Popular Japanese snacks
Japanese snacks are everything! Once you’ve had Japanese snacks, you can’t live without them. No Japanese snacks, no life! Try some of these popular Japanese snacks to fulfill your life!
Thankfully, Japanese snack boxes are available outside Japan so you can continue to munch even back home. I suggest subscribing to a box from a Japanese business and to find the right one for you, visit Japanese Snacks Lab.
Here is a list of snacks to try. These also make great gift ideas for family and friends.
Sweet snacks
Pocky
Pocky is one of the most popular Japanese snacks. Pocky is a long thin stick-like biscuit covered in chocolate. You’ll see Pocky everywhere in Japan and it comes in a variety of flavours, but plain chocolate is the most popular. Pocky is made by Glico, one of the biggest confectionary houses in Japan.
Hi-Chew
These soft, chewy sweets exude flavour. Hi-Chew are one of the most popular Japanese snacks and they are now exported to a variety of countries. The grape flavour continues to be the most popular and other flavours such as watermelon, strawberry and sweet and sour apple are just as decadent.
Galbo
These little treats are half chocolate and a biscuit. The chocolate biscuit inside is baked and the outer is a crisp chocolate shell. The crunchy exterior with the soft baked middle combined make a delicious sweet treat.
Meiji Chocolate
This chocolate has been popular in Japan since the 1920s and continues to thrive today. Meiji chocolate is smooth and velvety, the perfect sweet snack always leaving you wanting more.
Crunky
The Crunky chocolate bar combines smooth chocolate with rice puffs for a light crunch. I love chocolate with ‘things’ in it, so this bar is one of my favourites. It comes in a variety of flavours, but the plain is great as it is!
Kinoko no Yama/Takenoko no Sato
Mushroom and bamboo shoot-shaped chocolate biscuits that are especially divine. You need to choose a favourite amongst these two and you then belong to the mushroom or bamboo shoot camp. These are arguably the most popular Japanese snack. Which one are you?
Meiji Apollo Strawberry chocolate cones
These cute and delicious little chocolates are a mixture of strawberry and chocolate flavours. They are adorably shaped like a little pretty cone.
Kit Kats
Kit Kats are incredibly popular in Japan and come in a variety of flavours you won’t see elsewhere.
The reason for this popularity is that Kit Kat sounds like ‘Kitto Katsu’ which in Japanese means you will surely win. Kit Kats then became a favoured good luck gift. You can find Kit Kat flavours such as: green tea, strawberry, melon, milk tea and many more.
Alfort
Aldort is the perfect chocolate biscuit. Decadent dark or milk chocolate is layered on top of the sweet biscuit making the perfectly addictive snack, perfect with a coffee or tea.
Sanko Yuki no Yado
These addictive sweet and crunchy rice crackers are made using condensed milk and cream from Hokkaido.
Gummies
There are so many amazing Japanese gummies, but I chose to feature these ones because one bite is a surprise!
These sorbet gummy snacks and lychee snacks are soft with a little crunch inside providing a burst of flavour.
Savoury snacks
Pretz
This snack Pretz, is the savoury version of Pocky also made by Glico. Pretz are long stick-like pretzel sticks in a variety of flavours and they are addictive! In addition to the original flavour, you can find tomato, sour cream, corn and more.
Jagariko
These yummy potato sticks from Hokkaido come in a handy cup with a peel-off lid. They are made by Calbee, a brand synonymous with with Japanese snack market since 1949.
Jagariko come in many flavours such as salad bits, beef tongue, fried chicken wings and more!
Kaki no Tane
These crunchy savoury snacks consist of peanuts with crescent-shaped senbei (rice cracker). These are sometimes served in bars as a convenient and tasty beer snack.
Calbee Pizza Chips
These pizza chips are savoury, crunchy and delicious. Feel like a pizza, but don’t want a ful meal? Try these addictive pizza chips.
Happy Turn
These savoury and sweet all-at-once rice snacks are addictive. They are super crunchy but have a sweet powdery exterior providing a surprise sweet taste after the traditional rice cracker crunch.
Umaibo Corn Potage
These sticks of puffy corn flavoured cloud melt in your mouth as if you are eating corn flavoured air! You have to try them once, then you won’t stop!
Seasonal snacks
Suica Bar
Suica Bar means watermelon bar and you can see why. This deliciously sweet watermelon icey pole with chocolate chips is a sensation. In the hot summer months, find it in 7-Eleven.
Last year there was a green melon version with white chocolate chips and I’m starting to think sadly it was a one-off as it hasn’t yet appeared this season. There was a blue bar in 2022. For now, enjoy the original Suica Bar while it lasts, especially in the big size!
Famichiki Sando Omusubi
This delicious chicken sando has only just arrived in Japan, so I’m putting this in the seasonal category. I do hope it becomes permanent! It has all the juicy goodness of a Famichiki conveniently packed into a sando omusubi to take on the go. It’s just as good cold as it is heated up! Look for this in Family Mart.
Hot Konbini snacks
Pizza Bun
The hot pizza bun from 7-Eleven is a cheeesy, tomatoey parcel of happiness. It’s my daughter’s go-to on-the-run hearty snack. And look at the happy smiley face on the bun. Kawaii!
Famichiki
This is the juiciest piece of fried chicken you will ever encounter. Buy this tasty snack from the hot display case near the cashiers at Family Mart. Ofcourse 7 Eleven and Lawson have a version also, but the original Famichiki is from Family Mart.
Pork Bun
The juicy and satisying pork bun can be purchased hot and in the large or regular size. The outer bun is soft and the pork is tender and tasty.
Where to buy Japanese snacks in Japan
You can find Japanese snacks in convenience stores such as Family Mart, 7 Eleven or Lawson. You can also find them in supermarkets, road stops, vending machines, airports, everywhere!
My catch phrase is ‘Japan provides’. If you need something, you will find it in Japan with relative ease.
Where to buy Japanese snacks outside of Japan
There are many Japanese snack subscription services available in many countries. The best way to assess them all and find one right for you is to visit Japanese Snacks Lab. They provide Japanese owned options to give you the most authentic experience.
Itadakimasu! Enjoy your snack!