What to Buy in Japan: 20 Best Japanese Snacks to Bring Home as Souvenirs

Japanese snacks offer a delightful glimpse into Japan’s culture of hospitality, creativity, and craftsmanship. From seasonal favorites like limited-edition KitKats to traditional wagashi such as manju cakes, every treat reflects Japan’s passion for quality, innovation, and visual charm.

In this guide, we explore a wide variety of Japanese snacks, from sweet candies and savory bites to beloved regional specialties, so you don’t have to do the guesswork.

Here are our handpicked Japanese souvenir snacks to bring home and share with your favorite people!

Japanese Candy Snacks

1. Pocky Sticks

2. Alfort Bourbon

3. Koala March

There is no mystery why some snacks remain popular for years on end — they simply taste great. One such snack is Koala March — a crispy, airy biscuit shell with a creamy filling. Perfectly balanced in taste, texture and sweetness, they are highly snackable and often appear in seasonal flavors. Each is uniquely printed (over 300 designs!) with an adorable image of a koala in various poses, cute expressions, or doing things. They were released in 1984 to celebrate the first Koalas gifted to Japan by Australia.

4. Purée Gummies

Kanro Purée Gummies are loved for their chewy pulpy texture, slight sour edge, and genuine fruity flavor. Typical taste sensations are grape, muscat, lemon and strawberry, but they frequently pop up in seasonal varieties like peach and pineapple. Their heart-shaped design makes for the perfect souvenir from Japan, and they have also featured a special Pokémon edition. The gelatin is animal-derived, so they are not vegetarian, Halal, or Kosher.

5. Matcha Pound or Sponge Cakes

Matcha or green tea-flavored snacks are now available in many parts of the world. One of the best matcha snacks that you’re less likely to encounter outside Japan are matcha pound cakes and sponge cakes. Their moist texture and slightly bitter-sweet flavor are a perfect complement to tea and coffee. With a lot of brands to choose from, Kiyosen Hand Made uses fine Uji green tea powder and red beans from Tamba highlands in Hyogo. Their Hojicha Tea flavor is also very nice. Chayudo Financier Cakes are another excellent choice.

6. Hi-Chew Candy

Hi-Chew is a quintessential Japanese soft chewing candy. It's kind of like chewing gum, notably elastic, yet it gradually dissolves as you chew it. Hi-Chew is loved for its intensely fruity and juicy flavors. Some varieties have a double layer, with a burst of freshness followed by a sweet or sour follow-up taste. Green apple and grape are common flavors, but special editions have included Hokkaido melon, fizzy soda and Okinawa lemon among 203 flavorful taste bombs.

7. Yaruka Black Thunder

Many countries have an iconic chocolate bar like Snickers or Mars, and in Japan it’s Yaruka Black Thunder. The name itself is worth whatever the price, but these chocolate bars are extremely affordable. They have a crispy, cocoa-flavored biscuit interior covered with chocolate and a mildly sweet, slightly bitter taste. Sometimes you can pick up special editions such as white chocolate, strawberry, melon, or flavors like ‘kinako’ and extra dark with 72% cocoa.

8. Novelty KitKat's

Novelty KitKat's became a sensation in Japan with the release of strawberry KitKat's in Hokkaido. Over 20 years later and flavor sensations are still through the roof. So far this year, pine candy, gold salted caramel, and strawberry shortcake have been a hit. On record, there have been 50 plus flavors, and they still remain one of the best things to buy in Japan. Available in numerous locations, Don Quixote and Bic Camera are good shopping bets.

9. Irie Candy

Irie Seika is one of Japan’s longest standing traditional candy makers. They are famous for their ‘Konpeito’ star-balled sugar candies. For a new era of sensation, they recently released a novel wasabi candy. The refreshing wasabi punch is coupled to the salty flavor of soy sauce with a little sugar sweetness. Well worth the treat, these candies exemplify the commitment to mastery and perfection that can be expected from this Fukuoka icon. The candy range includes honey ginger, but their combination candy of konbucha, ume plum and tea flavor completely spins heads.

10. Tokyo Banana

Tokyo Banana, for whatever reason, is the ‘unofficial official sweet souvenir’ of Tokyo Metropolitan. For most people flying out of Tokyo, or hitching a ride on the Shinkansen, these banana cream souvenirs are an obligatory pickup. They consist of a light and airy sponge pocket shaped like a banana with a sweet creamy like filling which has the flavorful hint of banana. If you’re in Tokyo, you can also pick up other variations like caramel, ‘sakura’, honey, and lemon flavored ones. They often rank as the number one souvenir out of Tokyo, so you may be required to get some.

Savory Snacks in Japan

11. Pretz Sticks

Pretz sticks, like Pocky, are made by Glico. You could call them a savory version of Pocky, but Pretz actually predate Pocky by at least four years. As the name suggests, they are a type of pretzel-inspired snack. They have a very satisfying crispy and crunchy texture, are mess-free, and lightly dusted with different seasonings. Plain salad, tomato, pizza, salty butter and corn flavors are standard convenience store staples. Keep an eye out when traveling, or at the airport, for regional editions like beef tongue, takoyaki, mentaiko or chicken wing flavors.

12. Calbee Kataage

When it comes to potato chips, or crisps in the English world, it’s debatable how well Japan performs against numerous foreign imports. However, Japan’s best version of kettle-fried crisps is quite arguably Calbee Kataage. Chips are not the most travel-friendly souvenir, but their special edition flavors are well worth it. These can include nori seaweed, soy sauce, scented garlic, ‘umeboshi’ sour plum, scallop flavor, and around new year they have even put out a red snapper edition!

13. Calbee Jagarico

Another uniquely different potato snack is Calbee Jagarico. These stick-shaped snacks are crispy on the outside with a softer inner texture achieved by steaming, mashing, and deep-frying. Their mild, savory potato flavor balanced to umami is quite addictive. They come in a sturdy, cylindrical cup with a pull off lid and are quite travel-friendly.

14. Noriten Wasabi

Noriten Wasabi, it's like killing two birds with one stone. ‘Noriten’ is a popular snack of dried seaweed strips dipped in a light batter and deep-fried. This version combines two quintessential Japanese ingredients — nori and wasabi. ‘Noriten’ is a kind of crunchy sensation that melts in your mouth. This wasabi version is usually found in convenience stores and local supermarkets, but if not, novelty marts like Don Quixote will definitely have them. The Daiko brand also sells lemon and cheese flavored ‘noriten’.

15. Deep Fried Agemochi

Agemochi is a popular Japanese souvenir snack made from deep-fried mochi or sticky rice. These bite-sized chunky snacks are crispy and crunchy on the outside and slightly chewy or melt-in-your-mouth on the inside. The flavor ranges from lightly salted to more complex seasonings. The deep-frying process also brings out the inherent subtle sweetness and flavor of the glutinous rice. One of the most common brands is Bonchi-age, but there are higher quality and tastier options to choose from.

Regional Snacks in Japan

16. Ebi Senbei from Niigata

Senbei are Japanese rice crackers. They come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and flavors. One distinctly Japanese flavor is shrimp or ‘ebi’ senbei. Crackers made in Niigata from its quality rice are a favored choice with brands such as Nanban, using Alaskan pink shrimp, and Befco, using small shrimp harvested from the Japanese Inland Sea. Aichi Prefecture is also loved for its shrimp-flavored crackers. If you don’t know what senbei to go for, the best solution is to pick up a senbei gift box.

17. Regional Manju Cakes

A ‘manju’ is a Japanese steamed bun usually with a type of red bean filling or something creamy. Some have a light fluffy white dough, others are darker or green matcha flavored. There are many types like maple-shaped Hiroshima Momiji Manju and Yaki Maju is grilled and basted with a sauce. The best place to buy quality ‘manju’ is the food souvenir section in major department stores or more country tourist spots, especially around hot springs.

18. Okinawa Shortbread

Not only does Japan excel at Western-style baked goods, they usually do it better. One such example is Nanpudo Okinawa Shortbread. These shortbread sticks are not dense, but light and rich in flavor. They use lard and shortening as key ingredients. The best variety are the plain ones dusted with ‘yukishio’, or soft snowy salt from Miyakojima Island. Other varieties include matcha and chocolate.

19. Kobe Gluten-Free Cookies

At some point or other, everyone deserves a cookie, so why not the gluten intolerant? If you are visiting Kansai, and especially Kobe City, you could get yourself an excellent assortment of gluten-free cookies. Kobe, with its long history as a foreign trading port, is well-known for quality pâtisserie. Tatatado cookies, by Honey Mother Co., use rice flour and do not contain any dairy or eggs. The company makes a wide variety of gluten-free snacks and the main store is in Mikage near to Sannomiya (Kobe) in Hyogo Prefecture.

20. Wagyu Beef Jerky

Another Kobe specialty, but one of more international renown, is Kobe ‘wagyu’ beef. Nick Jerky is an artisanal jerky maker that turns wagyu into delectable jerky strips pickled in salt and aged in a special cellar. Preservative free and seasoned with Awaji Island salt, rapid packaging and deoxidation techniques seal the freshest deal for you. Some people refer to it as ‘meat candy’ with a strong umami flavor, a mild sweetness, and a buttery feel in the mouth. If you’re visiting Kobe, their store is a 15-min-walk from Sannomiya Station in the Ijikan historic district.

Where to Buy the Best Snacks in Japan

Site seeing in more countryside areas is always a good opportunity to pick up traditional ‘local-made’ snacks. You can often get to sample local snacks before you buy, but make sure to check expiration dates and if it fits your return schedule.

High quality traditional ‘wagashi’ snacks are best bought from large department stores or historic ‘wagashi’ shops. They usually have the best quality (and packaging), while those sold cheaper at touristy spots or discount stores tend to be overly sweet or sugary.

If you want to buy snacks in bulk or are looking for special editions, a wider variety, and at cheaper prices, here are the places to go:

• Don Quijote mega-stores offer cut-priced goods, novelty items, and much more stacked to the roof. Many are open 24/7 in big cities.
• Bic Camera, originally an electronics superstore, also have sections dedicated to cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, alcohol, and popular snack souvenirs. Yodobashi Camera is another option.
• Snack discount retailers like Okashi-no-Machioka or Nishi-no-Kashi in the Tokyo area, but similar stores are easily found in most shopping arcade streets.
• Your local supermarket will always have a section with sweets, chocolates, senbei crackers, and dried fish snacks at reasonable prices.
• Convenience stores are great for last minute pickups, but they can be pricey. Some convenience stores have special in-house ranges and collaborations.
• In case you don’t know, Tokyo Station Ichibangai is famous for its numerous brand outlet stores and other sweet shops. This is a great location to pick up limited and special editions.

Anyway, if you’re specifically looking for healthy snacks, check out our healthy Japanese snack guide packed with guilt-free picks made with real, wholesome ingredients.

If you’re looking for memorable souvenirs, from lucky charms and matcha powder to handcrafted chopsticks and traditional yukata, check out our list of the 20 best Japanese souvenirs to bring home.

Packing Your Snacks and ‘Sayonara’

When leaving Japan, you’re unlikely to get hassled over whatever souvenirs you have, but you do need to pay attention to hand-luggage restrictions and customs on the other side.

It’s best if you can put the most brittle or precious of your dry goods like cookies, crackers, chips, cakes, chocolates etc. in your carry-on luggage. Alternatively, try wrapping delicate snacks in bubble wrap or pack them in between clothing if using checked-in bags.

Any liquid or jelly-type snack should go inside your checked-in luggage, and inside a ZipLock for protection. Always check your destination for regulations concerning meat products (incl. jerky), dried fruits, and dried seafoods.

If you have ever taken Japanese snacks home, or ordered them online, let us know your favorites in the comments below.