福島のお土産　観光客はなにを買っている？　小分けできる名菓やご当地デザインのコーヒーが人気に (25/05/02 20:00)

Koriyama Souvenir Hall, located inside JR Koriyama Station, is a popular spot for tourists and others looking to shop ahead of the four-day holiday starting May 3rd. ■What did you buy? A visitor from Shizuoka Prefecture, who had been hanging out with friends in Fukushima, said, "I bought some walnut yubeshi and mamadoru for my family. They're famous, so I bought them." A visitor from Tokyo, who was on an 11-day holiday, said, "Mukaiyama Seisakusho's caramel and almond popcorn and strawberry caramel popcorn. My father gave these to my wife and me." ■Assorted boxes and individually packaged products are popular At Kanoya, which sells its signature confection, "Ieden Yubeshi," products priced around 1,000 yen are popular. Assorted boxes with a variety of flavors and individually packaged products are selling well. Naoki Nihei of Kanoya said, "We have a four-day holiday starting tomorrow, so I think we'll have customers as usual. Prices have gone up in these times due to price changes and other factors, but I hope that people from outside Fukushima who visit will buy our products as souvenirs." ■Souvenirs Popular with Foreign Tourists At Fukuei Coffee, a specialty coffee shop, products like coffee jelly, which lasts for a long time at room temperature, and cheesecake, which can be easily enjoyed on the Shinkansen, are selling well, and sales have doubled compared to the same period in 2024. The reason for this is tourists from overseas. Noriaki Ito of Fukuei Coffee says, "After visiting all the major places in Tokyo, we've seen a significant increase in customers who want to go to lesser-known places in the countryside, and I get the impression that Fukushima Prefecture is starting to attract attention." ■Designs Unique to Fukushima Especially popular with foreign tourists is drip coffee with cute designs featuring famous Fukushima landmarks, such as Akabeko and the Miharu Takizakura cherry blossoms. A person from Russia visiting Fukushima for the first time said, "This is my second time in Japan, but my first time in Fukushima. I found this drip coffee and decided to buy it." The Golden Week of 2025 will be a series of consecutive holidays. Souvenir shops and tourist spots alike have high hopes for the four-day holiday starting on the 3rd.