“Kotake Town” (小竹町) in the name of this thank-you gift is the name of the municipality in Fukuoka Prefecture that accepts the donation; it does not indicate where the raw material, Alaska pollock roe, comes from (the country of origin of the raw material is listed as the United States or Russia, and the place of processing is not confirmed). This article covers one of the options on the listing at Rakuten Furusato Nozei (a portal for furusato nozei, the hometown tax donation program): “切子 約2kg（500g×4パック）” (kiriko, approx. 2kg, 500g × 4 packs). The listing also offers four other options: “バラ子 約2kg” (barako, approx. 2kg), “切子 約1kg” (kiriko, approx. 1kg), “切子+バラ子 約1kg” (kiriko + barako, approx. 1kg), and “切子+バラ子 約2kg” (kiriko + barako, approx. 2kg). Using the listing and Rakuten customer reviews, we organized five points: amount, shelf life, ingredient labeling, suitability as a gift, and reviews.
What We Confirmed
- Amount and how many servings
- Storage method and shelf life
- Ingredients and allergen labeling
- Whether it works as a gift
- Trends in public reviews
Basic Information
This table transcribes what is stated on the product page. However, the “not confirmed” labels and any notes we add are our own.
| Product name | Karashi mentaiko (kiriko), approx. 2kg, Kotake Town, Fukuoka, furusato nozeiThe product name shown on the Rakuten listing is a long string with many search terms and the shop’s own descriptions. Only the product-name part is shown here. |
|---|---|
| Name | Karashi mentaiko (辛子明太子)Source: Rakuten Furusato Nozei listing (viewed October 4, 2026) |
| Amount | Kiriko approx. 2kg (500g × 4 packs). No serving count is given: not confirmedSource: same as above |
| What changes depending on your choice | The listing has five options: kiriko approx. 2kg (500g × 4 packs) / barako approx. 2kg (500g × 4 packs) / kiriko approx. 1kg (500g × 2 packs) / kiriko + barako approx. 1kg (500g each) / kiriko + barako approx. 2kg (1kg kiriko and 1kg barako). Every option is shipped once. This article covers only the first option. Kiriko is labeled as uncolored, and barako as colored with coloring agents. No explanation of what “kiriko” and “barako” mean was found on the listing: not confirmedSource: product description and option display on the listing |
| Donation amount | 14,000 yen (Rakuten Furusato Nozei, kiriko approx. 2kg, as of October 4, 2026)Source: option display on the Rakuten Furusato Nozei listing (viewed October 4, 2026). Donation amounts for the other options are not covered in this article |
| Storage | Store at −18°C or belowSource: product description on the listing |
| Best-before date | After thawing, the listing says to keep it refrigerated and eat it within 7 days. The best-before period when kept frozen is not confirmedSource: same as above |
| Country of origin | Alaska pollock roe: United States or RussiaSource: ingredients field of the product description on the listing |
| Place of processing | Not confirmed (the description says it is a thank-you gift from Kotake Town, Fukuoka, but we found no mention of where the processing facility is located) |
| Condition / how to eat (cooking required?) | We found no guidance on the listing about whether cooking is required: not confirmedSource: product description on the listing |
| Thawing method | Not confirmed (the only guidance is to eat within 7 days after thawing) |
| Delivery | Frozen deliverySource: delivery method field of the product description on the listing |
| Shipping time | Shown as scheduled to ship within 7–14 days (excluding weekends and holidays), as of October 4, 2026. The display may changeSource: shipping estimate shown on the Rakuten Furusato Nozei listing (viewed October 4, 2026) |
| Manufacturer | Not confirmed (we found no manufacturer or business operator name on the listing) |
| Shop | Kotake Town, Fukuoka (福岡県小竹町) (Rakuten Furusato Nozei) |
Donation amounts differ by portal and by the size you choose, and may change. Please check the current donation amount and availability at the link above.
Ingredients and Allergen Labeling
The listing shows the ingredients of the kiriko as follows: Alaska pollock roe (United States or Russia), salt, chili pepper, shiro-dashi (light soup stock), fermented seasoning, wine, seasoning (amino acids, etc.), antioxidant (vitamin C), sweeteners (sorbitol, stevia), niacin, magnesium chloride, color fixative (sodium nitrite), and enzymes. The end of the label states that it contains wheat, soybeans, and gelatin, and the allergen field also lists wheat, soybeans, and gelatin; we found no inconsistency within the product description (Source: Rakuten Furusato Nozei listing, viewed October 4, 2026).
The ingredients differ between kiriko and barako; coloring agents (Red No. 102, Yellow No. 5, Red No. 3) are listed for barako. The label for the kiriko covered in this article lists no coloring agents, and the product description on the listing describes it as “uncolored” (無着色) karashi mentaiko.
The roe is not from Japan; its origin is listed as the United States or Russia. If you are concerned about allergies, check the labeling on the listing before applying for the donation, or check the food information label on the product when it arrives.
Reference: Consumer Affairs Agency, Japan, “About Allergen Labeling” (accessed October 4, 2026)
Five Things to Check Before You Donate
| What to check | For this gift | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Amount / servings | Kiriko approx. 2kg (500g × 4 packs). The listing has five options in total, and no serving count is given | Rakuten Furusato Nozei listing |
| 2. Storage method and shelf life | Store at −18°C or below. After thawing, keep refrigerated and eat within 7 days. The best-before period when kept frozen is not confirmed. Shown as scheduled to ship within 7–14 days (as of October 4, 2026) | Product description and shipping estimate on the listing |
| 3. Ingredients / allergen labeling | Roe from the United States or Russia. Labeled as containing wheat, soybeans, and gelatin. Kiriko is uncolored; coloring agents are listed for barako | Product description and allergen field on the listing (no inconsistency) |
| 4. Suitable as a gift? | Noshi (gift wrapping label), wrapping, and message cards are not confirmed. The listing says the applicant information is treated as the donor’s resident registration information, and cancellations, changes, and returns are not possible after applying | Listing (no entries for noshi, wrapping, or message cards) |
| 5. Review trends | Rated 4.81/5 on Rakuten Ichiba (3,486 reviews). We read the first 60 reviews in Rakuten’s default order (posted October 2025 to October 2026; latest October 2026), all 27 of the 1★ reviews (posted December 2021 to October 2025), and all 17 of the 2★ reviews (posted December 2021 to August 2026). The following are trends within what we read and may not reflect the product’s current condition. Many reviews mention the 500g portions, the large amount, and moderate spiciness and saltiness, while 1★ and 2★ reviews point out saltiness and wateriness after thawing | Rakuten customer reviews (viewed October 4, 2026) |
Suitable as a Gift?
We found no information on the listing about whether noshi is available or which inscriptions can be chosen, about wrapping or gift boxes, or about message cards (Source: Rakuten Furusato Nozei listing, viewed October 4, 2026). The related-words field of the product description lists terms such as ochugen (mid-year gift), oseibo (year-end gift), and uchi-iwai (return gift), but these are a list of search terms, not text explaining support for noshi or wrapping.
- Noshi: availability and inscription types are not confirmed
- Wrapping / gift box: not confirmed
- Message card / name printing: not confirmed
- Delivery address: the listing says the applicant information on the portal is treated as the donor’s resident registration information. We found no mention of whether it can be delivered to an address other than the donor’s
Because furusato nozei thank-you gifts are donations, the listing says cancellations, changes of the gift, and returns are not possible after applying. It also says items will not be resent if they could not be received, for example due to a long absence (Source: product description and guidance images on the listing, viewed October 4, 2026). If you plan to use it as a gift, check how noshi, wrapping, and the delivery address are handled on the listing before applying.
What Public Reviews Say
We organized the Rakuten Ichiba product reviews by topic. Rating figures are as of the time we viewed them and will change. The following are trends within what we read and may not reflect the product’s current condition. The reviews we read include posts about options other than kiriko approx. 2kg, and about an older option no longer offered (shown on the listing as “特別版” [special edition]).
| Site | Rating | Reviews | Viewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rakuten customer reviews (“Minna no Review”, product page) | 4.81 / 5 | 3,486 | October 4, 2026 |
Rating breakdown: 5★ 2,969 / 4★ 430 / 3★ 42 / 2★ 17 / 1★ 27 (as shown on Rakuten Ichiba, viewed October 4, 2026. The breakdown adds up to 3,485, one less than the displayed count of 3,486)
What we read: the first 60 reviews in Rakuten’s default order (posted October 2025 to October 2026; latest October 2026), all 27 of the 1★ reviews (posted December 2021 to October 2025), and all 17 of the 2★ reviews (posted December 2021 to August 2026), 104 in total. These are trends within what we read and may not reflect the product’s current condition.
What Reviewers Praise
Easy to use in 500g portions
16 of the 60 reviews in the default order said it comes divided into 500g containers that can go straight into the freezer, so you can thaw only what you need (all posted within the last two years).
Large amount
15 of the 60 default-order reviews said there was plenty and they were satisfied with the large quantity (all posted within the last two years).
Moderate spiciness and saltiness
10 of the 60 default-order reviews said it is not too spicy and the saltiness is moderate, making it easy to eat (all posted within the last two years). Perception of spiciness and saltiness varies from person to person, and we found no spiciness level on the listing.
Grainy texture
8 of the 60 default-order reviews mentioned the graininess or the popping texture of the roe (all posted within the last two years).
Source: Rakuten customer reviews (viewed October 4, 2026)
What Reviewers Note
Salty / strongly seasoned
10 of all 44 1★ and 2★ reviews (6 of the 1★, 4 of the 2★) said it tasted salty or strongly seasoned. 2 of these were posted within the last two years.
How to check: the fact that the ingredients include salt is summarized in the “Ingredients and Allergen Labeling” section of this article.
No graininess / watery
10 of all 44 1★ and 2★ reviews (7 of the 1★, 3 of the 2★) said it lacked graininess, was watery, was mushy after thawing, or released liquid or drip. 2 of these were posted within the last two years. We found no thawing guidance on the listing, and whether this changes depending on how it is thawed is not confirmed.
Amount or option differed by year or season
6 reviews said the amount had decreased compared with before, the quality seemed to have changed, or the number of bags differed from what was described (1 of the 60 default-order reviews and 5 of all 44 1★ and 2★ reviews; 4 of these were posted within the last two years). The posts include one saying 2kg had dropped to around 1.5kg and one saying an older option that should have had 5 bags came with 4. The current option on the listing shows kiriko approx. 2kg as 500g × 4 packs (as of October 4, 2026).
How to check: the current amount and options are summarized in the “Amount” and “What changes depending on your choice” rows of “Basic Information” in this article.
Source: Rakuten customer reviews (viewed October 4, 2026)
Who It Suits / Who Should Be Careful
Who It Suits
- People who want karashi mentaiko in 500g × 4 portion packs and want to thaw only what they need
- People looking for the kiriko approx. 2kg option as a thank-you gift from Kotake Town, Fukuoka
- People who can plan to finish it within 7 days after thawing
Who Should Be Careful
- People with wheat, soybean, or gelatin allergies (it is labeled as containing these)
- People who do not like strongly salty food (1★ and 2★ reviews include posts saying it is salty)
- People for whom guidance on cooking or thawing is a deciding factor (not confirmed)
- People who want to give it as a gift with noshi, wrapping, or a message card (not confirmed)
- People for whom the manufacturer or place of processing is a deciding factor (not confirmed)
Donation amounts, availability, and shipping times change. This article’s information-as-of date is October 4, 2026. Please be sure to check the listing at the link before you donate.
This article contains affiliate links (advertising). Editorial Policy
Summary
- The amount is kiriko approx. 2kg (500g × 4 packs), stored at −18°C or below. After thawing, the listing says to keep it refrigerated and eat within 7 days; the best-before period when kept frozen is not confirmed
- The ingredients include roe (United States or Russia), and it is labeled as containing wheat, soybeans, and gelatin. Many reviews praise the portions and the large amount, while 1★ and 2★ reviews point out saltiness and wateriness after thawing
- Noshi, wrapping, message cards, whether cooking is required, thawing method, manufacturer, and place of processing are not confirmed. Cancellations, changes, and returns are not possible after applying
Related Pages
This article organizes information published on furusato nozei listings and review sites. Information about the thank-you gift, such as amount, storage method, and ingredients, may change. Please check the listing for the latest information.
Comments on taste or quality are summarized from third-party posts cited with their source, and are not Ochinity’s own evaluation. Our approach to writing articles is described in our Editorial Policy.
Information as of: October 4, 2026 / Sources: Rakuten Furusato Nozei “福岡県小竹町” (Kotake Town, Fukuoka) listing, Rakuten customer reviews, Consumer Affairs Agency, Japan, “About Allergen Labeling”
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