“Don Quixote” is a general discount store which sells a variety of items from consumable supplies such as food and cosmetics to daily necessities, clothes, home electric appliances as well as branded goods for inexpensive prices.
Dynamic display of goods is the feature of this attractive shop, and numbers of piled up goods and hand written signage fills consumers with desire to buy their goods.
Nowadays, it is popular among foreign tourists as a hot shopping spot, and it is always busy with foreign customers.
I did some research on popular food souvenirs from Japan consumed at “Don Quixote Dotonbori branch” which especially has a high percentage of foreign customers in Osaka.
The building is by the river running through a symbol of Osaka “Dotonbori,” outstanding with a Ferris wheel.
As for the popular food items here, the food division manager, Mr. Mimei Kozuma, who has been working for the shop for many years and has had trust from the company, told me ten selected items of recommendation. *Items and prices differ, depending on the period.
1.Metcha sukiyanen “Osaka no Koibito” 12pieces
¥650 (tax excluded)
It is a box of langue du chat cookies with while chocolate. Each cookie is individually packaged. White chocolate is sandwiched between two thin sweet cookies in square shape. Since it is crisp and light, once you eat one, you would get addicted to its delicious taste and feel like opening one package to another.
The phrase of unique Osaka dialect “Meccha sukiyanen (or I love you so much)” and symbols of Osaka such as Osaka castle and Tsutenkaku tower are designed on the package, and as a souvenir obviously from Osaka, it is a standard and popular item.
2.“Dotonbori no Koibito” premium 12 pieces ¥600 (tax excluded)
Same as “Osaka no Koibito”, it is a box of langue de chat cookies, but mitarashi-taste chocolate is sandwiched. Mitarashi-taste is indeed mixed flavor of sugar and soy sauce. The combination of mitarashi and chocolate is unique even for Japanese, but actually salty taste from soy sauce sets off the sweetness of cookies and chocolate, and it goes well with the smell of butter used for cookies.
Amusing design of its package is unique to “Osaka.” To commemorate your visit to “Dotonbori,” “Dotonbori no Koibito” is recommended.
3.Metcha Banana Yan! Osaka “Banana no Koibito” 20 pieces ¥1,000 (tax excluded)
With firm taste of bananas, it is manju in which sweet white paste is wrapped. The white paste of banana flavor is well accepted by banana loving Japanese since it has a strong banana taste in bright yellow color. It is rather heavy, and so, even one piece is quite filling.
Since 20 pieces are individually packaged, it is a favored souvenir you can distribute to many people.
4.Almond kozakana (or Almond and sardines) of Jonetsu-kakaku ¥999 (tax excluded)
“Almonds kozakana” is a popular snack to go with alcoholic drinks as well as calcium supplement for children. As a standard souvenir for foreign tourists, it is stably popular as well. Sweet and spicy sardines and sweet almond slices complement the difference in each taste, and its exquisite harmony sharpen appetite.
Since similar products you can find at any supermarkets are usually sold in cups and it is rather little in quantity, it is nice that Don Quixote’s original “Almonds kozakana of Jonatsu-kakaku (or passionate price)” is large in quantity sold in plastic bags. In other words, you can enjoy your favorite Japanese flavor for a long time.
5.Mentai kani (fish raw in red pepper and crab)
¥398 (tax excluded)
“Mentai kani” is especially popular among Korean tourists. It is a snack made with deep fried small crabs called “akaishigani” dredged with karashi-mentaiko (or fish raw in red pepper), and it goes well with alcoholic drinks. Pleasant smell of shells and legs and crisp texture are quite unique to this product. Original firm taste of crabs and sweetness are the base of this snack, and spicy taste of mentaiko (or fish raw) comes a bit later. You could be addicted to its taste.
It is nice to eat it together with alcoholic drinks such as beer, sake or chuhai in your hotel.
6.Assorted strawberry chocolates ¥999 (tax excluded)
A freeze-dried strawberry is covered by chocolate of three different flavors. It is the first product in this industry and the original of Don Quixote, and sold in a large package. Three flavors of chocolate are white chocolate, fruity banana and peach.
Combination of peach-flavored chocolate and strawberry, which is popular among ladies, is fruity with sourness, and has got a good reputation as refreshingly sweet. It is gradually becoming popular as their new product, and it has become one of the standard and popular souvenirs.
7.Umeboshi-no-sheet (Dried plum sheets) ¥980 (tax excluded)
Three sheets of sweet and sour flavored plum are in one package. It is a thin sheet in red, and at first it is sweet in the mouth and then it gradually becomes sweet and sour, and finally sourness of plum fills in the mouth. It is quite sour, but you can enjoy the change of its taste step by step.
In Japan it has been a custom to eat dried plum in hot summer. During sightseeing in hot summer, it is suggested to keep it always in your bag as a light and easy-to-carry supplement. It is big in quantity, but is light due to its sheet condition. So, even if you buy a lot for souvenirs, you don’t have to worry the weight of your baggage.
8.Kitkat Sakura-kinako flavor 12 pieces ¥398 (tax excluded)
Among Japanese products of world popular “Kitkat” of Nestle, Sakura-kinako flavor is especially popular. It is very Japanese as a combination of “Sakura,” which always high-ranked as Japanese items foreigners think of, and “kinako,” which is a regular ingredients of Japanese sweets.
“Kinako” is roasted, peeled and milled soybean flour, and is mainly used to coat and flavor mochi. It is a regular Japanese flavor of soybean fragrance and sweetness of sugar with a pinch of salt. The package design with light pink sakura is pretty, and so, it can make a nice Japanese souvenir for ladies.
9.Aji no kodawari Kokkai no aji 14 packs ¥498 (tax excluded)
It is an assorted package with a variety of rather salty snacks including some made with beans, okaki (rice snacks), and small dried fish. They are mainly seafood-flavored, and each of two assortments has seven packs. Various tastes in one pack and its quantity is good enough. Therefore, it is a very popular souvenir you can distribute to family and friends.
It is also nice to eat between meals when you feel a bit hungry, and it also goes well with alcoholic drinks. Moreover, it is a right size to eat in your hotel or during your flight. You might get addicted to umami of seafood and finish them all before returning home.
10.Hakuto Oolong (White peach Oolong) 10 bags ¥398 (tax excluded)
There are 10 easy-to-use tea bags and in one package. White peach flavor, which is favored among ladies, is added to also popular Tocho Oolong tea. With its sourness and sweetness spreading, a relaxation effect might be expected. Please enjoy it after waking up in the morning or before going to sleep.
How did you find those “souvenirs from Japan” Don Quixote Dotonbori branch recommends?
Their food section is right after the entrance. Their display shelves are overcrowded with seasonal snacks as well as popular standard items.
You can find numerous kinds of souvenir sweets and snacks as well as the ones recommended above. So, please visit “Don Quixote Dotonbori branch” having abundant line-up of products and an established reputation of responding foreign customers for shopping during your holiday in Osaka.
| Shop Name | Don・Quixote Dotonbori Branch |
| Tel | 0570-026-511 |
| Address | 7-13 Soemon-cho, Cyuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka-fu |
| Map | |
| Business Hours | 11:00am – 3:00am |
| Closed | None |
| Payment | Credit card and QR code are available |
| HP | https://www.donki.com/en/ |
*The information herein is as of January 2020.
