BEST JAPANESE SNACKS TO BUY!

INSIDE: Best Japanese snacks to eat during your Tokyo vacation & the must-buy Japanese snacks to take home. Updated 2024

In no particular order, these are the best Japanese snacks you cannot possibly live without.

You no longer need to wonder what snacks to buy in Japan. 

On our favourite Japanese snacks list, we’ve included popular sweet AND savory Japanese snacks you can buy in a Japanese supermarket, cafe or restaurant including:

• Japanese rice crackers
• Japanese dagashi snacks 
• Japanese sweet snacks (the best candies form Japan!)
• Japanese biscuit snacks
• Japanese ice cream snacks
• Japanese chocolate snacks
• Japanese desserts, and
• traditional Japanese snacks to nibble on when you enjoy green tea

We’ve also included a link to a comprehensive list of fresh Japanese street food snacks you are likely to encounter at a Japanese festival, Japanese market, or community event.

Plus, ideas of healthy Japanese snacks for kids when you are travelling in Japan.

Take a look below for details. 

Disclosure: This article, written by a human (me), without AI input, may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links, we may receive a small commission at NO COST to you. For our Disclosure and Disclaimer statements, and an explanation of our Advertising policy please click here

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE BEST JAPANESE SNACKS LIST

Correct at time of publication on Roam the Gnome. Please check with venues for updates. We apologise in advance if there have been any changes we are unaware of. All prices in US dollars, unless otherwise stated

Authentic Japanese Snacks are fun souvenirs from Japan

We’ve listed the Japanese food snacks that make the  best souvenirs from Tokyo.

These Japanese snacks are cheap, lightweight, and fun to share.

Hot tip: Buy Japanese snacks with unique or unusual flavors such as umeboshi (plum) or wasabi (hot strong horseradish flavor) for a fabulous foodie gift for friends and family.

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RELATED: Monster Guide of Things to buy in Japan for souvenirs and gifts!

Image credit: Aimaimyi via Wikimedia CCBY-SA 3.0

BEST JAPANESE SNACKS TO BUY

There’s only one thing we left out of our guide.

The answer to the question, “Why are Japanese snacks so good?”

As far as Tokyo souvenir snacks go, you can’t go past the products in this list.

Where possible, we’ve included links to the best Japanese snacks on Amazon.

No.1: Popular Dagashi Snacks 

Looking to buy cheap Japanese snacks that taste good? Choose any one from this list of Dagashi Japanese cracker snack options.

Visit any Japanese supermarket and you’ll find aisles of Japanese food snacks including cheap Japanese snacks for kids called Dagashi.

Dagashi is the colloquial name given to cheap Japanese candies and Japanese snack foods and it means ‘pointless snacks’.  (Da is pointless or futile, Kashi is snacks)

Dagashi snacks are designed for kids.

(That doesn’t mean kids are the only ones who eat them!)

In the past, children bought dagashi snacks straight from the corner store.  Cheap dagashi snacks are both sweet and savory, and cost as little as 25 yen each.

They are not healthy snacks in Japan, because they are mass produced, of dubious quality, include artificial ingredients, and usually sweetened with syrup or fruit juice.

But kids still love them as the price is right, and their Japanese packaging with cute kawaii characters targets this market.

The Best Dagashi Snacks

• Umaibo
• Baby Star Ramen and Potato rounds
• Cabbage Taro

Details below.

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RELATED: Read our Tokyo Treats review – Japanese snacks subscription box

Image credit: CC BY -1.0

Umaibo

These famous Japanese snacks are individually wrapped puffed corn snacks (pictured above) that feature a distinctive cat character on the Japanese packaging.

They come in lots of different flavors including our favourite – Cheese.

You can also buy Umaibo corn snacks in sweet flavors like cinnamon apple, chocolate and sugar rusk,

Savory flavors include:

• Takoyaki (octopus)
• Teriyaki
• Tonkatsu sauce
• Pizza
• Salami
• Corn potage
• Shrimp mayonnaise, and
• that gross Japanese delicacy, natto! 

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Buy now on Amazon: Umaibo Japanese Corn Puffed Snacks Variety Pack – 10 flavors

Baby Star Dried Ramen Noodles

Baby Star Ramen is a good snack on the go, or after a playground stop.

This crispy crunchy dried ramen noodle snack is most popular in chicken flavor, but they also come in flavours including:

• Yakisoba
• Umami
• Miso, and
• Pepper.

You can buy Baby Star crunchy ramen noodles for kids, but they also sell grown up versions too, in:

• chilli pepper
• ume shio
• tonkatsu and
• soy sauce flavors.

When the boys saw these, Ned said ‘why are some Japanese snacks so weird?’

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Buy now on Amazon: Baby Star Ramen – four flavor pack

Image credit: Oyatsu snack company

Baby Star Potato rounds

Baby Star also sell potato round crackers (Baby Star Potato Maru) in:

• plain potato
• fried onion
• consomme, and
• nori seaweed flavors.

Another hit with the kids.

Cabbage Taro

Cabbage Taro is another puffed corn snack, this time shaped like a ball, in two different flavours.

One is stronger that the other.

Try both Japanese savoury snacks to see your preference.

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Buy now on Amazon: Cabbage Taro dagashi snacks

No.2: Most popular Japanese Snack Souvenir ideas 

These are the best snacks in Tokyo that are popular with tourists.

Pop them on your list of the best Tokyo snacks to buy.

Pocky Japanese chocolate sticks

Look out for seasonal release limited edition flavors too.

Pocky first launched in 1966 and the original chocolate Pocky in their signature red box is still my favourite.

I love that you can eat these snacks without getting sticky chocolate fingers.

These top of our list of Tokyo must buy items.

Japanese Pocky Flavors

Try Pocky Japanese snacks in all the flavors. 

• Almond Crush
• Chocolate Mint
• Crunchy Coconut Chocolate
• Crunchy Strawberry Chocolate
• Matcha Green Tea
• Sakura Cherry Blossom
• Original Milk Chocolate, and
• Every Seasonal Pocky flavor around.

Keep your eyes peeled.

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Buy now on Amazon:

• The original milk chocolate Pocky sticks – 3 box pack
• 6 box Variety Pack of Pocky 

Pretz Stick Pretzels

Pretz sticks are seasoned in unusual savory tastes such as:

• Mild Salad (!)
• Salad seasoned pretzels
• Kari Kari Basil and Olive
• Kari Kari butter and soy sauce
• Fermented creamy butter
• Tomato
• Crunchy cheese
• Osatsu Sweet Potato, and
• Mild roast flavors

They sound gross, but they taste GREAT! 

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Buy now on Amazon: Glico Pretz multipack – 5 flavors (Basil, Butter & soy sauce, Roast, Tomato, Salad)

Kappa Ebisen

These top Japanese snacks are crunchy shrimp flavored chips, made from wheat flour.

Manufactured by Calbee of Japan. 

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Buy now on Amazon: Calbee Shrimp flavored chips baked – pack of six (US packaging) 

Tohato Caramel Corn

This puffed corn comes in flavors including:

• Chocolate
• Chocolate mint
• caramel
• fruit parfait
• Honey soy
• condensed milk
• matcha green tea
• tiramisu, and
• peanuts.

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Buy now on Amazon: Tohato Caramel Corn Original

Calbee Jagariko potato sticks snack

Jagariko potato snacks stand like fries in a noodle cup.

They come in flavors including:

• hot chilli
• moriko salt and corn
• edamame salty taste
• salad flavor
• garlic edamame potato chips flavor.

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Buy now on Amazon: Calbee potato sticks – Salad flavor

Calbee ‘Kata Age’ potato chips

Delicious in these flavors:

• seaweed
• salty wasabi
• light salt or
• black pepper flavors

Pringles in unique flavors

Look out for Pringles in ALL of these flavors:

• Egg sandwich Pringles
• Japanese nori seaweed flavor
• Sukiyaki pringles
• Garlic Shrimp pringles
• Wasabi mayonnaise
• Wasabi and beef
• Karaage fried chicken
• Mentaiko spicy cod roe
• Butter and soy sauce
• Yakitori 
• Fried noodles
• Squid Yakisoba pringles
• Chicken Soy Sauce Ramen pringles

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Buy now on Amazon: Seaweed Pringles (product of Thailand) 

Calbee potato chips

The best ones are the potato crisps drizzled with CHOCOLATE!

Eat Calbee Potato Chips drizzled with warm chocolate & accompanied by soft serve ice cream IN PERSON at Tokyo Okashi Land!

Saya Endo

If you love eating edamame soy beans, try this Edamame snack:

• Edamame Soy Bean Crisps by Calbee.

Image credit 720: Yuya Tamai via Flickr CC BY-2.0

No.3: Japanese Instant Cup Noodles 

We also can’t forget Cup Noodles.

Not just for kids, Japanese cup noodles are a snack enjoyed by everyone in Japan, young and old.

We love the Cup Noodle brand by Nissin the best.

Their flavors include:

• Yakisoba cup noodles
• Chicken Ramen
• Chilli Tomato
• Miso
• Cheese curry
• Singapore Laksa, and
• Creamy seafood.

Look out for cup noodles by Maruchan and Marutai too.

Their Japanese cup noodle bowls feature ramen, soba, and udon, with all kind of fun additions such as wontons!

Maruchan’s Curry Udon is a cup noodle bowl with a difference.

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Buy now on Amazon: Japanese Ramen Cup Noodles – Curry Flavor (Pack 6) 

No.4: Tokyo Banana

A special mention must go to the Tokyo Banana Cake, the number one Japanese souvenir.

Buy Tokyo Banana if you are unsure what snacks to buy in Tokyo for your friends.

Tokyo Bananas are only available in Japan (unless you buy on Amazon.)

These cream-filled cakes are a Japanese delicacy and come in numerous flavors including:

• original
• honey
• coffee milk
• banana yogurt
• maple
• banana caramel custard cream, and
• chocolate banana cream.

Put this on your list of Japanese snacks to try. 

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Buy now on Amazon: Tokyo Banana Cake – 8 pieces

You can also buy different snack variations of Tokyo Banana.

• Tokyo Banana Biscuit. Tokyo Banana cookies are another much-loved treat with tourists in Japan.
• Tokyo Banana Castella Cake
• Tokyo Banana Pie
• Tokyo Banana Kit Kat, in both original chocolate and Gold caramel flavors 

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Buy now on Amazon: Tokyo Banana Kit Kat (original) 

Image credit: SStrieu i via Flickr CC BY-ND 2.0

Where to buy Tokyo Banana in Japan

If you want to know where to buy Tokyo Banana gift boxes, we suggest heading to a Japanese department store food hall in any major city.

Click here for the full list of Tokyo Banana store locations.

You’ll definitely find Tokyo Banana outlets here:

• Daimaru Tokyo
• Seibu in Ikebukuro
• Keio Shinjuku
• Isetan Fuchu
• Odakyu Machida
• Sogo Yokohama
• Diversity Tokyo Plaza
• Aqua City Odaiba
• Tokyo Me+ Tokyo Station Food Hall 

Image credit: Chinnian i via Flickr CC BY-SA 2.0

You’ll also find Tokyo Banana stores at these Tokyo attractions

• Tokyo Sky Tree
• Tokyo Tower
• Akihabara RAdio Hall
• Bic Camera in Shinjuku, Yurakucho and Akiba

Image credit: Bernard Spragg via Flickr Public domain

Tokyo Banana at Tokyo Train Stations

Don’t forget to look for Tokyo Banana at Japan’s main train stations.

Find Tokyo Banana at JR Tokyo Station – there are plenty of shops selling Tokyo Banana there.

You can also find Tokyo Banana at these Tokyo train stations:

• JR Ueno station
• JR Ikebukuro station
• JR Shinagawa station
• JR Hachioji Station
• JR Shinjuku station
• JR Machida station
• JR Shin-Yokohama station
• JR Yokohama station
• JR Maihama station (the home of Tokyo Disneyland)
• Tobu Sky Tree Line Asakusa Station, and
• JR Omiya station.

Please inquire at the customer service center.

Select hotels also sell Tokyo Banana including:

• Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba.

Grab them last minute at one of Japan’s airports including:

• Narita airport Terminal 1, 2 or 3
• Haneda Airport international terminal
• Haneda Airport Terminal 1 and 2. 

Visit the website: Click here

Image credit: Mira Pangley via Flickr CC BY 2.0

No.5: Japanese KitKats 

One of the most popular Japanese snacks for visitors to buy is packs of Japanese KitKats. 

(Read our guide to Japanese chocolate here.)

Kit Kats in Japan come in unusual flavors including the most popular Japanese Green Tea Kit Kats (Matcha kitkats) and the limited edition Tokyo Banana Kit Kats we mentioned above. 

You can also find them in flavors such as:

• purple sweet potato
• strawberry cheesecake
• Sake
• apple
• apple pie
• wasabi
• red bean sandwich
• strawberry
• caramel
• rum raisin
• Hokkaido melon
• chocolate strawberry
• autumn chestnut
• Japanese black tea
• dark chocolate

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Buy now on Amazon: Japanese Kit Kat 16 pcs Variety pack

No.6: Japanese Chocolate Snacks to buy in Tokyo 

Do not leave Japan without these Japanese chocolates stashed in your suitcase.

I’ve listed them in alphabetical order.

Just in case you are wondering, my favourite Japanese chocolate is MILK CHOCOLATE CRUNKY BALLS.

Here they are from A-Z: 

Anpanman

• Chocolate mini pieces

Apollo Chocolate by Meiji 

• Chocolate strawberry flavor.
• Cutest Japanese chocolate snack around.  Buy now. 

Bake Chocolate filled baked brownie cake.

• Also available in Mint Ice Cream, Strawberry, Green Tea, and Creamy Cheesecake

Choco Baby

• Choco Baby Chocolate pellets by Meiji

Choco Ball by Morinaga

• Featuring the mascot Kyoro-chan on the packaging.
• In flavors including Caramel, Peanut, Milk Caramel, Strawberry, White Milk and Chocolate

Crunky balls

• Available in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, strawberry, green tea chocolate and green tea cookie chocolate

Galbo chocolate minis

• Available in regular, salty caramel, soy milk and kinako, soy milk green tea, strawberry and white chocolate flavors

Meiji Filled Cookies

• In rich orange, rich strawberry, and rich green tea

Kinoko no Yama biscuits 

• Meiji’s chocolate snack – chocolate topped toadstool-shaped biscuit snack

Takenoko no Sato biscuits

• Meiji’s chocolate snack – chocolate topped snack shaped like bamboo shoots

Meiji Almond Chocolate

•  Chocolate covered almonds in a handy snack box. Buy now – 3 pack.

MILKY Chocolate bar

• Delicious with a milk cream filling.
• Look for the cute Peko-chan girl on the packaging.

Mochi Chocolate

Mochi chocolate is available in these flavors:

• strawberry
• kuromitsu kinako
• mint ice cream
• rich ganache
• green tea matcha, and

There’s a special collaboration with the Gudetama character in Caramel pudding flavor too!

No.7: Japanese Chocolate Bars 

A special mention must go to Japanese chocolate.

Japanese chocolate is remarkably different in taste to Hershey’s or Cadbury chocolate, and the kids love it.

Try one of these for starters:

• Dars chocolate bars in all the flavors
• Crunky milk chocolate bar (also in strawberry and vanilla ice cream)
• The original Meiji Milk Chocolate bar in the distinctive brown card and gold foil packaging
• Meiji THE chocolates.
• Royce chocolate. One of the most popular chocolates in Japan.

In our guide to Japanese chocolate below, we tell you all the secret stuff about:

• where to buy chocolates in Tokyo
• recommendations for the best chocolate in Tokyo for kids, and
• share details on where to buy Royce chocolate in Tokyo.

READ NOW: Best Japanese Chocolate Guide – Yummo!

No.8: Crunchy Japanese crackers

Japanese crackers made from rice are called beika.

If you are gluten free, or coeliac, be aware that not all Japanese crackers are made from rice.

Some are made from wheat flour or barley flour. 

FAQ: Are Japanese rice cracker snacks healthy?

Some are better than others.

The best Japanese rice crackers are Senbei.

Senbei are best straight off the grill if you can find them (try a festival or Japanese food hall for starters, or head to Asakusa)

You can also find packaged versions in all Japanese department stores in a sizeable array of shapes, sizes, and flavors.

Image credit: Nesnad via Creative Commons 3.0

Most popular Japanese rice crackers to buy in Japan

The most popular Japanese rice crackers to buy in Japan include:

• Kaki no Tane rice crackers
• Hai Hain rice crackers
• Pota Pota-Yaki
• Usuyaki rice cracker
• Tsu no Edamame rice crackers

Kaki no Tane rice crackers (pictured above) are made by Kameda.

My kids like the original version – a mix of crackers and peanuts, but why not try the Wasabi flavored version of this all-time Japanese classic?

Buy now on Amazon: Original Kaki no Tane – 6 pack

Hai Hain rice crackers.

The best rice cracker in Japan for children, and very popular among Japanese parents, because they are made as a safe treat that won’t trigger allergies.

Two flavors are available:

• the classic plain one, and
• the vegetable version flavored with pumpkin, tomato, carrot and spinach.

Buy now on Amazon: Hai Hain rice crackers – vegetable flavor

Pota Pota-Yaki

Pota Pota-Yaki continue to be a best seller in Japan.

Families love them.

Children love them.

Adults love them.

These chemical-free crunchy rice crackers taste of sweet soy sauce.

You can’t get enough.

The only downside is that they come individually wrapped in plastic and we try to avoid that wherever possible.

Buy now on Amazon: Pota PotaYaki – pack of 2

Usuyaki rice cracker

At home, my boys LIVE on seaweed crackers and the Usuyaki rice cracker by Sarada is about as close as we can find in Japan.

We bring these home to eat with brie and dip.

Tsu no Edamame rice crackers

If you love edamame green soybeans, the Tsu no Edamame rice cracker snack is the next best thing.

Crunchy and slightly salty, they are good as a travel snack on the go.

Wondering where to buy Japanese rice crackers?

Hot tip: See the list of Japanese snacks shops below.

Crackers at Muji Shibuya Grocery Store

Muji in Shibuya has an enormous selection of Japanese rice crackers and traditional Japanese sweets.

Muji shop should be top of your list of shops to visit in Tokyo.

MUJI TOKYO in Shibuya is 5 storeys of Japanese simplicity and elegance, perfect for anyone who loves Japanese design.

The Muji Food Hall on the B1F level is a must-do.

But we digress.

No.8: Japanese Biscuits

These are my top recommended Japanese souvenirs, and top of our list of the best Japanese snacks to bring home. 

NO ONE can resist a cute koala or panda biscuit filled with choco creme!

Koala’s March biscuits (Koala no March)

Koala no March – the Japanese term for them meaning the Koala’s March –  are the cutest bite-sized Koala-shaped cookie snack. 

The original Japanese biscuits are filled with milk chocolate but you can now buy them in:

• cocoa and milk
• cream pudding, and
• strawberry chocolate flavor too.

They are almost too cute to eat! 

Look for the distinctive hexagon shaped packaging in green and yellow.

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Buy now on Amazon:  

• Koala’s March in chocolate
• Koala’s March in strawberry

Image credit: Merle Tsuki via Flickr CC BY-ND 2.0

Hello Panda Cookies

This brand of Japanese biscuit, manufactured by Meiji Seika.

Each biscuit consists of a small hollow shortbread layer, filled with either:

• chocolate
• vanilla
• strawberry
• double chocolate
• matcha green tea or
• chocolate filling.

Packets can also be bought containing a mixture of flavours.

Yan Yan Japanese snack food made by Meiji Seika.

We are lucky enough to find this Japanese snack in our local supermarket at home.

A Yan Yan snack has biscuit sticks on one side of the container, and a sweet frosting dip for the sticks on the other.

The dip comes in chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.

Buy now on Amazon:

• Yan Yan chocolate
• Yan Yan strawberry
• Yan Yan vanilla

Kinoko no Yama biscuits

A special mention must again go to Roam the Gnome‘s favourite Japenese snacks are “Kinoko no Yama” because they are toadstool shaped!

Kinoko no Yama means ‘mushroom mountain’

The biscuit is milk chocolate-dipped on the toadstool cap and has a plain biscuit for the stem.  Keep a look out for regional versions in quirky flavors.

You can also find chocolate cookies shaped like bamboo shoots.  These Takenoko no Sato are made by the same company.

Buy now on Amazon:  Kinoko no Yama cookies – 3 pack

Melon Pan cookies

Cute melon-flavored cookies that kids love.

Puku Puku Tai Chocolate Wafers

These fish-shaped wafer biscuits come in Caramel chocolate, Mint chocolate, Strawberry and Milk chocolate flavors.

No.9: Japanese Candy

There are so many Japanese candies that we wrote a whole story about popular Japanese candy.

We feature the best candy in Japan, including the current fad, DIY candy kits

(Also called Popin’ Cookin’ Japanese candy kits).

Japanese candy & gummy lollies should be in your Top 10 things to buy in Tokyo.

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READ NOW: Best Japanese Candy Guide

No.10: Japanese Ice Cream 

Put THESE Japanese ice creams on your foodie bucket list and try them at least once.

Kakigori (pictured above)

A Japanese shaved ice dessert flavored with sickly sweet syrup and a topping of condensed milk. SO good!

Green Tea ice cream

a perennial favourite for both locals and tourists visiting Japan.

Mochi ice cream

A Japanese medley of mochi sticky rice filled with flavored ice cream and frozen

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RELATED: Try 50+ Japanese ice cream flavors at Ice Cream City, Namco Namja Town. 

Image credit: Pete Birkinshaw via Flickr CC BY-2.0

No.11: Japanese Desserts & Japanese Cakes 

Mochi Cake

Mochi Japanese snacks (often called Daifuku) is my all-time favourite dessert cake in the world.

I can’t get enough of the chewy glutinous rice cakes normally filled with sweet red bean (azuki beans), or rolled in sweet kinako roasted soybean flour.

Luckily for me, you can buy them in Family Mart every single day of the year.

Image credit: Yumtan via Flickr CC BY-2.0

Anmitsu

A classic Japanese dessert featuring:

• cubes of white colored jelly served with fruit
• miniature mochi rice balls
• ice cream and
• a sweet syrup (my absolute favourite!)

Image credit: Ty Night via Wikimedia CC BY-2.0

Japanese Raindrop cake 

Looks like a giant raindrop that has landed on a plate!

Made from water and agar, these first caught the world’s attention in 2014.

Both mochi and raindrop cakes are the perfect vegan snacks in Japan. 

Image credit: OCDP via Wikimedia Public domain

Japanese Castella cake

Japanese version of sponge cake.

Not to be missed.

Japanese Fruit Sandwiches (“FURUTSU” Sandwiches)

Hunt down this funny but popular Japanese snack!

A fruit sandwich is crust-free slices of Japanese white milk bread (shokupan) that are filled with whipped cream topped with fresh fruits and stuck together. 

Common fruit sandwich fillings include:

• strawberry
• kiwi fruit
• peaches
• mango
• banana and
• mandarin

Shokupan is a white square bread. 

Coffee jelly

Another Japanese favourite with adults and teens alike.

You can even buy instant packets in the supermarket to make at home.

Kibi Dango

Mochi on a stick, covered in kinako powder and served with sweetened cold green tea.

I never ever visit Japan without a stop at my favourite street food stall selling dango in Asakusa.

Find it here.

(It’s number 5 on the list of the best 16 awesome things to do in Asakusa with kids) 

Image credit: Hinata via Flickr CC BY-2.0

No.12: Wagashi Japanese Sweets served with green tea 

Wagashi sweets are as good to look at as they are to eat.

These traditional Japanese snacks are shaped by hand into delicate flowers and leaves, squares of goodness, balls or peachy domes.

Many of them are filled with sweet red bean paste.

Wagashi Japanese snacks are a delicacy enjoyed at a traditional green tea ceremony in Japan, during festivals, and as something to share with visitors to your home at afternoon tea.

Japanese people love to take gift boxes of regional and seasonal wagashi home to their family and friends as a token of their trip.

Image credit: Ayako via Flickr CC BY-2.0

No.13: Japanese Drinks

My favourite drink in Japan is, without doubt, Royal Milk Tea.

Hot or cold, it’s the best drink in Japan.

I’m chuffed you can now buy Royal Milk Instant Tea Mix in sachets to take home, 10 servings in a bag.

Japan is the home of the biggest range of drinks we’ve ever seen, and we’re on a mission to taste all the flavors.

We love the drinks range in Japan so much, I wrote a story about it!

No.14: Japanese Convenience Store Bakery Goods 

There’s a very popular food in Family Mart in the bakery section for a snack on the go. 

Canned Corn & Mayonnaise  Sandwiches!

It’s definitely a Japanese thing.

Try it. 

I can’t see these cheap Japanese snacks catching on anywhere else. 

No.15: Japanese Street Food Snacks

We’ve compiled a BIG list of the best Japanese street food and traditional Japanese snacks you can try at Japanese festivals and events.

You might find:

• Yakisoba
• Okonomiyaki pancakes
• yakitori chicken skewers
• Japanese crepes 

Find yummy Japanese crepe shops throughout Harajuku, and for sale all good fairs, and fetes. 

But there’s so much more.

Read our guide to healthy Japanese snacks by clicking the blue link above. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

No.1: The Best Japanese Snack Companies?

These are the best and most popular Japanese snack companies.

If you want to find out about their latest Japanese snacks releases, their best Japanese snacks to buy, and their must have Japanese snacks, visit their websites.

• Calbee
• Glico
• Kameda Seika
• Koikeya
• Kuriyama Beika
• Lotte
• Meiji
• Morinaga
• Tohato
• Yamayoshi

No.2: Are Japanese Snacks Healthy?

Are Japanese snacks healthy?

Yes and No.

Savory Japanese street food snacks, by and large, are good for you.

The Japanese candy, desserts and chocolate not so much.

No.3: Do Japanese like snacks? 

Yes, as much as we do.

But they are probably better at limiting their intake!

Do Japanese eat snacks?

Yes, teenagers especially.

I’ve seen inside many a Japanese home stay students’ suitcase, and can confirm that they bring a stash of their favourite Japanese snacks with them so they don’t get homesick.

My Japanese friend Mari makes a lot of her own Japanese snacks now she can’t buy them so easily.

No.4: What are Japanese snacks names? 

The word for snack in Japanese is “sunakku (snack)” or “oyatsu”.

The word dagashi also stands for children’s snacks. 

Foodie snacks at Universal Studios in Osaka

WHERE TO BUY JAPANESE SNACKS IN TOKYO

Now you’ve got the big list of the best Japanese snacks to buy in Japan, you need to know where to buy snacks in Tokyo.

You’ll find a range of delicious Japanese snacks at all these shops: 

• Daiso 100 yen Japanese snacks shop
• Supermarkets in Tokyo
• Japanese convenience store Family Mart Japan snacks
• Lawson Konbini store
• 7-Eleven convenience store
• Depachika Department Store Food Halls
• The best Tokyo Station snacks shop is Tokyo Okashi Land Calbee store (linked above) where you can eat delicious Japanese snacks straight from the grill!

Another best place to buy Japanese snacks in Tokyo is in the big parks such as Ueno Park or Yoyogi Park near Harajuku during Japanese festivals.

You can also find Japanese snacks souvenir and candy stalls:

• outside the Ueno Zoo
• at Japanese theme parks such as Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Sea, and Universal Studios in Osaka
• at any place where Japanese people gather for a picnic, or to take the children to the playground.

Image credit: Ajay Suresh via Flickr CC BY-2.0

Where to buy Japanese snacks in Shinjuku?

Find freshly cooked Yakitori skewer snacks in the grossly named Piss Alley aka Omoide Yokocho, not far from the Shinjuku station.

Try Depachika food halls in any of the big Japanese department stores in Shinjuku to find yummy Japanese snacks including:

• Taiyaki
• Senbei crackers
• Takoyaki octopus balls, and
• Pocky sticks.

Where to buy Japanese snacks in Shibuya?

• Head to the Shibuya Disney Store for cute Mickey mouse snacks and Duffy snacks too.
• Muji in Shibuya has a wholesome grocery store on the B1F filled with cheap Japanese snacks galore!
• Ditto Depachika above

Now you no longer have to wonder where to buy Japanese snacks in Tokyo but you do have to work out what is your favourite Japanese snack? 

Image credit: Magnus D via Flickr CC BY-2.0

HOW TO ORDER A JAPANESE SNACKS SUBSCRIPTION BOX

Can’t get to Japan in a hurry? 

No problem.

If all this talk about Japanese snacks is already making your mouth water, order yourself a Japanese Snacks Subscription Box today.

This is the only way to guarantee Japanese snacks reach your home, and belly, regularly once a month!

There are plenty of Japanese snack box and Japanese candy box options where you can have Japanese treats delivered to your door.

They compile the must buy snacks in Japan each month, so you don’t have to miss out on Japanese snack food.

These are cool Japanese snacks to buy!

Looking for Fun Things to do in Tokyo?

Click the links in blue below for more Tokyo attractions.

• Best Things to Do in Tokyo with kids in tow