This is the Want Want Spy Daisakusen Stick Gumi Ume & Shiso, featuring a pairing of ume and shiso flavours, marketed under the Spy Daisakusen label—named after one of Japan’s earliest RPGs, Spy Daisakusen, released by Pony Canyon in 1982 and inspired by the Mission: Impossible franchise. Despite its Japanese branding, the product leaned more toward flavour profiles typical of Chinese preserved plum confections. The gummies used ume fragrance rather than juice or purée.

Each stick measured approximately 5 cm in length and 0.5 cm in thickness. The ume-flavoured sticks had an orange hue, while the shiso were a darker, almost brownish-red. Both were coated with a layer of sugar crystals, giving off a sweet-tart aroma reminiscent of Chinese-style dried sour plums—more musky and smoky than the bright, fruity aroma of Japanese umeboshi or Korean maesil.

On tasting, the sugar coating delivered a crunch that persisted into the chewy, elastic centre. The texture was more stretchy than bouncy, akin to a dense taffy. The ume flavour reinforced the initial impression of Chinese-style plum: intensely sweet, slightly smoky, with a musky sour-savoury undertone, lacking the vibrancy typically associated with Japanese ume products. Interestingly, the shiso-flavoured stick delivered a profile closer to Japanese sensibilities. The sweet-tart ume notes opened the flavour, followed by a more herbal sharpness from the shiso, providing contrast and finish.

These gummies were an unconventional interpretation of ume and shiso, with the overall flavour more aligned with Chinese preserved plum confections than Japanese-style fruit and herb pairings. Intriguing from a cross-cultural perspective, but not entirely in line with its Japanese branding.

This Want Want Spy Daisakusen Stick Gumi Ume & Shiso Stick Gumi contained 70 g. It was produced China and purchased in Japan in 2024.