The Best 10 Must-Buy Souvenirs in Nagoya, Aichi

Nagoya is situated in the middle of Japan proper, Honshu. It is a very exciting place not only for Japanese tourists but also foreign visitors nowadays. It is said that Nagoya which lies between two capitals has developed a lot of Nagoya-type-foods because of its characteristic growth. You might want to take the taste of Nagoya back to your home with you. Here are the recommended Nagoya-foods that might be your souvenirs.

1. Aoyagi Uiro Hitokuchi

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The long-established sweets maker, Aoyagi-sohonke was founded in 1879. The Aoyagi-uiro from the Aoyagi-sohonke has been known by everyone in Nagoya and it has been appearing on TV in their advertisement. It is sticky but crisp and it has a plain, delicate taste.

In a box, the 4 different flavors, such as Sakura(cherry), Matcha(green-tea), Shiro(white) and Agari(strained red bean paste) are packed. It is suitable for people who have never tasted uiros yet and they can try various flavors. Also, it is just the right size for a souvenir. They are selling “Kaeru(frog) dumpling” and “Kishimen pie” as well.

2. Kiyome-mochi

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This famous Kiyome-mochi as a Nagoya sweet started in the menu of a tea-room where the Atsuta Shrine worshippers had a rest. Then it has developed as a souvenir. The Habutae-mochi (made from steamed and kneaded rice flour with sugar and starch syrup) wraps the koshian(carefully boiled and strained red beans paste) and is cooked using the Hokkaido red beans. It has a very delicate taste.

There are 2 different types of Kiyome-mochi. One has only koshian inside and the other one has chestnut together with koshian. Please try both of them. They are lovely. The price, 600 yen for 5 of them is reasonable. They are very popular as a souvenir. They go very well with a cup of green-tea!

3. Kinshachi-yaki

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Speaking of Nagoya, most people think about the gold Shachihoko which is a deity of the Nagoya Castle. This “Kinshachi-yaki” is a sponge cake in the Shachi shape filled with red bean paste and custard-cream. The head looks like a lion and the tail looks like a fish.

The sponge contains a lot of eggs and the bean jam inside has Hokkaido red bean paste with its skin and the custard-cream. The mild sweetness is very welcoming. The product itself is unique and the package is pretty. They are Nagoya’s special products.

4. Nagoyan

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Nagoyan is another representative sweet of Nagoya. It has been loved for many, many years nationwide. Since 1969, it has been recognized as a “Nagoya-excellent-sightseeing-noted-product” and it has been a long selling product. The sponge cake wraps the crispy and palatable egg-yolk paste and the mild sweet gracious taste is special.

From 100,000 to 120,000 of them are made per day to sell. For more than 50 years, it has been loved by people of all ages. This traditional Nagoya sweet may become your favorite!

5. Nagoya France

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As the name shows, the Japanese sweet’s representative, rice-cake and the French born gateau made this unique Nagoya France. It is a sweet of the Japanese culture and the French one fused together remarkably. It came from the food culture of Nagoya, “mix delicious foods”. It is a sweet which only Nagoya can offer.

They have a maccha-cream taste and a chocolate-cream taste as a standard flavour, but they are selling seasonal tastes for the limited period. You can taste various flavors depending on the season. It’s interesting to taste 2 countries at the same time in Nagoya, isn’t it?

 
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6. Maboroshi-no-tebasaki-shittori-senbei (Phantom Chicken-wing Moisture Rice-cracker)

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Even overseas, many people know this famous shop to be a representative of Nagoya, “Sekai-no-Yama-chan”. The tavern, “Sekai-no-Yama-chan” invented a rice-cracker, using the chicken-wing, keeping its original taste.

Among the famous Nagoya products, deep-fried chicken-wings, Sekai-no-Yama-chan’s ones are spicy ones which are habit-forming. And their chicken-wing rice crackers are as spicy as the deep-fried chicken wings. If you like beer, these rice-crackers go very well with it. Try one in Nagoya and take some away with you as souvenirs.

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7. Miso-oden Doteni-iri

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What kind of food does Nagoya remind you of? Many people think of Miso cuisine, don’t they? Among the Nagoya Miso, the Haccho-miso from Maruya is especially popular. The “Miso-oden doteni-iri” is cooked, using the Haccho-miso. The reason of their popularity is that they can be taken away with soup.

The miso flavor and the Oden soup are well balanced and a little salty-sweet rich flavour is just right as a side dish for drinking. It is one of the nice souvenirs from Nagoya.

8. Nama-nikomi-udon from Yamamotoya-sohonke

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This udon shop has a long queue with their customers at the meal times. They are very patient to wait for the seats to be emptied because their noodles are very delicious and are worth waiting for. You can’t wait for that long, can you? Good news! You can take them back to your home with you and enjoy them, taking your time. It is nikomi-udon.

The profound taste of the hidden secret mixture with the Haccho-miso and other seasonings which have been handed down from generation to generation is characteristic. They use the 100% domestic flour for making noodles and they are a little tough and chewy which is the best taste for udon. Do they stimulate your appetite?

9. Sugakiya Ramen

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“Sugakiya Ramen” shop has a lot of branch shops at the shopping center, at the food court and at many other places. It is one of the representative Ramen-shops in Nagoya. It has a Japanese-styled plain tonkotsu(pork-bone) soup and the price is just ￥320 for 1 portion. It has been Nagoya’s sole food.

There is ramen in a bag and cup-ramen with a Sugakiya taste to sell. You can easily enjoy Sugakiya’s delicious ramen at home. They are very popular as a souvenir. You can’t get this ramen in any other place. Don’t forget it if you are a ramen lover!

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10. Miya-kishimen Hannama-kishimen

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Atsuta town prospered as a temple town as well as a post town with the Atsuta Shrine . The noodle originated at the Atsuta Shrine and the shop was given the name of Miya(shrine) from the priest of the Atsuta Shrine.

Kishimen is one of Nagoya’s famous products. They are noodles with a flat, thin and wide shape with a smooth palate. And they are eaten with the soya and bonito flavor soup. “Miya-kishimen” which one letter from the Atsuta Shrine has been given is the shop which has been loved since a long time ago.

They have “Miso-nikomi-kishimen” (kishimen cooked in a broth containing miso paste), apart from “Shoyu-tsuyu-kishimen” (kishimen in soya sauce soup) so, you can choose your favorite. It’s great that you can have these professionally cooked kishimen at home, isn’t it? There is no doubt that they will be pleased by anybody who will receive them as souvenirs.

Let’s Buy Great Souvenirs in Nagoya!

I hope you have learned various products which have originated from the special culture in Nagoya. Just in case if you miss the chance to buy those products in Nagoya, you can buy them, such as the Nagoya-meshi or sweets at the major stations and the Airport. None of them fails as a souvenir. You may need an extra bag!