Morinaga Mango yogurt with aloe cubes: Pieces of aloe in creamy yogurt did not seem appealing to me when I first moved to Japan, but now having it for breakfast or a small snack feels like a daily routine. Generally, the Morinaga yogurt is runny and has a slightly tart flavor, and the cubes of aloe add a burst of juicy sweetness. The aloe yogurts come in a variety of fruit flavors a nd have bits of fruit inside on top of the aloe; the mango version is a nice tropical treat. 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese morinaga mango yogurt aloe cubes 3.5
Kabaya Pureral Pear Gummies: This Japanese gummy features an unexpected cross between a marshmallow and gummy candy. Each cube has a fluffy texture and is embedded with fruit gummy flavor and texture, providing two different levels of chewiness. I haven't had anything quite like it and enjoyed it overall. The flavor reminds me of a very concentrated ramune, or like those popular individually-wrapped hemispherical fruit gummies from Japan that are ubiquitous in Chinese grocery stores. Purchased from Lawson. 3.5/5.0
recommended candy japanese kabaya pureral pear gummies 3.5
Suntory Grape Gokuri Juice: I expected this drink to be carbonated, but it's more like a grape juice that contains pulpy bits of grape. It comes in a thin aluminum bottle with a screw top, which is pretty convenient because the drink is too sweet to want to drink in a single serving. Overall, it was a largely average drink, not something I would purchase again. 2.5/5.0
drinks japanese suntory grape gokuri juice 2.5
Asahi Mitsuya Apple Cider Soda: This Japanese apple soda tastes really similar to one of my favorite Taiwanese sodas, Apple Sidra. It has a crisp and refreshing apple juice flavor, is well carbonated, cheap, and readily available at convenience stores. Solid staple. 3.5/5.0
recommended sodas japanese asahi mitsuya apple cider soda 3.5
Seijo Ishii Extra Spicy Ginger Ale: Ginger ale is my favorite soda, and I love ginger drinks that are particularly spicy, so I was excited to try this version claiming to be extra spicy. The bottle was a bit thicker than normal, which made me hopeful that it would contain especially carbonated soda. Overall, I found the ginger flavor to definitely be above average, probably in the top 40% of ginger ales I've had, but comparatively, it was just a bit spicier than Reed's Ginger Beer, which isn't as spicy as I would hope. On t... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks gingerale japanese seijoishii extra spicy ginger ale 3.5
Venus Delites Fig Filled Cookies: I purchased these cookies at Seijo Ishii, a grocery store specializing in imported products. I haven't seen Fig Newtons, or similar equivalents, since moving to Japan, and seeing them made me crave the flavor of the humble cookie. These were about 2/3 the size and had more of a crumbly rather than soft cookie exterior, but I found the chewy fig center to be more satisfying in texture and concentrated fig flavor than Fig Newtons, or the Newman's Own version. But I still prefer the softness... (read more) 3.0/5.0
cookies turkey venus delites fig filled 3.0 seijoishii