LEGOLAND Japan Mystery Box

In which I throw caution to the wind and make a completely unknown purchase at LEGOLAND Japan.  What I found was ultimately intriguing…

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It was 1:30 in the afternoon, and I was running out of time.

I was standing in the shop at LEGOLAND Japan, at the tail end of my whirlwind visit to Japan.  After several days in Osaka, and another few at Japan BrickFest, I had made my way to LEGOLand Japan.  I had to catch a train at 2pm, in order to make my back to Kansai Airport for an early evening flight.  I picked up a cap, a multicoloured elephant bag charm  and a LEGO City Airport enamel badge – all exclusive to LEGOLAND Japan.  Most of the actual building sets I could find elsewhere. And then I saw it.

IMG_2673A transparent plastic box, with LEGOLAND Japan’s logo on the side.  In this box was a cardboard dragon, emblazoned with Knight’s Kingdom, Dragon’s Apprentice.  This is one of the roller coasters at LEGOLAND parks, which I had not had a chance to ride on due to time constraints.  I picked it up and was intrigued.  It rattled as if it contained several poly bags.  Any indication as to what was inside was written in Japanese on the bottom.  I could not read the shelf label, and the battery in my phone was failing – so I was reluctant to use an online translation service. I picked it up, took it to the register and purchased it.  After getting it home, it sat on a bench for a few months.

Today, I picked it up and looked at the base.  There was a label I could not read, due to my near absent knowledge of Japanese script. That is not entirely true: there was a date that read 2018-07-18.  What could that be? This was after I returned home.  Perhaps it is a use by or ‘Best before’ date.  I was intrigued.  I agonised over the possibilities that might be spoiled by opening the ‘Thing mint in box,’ versus my curiosity, and spoiling the mystery by running the label through a translation program first.IMG_2661

I opened it.

IMG_2672I popped open the seal on the plastic box, and the dragon car shaped box glided out, like the way a roller coaster car glides towards the pickup chain. After a cursory inspection, I opened the mouth.  Inside was a white confectionary, in its own transparent packet, about 2.5 cm in diameter, printed with the Knights Kingdom logo on the side. I prodded it: it was soft.  Not mint in box, so much as marshmallow.

Now the conundrum: until now, everything was still intact apart from the seal on the outer box.  But the ‘best before’ date had passed: should I return it, or throw caution to the wind and test it out?

IMG_2668I tore open the packet, and bit into it.  The coating was slightly powdery. As I bit into the marshmallow, it became apparent that there was a chocolate filled centre, adding a interesting texture and flavour to the experience.

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Mystery solved. Delicious.  Was it worth the 1200 yen? For the joy it brought me in speculating over its contents, as well as the inner taste sensation, I would say yes.

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Have you ever made a mystery purchase, and been completely surprised by what you got in the package? Why not comment below.  As for the Marshmallows? Perhaps I’ll have another.  Until next time,

Play Well!

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