Rikuro Ojisan is famous in Shin-Osaka, but there is also a nearly 100-year-old traditional Japanese sweets shop that I discovered. I bought some and it was delicious! It's a small fried senbei coated in water candy, and it goes well with tea or coffee. I didn't know about this place before! The packaging is also cute. I couldn't resist and ended up eating it on the Shinkansen ride back. It's a great individual souvenir. I recommend it. They also have limited edition flavors available.

In Kobe, there is a traditional dagashi (cheap sweets) maker called Uegaki Senbei that has been around since 1930. They are famous for their commercials, and it is said that everyone in Kansai knows about them. Recently, they have expanded to Tokyo and even sell their products at 100 yen shops. One of their popular snacks is called Tamago Boro, which resembles a small rice ball. However, when you try it, it is actually a small senbei (rice cracker) made mainly from mochi rice and coated with wheat flour. It is similar to a type of karinto snack. The ones sold at the train station are smaller in size but cost 680 yen for a small pack. Despite this, they are delicious.

I had been wanting to try the "Uguisu Ball" made by "Uegaki Senbei," which my acquaintance from Osaka highly praised. When planning a trip related to the Kii Peninsula Railway, I discovered that there was a directly operated store in "Ekimarche Shin-Osaka." So, on the first day of the trip, I stopped by when transferring at Shin-Osaka Station around 11:30 am on a weekday. The store is located inside Shin-Osaka Station on the 3rd floor within the "Ekimarche Shin-Osaka" area, where many confectionery shops are concentrated. It's a counter-only store with face-to-face sales. When I visited, there was a constant flow of customers coming and going, with many middle-aged women visiting. Some customers were buying in bulk, which surprised me a bit. The showcase at the sales counter displayed 3-4 varieties of "Uguisu Ball" (packaged or sold by weight) and about 2 types of rice crackers (packaged). The prices seemed normal to slightly high. I hesitated but ended up purchasing the "Small Uguisu Ball (small bag)" for 680 yen (tax included). The store charges 2 yen for a plastic bag. On the "Limited Express Kuroshio" heading to Gobo, we enjoyed it around 1:15 pm. The "Small Uguisu Ball (small bag)" comes in a bag that resembles a rice bag with a generous amount (exact weight unknown). It is a small mochi ball fried and turned into a rice cracker, coated with honey perhaps. The balls are less than 1 cm in diameter, with honey partially attached. The rice crackers are light and crispy, full of air and not greasy. The honey part is crunchy and has a rich flavor similar to Carinto. The balance of honey was just right, not too strong or weak. It was delicious, and we couldn't stop eating, finishing it quickly (shared between two people). I really liked the "Small Uguisu Ball" and wish they would sell it in Niigata. If given the chance, I would like to try the normal-sized "Uguisu Ball" or other flavors as well.

On the way back from a business trip, even after 8 PM on a weekday, there were still quite a few people at Shin-Osaka Station. The shops where you can use QR coupons for travel support were crowded everywhere. While keeping an eye on the Shinkansen schedule, I discovered some cute souvenirs with a Japanese taste in lovely packaging. I bought some Danba black soybean kinako and hand-fried uguisu balls! The large, round rice crackers had a sticky sweet taste that was addictively crunchy. And the generous coating of kinako added a rich flavor. It was a great souvenir that was easy to pick up. I recommend the uguisu balls from Uegaki Senbei.

Visited a shop a little before 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Located inside Ekimarche Shin-Osaka, within the JR Shin-Osaka Station conventional line ticket gate, is a corner of SweetsStreet. The products sold at this shop are mainly "Uguisu Balls", with only a few exceptions. It seems that this snack is well-known in the Kansai region and is even sold in supermarkets, but as a person from Kanto, I was not familiar with it. Uguisu Balls are a type of rice cracker made with mochi rice, resembling the shape of a plum bud, hence the name "Uguisu" which is a combination of "ume" (plum) and "uguisu" (Japanese bush warbler). The ingredients are simple, using only mochi rice, flour, sugar, edible oil, and salt, without any artificial coloring or sweeteners. In addition to the basic Uguisu Balls, there were several varieties with flavors like kinako (toasted soybean flour), matcha, salted kelp, and milk. These were sold in various forms such as in bags, small bag assortments, and by weight. I decided to purchase a 3-bag box set as a souvenir for my mother. This 3-bag box set allows you to choose three flavors from the various bagged options, which are then placed in a box for you. The price is the individual price plus a box fee of 110 yen. The three bags I chose were: - Handmade Uguisu Balls (550 yen) - Tanba black soybean kinako (550 yen) - Rich Uji matcha Uguisu Balls (550 yen) I also purchased an additional bag of Handmade Uguisu Balls for myself. As a bonus, they provided a small sample (not for sale). The manufacturer is Uegaki Senbei in Kobe, and they have two directly operated stores in Kobe City and Kakogawa called "Kobe Minatoya". However, the "Handmade Uguisu Balls" are only sold here in Shin-Osaka. The Handmade Uguisu Balls are made with domestic rice, Awaji seaweed salt, and Hokkaido sugar. The white part you see is mochi, while the brownish outer part is flour. When frying mochi rice coated with flour in oil, it pops and takes on this shape. It has a simple taste and texture that doesn't get boring.

"Uguisu Ball" is a confectionery store located in Ekimarche at Shin-Osaka Station. They offer small, crispy round "Uguisu Balls" made by hand as their base, with various flavors available. The one I purchased this time was the following: ◻︎ <Limited Time> Milk Chocolate Uguisu Ball / 626 yen (tax included) A seasonal limited edition product where Uguisu Balls are generously coated with authentic "Couvreur Chocolate." The elegant sweetness of the chocolate and the crispy, fragrant Uguisu Ball were a perfect match. Thank you for the delicious treat.

During my visit to Shin-Osaka Station in February 2023, I decided to stop by a shop called Ekimarche Shin-Osaka inside the conventional line ticket gate. I had never tried a snack called "Uguisu Ball" before, which is a familiar treat in the Kansai region, so I was eager to give it a try. The shop offered hand-fried, assorted flavors, and the staff was very friendly and helpful as I asked them questions while shopping. Although I was tempted by the chocolate-covered and limited-time salted kelp flavors, I decided to go for the original flavor first. The staff recommended the small size for first-timers, so I purchased a small portion. The packaging was adorable, especially for bird lovers! When I got home, my husband and I tried a few pieces. The small Uguisu Ball (small) for 680 yen had smaller grains than usual, giving it a strong crispy and fragrant taste. The sweet and salty crunchiness made it hard to stop eating, almost dangerously delicious. With a shelf life of 10 days from the sale date, it's a convenient and tasty souvenir from Osaka. I would definitely consider buying it again on my next visit to Osaka or have my husband bring some back if he goes on a business trip there.

Arrived at Ekimarche inside the local train ticket gate at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, not the Shinkansen ticket gate. If you show your ticket and go to the transfer gate from the Shinkansen ticket gate, they will let you through. Bought the limited-time "Salted Kombu Uguisu Ball" instead of the regular "Uguisu Ball" I was looking for. It was totally unexpected! After returning home and trying it, I was surprised. The rice cracker is coated with sweet sauce and topped with salted kombu, giving it a different taste than expected. It feels like eating karintou and salted kombu together. I got carried away and bought the limited-time product, my own fault. I learned that as a beginner, I should stick to basic products. Lesson learned!

Inside Shin-Osaka Station, there is a direct store of Kobe's Uegaki Senbei, a super famous snack in Kansai, called Uguisu Ball. They offer menu items that you can only enjoy here! The packaged snacks sold in regular stores can be a bit greasy and make you feel heavy, but these ones are so light that you can keep eating as much as you want! You can also choose the size of the balls, but the small ones are highly recommended as they are incredibly delicious!

I visited on a regular day. I bought a small size of uguisu balls at a shop inside Shin-Osaka Station! The packaging is cute, isn't it? They are small and have a nice sweet and salty taste, so I couldn't help but eat them all up. Thank you for the meal! 😊

I bought a plain flavored treat. It is even more delicious than I imagined. It has just the right balance of sweetness from the sugar crystals and the crunchiness of the rice cracker, making it a slightly sweet and salty snack. The packaging is cute, and I think it would make a good souvenir. The taste is a bit different from the uguisu boro sold in supermarkets, as mentioned by the staff. I would definitely like to purchase it again.

I was attracted by the cute packaging. They also offer items by weight, and the packaged ones contain three times more, so it's a good deal. I'm weak when it comes to the word "good deal." They offered to put it in a box for 110 yen, so I got some as souvenirs for my parents. I also got some chocolate-coated uguisu balls that my son would enjoy. This store is the only one that sells them. They also gave me a small pack of uguisu balls and some small bags that look like hina-arare as a bonus. They said these are only available at supermarkets. My mother will surely be happy to receive something that can only be bought here. As I expected, my mother was pleased with the cute packaging.

New Osaka Station sells commercially available products such as Uguisu Ball Super at Ekimarche New Osaka, which are light and crispy, making them very easy to eat and delicious. The small grains are especially delicious, but they also had a limited edition maple flavor, so I bought both and compared them. The taste is so delicious that it becomes addictive!

Uguisu Ball ★ Exquisite ◎ Very delicious ○ Normally delicious △ Hmm... Akashiyaki-style takoyaki was eaten in Himeji, then moved from Himeji Station to Shin-Osaka, and wandered around Tekito at Ekimarche inside the conventional line ticket gate. This shop caught my eye, so I visited it. This shop seems to be quite an old-established shop located in Kobe. Each piece is a cute size that even small children can eat. It has a strong soy sauce flavor like karinto, and a simple taste like senbei spreads out. This kind of rice cracker, which is unpretentious and unaffected by the times, exudes a sense of dignity. I was able to catch a glimpse of the wonderful food culture of Kansai that I hope will last for a long time. Thank you for the meal! (^^)

I received a souvenir of "Uguisu Ball"! Thank you♡ It's a cute snack that goes perfectly with tea. The deliciousness is unstoppable, I couldn't stop eating them. If "Kappa Ebisen" is the representative of salty snacks, then "Uguisu Ball" is the representative of sweet snacks. The crispy texture of the sugar coating and caramel is so good. The small Uguisu Balls limited to Osaka Station are easy to eat. The caramel doesn't stick to your teeth, so you can enjoy the crispy texture. I think both the limited edition and regular versions are delicious♡ Before I knew it, my family had taken them all and they were gone. I wanted to eat more.・゜・(ノД`)・゜・。

Today I'm heading to Nagoya from Shin-Osaka. On the way there on the Shinkansen, I stopped by a shop that I often visit for souvenirs - "Uguisu Ball". If you live in Kansai, you might recognize the jingle "Arare Uegaki! Uguisu Booru!" Yes, that's right! This shop is the flagship store of Uegaki Senbei, established in Meiji 40, known for their "Uguisu Ball". This day, I bought some for my home and ended up snacking on them at home. The small Uguisu Balls are already available in certain stores. They offer the same crispy texture and sweetness as the regular Uguisu Balls, but with a milder sweetness that doesn't stick to your teeth as much. I couldn't stop eating them... I planned to save some for later, but ended up finishing them in two sittings. I'll definitely buy more next time! They have various flavors available, but I think I'll always come back to the original. Thank you for the meal!

Uguisu Ball is a famous traditional Japanese sweets shop located a 2-3 minute walk from Shin-Osaka Station. In addition to their signature uguisu balls, they also offer other traditional Japanese sweets like rice crackers, making it a perfect spot for those who love Japanese sweets. Conveniently located inside the station, it's easy to stop by when using JR Shin-Osaka Station and great for purchasing souvenirs. This time, I purchased their popular wasabi rice crackers. The wasabi flavor is so strong that it almost feels like a punishment at first, but as you get used to it, you can taste the sweetness of the rice crackers, making it a unique and addictive flavor! If you're looking for a traditional Japanese sweets shop around Shin-Osaka, be sure to visit Uguisu Ball. Thank you for the meal!

On the 3rd floor of JR Shin-Osaka Station, inside the ticket gate for incoming trains, there is a shop called "Ekimarche Shin-Osaka". It is a store opened in 2015 by a Kobe rice cracker maker established in 1897. The shop is located in a corner where various sweets shops are lined up. On display are colorful packaged "Uguisu Balls" and bulk-selling types. The main product, "Uguisu Ball", which is also the store's name, was first released in 1930. It is a rice cracker made from glutinous rice fried in oil, and it is still a long-selling product loved in the Kansai area. The "strawberry flavor" coated in bright red powder has a subtly tangy taste that becomes addictive. A nostalgic snack limited to the Kansai region.

(⌒-⌒) Blog ⇒ [Riding on the Flowing Clouds♪] Around the beginning of October 2020, I was visiting my hometown for a memorial service. I stayed in Akashi for a week, not just for the service but also for other preparations. During my stay, I walked around Akashi, which was charming despite not as lively as before. The "Uonotana" fish market was bustling, and just a 2-3 minute walk away was Akashi Fishing Port. Watching small fishing boats docked in the harbor, I felt a different charm compared to the over 30 years I lived in Tokyo. That's why I made a decision, which I will share in a separate article later. This time, I want to introduce a shop I visited during my stay, which is "Uguisu Ball" in Shin-Osaka. I stopped by Shin-Osaka station because I used the Shinkansen between Shin-Yokohama and Shin-Osaka to save money with the "EX Kodama Family Early Special" ticket. I wanted to leave a mark at Shin-Osaka station since I was already there. In that sense, "Uguisu Ball" was perfect! It may not be familiar in Kanto, but it makes you feel like "I've returned to Kansai." The colorful and fun variety caught my eye, especially the "Small Uguisu Balls." They would make great souvenirs because the packaging is cute. The combination of novelty and nostalgia is charming. This is truly the essence of "learning from the past to create the future." ☆━━━...‥・ Twisterman's Room ・‥...━━━☆ Service: ♪♪♪♪♪♪♪ Food: ♪♪♪♪♪♪♪ Value for money: ♪♪♪♪♪♪♪ ※ Full marks if there are 10 ♪ in a row! (v^ー°)

If you were born in the Showa era, you must have tried Uegaki's Nightingale Ball at Ekimarche in Shin-Osaka. The packaging was beautiful, and I had the opportunity to sample it. Unlike the usual Nightingale Ball sold in sweet shops, it was not greasy and had a light taste. The limited edition black sugar Nightingale Ball was also quite good! Finally, I tried a very small Nightingale Ball and got hooked after just one bite. It was the crunchiest and most delicious! I learned for the first time that Nightingale Balls are made of rice. The packaging even resembled a rice bag. The large size, which contained about twice as much, was 900 yen, while the small size was 600 yen. Without hesitation, I chose the large size!