Popular Tokyo-brand Dessert Shop Black Ship Debuts in Taiwanese Department Stores

By MOOK Scenic Spots’ Shun, compiled and reported

Japanese specialty shops are increasingly expanding into Taiwan, from ramen and Japanese rice to desserts. One after another, they are setting up branches in Taiwan, giving local food lovers great opportunities to indulge. Tokyo’s famous store “Black Ship” from Jiyugaoka also opened on March 7th on the B2 floor of Taipei SOGO Zhongxiao Store. Visitors can enjoy best-selling items like Nagasaki castella, dorayaki, and wavy waffles without leaving the country.

Black Ship QUOLOFUNE already has 20 branches across Japan and is highly favored by celebrities. Originally founded by the fourth-generation owner of the century-old Nagasaki-ya in Osaka, the founder later leveraged their background in art and design to establish a brand-new, non-traditional style shop called Black Ship in Tokyo’s Freehold Heights. Focusing on castella cake, it quickly became a renowned spot in Tokyo. Its refined packaging even won the prestigious London International Awards in 2007—one of the world’s top five advertising awards. Since then, it has not only dominated the food scene but also shined in the international design community, attracting invitations to set up shops around the world.

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Reference Prices for Popular Items:
Castella Cake – Original Honey flavor 600 TWD/box (single slice 160 TWD), Matcha flavor 650 TWD/box (single slice 170 TWD)
Dorayaki – Original and Matcha flavors, 80 TWD per slice each
Wavy Waffle Cookies – Matcha 80 TWD per slice, Chocolate 80 TWD per slice
Castella Cake Crispy Sticks RASQ – Original 450 TWD/box, Matcha 500 TWD/box