Tokoname souvenir special! 8 souvenirs perfect as a memento of your trip that you can only get here

A great gift to receive, and fun to choose! Introducing souvenirs unique to Tokoname♪

When you come to Tokoname, be sure to check out the souvenirs. In this feature, we will introduce souvenirs that are unique to Tokoname, such as the natural blessings of Chita Peninsula, masterpieces that highlight traditional techniques, and playful sweets, which are a pleasure to receive and fun to choose from.

8 Tokoname Souvenirs

• Table of Contents
• In the middle of the toilet
• Lucky cat sable
• Onizaki seaweed
• Fig jam
• Hand-baked shrimp crackers
• Tokotan Cookies
• Anti-slip measures for clay pipe slopes
• Sweet potato chips

In the middle of the toilet

This toilet-shaped monaka (Japanese wafers) was created through a collaboration between Okura Mochi, a long-established mochi confectionery store in Tokoname, and the Enokido factory of LIXIL. Enjoy the specially selected bean paste stuffed into the monaka skin that realistically replicates the shape of a toilet! This toilet monaka is both delicious and fun. It's a unique souvenir from Tokoname, the town of pottery.

Why a toilet in Tokoname?

Tokoname City has long flourished as a "town of pottery," and in addition to teapots and bonsai pots, it has also produced clay pipes that contributed greatly to the modernization of Japan, as well as sanitary ceramics such as toilets and bath heaters. The Enokido factory of LIXIL, a global company that develops and provides cutting-edge water-related products and building materials, still produces the latest sanitary ceramics today. Also, at the INAX Live Museum in the city, you can experience painting your own original miniature toilet.

Tokoname Tourism Guide "INAX Live Museum" introduction page

Okura Mochi, a long-established Japanese confectionery shop in Tokoname

Okura Mochi is a long-established mochi confectionery specialty store founded in 1951 with its main store in Tokoname City. The mochi made from carefully selected rice sourced from local Tokoname farmers and the homemade bean paste made from red beans from Tokachi, Hokkaido, are exquisite! The fluffy shaved ice that can be enjoyed all year round is also very popular, attracting many fans both inside and outside the city. Okura Mochi collaborated with the LIXIL Enokido Factory to create the "Toilet Monaka." If you give it as a souvenir, it's sure to be a hot topic due to its unique appearance and delicious taste!

●Basic Information
Price: 345 yen/piece (tax included) Gift box 110 yen/piece (tax included, for 8 pieces)

Sold at: Okura Mochi (2-2-1 Koie Honmachi, Tokoname City)

Business hours: 9:00-18:00 Sweets shop 10:00-LO17:00

Closed: Mondays (open on public holidays)

*For information on other retailers and online shopping, please see the Okura Mochi official website.

Click here for details on Okura Mochi

Lucky cat sable

Some people may say that Tokoname means maneki-neko (beckoning cats). At Tokoname Maneki-neko Street, which connects Meitetsu Tokoname Station to the starting point of the Yakimono Sanpo (Ceramics Walk), you will find a huge maneki-neko (beckoning cat) that welcomes you as the symbol of the town, called "Watching Cat Tokonyan." The "Maneki-neko Sable" is a crispy baked treat made by the city's "Carret Western Confectionery Shop," and is a delightful delicacy with the flavor of butter and Tokoname milk.

Tokoname's symbol: "Tokonyan, the watchful cat"

"Toko-nyan" is a watchful beckoning cat with a surprisingly large face peeking out from the wall of "Toko-nyan Maneki-neko Street" in the city. It is an astounding 3.8m tall and 6.3m wide! Its adorable yet impactful appearance has made it a hugely popular symbol of Tokoname city. Along with the 39 other lucky beckoning cats on Toko-nyan Maneki-neko Street, it watches over visitors to Tokoname ♪

Tokoname Tourism Guide "Watching Cat Tokonyan" Introduction Page

●Basic Information
Price: 1,080 yen/box (tax included, 5 pieces)

Sales location: Tokoname City Ceramics Hall (3-8 Sakaemachi, Tokoname City)

Business hours: 9:00-16:00

Closed: Open all year round (except for New Year holidays)

Tokoname City Ceramic Hall Click here for details

Onizaki seaweed

Onizaki in Tokoname City has long been known as a fishing ground where high-quality, delicious, nutritious nori grows, thanks to the abundant natural blessings of the Kiso Three Rivers. Onizaki nori is a beautiful, black, high-quality product that is delicious, fragrant, and crisp. It is rich in flavor and goes well with rice balls, grilled mochi, sushi, and is delicious eaten as is. In the days when no cultivation methods were established, nori was called "lucky grass" (unkusa) because harvesting was left to chance, and is considered a lucky charm that brings good fortune. Even today, it is a popular gift for the New Year and as a souvenir.

Onizaki Nori Seaweed, Packed with the Blessings of Nature Nori seaweed grows on the nutrients carried by rivers. For this reason, the Onizaki fishing grounds, located inside Ise Bay and close to the mouth of the bay, are the perfect place for cultivating nori seaweed, as they can grow in abundance of high-quality nutrients carried by the Kiso River, one of Japan's leading first-class rivers. It boasts one of the highest production volumes in Aichi Prefecture, and is used in high-end restaurants and sushi shops all over the country, as well as being a valuable gift item.

●Basic Information
Price: Roasted seaweed 4,320 yen/bag (tax included, 10 sheets x 10 bags)

Salted seaweed 750 yen/bag (tax included, 80 sheets, 8 cuts per bag * 10 sheets of seaweed)

Flavored seaweed 700 yen/piece (tax included, 48 sheets in 8 slices * 6 sheets of seaweed)

Sales point: Onizaki Fisheries Cooperative Association (3-97 Kamachicho, Tokoname City)

Business hours: 8:00-17:00

Closed: Saturday afternoons, Sundays, and public holidays

Onizaki Fisheries Cooperative Association Click here for details

Fig jam

Aichi Prefecture is number one in fig production in Japan. Tokoname City is the third largest producer after Anjo City and Hekinan City. This specialty fig has been made into jam by artisans at the city's Kyoto confectionery shop, "Daimonya Noriyoshi." The jam has a rich sweetness that goes well with bread and yogurt, as well as meat dishes such as sauteed pork. It keeps well, making it the perfect souvenir♪

Large figs packed with rich sweetness Figs on the Chita Peninsula, where Tokoname City is located, grow in a warm climate, bathed in plenty of sunlight. The large fruits, harvested when they are nearly fully ripe, are packed with a mellow fragrance and a rich, refreshing sweetness. Figs bear many fruits on one tree, so they are given auspicious flower meanings such as "blessed with children," "fruitful love," and "wealth," making them a great souvenir for loved ones.

●Basic Information
Price: 500 yen/bottle (tax included)

Sales office: Noriyoshi Daimonya (4-161 Nittamachi, Tokoname City)

Business hours: 8:00-18:00

Closed: Wednesday

Noriyoshi Daimonya Click here for details

Hand-baked shrimp crackers

Founded in Tokoname City over 100 years ago, Yoshinoya is a long-established store that continues to make traditional hand-baked shrimp crackers and shrimp arare. The crackers are made with carefully selected ingredients and techniques, and many customers say they'll never forget them once they've tried them! The most popular cracker is the signature hand-baked, deep-fried Ebi Homare, with an addictive crunchy texture that's loved by people of all ages. They also stock a variety of other crackers, including ones with a whole shrimp baked in the middle and ones made with high-quality seaweed from the Chita Peninsula.

Traditional hand-baked rice crackers made with carefully selected ingredients

Yoshinoya's hand-baked rice crackers have been loved in Tokoname City since the early Showa period. They use seaweed from the local Chita Peninsula, known for its excellent color and luster. They use shrimp that goes well with each rice cracker, and the flour is made from high-quality potato starch from Hokkaido. These rice crackers are made with carefully selected ingredients and the attention to detail and technique that can only be achieved by hand-baking, resulting in an addictive product with a texture and flavor that you will never forget once you've tried it!

●Basic information price: 324 yen/bag (tax included)

Where to buy: Yoshinoya Handmade Shrimp Crackers (7-88 Nishinoguchi, Tokoname City)

Business hours: 8:00-20:00

Closed: Irregular holidays

Yoshinoya Hand-baked Shrimp Crackers Click here for details

Hand-baked Shrimp Crackers Yoshinoya Official Website (External link)

Tokotan Cookies

These cookies are shaped like Tokoname City's mascot "Tokotan" and come in five flavors: "Milk," "Strawberry," "Almond," "Soybean flour," and "Cocoa." At Tokotoko Sweets, people with disabilities make sweets with care, based on the concept of "Live, Work, Enjoy, Live." The simple flavors of handmade sweets, which are made without additives wherever possible, are somehow comforting. You can enjoy a moment of relaxation while admiring Tokotan.

Tokoname City's mascot "Tokotan" was originally the mascot of "Boat Race Tokoname", but in April 2014, it became the city's official mascot to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Tokoname City's incorporation! It is very popular due to its cute appearance and charming personality, based on the "beckoning cat" motif, a specialty product of which Tokoname City is one of the largest producers in Japan. If you go to an event in Tokoname City, you may be able to meet the lively Tokotan.

Tokoname City Official Website "Tokoname City Mascot "Tokotan" Profile Page"

●Basic information price: 200 yen/piece (tax included)

Sales location: Tokotoko sweets (2-167 Kajimadai, Tokoname City)

*For other ordering methods, please see the tokotoko SWEETS official website (external link).

tokotoko SWEETS

Anti-slip measures for clay pipe slopes

"Dokanzaka no Slip-proof" is an almond florentine made with monaka. The caramel and almond aroma and texture make this a superb treat. Aside from its deliciousness, another thing to take note of is the packaging. It says "Meika Tokoname-yaki," but if you look closely, you'll notice that the character for "slip" is upside down! Tokoname can be read as "always slippery," but by flipping the character for "slip," it conveys the idea that "always slippery," and is a good omen for exams and passing exams. The shape of the florentine is inspired by "Dokanzaka," a beautiful, tasteful pattern made from scraps from the ring-shaped baking trays called "kesawa," which are used to bake clay pipes, as a slip-proof material. Why not try one for academic success, non-slip laughter, and fall prevention?

A hill where you can feel the atmosphere and history of Tokoname, the town of pottery

Tokoname City's "Ceramics Walk" has been selected as one of the "Top 100 Beautiful Historical Landscapes of Japan." One of the most representative sights on this path is "Dokanzaka." Tokoname City, a town of pottery counted as one of the Six Ancient Kilns, supported the development of Japan's sewerage system through clay pipe manufacturing during the Meiji and Taisho periods, when the city was modernizing with the opening to civilization. The left and right walls of Dokanzaka are densely covered with clay pipes from the Meiji period and shochu bottles from the early Showa period, and the path is paved with recycled kesawa, the discarded rings used in firing clay pipes, making it easy to walk on without slipping. If you come to Tokoname City, you should definitely visit this spot, where you can experience the atmosphere and history that only a town of pottery can offer. Dokanzaka

"Dokanzaka" introduction page

●Basic information price: 950 yen/box (tax included, 8 sheets) 1,900 yen/box (tax included, 16 sheets)

Sales location: Western confectionery shop Champ de Pierre (228 Sakaemachi 7-chome, Tokoname City)

Business hours: 9:00-21:00

Closed: Tuesdays (open on public holidays and event days)

Click here for details on the Western confectionery Champ de Pierre

Sweet potato chips

The sweet potato chips, made from home-grown sweet potatoes, come in two varieties: Beni Haruka Chips (Sugar & Salt) and Murasaki Imo (Black Pepper & Salt). Both are made with pesticide-free sweet potatoes fried until crispy in olive oil, allowing you to enjoy the natural umami and sweetness of the sweet potato. Kaze to Tsuchi aims to grow healthy sweet potatoes in fields on gentle hills, taking advantage of Tokoname's smooth geology and well-drained soil. No pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used, so they're sure to make a great snack for children or a great souvenir!

●Basic information price: 650 yen/bag (tax included)

For sales outlets and mail order, click here

Wind and Earth Details

\If you want to see all the Tokoname souvenirs at once/

Tokoname Tourist Information Center (Tokoname City Ceramic Hall) Details Page

Find a great souvenir to take home with you along with your wonderful memories of Tokoname.