What you’ll find right next to the register in Japan—something that goes without saying there—would definitely cause confusion back home. Chips that taste like pickled plums? Rice crackers shaped like Frisbees? Dried squid? And then there’s a whole universe of sweet classics that have very little in common with our idea of “candy.” It’s time for a virtual tour through Japan’s world of snacks and treats—from savory to sweet, from traditional to trendy and modern. Our guide will show you what the most popular sweets in Japan are, take you on a journey through flavor worlds you never could have imagined in your wildest dreams, and explain what you need to keep in mind when eating them.
Savory Snacks: More Than Just Potato Chips
Let’s start with something savory, because just one glance at the chip aisle in a Japanese supermarket shows that the food industry there operates differently.
Japanese Chips with Unfamiliar Flavors
Of course, potato chips are available in Japan, too. But the flavors on the shelf are in a whole different league from paprika. That’s a flavor you won’t find there, by the way. Instead, the classics are light salt, butter, nori seaweed, or consommé flavors. Ume-flavored chips (made with sour-salty pickled plums) are a great place to start if you want to discover just how versatile Japanese snacks can be. They’re somewhat reminiscent of salt & vinegar, but with a fruity note.
While completely normal in Japan, all varieties with seafood flavors are exotic to us. Absolute bestsellers include, for example, chips with a spicy pollock roe flavor—that is, with the spicy taste of fish roe. But if you really like it spicy, the fiery Karamucho potato snacks from Koikeya are just the thing for you.
Senbei – The Rice Cracker Family
Have you ever tried a “Samurai Mix” or something similar here that includes rice cracker balls and coated peanuts? They’re available in Japan, too, but the world of rice crackers is even bigger there. Senbei (せんべい) are savory, crispy snacks made from rice flour or compressed rice, usually seasoned with soy sauce, sesame, or nori. In Japanese supermarkets, you’ll find entire walls full of them in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. They’re even sold as street food along popular shopping streets. Want to give them a try? Atsuyaki rice crackers with soy sauce or the version with black sesame are a good place to start. If you prefer a milder flavor, try the gluten-free Yuzu-Shio-Koji rice crackers with a subtle citrus note.
A subcategory of senbei is arare—smaller crackers made from a special variety of glutinous rice. The best-known example is Kakinotane: comma-shaped mini senbei, traditionally mixed with peanuts. It’s a snack you’ll find in virtually every kiosk, supermarket, and even hotel vending machines in Japan, since they also go well with a cold beer.
Dried Seafood, Seaweed, and Jerky
What might sound a bit unusual at first glance is actually an integral part of Japan’s snack culture: roasted seaweed, dried small fish, strips of squid, or whole, smoked tentacles to munch on. The flavor is intensely salty and umami, and the texture ranges from chewy to crispy, depending on the variety. If you prefer something a little more familiar, you’ll love the savory chili-style beef jerky—a Japanese take on the classic.
Something even more exotic for our palates: freeze-dried natto, fermented soybeans that, in their classic, sticky form, are actually more of a breakfast staple than a snack. In the freeze-dried version, however, the infamous stringy texture becomes much more approachable—an exciting introduction for anyone who wants to ease into the original.
Sweet Classics: The World of Wagashi
Wagashi (和菓子) is the collective term for traditional Japanese sweets. Unlike European pastries, these treats do not feature butter, cream, or large amounts of sugar. Instead, they are dominated by rice flour, sweet bean paste, and subtle, often floral flavors. The result is generally less sweet and rich, but it unfolds its own unique, complex flavors. Some of these flavors take a little getting used to.
The Mochi Family
Mochi (餅) is pounded, sticky glutinous rice that’s worked into a soft, chewy mass. In its classic form, it’s eaten plain, lightly grilled, or used in soups like Ozoni (a traditional New Year’s dish).
More common in everyday life, however, are daifuku—small mochi balls, usually filled with sweet red bean paste (anko). Fun fact: daifuku translates to “great happiness”—that’s how much the Japanese love these little treats. The most delicious version is a slightly larger one with a whole strawberry inside, which is often sold fresh as street food in Japan. Another fruity and refreshing variation is our Yuzu Mochi.
Warabi Mochi offers a completely different texture: Despite its name, it’s not made from glutinous rice, but from fern starch. The result is gel-like, resembling firm pieces of Jell-O. Eating it is an experience in itself, since you have to spear the slippery mochi pieces and somehow get them into your mouth. Warabi Mochi is usually served with roasted soybean flour (Kinako) and brown sugar syrup. Can’t quite picture what it tastes like? Try our Mochikon Kinako—a crispy puffed rice snack with the typical nutty-sweet aroma of kinako. Tip: If this is your first time eating mochi, be sure to eat it in small pieces and don’t put the whole mochi in your mouth at once. The chewy texture takes a little practice to chew and swallow.
Dorayaki & Taiyaki
Dorayaki (どら焼き) are two small, fluffy pancakes filled with sweet anko red bean paste—this treat became well-known here thanks to the movie “Cherry Blossoms and Red Beans.” Traditionally, dorayaki are eaten with azuki filling, but there are countless variations, such as those made with matcha batter.
Taiyaki, on the other hand, is a fish-shaped waffle (the name literally means “grilled sea bream”). As you might have guessed, this snack is usually filled with red bean paste, but sometimes with custard or chocolate as well. Traditionally, it’s sold fresh and warm right from street stalls. At a food stall in Akihabara, Pokémon fans can even get this treat in the authentic Magikarp shape.
Yokan
Yokan (羊羹) is a firm, jellied sweet made from red bean paste, sugar, and agar-agar—with a consistency somewhere between jelly and dense fruit gum—served cut into thin slices. That is, if you can get it out of the packaging. To keep the jelly from losing its shape, it usually comes in a thick-walled plastic wrapper. You open it on one side, start shaking it… and nothing happens. To get the yokan to slide out of the mold, you also have to find the small spot where you can open an air vent.
Yokan is one of the most traditional wagashi of all and is often brought as a gift. Here, for example, you’ll find it in the Matcha variety, which combines the earthy notes of green tea with the mild sweetness of the bean paste.
Dango & Manju – Sweet or Savory, Just the Way You Like It
In Japan, snacks aren’t always strictly categorized as sweet or savory. Dango (団子), for example, are small, round dumplings made from rice flour, usually skewered in groups of three or four, that can’t be clearly classified by flavor. When served as Mitarashi Dango—coated with a glossy soy sauce and sugar glaze—they’re both sweet and savory, with a slightly smoky note from being grilled. Other variations come with Anko red bean paste or sesame paste.
The tri-colored Hanami Dango, which you see in pink, white, and green during cherry blossom season, also belong to this family—you can read more about them and the significance of the colors in our article on sakura in the kitchen.
Manju (饅頭) are steamed or baked buns. Some are colored with brown sugar, others are shaped like animals, and some are even named after a specific place, making them popular souvenirs to bring back from a trip. The fillings go far beyond the classic anko: chestnut, sweet potato, or matcha cream are just as common as savory fillings made with meat or vegetables.
Japanese Sweets: “You Know These!”—But They’re Actually Different
Not every Japanese sweet will be new to you. Some names or packaging will surely look familiar. But the Japanese versions often differ significantly from what we’re used to seeing in the supermarket.
Kit Kat—The Japanese Special Case
Hardly any other country takes Kit Kat as seriously as Japan. Over 300 different flavors have been released over the years, ranging from seasonal to regional varieties. This is because the name “Kit Kat” sounds almost like “Kitto Katsu” (“you’ll surely win”) in Japanese. That’s why these chocolate bars were often given as good-luck charms before exams in Japan, and their triumphant rise took off from there. Kit Kat is one of the top souvenirs Western tourists bring back from Japan. If you don’t have a trip to your favorite country coming up right now, you’ll find a constantly changing selection in our shop.
Pocky, Chocorooms & Co.
You know them as Mikado: Pocky are thin cookie sticks that are half-coated in chocolate or other toppings—perfect for sharing and snacking on between meals. In Japan, November 11 is even officially celebrated as Pocky Day. There are limited-edition varieties here as well, such as the Chocolate Sakura Matcha flavor, which combines two classic Japanese flavors.
Also falling into the same category of “cult-favorite Japanese sweets” is Kinoko no Yama (“Mushroom Mountain”): small, mushroom-shaped cookies with a chocolate coating, which are also available in special editions such as Uji Matcha. Internationally, this treat is better known as “Chocorooms.”
Baumkuchen, Crêpes & Cat’s Tongues
Baumkuchen also has a permanent place on Japanese dessert shelves—originally a German invention that made its way to Japan via a prisoner of war from the former German colony of Tsingtau, where it became a tradition in its own right. It’s usually sold in thin, individually wrapped slices rather than as a whole cake, and comes in the wildest flavors. From banana to Earl Grey to matcha.
In general, Western flavors are often adapted and given a Japanese twist in Japan. One example of this is crêpes, which you can order in Harajuku with over 100 different fillings. The hardest part is deciding which one to choose. You’ll receive the whole thing rolled up, and you can then spoon out the filling and enjoy it.
The same goes for Castella, the Japanese adaptation of Portuguese honey cake. Or Langue de Chat (“cat’s tongue”), the delicate, French-style butter cookies that have been lovingly reimagined in Japan in variations such as matcha cat’s tongues.
Tip: These “imported” sweets are a great place to start if you want to get to know Japanese flavors like matcha or yuzu but aren’t quite ready to try unfamiliar textures like mochi just yet.
Melonpan & Anpan – Bread, or Is It?
Last but not least, we have to talk about melonpan (メロンパン), or melon bread, which is an integral part of everyday life in Japan. Imagine a sweet yeast roll topped with a crispy cookie-like layer that’s scored in a diamond pattern before baking—hence the resemblance to the rind of a honeydew melon. However, it usually doesn’t taste like melon at all: Inside, the dough is simply mildly sweet and fluffy, while the sugary, crispy crust provides the real flavor kick. You can find melon pan in any konbini. But it tastes best when it’s fresh out of the oven and still slightly warm from the bakery.
Anpan also has “bread” in its name, but it’s a far cry from Western bread. This slightly sweet yeast pastry is filled with red bean paste—like so many Japanese sweets. The treat is so popular in Japan that a comic book superhero modeled after it has been gracing the TV screens of Japanese children’s bedrooms since 1988.
What’s Actually in Japanese Sweets?
Despite the wide variety, a pattern quickly becomes apparent: Many traditional Japanese sweets are based on the same basic ingredients. Rice flour or glutinous rice provides texture, sweet bean paste made from azuki beans provides the characteristic, mildly sweet filling, and sugar is used more sparingly overall than in Western pastries. The flavor is then usually refined with one or two additional flavors: earthy and slightly bitter matcha, floral and subtle sakura, or tangy and fresh yuzu. It is precisely this combination of subtle sweetness and a clear, natural flavor that defines the taste of Japanese sweets.
Frequently Asked Questions About Japanese Sweets and Snacks
Are Japanese sweets very sweet? Not really, compared to Western pastries. Traditional wagashi emphasize subtle sweetness and natural flavors rather than lots of sugar, cream, or butter.
What exactly is anko? Anko is a paste made from cooked and sweetened azuki beans. It serves as the base for the filling in countless traditional Japanese sweets—from mochi to dorayaki to taiyaki—and has a mildly sweet, slightly earthy flavor.
I don’t like bean paste—are there any alternatives? Absolutely. Many modern wagashi and snacks come with fillings made from sesame, fruit, or custard instead of anko. Even modern treats like Kit Kat or Pocky don’t use any bean paste at all.
Where can I find authentic Japanese sweets in Germany? In supermarkets here, you can find Pocky under the name Mikado, and the cute filled koala cookies are also a Japanese licensed product. (There, they’re called Koala’s March.) If you’re looking for authentic imported sweets and snacks, you’ll find a hand-picked selection in our online shop for Japanese food as well as in our store in Berlin.
Are Japanese sweets vegetarian or vegan? It really depends on the snack. Many rice- and bean-based wagashi are naturally vegan, while mass-produced sweets like Kit Kat or Pocky almost always contain dairy products or eggs.
Let’s head to the shelf
Japanese sweets and snacks are a bit like a mini-world tour for the palate—sometimes familiar, sometimes completely new, but always worth discovering. The best thing to do is just try a little bit of everything: a small bag of chips here, a piece of yokan there, and suddenly it feels like you’ve just picked up some evening snacks for the hotel at the convenience store. That real Japan vacation feeling.
