In the Sanne district of Hachijojima, there is a souvenir shop that sells many local products, sake, and food items. Before leaving the island, I decided to buy some souvenirs and send them by courier. Among them, the easiest option was chocolates flavored with aloe, salt, and hibiscus, each with a color that matches its flavor. The hibiscus had a strong strawberry milk-like scent. Both flavors of curry were not very spicy, but had a mild taste. The Yatsuhashi was moderately sweet and quite to my liking personally.

December 2017. Day 2 in Hachijo Island. Checked out of "Reed Park Resort Hachijo Island" and spent the whole day sightseeing on the island. Visited "Eco-Agriculture Museum", took a tour around the island (including the summit of Mt. Hachijo-Fuji), stopped by "Green Post", "Hachijo Island Fishing Club", and "Hachijo Minsho Yamashita", then headed to "Minsho Aki". They had a variety of interesting products, and I bought Hachijo Island limited edition chocolates (Tomorrow Leaf, Hibiscus, Salt) and Tomorrow Leaf Cheese Biscuits. The biscuits were delicious with a fluffy texture and a hint of Tomorrow Leaf flavor. Also, I purchased Island Chili Garlic Rusk and Tomorrow Leaf Black Sesame Rusk from Reed Park Resort Hachijo Island's shop, and particularly enjoyed the Island Chili Garlic Rusk and the Nori Spicy Cod Roe Mayonnaise Rusk from "Minsho Aki".

Introducing the souvenir I received! [Hachijo Island Limited Chocolate <Salt> / Package] Ta-da! It looks like this... This chocolate contains rich minerals from Hachijo Island salt and plenty of polyphenols from cocoa, creating a double power to feel the deliciousness. As a Japanese, I can't resist limited edition products (laughs). [Hachijo Island Limited Chocolate <Salt> / Contents] Ta-da! Inside the box looks like this... There are many small cube-shaped chocolates inside. [Hachijo Island Limited Chocolate <Salt> Tasting] I picked one up, unwrapped the transparent sheet, and took a bite! Hmm... It's a chocolate with a strong salt flavor. You can really feel the mineral richness. It was a nice gift, and I enjoyed it happily!

I went to buy souvenirs. There were a wide variety of options available, such as yellow Hachijo products, sweets, noodles, vacuum-packed fish, etc. However, they did not have the yellow Hachijo sablé sold at Hachijo Mingei Yama. I ended up eating nothing but ashitaba (tomorrow's leaf) for the 2 nights and 3 days trip (lol). Seriously, everything had ashitaba in it. It even appears in school lunches. I thought the milk manju (150 yen) would taste like milk, but of course, it had ashitaba flavor! I had gotten so used to the taste of ashitaba that it didn't feel particularly fresh. The ashitaba cheese bussé was so-so... If you have to choose between the manju and bussé, I recommend the manju. It's convenient to buy at the airport, but if you go to Mingei Akina, the variety is overwhelmingly rich! It's worth stopping by at least once.

Hachijojima has few souvenir shops, with only a few at the airport, supermarket, and a couple of other places. I visited one of the shops as I was unsure if I would have time to buy souvenirs at the airport. The shop had a variety of goods, giving off a true island vibe. However, I couldn't find anything I really wanted, so I ended up buying some Aogiri tea and returned to my accommodation. I tried the tea cold, and it tasted like... what is this? Sweet? It tasted like cotton candy. Maybe calling it a cotton candy drink is more accurate. I'm sorry, but I gave up on it. Hachijojima is known for its Aogiri tea, but I prefer it less sweet. I also tried some candy at the hotel, but it was just okay.

The company's employees went on a trip to Hachijojima and received a souvenir. Passion fruit seems to be a specialty of Hachijojima, and we received a 500ml bottle of passion fruit concentrate juice. It was said that passion fruit can help alleviate stress, relax the mood, and is rich in vitamin C. I was happy because I had a slight cold. Since it was concentrate juice, I mixed it with water. It said to mix it in a ratio of 1 part passion fruit juice to 4 parts water, so I did that. The balance of acidity and sweetness was just right, and the juice was delicious. It's great that it's good for your health too. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

This is the largest souvenir shop in Hachijojima. It is a traditional Japanese house with tatami mats, where you can leisurely shop. There is a wide variety of souvenirs displayed, so it may take some time to look around. One of the popular items is the "Gyosan" sandals, which are used by fishermen and have the Hachijojima logo on them. They also sell sea turtle models made from resin, Hachijojima textiles, tableware, and of course, local shochu. One recommended item is the "Ashitaba Udon" from Meidai Ikkyu-an, a famous udon restaurant. Other recommended items include Hachijojima limited edition chocolates (Ashitaba, Hibiscus, Salt) and passion fruit drinks. It's a fun shop, so if you're in Hachijojima, be sure to visit!

This is the only souvenir shop on the island. Well, the airport and hotels also sell souvenir snacks and such, but here they have a variety of local specialties like yellow Hachijo accessories and clothing. When I arrived and said I wanted to buy a toothbrush and underwear at a convenience store, they told me "There are no convenience stores" and "There are no places selling clothes" (apparently there is something like a grandma's select shop). However, they do sell boxer shorts and T-shirts in the souvenir section. Kusaya is also a local specialty. But you don't need "Kusaya" written so prominently on the back of the pants (・∀・). I bought a towel (it had "Minamoto no Yoritomo" written on it), Minayo leaf tea, Minayo leaf chocolate, Minayo leaf cookies, and a postcard promoting Minayo leaf. I only bought one postcard, but they also sell stamps and provide writing space, and they lend you a ballpoint pen, so I gave it to someone who recently returned to Kumamoto. I used to send drawings before, but I haven't had the time to draw since changing jobs, so I've been neglecting it lately. It's a beautiful postcard of the sea. Actually, the weather wasn't very good when I was there, so I didn't see such a blue sea, but the ice cream I had earlier was the same - it had Minayo leaf in it, but it didn't really taste like it. The cookies had a stronger cheese flavor, and were simply delicious. I ate the Yatsuhashi after returning home, and since it's already my favorite, I finished it quickly. The sweet bean paste is delicious. I gave the chocolate to my son who was home, so I'm not sure what it tasted like. The towel is currently hanging on the balcony. There are so many products here, it's fun to look at without getting bored. The second photo is of ceramic tables and chairs. This is the smoking area. It may be a bit cold on the bottom, but the ceramic chairs are really nice.

When I stayed in Hachijojima, I visited Mingei Aki, which was about a 10-minute walk from the accommodation in the Sotokichi district. The guidebook said they open at 8:00 in the morning, but when I arrived around 8:15, the sign at the entrance said they open at 8:30. However, they let me in when they saw me. Inside the shop with tatami flooring, there were various products from Hachijojima, including yellow Hachijojima products, Hachijojima shochu, coral products, and original miscellaneous goods. I bought the following items: Hachijojima seaweed for 700 yen, Hachijojima limited island chocolate "salt" for 350 yen, Hachijojima limited island chocolate "hibiscus" for 350 yen, and Ashitaba cheese busses for 150 yen. The Hachijojima limited island chocolates were manufactured by Hillzen Milky Co., Ltd. in Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture, under the brand of Mingei Aki.

On December 17, 2017, a friend traveled to Hachijojima in the Izu Islands, 287km south of Tokyo, and then further south to Aogashima, which is 70km away. They brought back souvenirs from their trip. I envy them as I have a hobby of island travel and had planned to go to Ogasawara (but had to cancel due to a typhoon). The souvenirs were from a shop called "Mingei Aki" on Hachijojima: - "Black Current Taste" Nori Seaweed 20g for 650 yen (tax included) - Ashitaba Soba for 756 yen (tax included) The "Black Current Taste" Nori seaweed is a product of the "Black Current Company" on Hachijojima. It is dried and roasted seaweed in its original shape, not cut into squares. It is crispy and can be enjoyed as a snack or used as a topping for miso soup, noodles, or salads. It adds a rich sea flavor to dishes. The Ashitaba Soba came with dried noodles and sauce for three servings. Ashitaba is a perennial herb native to Japan, known for its rapid growth. It has a unique taste, so it is often prepared in ways to balance out its flavor, such as tempura or sautéed with butter. In Izu Oshima, tempura made from Ashitaba with camellia oil is a popular dish. I prepared the Ashitaba Soba by boiling the dried noodles, rinsing them, and then mixing them with the sauce. I topped it with crispy enoki mushroom tempura, spring greens, and the Nori seaweed. The combination of flavors was delightful, with a hint of wild herbs and the sea aroma from the Nori seaweed. It was a luxurious soba lunch made with delicious island treasures. Thank you for the treat! Bon appétit! (●^o^●)