在商場閒逛時，發現在商場的某層樓，正有一個日本商品展區，說起來，很多人都喜愛日本美食，所以策展單位也投其所好，這裡也設立用餐區，可以品嘗到日本特色美食，說到日本美食，人們的腦海中，都會想到壽司或是拉麵，不過，這裡都沒有販買，反而店家賣的多是炸物、章魚燒或日式炒麵等攤販料理，可能是想營造祭典的氛圍吧。
沒想到這裡可以看到廣島燒，之前還在和朋友討論日本美食，幾乎沒有朋友吃過廣島燒，不過，大部分朋友都有吃過大阪燒，近年來，大阪燒在台灣各夜市常常可以看到，而廣島燒則只有一位去日本廣島旅遊的朋友，有吃到過，可惜我已經吃飽了，再來一份廣島燒，我也吃不下，只能說沒緣分了。
有一說一，這裡真的很容易可以看到市面上沒有賣的日本美食，和菓子是日本傳統藝術甜點，不僅象徵精緻的日式美學，細膩的口感也令人驚豔，這裡攤商賣的和菓子，強調的是原汁原味，連店員都是日本人，用日語和來往路人招呼著，還有不少市面上沒見過的美食，如大福冰淇淋及鯛魚燒等，此外，開放試吃也不手軟，因為很多商品，可能只有這裡才買的到。
俗話說，民以食為天，這個展覽說是日本商品展，我看有八成都是販賣特色美食，只有少數的攤位賣的是日本工藝品，像是和服、不倒翁及日本武士盔甲，這類商品大多是裝飾之用，實用性相對較低，在這樣的景氣環境下，沒有人關注也是正常的，我試著和某個攤位的店員閒聊，她說她只是一位工讀生，對商品也不熟，就是來賺個零花錢的，看來店家也是來過個場的。
While wandering around the mall, I discovered a Japanese products exhibition on one of the floors. As everyone knows, Japanese food is really popular, so the organizers clearly knew what they were doing—they even set up a dining area where people could enjoy authentic Japanese dishes. When people think of Japanese cuisine, sushi or ramen usually comes to mind, but interestingly, there were none of those here. Instead, the stalls mainly sold fried foods, takoyaki, and yakisoba; I guess that it is probably to create a festive, street-market vibe.
To my surprise, I even saw Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki being sold. I had just been talking with my friends about Japanese food recently, and almost none of them had tried Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki before. Most of them have only had the Osaka-style version, which has become common in Taiwan’s night markets in recent years. Only one friend, who traveled to Hiroshima, had the chance to try the real thing. Unfortunately, I was already full, so I couldn’t eat another serving. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be this time.
Honestly, this place had so many kinds of Japanese foods that you don’t usually find in regular stores. The wagashi, Japan’s traditional artistic sweets, were especially eye-catching. They not only reflect Japan’s refined aesthetics but also have a delicate, unique taste. The wagashi stall emphasized authenticity, and even the staff were Japanese, calling out to passersby in Japanese. There were also other rare treats like mochi ice cream and taiyaki. What’s more, they offered plenty of free samples, probably because some of these products could only be found here.
As the saying goes, food is the most important thing to people. Even though the event was called a Japanese products exhibition, I’d say 80% of the booths were food-related. Only a few stalls sold Japanese crafts like kimonos, daruma dolls, and samurai armor. These items were more decorative than practical, so it’s not surprising that they didn’t attract much attention, especially in today’s economy. I even chatted with one of the booth attendants, who told me she was just a part-timer and didn’t really know much about the products. She was simply there to earn some pocket money. It seemed like many of the vendors were just showing up for the experience rather than serious business.
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