Roro Kurofune, a confectionery about a 10-minute walk from Izukyu-Shimoda Station, has just won the top prize at the National Confectionery Expo °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖° The award-winning item is the Kaikoku Caramel Monaka. It’s a personal favorite of mine: homemade caramel densely packed with walnuts delivers an irresistible bite. I highly recommend it for anyone puzzling over souvenirs ✨ Although they are wagashi artisans, Roro Kurofune also creates sweets with a Western feel, and they offer seasonal limited items that make you want to keep coming back. Another must-try is the wasanbon pudding. Also fun is the Kuro-Mona, where you inject sweet bean paste into a crispy monaka shell yourself (the paste is added just before eating so it stays crunchy), and bite-sized cookies dusted with wasanbon sugar called "Koko Shimoda"... the recommendations never end 💦 The shop is lined with many other confections (≧▽≦) When you visit Shimoda, please stop by and discover your own Roro Kurofune sweets!