We've seen treats made with cricket powder popping up in the snack aisle, but this shop in Tawaramachi takes edible insects to a whole new level. Take-Noko sells over a dozen kinds of edible bugs including crickets, worms, beetles, tarantulas and even scorpions. It’s run by the brand Takeo, known for its outlandish vending machines that casually sell packets of insects in central Tokyo.
First timers should try the cookies, crackers or pasta snacks made with cricket powder, while those who want to take the adventurous route can try the furikake seasoning made of dried bugs. Several of the items on the shelves can also be purchased from the online shop.
Once you’ve tamed your gag reflex, try the giant water bug soda, topped with a whole water bug and seasoned with sweet syrup and tapioca pearls made to look like beetle eggs. Or go for the ice cream monaka (¥480) wafer, which has soy sauce-flavoured crickets in it. Visit during the weekend and you can also feast on a peperoncino pasta topped with (you guessed it) crickets, of course.