Trying local foods and local snacks were one of the highlights of my Japan trip. The local foods in Japan are absolutely delicious and well presented, and the same goes to Japanese snacks, they are tasty and they always have cute packaging. Not only did I eat them in Japan but I also ended up buying a variety of Japanese snacks in Tokyo and Osaka for myself and for my friends as food souvenirs. In this post I will share my recommendation list of popular and delicious Japanese snacks you must buy and try when you travel to Japan.

15 Best Japanese Snacks to Buy and Try in Japan

 

Takoyaki-Flavored Snacks

Takoyaki is a delicious octopus ball and one of the famous local foods in Japan, especially in Osaka. In the Kansai area, you can find many snacks such as potato chips, potato sticks, and biscuits that come with Takoyaki flavor. As this is a special flavor and you can only get it in Japan, it definitely will be a unique food souvenir to take home.

One of my favourite Japanese snacks with Takoyaki flavor would be Jagabee Takoyaki. It is a crispy potato stick made by Calbee, a well-known food manufacturer in Japan. You can get the Jagabee original flavour in many places in Japan but for takoyaki flavour, it is only available mostly in Osaka. So, if you visit Osaka, remember to try them out.

 

Matcha Green Tea and Matcha-Flavored Snacks

Everyone knows that the best place to buy high quality matcha green tea will be in Japan. It is not just a drink but also part of Japanese culture. Matcha green tea has attracted and been hugely enjoyed by many people around the world because of its unique bittersweet taste. When it comes to green tea, my favourite will be ITO EN Oi Ocha Unsweetened Green Tea. I drank it almost everyday when I was in Japan. They sell in powder as well which is more convenient and will not take much space in your luggage.

Matcha green tea is used not only for a drink but also snacks, desserts and sweets. Those snacks made by matcha such as Kit Kat, Pocky and so on are highly popular among travellers from overseas to bring back home as a souvenir.

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Tokyo Banana

Tokyo banana is another popular snack to buy when you travel to Japan. Most of the people who have visited Japan will surely know and try them. It is a fluffy and soft sponge cake filled with sweet banana custard cream. It tastes good and has a cute look, also it comes in beautiful packaging which completes the whole package.

Aside from the Tokyo Banana original flavour, there are other flavours and other cakes as well such as Tokyo Banana honey flavour, maple flavour, etc. you can browse the products here. If you are buying Tokyo Banana as a souvenir or treat to take home, I strongly suggest buying it at the airport before you are going home because of life span reasons. They are only good to consume within a week. Furthermore, you can get them tax-free if you buy it in a duty-free shop in the airport.

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Mochi

Mochi is a chewy Japanese rice cake made from glutinous rice which usually wraps in a sweet filling. It is one of the local desserts that you cannot miss in Japan. The mochi filling comes with different flavours such as strawberry, caramel, brown sugar, green tea and many more.

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Kororo

I tried Kororo for the first time when I got it as a souvenir from my friend and I have loved it since then. It is a soft little gummy made of 100% fruit juice with a cute shape and unique texture. These gummies offer many kinds of flavours such as strawberry, grape, peach, orange, etc. If you live in South East Asia, you can probably find them already in the supermarket but not all flavours are available there.

In Japan, you can find these gummies easily as normally they are placed in front of the store and are usually around 100 yen.

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Orihiro Konnyaku Jelly

Orihiro Konnyaku Jelly is one of the most delicious jelly I have ever had. The texture is so chewy and squishy that made me want it more after the first bite. The jelly comes in 6 handy petite sizes in the packaging which is specially designed to prevent choking risks and make it easier to eat.

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Royce Nama Chocolate

If you are heading to Japan, you seriously need to try Royce Nama Chocolate. It is not just like any other chocolate you’ve had from the stores. Royce Nama Chocolate is a type of ganache chocolate which is made using Hokkaido’s finest quality fresh cream, served in little squares and coated in cocoa powder. It has a rich flavour and a silky smooth texture that easily melts in your mouth.

Royce Nama Chocolate is available in a variety of flavours and some of them contain liquor. My favourite is Au Lait and champagne and both of them do contain alcohol.

Please keep in mind that Nama chocolate has to be stored in a cool place (Below 10°C) because the product uses fresh cream. It has a very smooth texture that will melt easily if you leave it unfrozen within a few hours. So if you are buying them in the airport, you can buy an ice pack for 100 yen each to keep them cool. Also, make sure to consume it within one month because the chocolate does not last so long.

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Kit Kat

You can probably find Kit Kats everywhere including the supermarket in your country, but only in Japan you are able to find Kit Kat’s in so many interesting and unique flavours. From Kit Kat Japanese flavours such as matcha, wasabi to strawberry, yubari melon, cheesecake, rum raisin, sake, and seasonal flavours such as strawberry daifuku, fall sweet potato, baked cherry blossom and many more.

With so many endless options of Kit Kat in Japan, This is why you should definitely try out the different Kit Kat flavours when you are in japan and you might find your favourite. Also, if you bring some home as a gift, these Kit Kat’s will surely be a great souvenir because of their unique flavours.

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Pocky

Pocky is a Japanese snack which you might be familiar with. It is not only popular in Japan but also in other Asian countries. Similar to Kit Kat, Pocky has many different flavours that only can be found in Japan such as white peach and strawberry, almond crush, yubari melon, cherry blossom, etc. My favourite so far is the almond crush Pocky. They are so yummy and I think chocolate and almond are a delicious combination.

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Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory

Another popular Japanese snack that is popular not only in Japan but also abroad is the Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory. The are thin layer cookies made using high quality ingredients such as fresh Hokkaido jersey milk, French guérande salt filled with a savoury-sweet Camembert cheese chocolate in the middle. They have few products to offer but the most popular and recommended products are Salt and Camembert cookies’ and ‘Honey and Gorgonzola cookies. They are absolutely the real deal and perfect as food souvenirs as well.

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LeTAO Otaru Rue Ironai Fromage Cookies

Had the sales assistant at the airport not offered me the sample, I would not have known how delicious these cookies were. It was definitely a love at first bite. Otaru Rue Ironai Fromage is langue de chat cheese cookies made using fresh cream butter, Italian mascarpone cheese and cream cheese. Similar to the Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory cookies, it has a rich cheese flavour and a crispy texture. I think the difference is that these cookies are in a round shape and the taste is less sweet than the Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory cookie.

LeTAO has another famous product that has been recommended by a lot of people which is Double Fromage Cheesecake. It is so delicious, creamy, soft and delicate that melts easily once in your mouth like snow. LeTAO stores can only be found in Hokkaido where they are originally from. However, you can still buy their products at most airports in Japan.

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Nissin Cup Noodle

Instant noodles have been a favourite snack for many people worldwide because it is delicious, cheap, fast and easy to eat. In Japan, there are many kinds of instant noodle and the most popular and widely known is Nissin Cup Noodle. Offered in numerous flavours such as chicken, beef, chili crab, cheese curry and soon, This Nissin Cup Noodle can be easily spotted in every convenience store and supermarket in Japan.

Nissin Cup Noodles were created in 1958 and have a long history of the making of its cup noodles. If you are interested, you can visit the Cup Noodle Museum in Yokohama or Osaka. It is such a fun and interesting experience to learn more about the origin of cup noodles. Also, you get a chance to make your own cup noodles, decorate the cup as you want and take it home with you as a unique and memorable souvenir.

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Bourbon Choco Brownie

For those who are into chocolate, you will love Bourbon Choco Brownie. The taste of the brownie is not less delicious than the fresh brownie. It has a chewy texture and a strong rich chocolate flavour. Most importantly, the sweetness of the brownie is just right. Packaged in 9 individual mini sizes inside the bag, these brownies are easy to bring back and are suitable to share out as a food souvenir.

 

Green Snack Pistachio

If you like the combination of light salty and a bit of a sweet taste in a snack, you should try Green Snack Pistachio. The pistachios are so fresh, crunchy and tasty. Also, it is easy to eat them because they have been roasted without shells. Apart from the original flavour, they also have a wasabi flavour. This flavour is suitable for those who like wasabi or spicy flavours. Anyhow, both flavours are delicious and once you taste them, you will be reluctant to stop.

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Calbee Fruit Granola Breakfast Cereal

Before I went to Japan, I asked one of my best friends who visited Japan for some Japanese snack recommendations, and she introduced me to Calbee Fruit Granola Breakfast Cereal. It is granola cereal made by Calbee that contains brown rice, dried fruits and nuts. Marketed as a healthy product, but we all know that it is not exactly 100% healthy but still, they are too tasty not to try them.

They are available in a variety of flavours but the most recommended flavour will be the one in the red packaging. The regular size of the packaging that you will commonly find in the store is 800g but several smaller sizes (50g,180g, 500g, 300g) are actually available and they are more ideal sizes for souvenirs.

I am not a cereal person and normally I would not recommend buying cereal as a souvenir, but Calbee Fruit Granola Breakfast Cereal is an exception. You will understand the hype once you try it.

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Where to buy those Japanese Snacks

I bought these snacks from many different stores in Japan and I do not remember all the places for each item I bought. However I am certainly sure that it is not difficult to find these Japanese snacks I mentioned above. Below is a list of places where I got these Japanese snacks from :

• Grand Kiosk in Shin-Osaka Station
• Eki Marche in Shin- Osaka Station
• Family Mart
• 7-Eleven
• Lawson
• Matsumoto Kiyoshi
• Supermarket
• Department Store
• Don Quijote
• Fa-So-La Tax Free Shop in Narita Airport

If you plan to buy a lot of Japanese snacks, I recommend buying it all in Don Quijote. This place has a wide range of products (not only food but also health and beauty products) and you can get a tax refund if you spend over 5000 yen by showing your passport, but beware of the long queue at the tax-free counter. Also, duty-free shops in airports are another great place to buy Japanese snacks because you can try some snacks before you decide to purchase them. So go to the airport early if you want to do food shopping to take home.

My Thoughts

These are my list of delicious Japanese snacks which I recommended and have become other’s favourites as well. If you travel to Japan, make sure to try them out and if you love them as well, you should take them home with you for yourself, family or friends. They will be great souvenirs to share because they are not just tasty but they also come in fancy packaging which are pleasant to look at.

Japan has huge selections of yummy snacks, so I hope this post will give you an idea of what best and popular snacks to try and buy for your future trip to Japan.

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>>What do you think about my list? <<

>>Would you add a different snack? <<

>>Let me know your favourite Japanese snacks! <<

If you have other recommendations, please share it in the comment section below, I would love to try it next time 😀

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Thank you for reading my blog 😊

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∞ ♥ Elvira ♥ ∞