Japanese cuisine is unique and diverse, featuring flavors and ingredients you won’t find anywhere else in the world. While the country’s famous for a wealth of traditional delights like sushi, miso soup, ramen, hotpot dishes and so much more, you can’t forget about the incredible world of Japanese snacks! In fact, there’s an entire culture built around Japanese snacking, with everything from snack collecting and swap meets to experimenting with different snack combos!
Japanese snacks are becoming more popular around the world, and there’s no shortage of tasty sweet and savory treats to explore while you’re in the country. If you’re planning a visit, it’s easy to get your hands on some memorable snacks you won’t find anywhere else. All you need to do is drop by a Japanese supermarket or explore one of the stalls at a local event. Best of all, most snacks are incredibly cheap, so you can try a wide swath without blowing your budget!
Not sure where to start when it comes to fan-favorite Japanese snacks? Here are a few of the best sweet and savory snacks to try during your travels in Japan.
Sweet Japanese Snacks
If you’re a fan of flavors like chocolate or caramel, you’ve likely got a sweet tooth—and Japan has plenty of snacks that you’re bound to fall in love with! While these snacks aren’t as overwhelmingly rich as Western candy and confections, they’re certain to give you a kick of sweetness in every bite.
From exotic varieties of familiar Western snacks like Kit Kat to much-loved options that put Japan’s snack culture on the map, here are a few must-try sweet Japanese snacks to indulge in:
Pocky. Pocky is a Japanese snack that’s now popular worldwide—you’ll likely find at least a few flavors in stock at your nearest supermarket. This sweet, easy to eat snack features various flavors of chocolate on a biscuit stick. When in Japan, keep a lookout for Pocky’s “luxurious” line—all varieties include extra thick chocolate for even more flavor! First-time Pocky eaters will be surprised at how much flavor the treat packs into such a small serving size!
Kit Kats. While most Westerners are familiar with Kit Kats, Japan has some surprising specialty flavors you won’t find anywhere else! From green tea (the first flavor introduced in Japan in 2004) to apple pie, pistachio to peach, there’s a Japanese Kit Kat out there to satisfy whatever flavors you’re craving. There are even specialty “adult” flavors like raspberry or “For Coffee Break” made for adult tastes. Try as many as you can on your journey to Japan!
Shittori Choco. This snack literally translates to “moist chocolate,” and it’s one of the snacks chocolate-lovers visiting Japan need to try. Featuring crispy aerated corn puffs covered in a delicious chocolate coating, this snack melts in your mouth. This snack is both crunchy and melt-in-your-mouth savory, and it’s difficult to stop eating after just one or two! Keep your eyes peeled for the specialty heart-shaped variety, which tend to appear around Valentine’s Day or White Day.
Choco Pie. One of the most popular snacks among Japanese adults and kids alike, Choco Pie are best compared to the soft, sweet Little Debbie-style snack cakes popular in the West. Choco Pie comes in two mouth-watering flavors—vanilla and chocolate cream—and both are covered in a tasty hard chocolate shell with a satisfying crunch. Also called “Japanese angel pies,” these cookie treats have been part of Japanese snack culture for more than a century!
Kinoko no Yama. These well-known, popular sweets made by Japanese confectioner Meiji feature tiny biscuit cookies with a rich chocolate topping. Like their counterpart Takenoko no Sato, these cookies come in unique seasonal flavors like purple sweet potato and chestnut Mont Blanc. They’re notable for their tiny mushroom shape, which has become iconic around the world. This is a snack you’ll have no trouble finding at just about any Japanese supermarket.
Bisco. Looking for a snack that has the perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness? Bisco crackers are much-loved buttery sandwich crackers filled with a sweet cream in flavors like chocolate and strawberry. Surprisingly, many people also eat Bisco not as a snack, but to aid in digestion—it features lactic acid bacteria that’s known to soothe the stomach. It’s a snack that’s both delicious and nutritious!
Savory Japanese Snacks
If you’re someone who prefers savory flavors to sweet ones, don’t worry: Japan has a plethora of delicious savory snack options to satisfy your taste buds. From rich buttery flavors to mouth-watering herbs and spices, you might be surprised at how much you love some of Japan’s most popular savory snacks.
If you’re interested in treating your taste buds to more complex flavors, here’s a look at a few every person should definitely try at least once while they’re in Japan:
Sucorn. Japan’s answer to the popular Western snack “Cheetos,” Sucorn satisfies your craving for cheese puffs—but they also come in a full range of flavors like barbecue, seafood and even four cheese. There are also some delicious sweet varieties of Sucorn, so whether you’re in the mood for sweet and salty, or a combination of both, Sucorn never disappoints. A few daring snack enthusiasts even dip cheese Sucorn in chocolate!
Calbee Chips. Calbee is the most-popular chipmaker in Japan. In fact, nearly half of the chip aisle in every Japanese supermarket is stocked full with a surprising blend of flavors, from the standard salty shiawase “fortune” butter flavor to unique tastes like soy sauce mayo, consommé punch and so much more. Try all the varieties to get a taste of the wealth of traditional—and modern—Japanese flavors!
Jagariko. When it comes to savory snacks in Japan, Jagariko stands above the rest. These little potato sticks come packaged in a cute cup with a peel-off lid. Featuring a huge variety of flavors like cheese and salad to Japanese plum and tarako (pollock roe) butter, you’re sure to find a Jagariko flavor that pleases your palate. These snacks are great on-the-go thanks to their convenient cup-style packaging.
Pretz. The savory counterpart to Pocky, the Japanese love Pretz and its easy to see why. Pretz are easy to eat and come in so many mouthwatering varieties, including a “mystery flavor” for daring snackers. These thin, seasoned biscuits are seriously addictive, so enjoy at your own risk! Many snack enthusiasts also like to dip Pretz in everything from wasabi to ponzu sauce, to enhance the flavor.
Senbei. The most famous traditional Japanese cracker, Senbei is a popular savory snack made from white rice. The salad flavor gets the most attention, but there are also some solid sweet varieties including the popular black sugar milk flavor. If you want to eat like a local, pair any Senbei flavor with hot tea and enjoy a taste of traditional Japan. While they might seem plain at first, you’ll quickly fall in love with their versatility and the innumerable flavor pairings out there.
Baby Star. If you love Japanese ramen (who doesn’t?) you’ve got to try it in its uncooked form. Every Baby Star package contains what’s essentially a block of uncooked ramen that’s been broken up and covered in savory seasonings like garlic, spicy, chicken and more. This delicious savory snack will leave you sucking the tips of your fingers to make sure you get every last crumb of ramen seasoning!
Japanese snacks vs. Western snacks
As you try these various snacks, keep in mind that Japanese snacks are more understated than many Western cookies and candies. Where a Western candy bar will pack as much richness as possible into every bite, a Japanese snack like Pocky or Kinoko no Yama will give you a small burst of flavor. This exemplifies the true meaning of “snack,” in that you get to savor the flavor, rather than be overwhelmed by it.
As you give various sweet and savory snacks a try, enjoy them slowly and deliberately. You’ll find that the taste lingers and that you have a more satisfying experience. In fact, much of the snack culture in Japan is based around learning to appreciate the different snacks for everything that they are, from mouth feel to flavor.
Japan is full of tasty treats to try!
Many Japanese snacks enjoy global popularity, and it’s easy to see why. The Japanese people are often daring with their flavors, incorporating many traditional seasonings and ingredients for a unique taste experience like no other. All you need to do to experience these thrilling combinations is walk into any Japanese supermarket or visit a stall at a local event—you’re bound to find several varieties of the snacks listed above.
If you’re lucky enough to visit Japan, make it a point to try as many snacks as possible. And remember to bring some back for your friends and family, if you can keep your hands off them on the journey home!
