Top 10 Snacks of Japan

Japanese snacks are on another level, here’s my top 10.

10. Custard sandwich

I know a Custard Sandwich doesn’t sound appealing but this delicious snack is perfect for when you’re craving something sweet.

9. Onigiri

Onigiri are rice balls wrapped with seaweed and filled with different ingredients ranging from ume (pickled plum) to tuna. If you’re buying them from a convenience store like 7-11 or Family Mart, you’ll need to following the instructions before you open them as they’ve been specially packaged to separate the seaweed from the rice. Once you’ve mastered the unwrapping, you’re rewarded with a savoury snack that can be eaten any time of the day.

8. Pocky

Pocky are thin chocolate covered biscuit sticks with an array of flavours. They’re a great snack in between meals or as a quick dessert.

7. Dorayaki

Dorayaki are a traditional type of Japanese confections (Wagashi) usually served with tea. A sweet red bean paste is sandwiched between two small pancakes. You can pick them up premade from a convenience store or freshly prepared at a Dorayaki shop.

6. Egg sandwich (Tamago Sando)

Everything in Japan just tastes better, even the humble egg sandwich. If you find yourself feeling peckish in Japan, find the nearest convenience store and grab a tamago sando.

5. Tokyo Campanella

There’s cookies and then there’s Tokyo Campanella. This chocolate flavoured langue de chat cookie features three wafer thin layers and is so popular that the company has opened a cafe serving the delicious sweets.

4. Kit Kats

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you would’ve heard about the different varieties of Kit Kats that Japan has to offer. While some flavours are rather peculiar (wasabi and chilli), most are very palatable. Personally, I’d recommend the green tea (matcha) and apple flavours.

3. Jagabee

Jagabee chips are baked french fries that come in a variety of flavours including seaweed, sweet potato, honey butter and my favourite – butter soy sauce. These little sticks of savouriness are highly addictive, so make sure you stock up before leaving Japan.

2. Tokyo Banana

Despite it’s odd name, Tokyo Banana is a very popular souvenir sweet (miyagegashi) that’s loved by both locals and tourists. The banana shaped sponge cake is soft and fluffy, with a banana puree cream inside.

1. Coolish

This “cool” snack is genius – it’s vanilla soft serve ice cream in a squeezable pouch. The smart packaging ensures there’s no mess while the screw cap lets you pause your snacking, though thanks to its sweet moreish flavour most people will devour it in one sitting.

Let me know in the comments what your favourite Japanese snack is!