Our Story
When I first came to Japan from the US in 2007, I was an English language teacher on the JET Program. I had never been to the country before, and before I knew it I was whisked away from Narita Airport to rural northern Japan, where the night sounds were less the whoosh of cars passing by and more the ribbit of frogs lazing around in the rice fields.
It was a struggle to get over the language and cultural hurdles at first, but after a year of practice, I had learned the basics of the language and customs, and I had even developed a taste for the food! One thing in particular that I liked was all of the special, limited, and seasonal editions of snacks that came and disappeared almost without a trace!
See, growing up in the states, I was used to any snack, drink, sweet, or item I wanted being available at any time. A discontinuation of a product (anyone remember Surge?) meant that not enough people were buying it, and it was time to hang up the gloves. However, what surprised me about Japan was that just because a product was discontinued didn't mean no one was buying it. Far from it. Japanese people love these special edition snacks and sweets. When they see a new product in the convenience store or supermarket, they snatch it up quickly because it may be their first and last opportunity to try it in their entire lives! I too developed an enthusiasm for special and limited editions living in Japan.
The seasonal editions of products are also a special experience because what better way of welcoming in the new season than with a seasonal flavor? Some of the snack, drink, and dessert flavors are as follows (src. "The Wagamama Diaries"):
- Spring-Exclusive (春季限定, shunki gentei)
-Japanese plum (梅, ume)
-Cherry Blossom (桜, sakura)
-Peach (桃, momo)
-Strawberry (苺/ ichigo)
- Summer-Exclusive (夏季限定, kaki gentei)
-Watermelon (スイカ, suika)
-Lemon (レモン, remon)
-Salt (塩, shio)
-Tropical fruit (トロピカルフルーツ, toropikaru furuutsu)
-Ramune (ラムネ, an old-fashioned lemon-lime carbonated drink)
- Fall-Exclusive (秋季限定, shuuki gentei)
-Grape (ぶどう, budou)
-Japanese sweet potato (さつまいも, satsuma imo)
-Chestnut (栗, kuri)
-Pumpkin (かぼちゃ, kabocha)
-Roasted green tea leaves (ほうじ茶, houji-cha)
-Persimmon (柿, kaki)
-
Winter-Exclusive (冬季限定, touki gentei)
-Mikan (みかん, a Japanese mandarin orange)
-Apple (りんご, ringo)
-Strawberry (苺, ichigo)
-Christmas cake (クリスマスケーキ, kurisumasu keeki)
-Chocolate (チョコレート, chokoreeto)
-Berry (ベリー, berii)
That said, these lists are not comprehensive. When it comes to seasonal and limited-time offerings, there are no hard and fast rules. Anything goes, which is what makes buying directly from Japan all the more fun. You never know what they'll come up with next!
About Saku Saku Mart
Saku-saku is a Japanese onomatopoeia word for the crunching of chips and snack food---which is exactly what we sell!
The idea started with just two partners who shared a love for Japanese okashi and wanted to share it with the rest of the world, even if they can't be in Japan to enjoy it. We also know that many of you are also into Japanese entertainment, such as Anime. Therefore, we also offer Anime-themed snacks and goods as well. We're a small business run by just the two of us in an attempt to give you the lowest prices and the most personal service. If ever you have any questions or (pretty please?) suggestions on what to sell, please feel free to send us an e-mail at:
info@sakusakumart.com
You can also follow us on Instagram:
Or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SakuSakuMart
We're here to make you happy and make sure you're never without those Japanese snacks and goods that you love.