Sake-Pairing Souvenirs Available at Nagoya Station - Perfect for Homecoming, Holidays, and New Year's Greetings - Carefully Selected by the Staff at Each Store

Souvenirs available at Nagoya Station are full of snacks that go well with sake!

With the year-end and New Year's holidays just around the corner, many people are making plans to return home or take a trip. One of the most important things to bring back home is souvenirs. 

If you are planning to get a souvenir for a sake lover, it is best to choose a snack that goes well with sake. We conducted a survey of omiyage (snacks that go well with sake) available at Nagoya Station, which is the gateway to the Tokai region and used by more than 1 million passengers a day!　We asked buyers and staff at three major souvenir stores and two department stores in Nagoya Station to carefully select two snacks that go well with sake from each store. 

We are introducing you to a wide selection of snacks that go well with sake, from the classic to the unique.

Sake-friendly Souvenirs available at Grand Kiosk Nagoya

Located in the central concourse that runs east to west through JR Nagoya Station, the Grand Kiosk Nagoya is a souvenir store that is always crowded with customers due to its proximity to the Shinkansen terminal. The store is filled with numerous souvenirs, from long-sellers to new products. 

We asked Mr. Yoshiyuki Ito, Manager of the Merchandise Department of the Chubu Branch Office, to select the perfect snacks to go with sake from among the many souvenirs sold at Grand Kiosk Nagoya.

Best-selling item: Mame chikuwa (Yamasa Chikuwa, 450 yen)

Mr. Yoshiyuki Ito, Manager of the Product Department, Chubu Branch Office:
These bite-sized chikuwa are made with carefully selected ingredients and traditional manufacturing methods. The small size makes it easy to eat and ideal as a snack. We recommend eating it with the Wasabi pickles that come with it for a perfect match with sake.

Recommended product: Cheese Mirin Kasuzuke (Yamatoya Moriguchizuke Souhonke / 1,080 yen)

Mr. Ito:
Yamatoya Moriguchizuke Souhonke, famous for Moriguchizuke, pickles New Zealand cream cheese with Yamatoya's special Mirinkasu, a flavorful blend of Japanese and Western flavors. It is a perfect match with sake.

Grand Kiosk Nagoya (JR Nagoya Station, Central Concourse)

Business hours: 6:15-22:00 

Regular closing day: Open year-round 

Scheduled to be open as usual during the year-end and New Year's holidays.

Souvenirs that go well with sake available at Nagomya

Located in Esca, underground shopping mall on the west side of the shinkansen platform at Nagoya Station, "Nagomya" is another popular souvenir store that you should definitely check out when buying souvenirs. The unique assortment of well-selected items is a delight to customers just by looking at the lineup. 

This time, we asked the manager of the store's business department to select two items that go perfectly with sake from among the unique souvenirs lined up in the store.

Best-selling item: Nagoya Ogura Toast Rusk 4-pack (Village Nishimura/604 yen)

Store Business Department Manager:
This is a 4-pack of Nagoya Ogura Toast Rusk, the No. 1 selling item in Nagomya. These rusks are crispy and light, with just the right amount of sweetness and buttery richness in harmony.

Recommended product: Dashi-scented Tuu No Tori Kawa Age, Umami Soy Sauce Flavor (Sanwa Group / 328 yen)

Store Business Department Manager:
The crispy texture of the chicken skin, which is fried twice, is enhanced by the flavor of soy sauce, making it very tasty.

Nagomya (Nagoya Station shinkansen exit, Esca, underground mall)

Business hours: 10:00 - 20:30 

Regular closing day: January 1 (New Year's Day), 3rd Thursday in February and 2nd Thursday in September (in accordance with Esca)

 

Meitetsu Shouten (Meitetsu Department Store Main Shop [Men's Building] 1F)

“Meitetsu Shouten" is a new style souvenir store that The Meitetsu Group opened in December 2022 based on the concept of "Eat Local, Aggress the Local, and Return to the Local. Located near Nana-chan statue, one of the symbols of Nagoya Station, the fashionable store offers an array of original Meitetsu Shouten products made in collaboration with companies in Aichi and Gifu.

We asked concierge Miiku Nakahata to select two of Meitetsu Shouten's original items that she recommends as souvenirs that go well with sake from among their rich individuality.

Best-selling item: NAGOYA MISO DIP, 3 pieces (Irodori Noen / 2,400 yen)

Ms. Miiku Nakahata:
A set of three rice bowls made with miso, the pride of Aichi Prefecture. Three kinds of miso are offered: "Akamiso pork miso", "Jakoshiso miso", and "Nagoya Cochin spicy chicken miso"! They are perfect for yudofu (boiled tofu) and cold tofu, and go great with sake! In particular, the Nagoya Cochin Spicy Chicken Miso, which combines the delicious flavors of miso and chicken with the added accents of chili pepper and garlic, is a perfect snack for sake.

Recommended product: Raw Boiled Elite Shirasu (Marui Syoten, 2,580 yen)

Ms. Nakahata:
It is not widely known, but Minamichita Town boasts one of the largest catches of shirasu in Japan! The shirasu caught in Minamichita are hand-selected one by one. Only a few percent of the "elite shirasu" exceed the standard in size and shape, and are processed using the "raw cooking" method, which is only possible in Japan because Marui Syoten has a factory right next to the landing site. 

The texture is very soft, and the more you chew, the deeper the flavor becomes. It is perfect as an accompaniment to rice or as a snack with sake!

Meitetsu Shouten (Meitetsu Department Store Main Shop [Men's Building] 1F)

Business hours: 10:00 - 20:00 

Regular closing day: None 

Open from 10:00 to 18:00 from December 29 to 31, closed on January 1, open from January 2

JR Nagoya Takashimaya (JR Central Towers)

JR Nagoya Takashimaya is a department store that attracts many customers with its convenient location directly connected to JR Nagoya Station. The "Aji-Hyakusen" section, located on the second basement floor next to the Japanese and Western-style sake section, offers a wide variety of hidden delicacies that were discovered by past buyers who visited various regions and took pride in their famous stores.

 We asked Mr. Takashi Ito, buyer of the "Aji-Hyakusen" section, to select a souvenir that goes well with Japanese sake from among the products sold at "Aji-Hyakusen," which are perfect as souvenirs when returning home or as gifts for New Year's greetings.

Best-selling item: Matsumaezuke pickles, medium jar, 170g (Kashimaya, 1,296 yen)　

Mr. Takashi Ito:
The taste of surume and kelp with the crunchy texture of kazunoko (dried bonito mushrooms) is pleasant, and the flavor is even more delicious when served with sake.

Recommended product: Pari-Pari Baisen Irico Budo Sansho 30g (Crispy Roasted Iriko Grape Sansho Pepper 30g) (Yamakuni/702 yen)

Mr. Ito:
Carefully selected iriko from the Seto Inland Sea are roasted by hand, one by one, with the heads and guts removed, and then sprinkled with grape sansho (Japanese pepper) from Wakayama Prefecture. Yamakuni's iriko is a memorable product that first made me realize the deliciousness of iriko. The synergistic effect of the sake and the iriko's delicious flavor is double the original flavor. You will not be able to stop having sake and iriko.

JR Nagoya Takashimaya (JR Central Towers)

Business hours: 10:00 - 20:00 (varies in some stores) 

Regular closing days: No regular holidays 

December 30 and 31: Open from 9:30 a.m. only on the food floor of B1-2F; all stores open until 6:00 p.m. on December 31. 

Closed on January 1, all stores open from 9:30 a.m. on January 2

Meitetsu Department Store (directly connected to Meitetsu Nagoya Station)

Meitetsu Department Store, directly connected to Meitetsu Nagoya Station, is a long-established department store that has been a favorite in the Nagoya Station area for 69 years since its establishment in 1954. Nana-chan doll, a part of their public relations, has become one of the symbols of Nagoya Station and entertains passersby in a variety of fashions. 

We asked Mr. Akio Tanaka, a buyer of Market Liquor, to select recommended souvenirs that go well with Japanese sake from the items in the food section on the first basement floor, which is convenient for both daily shopping and selecting souvenirs.

Best-selling item: Crab Crackers (KINOKUNIYA/ 540 yen)

Mr. Akio Tanaka:
The flavor of red snow crab and the moderate saltiness go well with sweet sake.

Recommended product: Japanese Quail Eggs Seasoned with Smoked Flavor (KINOKUNIYA / 1,080 yen)

Mr. Tanaka:
The soy sauce-based seasoning and smoked flavor are addictive, and each egg is individually wrapped, so you can easily pick up as many as you like until you feel satisfied. It is an all-purpose snack that goes well with any type of sake.

Meitetsu Department Store (directly connected to Meitetsu Nagoya Station)

Business hours: 10:00 - 20:00 (closing time differs on some floors) 

Regular closing day: January 1 only

Souvenirs that go well with sake are the best choice if you are choosing a souvenir for a sake lover!

Souvenirs that go well with sake were selected by the staff in charge of souvenir stores and department stores at Nagoya Station, which is used by more than 1 million people per day. As this is a highly competitive area for souvenirs, all of the recommended products from all of the stores were full of individuality. 

If you are choosing a souvenir for a sake lover, souvenirs that go well with sake are the best choice. Since they are all reasonably priced, it would be a good idea to buy a set of souvenirs to go with sake. Of course, they are also perfect as souvenirs for yourself. To avoid missing your train, please be sure to arrive at Nagoya Station with plenty of time to spare, and take your time in selecting your souvenirs.