which she left on the kitchen counter of the office.
She was called back by her manager. Hazel-san, nobody is eating these chocolates. They are terrible!
Ugh! Thought Hazel. It’s not my fault that you don’t like these chocolates! So on Hazel’s third trip to Ulaanbaatar, she delayed her shopping until her arrival in Tokyo Station. She purchased a box of the ever popular Tokyo Banana and bought a box to the office, where they were promptly devoured. Hazel was relieved, but her manager was not done.
Hazel-san, Tokyo Bananas are not Mongolian! He said, munching on the very banana.
And on and on. Luckily, the Ulaanbaatar project ended shortly after, sparing Hazel any further deliberation over the appropriate edible gifts.
Regions and their Omiyage
Omiyage are an expected part of any trip, no matter how small the journey. Because of this, every little town in Japan will have an array of omiyage, often themed around something for which that town is known. Nestle has gotten in on this too, selling houjicha flavored Kit-Kats in Kyoto and purple sweet potato Kit-Kats in Okinawa. Some of these omiyage have achieved extreme fame, like Tokyo Banana and Hokkaido’s Shiroi Koibito cookies.
I am biased, because my family is strictly from Kansai (western Japan).2 Omiyage from Kansai are the best because they are more often traditional wagashi3 (Japanese sweets) based on azuki and mochi.
Ako, Hyogo: Shiomi Manju (塩味饅頭)
Today I’m introducing one of my favorites, the shiomi (salt) manju (confection), a specialty of Ako in Kansai’s Hyogo prefecture. You may know Hyogo for its hot springs, for the cherry blossoms at Himeji Castle, for the Takarazuka theater company, and for the port city of Kobe. Ako is just one of these famous hot springs locales that is also famous for its salt production, but was also the home base of the daimyo who inspired the revenge tale of Chushingura4 (also known as 47 Ronin, which has also been made into a film starring Keanu Reeves(!!??)).
The shiomi manju is a dainty morsel that can easily fit in the palm of your hand. A koshian (smooth azuki bean paste) is surrounded by a dry, light, slightly salty, and slightly chewy, layer of rice flour (specifically kanbaiko) and sugar. While the original is white and flavored by just the rice flour and the sugar, they can also be flavored with matcha and kinako (soybean powder).
Because Ako is famous for its salt, the shiomi manju is one of the city’s most prominent and unusual omiyage. According to the lore of the store Hamariya (established in 1764), the first shiomi manju was created in 1853 by Hamariya’s then-owner who was inspired by the contrast of Ako’s white salt against the sunset. Hamariya registered the name (塩味饅頭) with the blessing of the ruling Ako-clan (of above mentioned 47 Ronin fame).
Multiple stores now make the shiomi manju. This box is from Mishimaya.
Hamariya’s shiomi manju is the officially registered version, but don’t stop there. Other makers5 offer their own versions!
And your hungry family! I was inspired to write this by my dad, Takashi, as he recently returned to New Jersey from a trip to Nara and Tokyo (his first trip in two years, thank you COVID!) with a suitcase brimming with omiyage, including two types of shiomi manju (Mishimaya and Kankawa) because he is the best!
Mainly Nara, which I will have you know, was the original Japanese capital from 710-794. It is the site of Todaiji, which houses the largest Buddha in Japan, Kasuga Taisha, one of the grandest shrines hailing back to 768, and Horyuji, where you can view the world’s oldest wooden structure. Also, many (sacred) deer. My paternal grandfather hails from Saga prefecture in Kyushu, but has lived in Osaka/Nara for most of his nine decades.
Not to say that Kansai is the only region with wagashi. Off the top of my head, the famous Kuuya is based in Tokyo’s Ginza, but you will encounter many more wagashi shops wandering in the older capital cities of Nara and Kyoto than you will in Tokyo or Sapporo.
In 1701 the Ako-clan daimyo, Asano Takumi-no-kami Naganori, was allegedly provoked by Kira Kōzuke-no-suke Yoshinaka into drawing his sword and subsequently ordered to commit seppuku, while Kira was not reprimanded. His 47 samurai were dismissed and became ronin, but avenged Asano by beheading Kira and laying his head on Asano’s tombstone. The 47 samurai then turned themselves in and were ordered to commit seppuku.
What a fun taste test of six brands!
I worried so much about Omiyage when we first moved to Tokyo. I'd done a lot of research and Trader Joe bags were mentioned a number of times as good Omiyagi to bring from the states. As were small food items that are specific to your region - but not too sweet, not too expensive, and not chocolate because it wouldn't keep, but also not the keychains or coffee mugs that you find at so many US airports. So stressful. Ultimately I ended up bringing individual bottles of TJ chile lime seasoning salts...which I think, but will never truly know, was a fair choice.
This time, returning to the US, we brought a suitcase of Japanese snacks and sweets including Tokyo Banana and Kit-kats but also Tokyo Milk Cheese Cookies (https://tokyomilkcheese.jp/en/) and wagashi from HIGASHIYA (https://www.higashiya.com/en/). I can't wait to try shiomi manju when we go back. Also FWIW I ❤️ Keanu 😁