Feature: Souvenirs in Shikoku, 40 options and more! Introducing popular and recommended souvenirs from Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, and Kochi

Choosing souvenirs is one of the joys of travel.
Here, we introduce our carefully selected and recommended souvenirs that encapsulate the charms of the four prefectures of Shikoku. Read this to get an understanding of the perfect products from each prefecture!
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See souvenirs from Tokushima/Kagawa/ Ehime/Kochi

See souvenirs from Kagawa/ Ehime/Kochi

This western-style confection—charming and fluffy, with plenty of velvety milk bean paste—is loved by children and adults alike. Carefully made with milk from Tokushima Prefecture and Japanese wheat, its melt-in-the-mouth texture and gentle flavor is somewhat nostalgic. You can also enjoy this with the taste of seasonal fruits, such as strawberries or mango.

These manju (steamed or baked buns with filling) on a skewer are grape-sized, to be eaten in one bite. Their name comes from the Japanese word for martial arts, “budo,” because they were given as souvenirs to visitors to Mount Tsurugi, which is famous among martial arts practitioners. Milk is added to the bean paste to create a sophisticated flavor, and this plus the faint fragrance of grapes (also “budo” in Japanese) gives them their popularity: they have been well-loved for over 100 years.

This high-class steamed confection is made from a dough kneaded with tsukune-imo yam, rice flour, and eggs, dotted with carefully selected large-grain azuki beans like the spots on a fawn (the name of this product, “saoshika,” means “young male deer”). Its unique moist and springy texture and its refined sweetness are both superb. Enjoy its depth of flavor, in which time-honored techniques and tradition live on.

This famous confection was designed based on the “kincho tanuki (racoon dog),” a figure in a Tokushima legend called “Awa Tanuki Gassen” (the Tanuki War of Awa). The moist, chocolate-flavor skin and refined sweetness of the white bean paste intermingle to form an exquisite harmony. Since their creation in 1937, these delicious creations that beautifully blend Japanese and Western cuisine have been loved across the generations.

Tokushima’s vaunted sudachi (a type of citrus fruit) is its specialty product: over 90% of Japan’s sudachi are produced here. Squeeze it and an invigorating fragrance will fill the air. Its refreshing acidity brings out the flavor of ingredients, making it perfect for grilled fish, pot-cooked dishes, chilled tofu, and cold noodles. We also recommend seasonings such as sudachi ponzu and sudachi drinks.

Naruto kintoki, a kind of sweet potato, is grown in mineral-rich sandy soil in the warm climate of Tokushima. It is characterized by its lustrous golden flesh, soft and fluffy chestnut-like texture, and deep sweetness. You can enjoy this vegetable’s rich flavor in a variety of confections—manju (steamed or baked buns with filling), sweet potato cakes, imo-kenpi, and caramelized—or as a grilled potato.

Awaodori chicken is a brand of chicken developed in Tokushima Prefecture. Its appeal lies in its supple texture and profound, rich taste that overflows as you chew. For souvenirs, we recommend processed products such as Awaodori chicken curry, which incorporates its delicious flavor, yakitori skewers, and inexpensive ground-meat miso.

This Tokushima soul food is made by mixing curry powder, red pepper, and other seasonings with fish paste, covering it with breadcrumbs, and cooking it. Its spiciness creates a flavor you won’t forget even from a single taste. There are lots of delicious ways to eat it—cook until crunchy in a toaster oven and add sauce, sandwich it, and more. It’s also a dish that goes well with beer.

Take chikuwa, said to have delighted the famous samurai Minamoto Yoshitsune, is a delectable traditional food made by wrapping natural bamboo in fresh fish paste and cooking it until it is well-done. It appeals with its firm texture and refreshing bamboo aroma that fills the mouth as you chew. The best way to eat it is in one big bite when it is freshly made, still on the bamboo skewer! We also recommend eating this with Tokushima’s unique sudachi.

In the south of Tokushima Prefecture you’ll find fresh catches of tokobushi abalone, known as nagareko, which are carefully grilled with soy sauce and sugar. These epitomize the umami flavor of abalone and the scent of the sea, and are sublime as a snack with some alcohol. The refined flavor, which makes the most of the ingredients, will definitely bring joy as a gift or a dish for New Year’s.

Kinchan noodles, a soul food of the people of Tokushima Prefecture, refers to a type of local cup noodle loved by all generations. It contains plenty of ingredients, including firm noodles, shrimp, pork, and shiitake mushrooms, in a light soy-sauce flavor soup. Its somehow relieving, nostalgic taste will be sure to delight as a souvenir.

Tokushima souvenirs (return to top)

See souvenirs from Tokushima/Ehime/Kochi

This ebi senbei (shrimp rice cracker), colorful and crisp in texture, is almost like a macaroon. Four types of cheese sauce work in harmony with the ebi senbei. The rich umami flavor overflows from this delectable snack. It pairs wonderfully with wine or beer. It is also very popular as a confection available for online orders.

This famous confection from Sanuki is made in the form of a stove for salt cooking (“kamado”). Its yellow bean paste is carefully made using egg yolks from Kagawa Prefecture and plenty of meticulously selected white navy beans, and is then wrapped in a fluffy crust. Its simple deliciousness can be savored as a snack with tea and also makes a great gift. You can also enjoy limited-time products over the four seasons.

This famous confection is made in the shape of a triangle, and is connected with the moxibustion historically used to heal visitors to Kotohira-gu Shrine. The velvety yellow bean paste made using egg yolks with a melt-in-the-mouth texture is enveloped in a moist skin. Its subtle sweetness delivers peace of mind in busy everyday life. Why not treat yourself to one of these as a reward?

Kagawa’s kawara senbei are a traditional and famous treat shaped like the roof tiles (kawara) from Takamatsu Castle. Hand-cooking techniques passed down since the Meiji period (1868-1912) and shiroshitato, Sanuki’s high-class sugar, lock a deep sweetness and rich flavor in a fragrant, hard-baked product. The unchanging, simple taste makes this a snack that is still loved as a souvenir from Kagawa.

Sanuki’s wasanbon sugar is made from the sugarcane that grows only in a limited area in the east of Kagawa prefecture. This treat boasts a refined sweetness and melts in the mouth like snow. Charming candies, shaped like seasonal flowers and lucky items, are shaped carefully using a mold—these are truly edible works of art that make must-have souvenirs.

These mochi are made using 100% premium bracken starch (honwarabi) flour and wasanbon sugar, pursuing authenticity. The syrupy, chewy texture is a delight that shows off the skills of the dexterous craftspeople who made them. The wonderful firmness of the premium bracken starch and the refined sweetness of soybean flour come together to create a truly exceptional flavor.

Kagawa Prefecture is Japan’s top producer of olives, which are grown in the Setouchi sun and salty breezes. With the advancement of processing technologies, a variety of products have been created. The wide-ranging lineup includes not only olive oil but also somen noodles, pickles, confections, tea, and sake. Olive-based foods are also good for beauty and health. Make sure to find one that appeals to you.

Kagawa’s soy sauce charms with its richness and aroma developed over 400 years of history. Notably, the use of wooden barrels from Shodoshima island means that this product will elevate your dishes. We also recommend shouyu mame, a local treat made by pickling fried fava beans in liquid seasoning made with soy sauce and sugar, as a snack with alcohol or with rice.

Take a large bite from Kagawa’s specialty honetsukidori, aromatic baked chicken leg meat with special spices. The juices overflow when this dish is made with succulent young chicken (hina), while older birds (oya) offer an excellent chewiness in the mouth; both brim with deliciousness as you chew. Honetsukidori goes well with beer, and you can also buy it as a souvenir!

Sanuki udon boasts the rich flavor of wheat, a wonderful firmness, and a smoothness going down the throat. As souvenirs, we recommend semi-dried noodles, with which you can recreate the flavor and richness of fresh noodles. There’s also fried udon, udon senbei, and unique udon-flavored gummies—a whole range of choice. Make sure you bring some of Kagawa’s udon culture home to enjoy.

Kagawa souvenirs (return to top)

See souvenirs from Tokushima/Kagawa/Kochi

These luxurious daifuku contain a whole bittersweet unshu mikan in soft mochi. The tangy juice and gentle sweetness of the white bean paste melt together, filling your mouth with a blissful flavor. These products are also impactful in appearance, making them perfect as souvenirs or gifts. Enjoy these frozen confections once they are defrosted.

This popular treat is made using plenty of waki tea, grown in Shingu Town, the home of tea. Strained red bean paste and melting cream spill out of soft mochi rice, suffused with matcha green tea, and the rich aroma of its matcha covering spreads through the mouth. Make sure you try this exceptional flavor, only available here.

This Western-style Japanese confection encases velvety egg-yolk bean paste in a moist, buttery dough. Its gentle, melting sweetness spreads through the mouth, offering a calming deliciousness. Limited products that change with the seasons and inexpensive baby poeme are also popular. Suitable for any recipient, these are a new in-demand souvenir from Ehime.

This well-done pie has a crunchy texture and is shaped like the whirlpools of the Kurushima Strait of the Seto Inland Sea. It is made using plenty of pure butter, offering a wonderful aroma when baked. Coarsely ground almonds are mixed in the many layers of pie dough, further bringing out the deliciousness of its rich flavor.

This traditional taste, typical of Matsuyama, is also featured in the novel Botchan by author Natsume Soseki. Botchan dango normally uses three-colored mochi, flavored with matcha, white bean paste, and azuki beans respectively, which are wrapped in soft sticky gyuhi mochi and threaded onto a wooden skewer to create small, charming dango. The flavors meld elegantly together with each smooth mouthful, all with a subtle sweetness.

Home-made bean paste created with meticulously selected Hokkaido azuki beans is rolled carefully in fluffy castella. Just like sushi rolls, craftspeople hand-finish each of these treats one-by-one on a bamboo mat, creating a flavor that combines the refined sweetness of the azuki beans with the gentle egg taste of the castella in harmony.

These treasured confections have been loved for around 200 years, starting at the Edo (Tokyo) residence of the feudal lord of Ozu Domain. This is a traditional flavor created only in Japanese sweet shops in Ozu City. Shigure are characterized by their chewiness and refined sweetness, and are made by steaming a mix of carefully selected azuki beans with rice flour and mochi flour. These confections demonstrate the individual character of each shop—why not buy a famous and historic treat that you can only taste here as a souvenir?

Professionals from fruit wholesalers carefully choose citrus fruits that have received plenty of Ehime’s sunshine for this treat with a consistency like drinkable Jell-O! Slurp it up and you’ll enjoy a depth of flavor that will make you feel you’re actually "drinking" a whole fruit. This product is made without flavoring, preservatives, or coloring. Its melt-in-the-mouth texture means anyone can drink it with peace of mind, from small children to the elderly. We recommend it served cool in summer.

POM juice, a popular product in Ehime, is 100% perfectly blended mikan juice with the sweetness of unshu mikan and the aroma of oranges. Its rich but refreshing taste that you can gulp down has been loved by people of all ages for years.

Taimeshi is a local Ehime dish that is eaten differently in each area. In the Chuyo area, which includes Matsuyama, the dish consists of rice seasoned and cooked with sea bream, whereas in the Nanyo area, such as Uwajima, it is eaten with sashimi, egg yolks, and a special sauce. Popular souvenirs include "seasoned taimeshi rice mix” and the frozen “sashimi and sauce set.” In fact, in the third Toyo area you’ll also find a “cooked” version.

This richly flavored local gourmet dish is made by grinding small fish (bones and all) freshly caught from the Uwa Sea into a paste and frying them. The result is a food that is chewy, bouncy, and packed with the delectable umami taste of fish. The scent of the sea will whet your appetite, and you can eat jakoten as it is or lightly seared—both are delicious. It is very often eaten as a snack with drinks or as an ingredient in oden (hot-pot dish).

Ehime souvenirs (return to top)

See souvenirs from Tokushima/Kagawa/ Ehime

People can't get enough of these crispy and fragrant treats with a light crunchy texture! These fried biscuits have been loved for many years in Kochi. Their simple flavor, with a perfect balance between the sweet and saltiness (from sun-dried sea salt), becomes addictive after the first bite. In addition to the regular flavor, you can also find coffee, garlic, and caramel-flavored Mire biscuits. Make sure to try this taste loved by all generations.

These yaki-manju (baked buns with filling) are simple, fluffy, and moist, and have been loved for many years in Kochi. The carefully selected ingredients and skills of the craftspeople combine to offer a warming treat with the gentle sweetness of white bean paste. Take a bite and you’ll find yourself unexpectedly smiling. These buns use no preservatives, so they can be eaten by everyone, young and old, with peace of mind. They taste sublime with coffee or tea!

This is a famous Tosa confection that has been well-loved since 1954: bite-sized sweet treats inspired by the “Tosa Nikki” (Tosa Diary) of Ki no Tsurayuki, written in the 10th century. Strained bean paste made from Hokkaido azuki beans is wrapped in soft mochi (gyuhi), and the confection is finished with crunchy slices made from rice flour, creating a wonderful harmony between the crispy, chewy, and smooth.

A moist, madeleine-like dough is wrapped in foil to lock in mouth-melting velvety white bean paste. The paste, with the faint scent of Kochi yuzu, offers the perfect accent. This famous confection is associated with a love story sung about in Yosakoi Bushi folk songs, and the illustrated packages featuring elegant images by Kon Shimizu, a great literary figure, add to the appeal.

This is Umajimura Village’s vaunted drink, made with yuzu fruit and the clear waters of the Yasuda River. The refreshing acidity of the yuzu blends superbly with the gentle sweetness of the honey, releasing a scent that will make you feel you’re in a yuzu orchard. The natural taste, made without preservatives or flavoring, is a Kochi favorite loved by everyone from children to adults.

Sweet potatoes grown on the abundant earth of Kochi are finely sliced, fried, and mixed with sugar and honey to create a simple confection, and this imo-kenpi is said to have originated in Kochi. Its natural sweetness and crunchy texture are exquisite, and the taste is so delicious you won’t be able to stop at one. You can also enjoy plenty of varieties, including salted kenpi, a wide-cut version, high-grade sweet potato kenpi, and products arranged in a modern manner.

Tosa tea, grown with the clear waters of the Shimanto River, is popular for its clear golden-blue color, deep flavor with minimal bitterness, and rich scent. Tosa’s black tea, which has attracted attention in recent years, appeals with its mild, non-astringent taste and gentle, sweet fragrance. We recommend the inexpensive teabags or authentic leaf tea as souvenirs.

Straw-cooked katsuo no tataki, seared all at once on a free flame, is exceptional for its straw fragrance! With a crispy outside and meltingly juicy inside, it really embodies the true umami deliciousness of bonito. You can also purchase this product frozen as a souvenir, so make sure you make the most of its authentic taste with plenty of condiments!

Soda bushi (dried, fermented, and smoked fish fillets) is made from frigate tuna caught in Tosashimizu, and is characterized by its powerful aroma and rich umami taste. It creates deep golden dashi stock that has matured over time—simply superb. Easy-to-use flaked fish packs and dashi soy sauce make popular souvenirs, always enriching your dining table.

Kochi Prefecture is Japan’s greatest yuzu production area. The refreshing fragrance of green yuzu and the sharp and stimulating heat of green chilies offer perfect harmony in this Japanese all-purpose seasoning. Its fresh ingredients are carefully refined, creating a strong aroma and deep flavor. Use it on sashimi and in pot-cooked cuisine, and add a little to grilled meat and pasta to really bring out the flavor of your cooking.

The finely chopped ginger pickled with soy sauce in this product is highly aromatic, and will really whet your appetite! Sprinkle on rice and your meal quickly transforms into a treat. Add a little to rolled omelets or okonomiyaki (a kind of savory pancake) as a condiment. It's also great when frying pork, creating a ginger-fried pork dish. Enjoy its crispy and crunchy texture, making it easy to munch, bite after bite.

Kochi souvenirs (return to top)

Tokushima’s vaunted Awa indigo fascinates the world with its profoundly beautiful JAPAN BLUE. Products dyed using traditional techniques passed down from the Edo period (1603–1868) charm with a texture that is gentle on the skin, becoming more familiar the more it is used. From handkerchiefs to handicrafts, you’ll find an array of options with rich colors and a feeling of warmth.

Craftspeople handmake each point of this traditional handicraft, safeguarding time-honored materials and techniques while incorporating modern sensitivities. Wonderful decorative geometric patterns sewn with plant-dyed cotton threads in gentle colors create the charm of these objects. Their warm, simple texture makes them popular as ornaments to bring color to rooms and as gifts.

Iro-urushi lacquering has been handed down in Kagawa Prefecture; this eye-catching technique involves many layers of lacquer, pattern engraving, and embedding colored lacquer. The shine and changing colors created through the delicate techniques of the craftspeople are famous across Japan. Kagawa lacquer-ware brings color to daily life with trays, confection containers, and traditional bowls, and will delight as a special gift.

Imabari towels are high quality and are also highly valued overseas. Their strengths are their excellent absorbency and fluffy and soft feel on the skin. As they are carefully rinsed in clear water, these towels’ high-quality texture remains even after washing, and you’ll feel their comfort more and more as you use them. Their quality is such that they can be used on a baby with peace of mind, and they make wonderful gifts.

Tobe-ware is rounded, warm and thick white porcelain decorated simply with deep and beautiful indigo-blue pigment. It has been made in Tobe Town in Ehime for more than 240 years, and its toughness has also granted it the nickname “kenka (fighting) ware.” Tobe-ware is an all-purpose creation, bringing a certain richness into day-to-day life as tableware, flower vases, udon pots, and more.

One of Japan’s three great traditional papers, Tosa washi has a history of over 1,000 years and is hand-made in Kochi. It is thin but strong, and appeals with its flexible feel. It’s not just used as calligraphy paper; Tosa washi is adaptable for day-to-day life and is utilized in diverse items, including postcards, bookmarks, and beautiful shoji paper for traditional Japanese paper doors. Popular souvenirs include products for wrapping and letter sets.

What do you think? Shikoku’s unique and abundant natural blessings and items that demonstrate the skills of its craftspeople are surely wonderful items with which to remember your trip. We hope you’ll experience the charms of Shikoku with all of your senses.