From Okinawa With Tax

What's in the bag?

     Walking the aisles of my friendly Japan super markets I often think, "I've never seen that before." Today, strolling past torii-themed displays thoughts of "I've REALLY never seen that before" brought me to a halt. I knew my wallet was a dead man.
     There must have been six kiosks full of "exotic" fare. Lost in a world of kanji, I searched for a familiar friend.
     "Where are you? Come out, come out wherever you are!" Presto, there he was, English! 'Okinawa,' was conveniently written on some of the packages. "All this crap is from Okinawa?" Then I recalled Japan's edible omiyage (souvenir) obsession.
     One could hit-up these displays and fake a trip to Japan's tropical islands. Simply pickup some goodies and hand them to a co-worker bragging about your vacation that NEVER happened. Or if Okinawa is in your future, stock up now to spare your luggage the burden.

Purchases from Okinawa

(by way of Aomori)

     I couldn't pass up the 'Are These Muffins' Muffins. I'm also a sucker for bizarre chocolate, which made the purple potato Kit-Kats impossible to ignore. Next came Pineapple and Shikuwasa (lime) hi-chew, followed by purple potato caramel and some soft pineapple candies. Things got pricey with 450 yen caramel boxes of Mango and Kokutou (Okinawa's traditional brown sugar). Though with only 14 pieces each, these caramels didn't disapoint. While the rest of the candy just tasted 'different.' Probably as a result of me sporting fewer taste buds than a corpse.
     Then I lawfully abided by the Girlfriend Act of 200 BC. Whenever buying something, a minimum of 25% of that said purchase must be set aside for the lovely lady. So I tossed in a bag of fruity gooey thingies.
     These edibles are intriguing and if you ever happen to be in Okinawa or a grocery store that pretends it is, say a prayer for your wallet.

The Flyer

Episode 1

The Phantom Chanpuru

The Flyer

Episode 2

Attack of the Fruits