Special today! $300 Mushrooms!
I had to stop and count the zeros, because I can honestly say that even in Japan, I’ve never seen a number of that size attached to a piece of FOOD. To be fair, this is a jumbo pack of matsutakes (they’re usually sold onesie-twosie), and the price per shroom works out to a bargain basement-like $40 per scruffy little fungus, but still! And before you ask, no, there’s nothing magic about these babies. They won’t even give you extra lives!
Jonelle Patrick is the author of the Only In Tokyo mystery series, published by Penguin/Intermix.
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Jonelle Patrick View All
Writing mystery books set in Tokyo is mostly what I do, but I also blog about the odd stuff I see every day in Japan. I'm a graduate of Stanford University and the Sendagaya Japanese Institute in Tokyo, and a member of the International Thriller Writers, the Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. When I'm not in Tokyo, I live in San Francisco. I also host a travel site called The Tokyo Guide I Wish I'd Had, so if you're headed to Japan and want to check out the places I take my friends when they're in town, take a look!
Jonelle Patrick's Only In Japan 
I just can’t wait until I have enough money for a 10,000 yen melon!
I was super excited when someone recently carved one that had been gifted and I got to eat a bite. It was… good. But not $100 good, if you know what I mean. I admit I’m no conoisseur of melons (OK, I don’t really like them but don’t tell anybody here in Japan or they’ll revoke my residence card) but they do LOOK perfect, I’ll admit!
I’ve always wanted to try a matsutake. Apparently they smell and taste like Red Hot candies…Spicy cinnamon…mmmmm!