那天經過百貨公司時，看到正在展出期間限定的日本商品展，雖然我對日本商品並沒有多大興趣，但是剛好有空，就上去看看有何特別之處。
原來這個展覽是百貨公司週期性與日本當地產商合作的展覽，以美食為主，地方特產、冰品、拉麵、甜點也不少，還有刀具、伴手禮及傳統工藝品等，讓想省機票錢的小資族，一秒到日本吃吃喝喝，我本來以為商品區，沒有太多人逛，其實逛的人還不少，因為今年日圓貶值貶很多，已經跌至37年新低，不少人之前飛日本，狂買日本家電，因為買日本商品的話，便宜很多，而日本商品有以高品質著稱，可惜，在現場我沒看中甚麼商品。
而日本美食區，逛的人更多，簡直是滿滿的人潮，我也看到很多本地沒見過的美食，像是正統廣島燒，廣島燒我是從日本美食漫畫中認識的，台灣雖然有賣，但是不地道，260元台幣一份，由蘋果製成的蘋果糖，再抹上厚厚一層的糖漿，非常吸引人的目光，蘋果糖總是出沒在神社的廟會或祭典上，其實就是用蘋果做成的葫蘆，要吃到它，也不需要飛到日本去購買了，職人現做鯛魚燒是排隊人潮最多的攤位，我猜是因為它位在日本美食區的入口處，所以，人們就傻傻的跟著排隊，其實，往裡面走，好吃的美食更多。
是不是在本地沒機會吃到道地日本小吃，號稱原味的日本美食，其實是廚師改良或自己原創的美食，只是用「日本」兩字來吸引來客，來這裡的話，絕對可以吃到原汁原味的日本風味美食，我發現這裡的來客，為攤商帶來滿滿的商機，美食真是人類最好的語言，來往顧客的手上總是拿著一或兩項日本風味小吃，我的話，特別想吃廣島燒，圓一下年輕時的回憶。
The other day, I passed by a department store and saw they were holding a limited-time Japanese product exhibition. I’m not particularly interested in Japanese goods, but since I had some free time, I decided to check it out to see what was special about it.
It turns out the exhibition is a regular collaboration between the department store and local Japanese producers, mainly focusing on food. There were plenty of regional specialties, desserts, ramen, and even ice cream. They also had knives, souvenirs, and traditional crafts. It’s like a quick trip to Japan for those who want to skip the airfare and just enjoy the food and drinks. I initially thought there wouldn’t be many people browsing the product area, but there was quite a crowd. Since the yen has hit a 37-year low this year, many people have been flying to Japan and buying loads of Japanese electronics because it's much cheaper. Japanese goods are known for their high quality, but unfortunately, nothing really caught my eye at the event.
The Japanese food section, on the other hand, was packed with people! I saw lots of food that you don’t usually find here, like authentic Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. I first learned about okonomiyaki from Japanese food manga. Although you can find it in Taiwan, it’s not the same. It was about 260 TWD per serving. There was also candied apples made with a thick layer of syrup—they really stood out! You usually find these candied apples at shrine festivals or fairs in Japan, but now you don’t have to fly to Japan to try them. The stall with the longest line was for taiyaki (fish-shaped pastries). I think it’s because it was located right at the entrance of the food section, so people just started lining up without thinking. Honestly, if you went further in, you’d find even more delicious food.
It makes me wonder if we’re missing out on authentic Japanese street food here. A lot of the so-called “authentic” Japanese food is actually modified by local chefs or their own creations, just using the “Japan” label to attract customers. But at this event, you can really taste the original Japanese flavors. I noticed that the event brought a lot of business for the vendors, as people were constantly walking around with one or two Japanese snacks in hand. As for me, I was especially drawn to the Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, bringing back some memories from my younger days.
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