Tokushima "Naruto Kintoki" Sweet Potato Pastries (Kincho Manju), Crispy "Tosa Imo-Kenpi" & "Umaji Village Yuzu" of Kochi

Along the northeastern coast of Tokushima Prefecture bordering the Naruto Strait, local farmers cultivate sweet potatoes in specially engineered fields of mineral-rich sea sand (*Sunabatake*) blessed with rapid drainage and abundant Setouchi sunshine. This unique terroir produces **Naruto Kintoki**—a protected geographical indication sweet potato celebrated across Japan for its vivid ruby-red skin, golden flesh, chestnut-like (*hokuhoku*) texture, and intense natural sweetness. *Naruto Kintoki* baked tarts, sweet potato cakes, and candied sticks share the spotlight in Tokushima souvenir shops with **Kincho Manju** (crafted since 1937 by *Hallelujah*), an iconic confection inspired by the local folklore of the grateful *Kincho Tanuki* raccoon-dog, featuring a bittersweet chocolate-infused dough wrapped around smooth white kidney-bean paste. Across the mountains in Kochi Prefecture, the quintessential Tosa snack enjoyed since the Edo period is **Tosa Imo-Kenpi**—crunchy fried sweet potato sticks glazed in crystallized sugar. Freshly harvested *Kogane Sengan* sweet potatoes are julienned into slender batons, deep-fried in pure vegetable oil until shatteringly crisp, and tumbled in a light syrup entirely free of artificial additives. Kochi's premier specialist, **Imo-ya Kanjiro** (operated by Shibuya Foods, Japan's largest producer of Imo-Kenpi), draws long lines for its *Age-tate Imo-Kenpi* (batches fried within hours of sale) and its addictive sweet-and-salty *Shio-Kenpi* seasoned with mineral-rich deep-sea salt drawn off Cape Muroto. Kochi Prefecture is also the undisputed king of **Yuzu** in Japan, harvesting over half of the nation's fragrant yellow winter citrus crop. High in the forested mountains of eastern Kochi lies **Umaji Village** (*Umaji-mura*), a tiny community of roughly 800 residents that became a nationwide model of rural revitalization through organic yuzu cultivation. Packaged with endearing rustic illustrations, Umaji Village's signature **Gokkun Umaji-mura** (a refreshing drink of pure mountain spring water, wild honey, and freshly squeezed yuzu juice) and **Yuzu no Mura Ponzu Soy Sauce** are treasured culinary souvenirs across Shikoku.