Due to some trivial reasons, I made a round trip to Asahikawa. On the way back, I did some shopping at a beautifully renovated shop corner. I went to Blue Sky because it's the shop I'm most familiar with. I bought two types of Royce chocolates, Calbee's Jagapokkuru, and Ishiya Seika's Shiroi Koibito. These are all representative Hokkaido sweets. Ishiya Seika had stopped production at one point, but I wonder when these were made. Since there are hardly any tourists, I bought these famous sweets as a small way to support Hokkaido.

Asahikawa Airport doesn't have as many shops as New Chitose Airport, with only JAL and ANA shops and one more. So, you have to decide on your purchases beforehand as there aren't many options. I usually buy Jagapokkuru and this time I also bought the famous Asahikawa ramen from Tenkin for the first time. Ramen can be heavy to carry, but Hokkaido ramen makes for a great gift. I also take advantage of the 5% discount with my JAL card at BLUE SKY.

My acquaintance went to Hokkaido and bought me some snacks at Asahikawa Airport on the way back. They were unsure of what to buy, so they asked the store clerk who recommended white Black Thunder. When I received it, they said, "I got this for you." It was white chocolate on the outside and cocoa cookie on the inside. I put it in the fridge as they suggested, and when I tried it, I found it to be something I hadn't really eaten before. But as I kept eating, I could eat as many as I wanted. I ate five at once. It was delicious. I thought, "Oh, there are things like this too!" Thank you for the treat.

I finished my short business trip in Hokkaido and returned the rental car to Asahikawa Airport. Since there is no lounge here, I passed the time by looking for souvenirs. Among the typical Hokkaido souvenirs, I was intrigued by the words "Asahikawa specialty confectionery" and bought some Kuranama. I saw a sign when I got off the airport, so I was curious about it. Since I came all the way to Asahikawa, I chose the Asahikawa specialty confectionery. It seems to be less well-known compared to Shiroi Koibito. It has a soft and interesting texture, like a soft sablé.

As Asahikawa Airport is a small airport, there are not many souvenir shops. If you want to buy famous Hokkaido sweets, you can honestly buy them at any store. The reason I buy them at BLUE SKY is because I can use a 5% discount with my JAL card. I always buy Jagapokkuru. It used to be difficult to buy because there was a limit of two per person or long lines, but now you can buy them without any problems. Still, I think the texture, taste, and crunchiness of Jagapokkuru are better than Jagariko or freshly fried potato chips from Calbee in the basement of Tokyo Station. However, it's always the same, so this time I bought Jagapirika for the first time. It's made from three types of Hokkaido potatoes: Toyoshiro for white, Northern Ruby for red, and Kitamurasaki for purple. I thought it was red or purple sweet potatoes. The taste is like chopped Jagapokkuru in small dice size. It's small, so it has a stronger crispy texture. It's quite delicious. In October 2016: I stopped by to buy souvenirs. I tried various things, but the most popular one was Jagapokkuru. So, I bought it again this time. I have never bought 5 of them though.

This is "BLUE SKY" located on the 2nd floor of Asahikawa Airport departure lobby in Kamikawa district, Hokkaido. The souvenir I chose at the end of the trip was "Bifuyu" for around 1500 yen. It is pronounced as "mifuyu" and is a play on the word mille-feuille. The set includes three types of mille-feuille to enjoy: "Noble" (white chocolate and chestnut) with the most delicate flavor, "Black" (dark chocolate and blueberry) with a distinctive bitterness and acidity, and "Milk" (milk chocolate and caramel) with a strong richness. It is recommended to refrigerate the mille-feuille and let it sit at room temperature before eating to enjoy the texture and mouthfeel. It was a delightful choice and a great way to end the trip. PS. The souvenir tasting party is coming to an end, and we are looking forward to enjoying the LeTAO cake that was transported frozen.

At Asahikawa Airport, I browsed for souvenirs and found that Blue Sky offers a wide variety of options. This time, I bought "Kurasou" from The Sun Kurando and I really liked it, so I decided to buy it as a souvenir. I had heard of Kurasou before but never bought it. It is a chocolate sablé made with Hokkaido wheat and beet granulated sugar. Kurasou Black has a soft sweet chocolate coating, while Kurasou White adds a gentle butter flavor to white chocolate. The moist texture is delicious, and the chocolate is not too sweet, making it a perfect match. Kurasou White (6 pieces for 620 yen) was also well received by my family.

A friend who went to Asahikawa told me about a souvenir they bought at the airport, so... Is it okay to review it here? (bitter smile) So, here's another installment of the "unearthed from the archives" series!! (Getting tired of it yet?) Did Osaka's parody souvenir "Funny Lover" get discontinued? No, didn't they just change the packaging? But... Is this really okay? (bitter smile) ● "Black Lover"... The naming is just too straightforward, lacking any sense of humor. It's like they had no taste at all. How does something like this get approved in a planning meeting is quite impressive! (laughs) And... there's definitely no hint of creativity like "Funny Lover," right? (bitter smile) That lack of creativity is reflected in the taste too, black... with chocolate! Maybe using squid ink, bamboo charcoal, or burning the dough with a torch would have been better? (bitter smile) Or how about black truffles, caviar, or something expensive? (to make it a high-end product!) Well, while complaining, let's take a bite... It's delicious! (hey) Well, what can I say? If it's tasty, then everything's good, right? (laughs) Ultimately, if "Funny Lover" was just a laugh and the taste couldn't keep up, then it's meaningless, right? (hey hey) Also, wasn't "Funny Lover" supposed to have a taste similar to "Kobe Gaufre"? (bitter smile) Plus, the packaging looks exactly like the real thing, so people might mistakenly buy it and complain! That's not good! There's no originality anywhere! It's just a black lover after all! ...Wait, when did I start defending the opposite of the product I was criticizing?? (sob)

Yuraku Seika boasts the extremely popular Black Thunder (available at convenience stores nationwide), and the White version of this treat, White Black Thunder, is limited to Hokkaido. Out of curiosity, I decided to purchase it. According to the product description, it is a cocoa cookie crunch chocolate coated with plenty of white chocolate made with milk. Perhaps because I like white chocolate, when I ate it, the mellow taste spread in my mouth as I melted the surroundings. The subsequent crunchy texture was also good, allowing me to enjoy it twice. It was delicious.

There is a JAL souvenir shop inside Asahikawa Airport. As someone who usually uses New Chitose Airport, I was a bit surprised by its small size. I was hoping to pass the time by looking for souvenirs, but the selection was a bit lacking. They do have the usual popular souvenirs, but there were very few bento boxes or snacks for passengers. When leaving Asahikawa Airport, I always end up hungry. I wish there were more takeout food options for passengers, not just in the shop but also in the surrounding area.

After eating curry, as a JAL Mileage Bank member (lol), I enjoy shopping at the Blue Sky. The onion and burdock soup is delicious. It's a must-buy item that now comes in a compact size, making it easier to purchase. And there's this other thing that seems to be getting popular. I bought and tried it, and it's light and sweet ^^ It reminds me of eel pie, but with a little extra twist. Please try it when you travel. Enjoy!

At the airport, I wanted to buy a snack for adults, so I stopped by a store to check it out. I am a JAL CARD holder, so I earn double miles haha. I bought Kazuchii and Namara Kamaboko. Namara Kamaboko is a stick-shaped fish cake that is very easy to eat. It goes well with tea, alcohol, or anything really. Surprisingly, Kazuchii is amazing. Whoever came up with this combination is a genius. It seems like a difficult mix, but they nailed it effortlessly. Buying snacks at the airport turned out to be fun.

A classic souvenir is Jagapokkuru. Simple and delicious.

I immediately knew that it was "Kuraso" riding on the machine, so I advised him to surrender. But he cried and begged, "Please overlook it." "I can't do that. Even if you escape now, you'll eventually get caught, you know?" "It's okay, as long as you keep quiet, there's no way they'll find out." "I can't do that. I can't turn a blind eye." "Remember when you slept at your girlfriend's place and came home in the morning, I helped you create an alibi." "Don't compare covering for your wife with covering for the police!" "Then..." "Forget it! You won't say anything useful anyway." Kuraso is the most difficult snack for me. Just the thought of it makes me feel like I'm about to leak. It's on par with Dutch senbei... Oh no, I'm in trouble. I wish I hadn't seen it. But it's not like it'll disappear from the table if I don't look at it. And if I bring it home, my wife will just smile without me explaining anything. I just have to eat it and give my opinion, right? "I'm the one eating it... So, can you not eat it all?" What kind of snack is this? "It's a Kuraso type," he said, laughing. It's worse than manju.

I received this as a souvenir from someone who visited here. It's a sweet from LeTAO, famous for their fromage. It makes me want to eat fromage again (о´∀`о)★ The Otaru Isen-dori Fromage Crunchy Langue de Chat has a strong cheese flavor with a hint of salt, combined with the sweetness of white chocolate. It's good whether eaten chilled or at room temperature. The popular fromage flavor is definitely present.

I received a souvenir from Hokkaido, and I really like it. It's the "Sapporo Nogakko" from Kinotoya. It's a classic item that I enjoy a lot. It's a milk cookie with a rich buttery flavor. It has a nice aroma and a good balance of butter. The texture is firm but crumbles easily. I also like eating it chilled. Overall, it's a delicious treat.