Tokyo [Japan], Mar 30 : A delicious ice-cream is made with Hokkaido's famous Yubari melon taste. And, the only shop in Tokyo where a visitor can buy it is called Hokkaido Antenna Shop.
The 'Antenna Shops' provide customers with food and drinks from different local regions in Japan.
Many of their customers are locals who miss the taste of home while others are tourists who want the chance to try Japan's famous cuisine without travelling too far.
A store worker said, "This Antenna store sells products from around Japan, giving the opportunity to customers to buy them. We have a huge variety of goods from small towns to cities in the prefecture, so we have around 1200 items in total."
The Antenna shops first appeared in Tokyo in the early 1990s. They were established to help the regional government promote local products to Tokyo's many residents and visitors.
A customer said, "I was born in Tochigi prefecture and I now live in Tokyo so I don't get a chance to go out from the Kanto region often. That's why I like Antenna shops because they gives me a chance to try foods from distant areas in Japan that are difficult to get it."
Much like an antenna that picks up radio waves from all around Japan, an antenna shop is a place that picks up goods from all over Japan. Some places even offer an Onsen (hot spring) experience.
A customer said, "I thought that Tokyo would only have its own food. But I feel relieved to find this shop that sells my local region's food. It makes me feel nostalgic."
Antenna shops also introduce different prefecture's experience, by sharing their culture and sightseeing spots.
Shizuoka Antenna Shop is for Shizuoka prefecture, which is famous for its green tea. Customers can learn here about the history and types of green tea while enjoying a cup themselves.
The store worker said, "This store sells Shizuoka prefecture's green tea and snacks, as well as a shares tourist spot in Shizuoka. An Antenna shop is a great place to find all these unique goods without travelling."
( With inputs from ANI )