Disclosure: I received a sample box in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The best Valentine’s Day gifts show a little creativity and originality. The February Tokyo Treat box is a great gift idea for the special person in your life who is interested in learning about other cultures, or in all things Japanese.
Did you know that people in Japan celebrate Valentine’s Day? According to the informative pamphlet included in the Tokyo Treat box, Japan started celebrating Valentine’s Day in the 1950’s. However, the Japanese celebrate the holiday a little different than in America in that it is tradition for the women to give gifts to men. Consequently, in 1978, White Day became the day that Japanese men give gifts to women in return. White Day is now celebrated on March 14th, one month after Valentine’s Day.
No matter who is doing the gift-giving, it is always thoughtful to give out treats for Valentine’s Day. Here are some of the treats included in the February Tokyo Treat box:
KitKat Red & White
I always enjoy trying Japan’s unique KitKat flavors. This Tokyo Box generously includes 10 Red & White KitKat bars. The flavor is milk chocolate and white chocolate, which does not seem that different from what we have in the United States. However, I do appreciate the red and white packaging with the sakura design-perfect for handing out to friends for Valentine’s.
White Chocolate Strawberry Latte
This white chocolate strawberry latte drink sounded interesting. The directions said to add 1 cup of hot water and mix. The strawberry flavor was a little too artificial-tasting for my liking, but it was fun to try out. I actually ended up adding it to my coffee to instill more of a latte flavor.
PokeHearts Ramune Candy
The designs on these little heart candies are so adorable. They are the Japanese version of Sweet-tarts.
Koikeya Farm Salt & Seaweed Chips
While most of the snacks in the Tokyo Treat box are sweet, there are some savory options as well. One that caught my eye is this bag of Salt & Seaweed chips. There is also a package of spicy ramen noodles, which I know my kids will enjoy. The wide variety of snacks in the Tokyo Treat box is a major plus in my book. There is something for everyone!
How To Subscribe To Tokyo Treat
Tokyo Treat offers monthly, three month, six month, and twelve month plans. According to the Tokyo Treat website, each box contains 15-20 full-size snacks, and their boxes are the biggest Japanese snack boxes on the planet (2.86 pounds). Treat yourself or someone you know to a box or subscription this Valentine’s Day!
Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Demand for plant-based foods is definitely on the rise, and Fair & Square Crackers are a prime example of the innovative products answering the call. I must have missed seeing them at Expo West last year, but they are making their presence known in the market. Fair & Square Crackers are gut-friendly, gluten-free and plant based. The first ingredient is green banana flour, which is intriguing.
These crackers come in a variety of flavors, including Sea Salt, Cheddar Cheeze, Cinnamon Sugar and Honey. I love the whimsical designs on the packaging.
When I first tried the Fair & Square Sea Salt Crackers, I was a little surprised by its darker color. However, the cracker is nice and crisp and had a nice savory flavor. These crackers would go well on a charcuterie board because the flavor would harmoniously meld with other components.
Fair & Square crackers also come in snack-size bags, which are perfect for packing lunches.
Where To Buy Fair & Square Crackers
Fair & Square Crackers are available to purchase at major retailers, including Amazon, Whole Foods and Sprouts, including a store near you.
Spritzal Cookies are made with simple ingredients from a family recipe going back one hundred years. These bite-sized cookies are made with flour, sugar, real butter and eggs. The Spritzal story is so inspiring-the mother/daughter team built their business from their kitchen to farmer’s markets to national retailers like Costco.
Spritzal cookies come in a variety of flavors, including: Birthday Cake Shortbread, Key Lime Shortbread, Almond Chocolatey Chip Shortbread, Blueberry Pie Shortbread and Ooh La Lemon Shortbread.
Spritzal Cookies Are a Bite-Sized Treat!
The brightly colored packaging of all the varieties is cheerful, but the Birthday Cake Shortbread packaging is particularly fun. Wouldn’t this be so cute to include in a birthday surprise package? These Spritzal cookie bites contain colorful sprinkles without any artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.
Even if you do not have a birthday to celebrate, Spritzal cookies make the everyday special. These Key Lime Shortbread cookies are a nice afternoon treat. The lime flavor really shines in this buttery shortbread.
Did you see Like Air Puffcorn on Shark Tank? I guess I missed that episode, but it is always exciting to see a smaller company gain momentum. I believe the first time I saw their products was at Expo West. This snack is non-gmo, has no artificial ingredients and is gluten-free. It is also dairy-free and made in a nut-free facility. Unlike regular popcorn, these puffs do not have kernels. Therefore, these snacks are very easy to eat for all ages. They are lightly crunchy, but almost melt in your mouth, if that makes sense. The name “Like Air” is quite apt.
Keep Like Air Puffcorn On Hand For Packing and Snacking
This school year I have started to pack my lunches again. It is always convenient to have pre-packaged individual snacks on hand in the pantry. Like Air is a welcome addition to any lunch bag, for kids and adults alike.
This is a close-up of the Cinnamon Bun flavor. It has just the right amount of sweetness (less than 2g of sugar per serving) and the cinnamon flavor really comes through. If you are looking for a light sweet treat, this will satisfy your craving.
The savory flavors, including white cheddar and sour cream and onion are also very tasty (my kids’ favorites). They are a healthier alternative to chips.
Where To Purchase Like Air Puffcorn
Like Air Puffcorn snacks are available to purchase through their online store or at a store near you. I also want to mention that Like Air does daily giveaways on their Instagram account. There are five contest winners every day, which is pretty amazing. The best part is that in addition to winning a pack for yourself, they also give you a code so that you can send a pack to a friend. Share the Like Air Love!
Disclosure: I received samples in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
It is always a good idea to have a few card games on hand. You never know when an opportunity to play a quick game will present itself. Not too long ago, my son was on a camping trip with his scout friends when it started to rain. Thankfully, he had packed a card game to keep them entertained. These Winning Moves games are all easy to throw in a bag or keep in a small box at home.
I know that I have professed my love for Scattergories on this blog many times. This card game version makes it easy to play, without the need for pencil and paper. One deck of cards lists categories, and the other deck has the letters of the alphabet.
I like that the categories are creative but not too obscure. This game is designed for 2 or more players, ages 8+.
Instant Insanity is not actually a card game, but it comes in a card game-sized box. Although the concept is quite simple, it is definitely not an easy puzzle to solve. The goal is to arrange the four cubes in a row so that each of the four sides show four different colors. According to the box, there are over 82,944 possible configurations. After several attempts, I can see why this game is called “Instant Insanity”! This one player game is for ages 7+.
Canasta is one of those games that I have heard about, but have never actually played. This card game involves laying down sets of cards and adding to them. The object is to form a Canasta (7 or more cards of the same type). There are also special Caliente cards to make the game even more exciting. Canasta Caliente is for 2-6 players, ages 8+.
Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win Scattergories The Card Game, Instant Insanity and Canasta Caliente. (Open to U.S. continental residents only).
If you are visiting Tokyo with teenagers or pre-teens, a visit to a teamLab digital art museum is a must. After doing a little online research, I chose to book tickets for teamLab Borderless. teamLab also has another museum in Tokyo called Planets. Planets is known for an orchid exhibit and one where you walk barefoot through water. That sounded kind of gross to me, but the main reason I chose Borderless was because it is bigger and has more exhibits. Planets is set to expire in 2027 while Borderless is currently set as “permanent”, so that may also factor into your decision-making.
teamLab Borderless Know Before You Go
Make sure to buy your tickets online, well in advance. Tickets are not sold at the venue. Our tickets were for 1:30 entry on a Thursday afternoon. It felt crowded, but not overly so. Also, double-check the Borderless website for the exact address, as I read that Google Maps may lead you astray if you just type in “teamLab Borderless”. (We did rely heavily on Google Maps throughout our trip and it made transportation SO much easier. I am not even sure how we survived during our 2011 trip without it!)
You will need to place all of your personal belongings in a locker before you enter the exhibits, so bring along a 100 yen coin. (The coin will be returned to you when you return the key). If you want to go to the tea house located inside the museum, bring a credit card or money so that you can pay for it (of course, it is a good idea not to leave your wallet in the locker anyway). Also, be sure to bring your phone so you can take lots of pictures!
Getting Lost In teamLab Borderless
As the name “Borderlss” implies, this museum encourages wandering and exploration. There is no set path to follow, which makes it easy to get lost. If you are with small children, be sure to keep them close! The rooms are all dark and all the light displays are quite disorienting. I purposely did not watch any YouTube vlogs about Borderless beforehand so that I could feel a sense of discovery.
One tip I read was to wear light-colored clothing to maximize the lighting effects in photos.
Another tip is not to wear a skirt or dress since there are mirrored floors. k wore shorts under her shorts!
This is one of the few pictures of the four of us all together from the trip.
D got into the selfie action too.
En Tea House
If you have time, I would recommend stopping in at En Tea House, which is located inside teamLab Borderless. I had a Cold Brew Yuzu Green Tea, and it was a nice and refreshing break. As you drink, flowers appear to bloom in your teacup. Looking online, it seems like they have since added rice milk tea lattes, which also sound good. The room is dark, and there is eerie music to set the mood. I believe that everyone in your party needs to order something, but I thought it was well worth the experience.
Tsukiji Market was another place that I was determined to visit after missing out during our first trip to Japan. Since the earthquake/tsunami, the famous fishmongers moved to a new facility in Toyosu, Japan. What remains at Tsukiji Outer Market is a collection of small shops that continue to sell food, mainly to tourists. Although we had heard that Tsukiji has become very touristy, it was still surprising to hear more English than any other language as we walked around.
Tips for visiting Tsukiji include arriving early in the morning (ideally around 7:30 a.m.) and making sure to bring cash (yen). When I was planning my itinerary, I tried to map out the different stops I wanted to make. In the end, it was easier to just wander around while looking for the places I had researched. The market is small enough that it is easy to cover in a couple of hours.
Soratsuki
Our first stop of the morning was Soratsuki. Yes, it was early in the day to be indulging in dessert. However, how could we pass up this scrumptious-looking Strawberry Daifuku?
Red Bean and Green Tea Strawberry Daifuku-so good!
We also tried a White Peach Whipped Cream Daifuku-yum!
It is kind of confusing that the store sign says “Solatsuki” but the website refers to itself as “Soratsuki”. Which is it? Either way, just look for the cute strawberry sign! The strawberry soft serve ice cream also looked delicious, but we exercised some restraint.
Onigiri Marutoya
Onigiri Marutoya is a shop that specializes in onigiri and sushi to-go. Everything looked so good, it was difficult to decide what to try.
We ended up picking up this package of salmon sushi, which was an excellent choice.
This tempura ebi onigiri was massive and tasty!
Yamacho Tamagoyaki
Yamacho Tamagoyaki features tamagoyaki (Japanese egg omelet) on a stick.
It is fun to watch the tamagoyaki being made while waiting in line. The end product was piping hot, but a little too sweet for my taste.
k was so cooperative in being my food model.
The Japanese take sorting their trash very seriously. Check out this trash can in front of Yamacho that can only be used for their skewers. I like how they also taped on a sample skewer just to be crystal clear.
Nisshin Tasuke
This was not one of our planned stops, but we stopped at Nisshin Tasuke to try the grilled unagi. While I am not ordinarily a big fan of eel, it is something that D likes. I don’t think the kids had ever tried it, so I thought of it as a learning experience.
I enjoyed the slightly sweet, charred flavor, but the texture was too soft for me. I guess the delicate texture is part of the appeal of unagi; it’s just not something I appreciate. I am glad we tried it though. This was probably the most adventurous thing we ate during our entire trip!
Shouro
I don’t think I fully appreciated how much the Japanese like eggs and egg products. (Why are the egg salad sandwiches at the convenience stores so good? Also, is this why egg salad sandwiches were one of my pregnancy cravings? But alas, I digress). Shouro is another shop that specializes in Tamagoyaki. Since we had already tried it at Yamacho, we tried their egg pudding.
Look at how premium that packaging is! I am curious as to the story behind the squirrel with a golden egg.
The caramel sauce on the bottom reminded me of flan.
Sushi Zanmai
The owner of the Sushi Zanmai chain is known as the “King of Tuna”, so we splurged (relatively) on a tuna sampler from their outside stall. We all agreed that this was the best sashimi we have ever had. It melts in your mouth!
Matcha Stand Maruni
Everyone in our family enjoys a matcha latte, so we had to check out Matcha Stand Maruni.
This place is a chic, sparse storefront that serves hand-crafted matcha drinks.
It is interesting to observe how the matcha is prepared with such precision.
Such a lovely shade of green. Luckily, the line was not too long when we were there. If you are a matcha fan, make this one of your stops.
Tsukiji Sanokiya
Our final stop was for the Tuna-shaped “maguroyaki”. Although it is in the shape of a fish, there is actually sweet red bean paste inside. I especially liked the warm crispy outer shell that was fresh from the press.
This shop (more like a stand) is so small, it is easy to miss. There was an elderly woman with kind eyes who served us. I wonder how long she has been working there? It is amazing how many Japanese people dedicate their lives to perfecting their craft.
More Tsukiji Recommendations
Unfortunately, we did not have the time/stomach space to try everything that was on my list. Some other places to look for at Tsukiji Outer Market are Saiwaiken (shumai), Yoshisawa (menchi-katsu) and Tonboya (grilled tuna skewers)-it was closed on Thursdays. Although some might look down on Tsukiji as a tourist trap, this is the type of trap I would gladly eat my way through.
Watching a baseball game in Japan is an activity I would recommend for tourists. Attending a baseball game provides a glimpse into another unique facet of Japanese culture.
Tokyo Dome
We took the metro to Tokyo Dome to watch the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants take on the Chiba Lotte Marines. It was easy to buy our tickets in advance through the Tokyo Giants website. There was an option to pick up the physical tickets, but I just showed the tickets on my phone for entry.
We stopped in the official Tokyo Giants store at the stadium to look at the merch. D had wanted to buy a t-shirt, but they only had expensive jerseys so we left the store empty-handed.
(D’s shopping bag was from our earlier Uniqlo haul.)
We enjoyed the temperature-controlled climate of the enclosed Tokyo Dome and it was nice not having to deal with the sun in our eyes. The Tokyo Dome also did not feel too large. Although we had some of the cheapest seats, it felt like we were a lot closer to the action than our usual nosebleed seats at Angels Stadium.
Tokyo Dome Food and Drinks
I wanted to buy dinner at the stadium, and the first place we saw was this place that sold bentos. I really liked how they had players pick their favorite foods for their namesake bento.
I had no idea who any of the players are, but the packaging was cool.
This was the bento I chose. It was okay, but there were a lot of mysterious items and it was relatively expensive.
This bento also ended up being just meh. I am not sure if it was our American palates, or whether Japanese people actually enjoy these foods. It did not help that the food was not hot, which is D’s biggest problem with bentos. I saw the moms in front of us eating onigiri from the convenience store, and I think that would have been a better option.
We also tried this mango soda. It was basically soda water with big chunks of frozen mango.
It was fascinating to watch the Japanese beer girls running up and down the stands with large kegs on their backs. I seriously did not understand how they had the stamina to do this. Even more amazing is that they did their jobs with smiling faces and cheerful attitudes.
Cheering at a Japanese Baseball Game is on a Whole Different Level
Japanese people really let it all out when cheering at baseball games. There were basically two extremely loud cheering sections: the away team section was way across from us, between second and third base, and the home section was closer to first base. I cannot imagine how loud it was in the middle of either of those sections, as it was already loud from where we were sitting. The Chiba Marines fans were so loud, it almost seemed like they were cheering for the home team. It is interesting that Japan has subways filled with commuters so silent you could hear a pin drop, but also has baseball fans that can yell non-stop for three hours straight.
The chants were quite involved and varied for each player and type of play. Here is D doing his best to participate.
D wore his SF Giants hat, which has a very similar look to the Tokyo Giants gear (same colors and font).
The boys in front of us had fun playing with these cool light sticks.
The stadium was pretty full for a Wednesday night.
We left the game early, before the 7th inning. I read later that the Giants lost, 3-4. I did not realize that they had won against the same team the day before 18-2!
If you are visiting Tokyo during baseball season, going to a game at Tokyo Dome is a worthwhile experience. Just remember my personal recommendation would be to skip the player bento boxes and find something else to eat.
We took the metro a couple of stops north to spend the afternoon in Ueno. At Okachmachi station, I wanted to sample the white truffle salt bread from Truffle Bakery. My first introduction to truffles was from watching the Smurfs cartoons in the 80’s. Does anyone else remember how the Smurfs went truffle hunting? k likes truffles, so I had her pose with the one piece which we all shared.
This article is a deep dive into how the Truffle Bakery is dedicated to all things truffle.
Ameyokocho
After doing some duty-free shopping at Uniqlo Okachimachi, we walked towards Ameyokocho. Vendors and small shops selling mostly food items line this busy shopping street.
We stopped at a store called Tea Garden and shared a matcha ice cream cone.
Ueno Park
Ueno Park is known as a prime-viewing area for cherry blossoms in Japan. As we were there in June, it was past cherry blossom season. It was not too crowded, and it felt like a peaceful escape in the middle of a bustling metropolis.
I wish we could have seen the Shinobazuno lotus pond in full bloom!
We need to work on not cutting off feet in photos.
Lovely hydrangeas.
Ueno Park was one of the few places in Tokyo where we saw public trash cans. Too bad some of the trash ended up in the pond.
I had read mixed reviews about Ueno Zoo, so we ended up not visiting. While D and the kids took a break in the shade, I walked towards the Shinobazuno Boat Dock to see the swan paddle boats.
Aren’t they so charming? If we had more time, this would have been a fun activity.
Sanrio Gift Gate Ueno
This Ueno Sanrio store has the cutest storefront. I love how the characters have panda heads as a nod to the pandas at Ueno Zoo. However, the store itself is quite small and has a limited selection.
The first order of business was to eat lunch. We arrived before the 11:00 a.m. opening time at Sushiro, so we did a little shopping at a drug store (sunscreen) and 3 Coins.
Going to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant is a must-do when visiting Japan. The kids had fun placing our orders on the tablet and waiting for the sushi to zoom to our table.
I thought these hot water dispensers at each table were so convenient. The tables also had a small jar of green tea powder so you could serve yourself hot tea. D could not get enough (it was surprisingly good).
After trying most of the basic nigiri, we decided to be a little adventurous. This was an interesting combination (the Japanese do love their mayonnaise).
We ordered a grand total of 22 plates, and the total bill was $24!
Not too far from Sushiro, we happened upon a cluster of stores called Okashi Land. Since were full from our sushi lunch, we did not have much room to try all the snacks. I also didn’t want to buy any food souvenirs since we would have to carry them around for the rest of the day. However, it was still fun to browse.
Isn’t this Calbee potato chip tree so fun? If you are looking for something to eat here, I heard the Calbee Poterico Salad is good (freshly fried potato sticks).
I did have to make a stop when we saw Tokyo Banana.
This is the Cream An Donut, which has red bean and banana custard filling. We all shared one, but k and I are the only ones in the family that appreciate red bean desserts. The flavors were more subtle than I expected. Here is a thoughtful and thorough review of the Tokyo Banana donut, along with the famous curry pan.
Another highlight of Tokyo Station is Tokyo Character Street. This is a collection of small shops that sell character merch. I made a list of the shops I wanted to see: Sumikko-gurashi, Rilakkuma, Miffy Style, Koupen-chan and Tomica.
Miffy is my current favorite. I think I was influenced by my mom having my sister and I eat off of Miffy plates for a good part of our childhood.
Now I am passing my love of Miffy down to k. It is so interesting to me that Miffy is not Japanese, as she totally has a Japanese vibe. One day I hope to visit the Miffy Museum in Miffy’s original home, the Netherlands.
One tip that a friend gave me that I will pass along: if you see something that you like in Japan, just buy it there. Do not tell yourself that you will see it again someplace else, because oftentimes it will be difficult to find again.
Neither k nor n are into anime, but I had n stand in front of this display just for kicks.
Traveler’s Factory At Tokyo Station
While researching potential Japanese souvenirs, I fell down the Youtube Traveler’s Factory rabbit hole. After watching so many Youtubers extol the Traveler’s Factory notebooks, I had to check them out. Finding the Traveler’s Factory store in Tokyo Station proved to be somewhat of a challenge.
The small store was fun to peruse, but I could not bring myself to make the somewhat expensive investment in a hobby I probably don’t have time for.
However, I was excited to see the Traveler’s Factory stamping station. Japan is a nation of stamp-lovers (again, my people!), so keep your eyes open and you will see stamps to commemorate your travels at various places (train stations, museums, etc.)
I think D and the kids were kind of like, “Really, we came all this way for a stamp?” They just don’t understand the satisfaction.
Tokyo Station Post Office
Another somewhat random stop I wanted to make was the Tokyo post office that is located just outside of Tokyo Station. As I mentioned, we were a little lost when trying to find the Traveler’s Factory Store. Well, we were even more lost while trying to exit Tokyo Station to get to street level. Google maps and asking strangers did not work. Finally, D suggested trying this one staircase, and we made it out! By this time, D and the kids were not in the mood for more walking to a post office, so they rested at Marunouchi Square while I went on a solo quest.
Aren’t these post office mascots so cute? The post office had some cute stationery and cards, which was my main reason for visiting. I think the US post office needs a mascot!
I bought these two frame-worthy postcards.
When I met up with the family, I saw this BEAMS store which looks so impressive from the outside. I thought it would be interesting to take a look, but everything was expensive and not really our style.
Final Thoughts
If you stay in Tokyo, you will probably find yourself near Tokyo Station at some point. It is a major transportation hub and the place where many travelers catch the Shinkansen to visit other places in Japan. Since it is located underground, it would be a cool place (literally) to visit in the summer or when it is raining. There are so many restaurants and shops that it is impossible to see it all. Make a list of the places you want to experience beforehand to make the most of your visit. (If we go again, I want to check out Ramen Street). There are maps everywhere and try not to get lost like us.
