On this day in March 2017, I went to Akasaka. I arrived in Akasaka with plenty of time before my dinner appointment, so I decided to make a detour. When it comes to Akasaka, it is the stronghold of TBS, the famous television station. So, I stopped by the "TBS Store". Nowadays, it seems like the younger generation has more entertainment options and is watching less TV, but as a true TV lover, I get excited about places like this. What's interesting about this store is that they allow you to take photos inside, which is quite rare. So, I didn't hesitate to take lots of photos, except for the main poster featuring Ohno from J-Storm agency, I refrained from taking a photo of that. I didn't want to risk any copyright issues. On this day, I purchased two items: 1) "Hanzawa Naoki" Revenge Manju for 800 yen. I have been a fan of the original work by Jun Ikeido and enjoyed reading it. When it was adapted into a drama and became a rare hit, I was initially skeptical about the casting of Masahiro Sakurai as the lead, but I was completely drawn into the drama once I started watching it. Even though some time has passed since it ended, the fact that these manju (with business card-shaped stickers) are still being sold shows how popular it was. 2) Gudetama Tokyo Limited Edition Tirol Chocolate for 800 yen. I bought this as a souvenir for someone I was planning to have a meal with. I actually quite enjoy getting excited at places like this store.

After finishing a meal at Akasaka Sacas, I went down to the first floor and found a summer festival taking place. There were many food and drink stalls, and performers were lined up to dance. TBS Store was also open, so I stopped by and bought some interesting "Doubles the Return" manju from the drama "Hanzawa Naoki". It was delicious with sweet bean paste filling.

When I spent the weekend in Tokyo, I stayed in Akasaka, so I visited Akasaka Sacas and the area around TBS. I usually watch NTV and Yomiuri TV, but I watch a few dramas that catch my interest each season. This season, I got hooked on "Uroboros" and "Ryuusei Wagon" and enjoyed them every week. I was excited to find merchandise for these dramas, like a pendant from "Uroboros" and "Tomohiko Senbei" from "Ryuusei Wagon." They even had "Hanzawa Naoki" manju, which was a fun find. Even though these snacks aren't featured in the shows, I couldn't resist buying the "Tomohiko Senbei." It may not be the most delicious snack, but it's a must-have for fans of these dramas.

I received an interesting souvenir from a friend (*^^*) When I got it, I was like, "Huh!? What's this?" and I was very curious (^o^) I really like "Hanzawa Naoki" and never miss an episode. I found the wrapping paper and business card more amusing than the actual contents. It's more fun to receive a weird souvenir than a normal one. You can also order delicious souvenirs online. This one had black sugar in the dough and red bean paste inside. I enjoyed it while laughing (^^) It's nice to receive this kind of souvenir once in a while, right?

"The 'Bigger Payback Manju' comes with a business card seal of Halfzawa Naoki for ¥840. It was released in August 2013, and my partner secretly ordered it to make me laugh. After waiting for about a month, it finally arrived. When the intercom rang and the delivery arrived, my partner was acting nervous all morning, so I opened the box to see what was inside. I burst out laughing when I saw it, and my partner couldn't help but laugh too. It may have looked like a happy occasion from the outside. The 'Bigger Payback Manju' is a small, cute manju with black sugar kneaded into the dough and sweet red bean paste inside. Although I'm not a fan of traditional Japanese sweets, I decided to try one. The moist dough and smooth red bean paste melted in my mouth smoothly. It had a nice level of sweetness, not too overpowering. I found it tastier than the manju sold as souvenirs at convenience stores or gift shops. However, since I'm not a big fan of traditional Japanese sweets, one piece was enough for me. My partner, on the other hand, had already eaten four pieces...I had to warn him about his blood sugar levels. But he still asked for one more before going to make coffee. Oh well, I guess it's just me finishing up... Thank you for the meal."

I arrived at TBS Store in Akasaka Sacas around noon for the first time, and as soon as I entered, I saw a sign saying that the "Baigaeshi Manju" was sold out. I asked the staff near the entrance if they would restock it tomorrow, and they said they had a small shipment today but would have more tomorrow. I asked about the opening hours and left. The next day, I arrived around 11:15 am and despite it being a weekday, there were about 30 people lined up. You can only buy two at a time, so it's not suitable as a souvenir. It costs 840 yen and contains a black sugar-filled steamed bun and a business card from "Halfway Through the Case."

I ordered some goodies from Tokyo Central Securities, part 2. Each box costs around 1000 yen, but the shipping is about 800 yen, so I decided to buy 3 boxes and share them with people I think will enjoy them. Each box comes with a gold seal that looks like a business card. I heard on TV that salarymen stick these on their computers to boost their motivation, which I think is great. The treats are hot spring manju. To be honest, the taste doesn't really matter to me, but I think they make a fun gift for others. These manju are perfect for when you're feeling tired - having one with tea always makes me feel rejuvenated. They also last a long time, which is convenient. It took about 2 weeks for my order to arrive, but it was a nice surprise when it finally did. Somehow, seeing these treats got me excited and put me in work mode. Thank you for the delicious treats!

I don't watch dramas much these days, but I watched Shitamachi Rocket at the end of last year. It wasn't as good as the previous season, but it was still something I looked forward to every Sunday night. Seeing how much I enjoyed it, my wife and daughter brought me back this souvenir. It's a snack related to Shitamachi Rocket. They went to Tokyo during the New Year holiday, and apparently they found it at the TBS Store in Tokyo Station. The packaging looks like a business card, and inside there's even a real-sized business card of President Tsukuda Kohei. The snack itself seems to be inspired by the rice bags that Mr. Tonomura, the department manager, is associated with. It tastes similar to Nagoyan from Nagoya. It's a great souvenir with a fun theme.

I received this as a gift at a certain event! It came with a gold business card sticker of Halzawa Naoki (lol). Inside is a hot spring manju, the skin is a bit thick, and the sweet bean paste is sweet.