9 Tasty Snacks In Japan That Make Great Souvenirs

Deliciousness overload is very real in Japan. From convenience stores and train stations to department store basements, almost everything looks beautifully packaged and impossibly tempting. When it comes to Japanese food souvenirs, the challenge isn’t finding something to buy — it’s knowing what’s actually good and worth bringing home.

This article may contain affiliate links where we make a small commission for purchases you make from links that you click from this article. By purchasing through our links, you support us at no additional cost. Thank you for your support ❤️. For more details, read our disclosure page.

Many snacks aren’t labeled in English, and with so many options, it can be hard to tell which ones are popular favorites versus forgettable fillers. That’s where this guide comes in. Below, you’ll find some of the most popular and tasty snacks in Japan, along with tips on what to look for and where to buy them so you can bring home treats that people will genuinely love.

Must-Buy Japanese Food Souvenirs For Your Trip

These are some of my personal favorite treats and snacks in Japan to bring home. Each one is delicious, uniquely Japanese, and makes a perfect gift or travel keepsake.

#1 All The Kit Kats

Japan is famous for its unique Kit Kat flavors, making them one of the most popular and recognizable food souvenirs. Unlike the standard chocolate bars found elsewhere, these come in dozens of inventive variations, many of which you can only find in Japan.

There are LOTS of flavours and I’m not even exaggerating.

When it comes to unique flavours, my pick is the wasabi one that’s typically packaged in a nicer box like you see here. It’s not as bad as it sounds and is sure to give you and anyone you give this to a surprise reaction to your first taste of it. Honestly it’s not as strong as you think it’ll be. It’s more of a hint of wasabi but you should really try it yourself.

The other flavor that you pretty much have to get is the Uji Matcha Green Tea flavor. It’s our favorite one and we made sure we brought a bunch back!

The one thing you’ll find in Japan is that all of these special flavors that they have come in the mini size. The flavors that you see will also be somewhat seasonal. When we were in Japan, it was during the time of Cherry Blossoms (Sakura) and so there was a special Sakura flavor available.

Standout flavors to look for:

• Wasabi: Mild heat and a fun conversation starter
• Uji Matcha Green Tea: Rich, classic matcha taste
• Seasonal and regional editions: Like Sakura in spring or other unique local varieties

Where to buy: Don Quijote is one of the best places to pick up a variety of flavors at discounted prices. Department stores and airport shops also carry many flavors, though they tend to be more expensive.

#2 Chocolat Blanc/Shiroi Koibito

One of our must-buy snacks from Japan is Shiroi Koibito, affectionately known as Hokkaido white chocolate cookies. We first tried one years ago and have made sure to bring them home every trip since, they’re just that good.

These treats feature squares of creamy white chocolate sandwiched between freshly baked langue de chat biscuits, a delicate French-style cookie with a light, buttery texture that melts in your mouth. The combination of crisp cookie and rich white chocolate is perfectly balanced, making every bite feel indulgent but not overwhelming.

We love them because you get the light crisp of the butter cookies and the richness of the white chocolate that balances it out.

A big part of their appeal comes from being made in Hokkaido, Northern Japan, a region famous for its fresh cream and milk. They’ve created the obsessively perfect process that is what many consider one of Japan’s most iconic snacks.

Standout features to look for:

• Hokkaido origin: Known for high-quality dairy
• Light, buttery langue de chat biscuits: Melt-in-your-mouth texture
• Creamy white chocolate filling: Rich but balanced

Where to buy: We’ve only been able to find these at airport duty free shops so make sure you pick up one, two, or three of these before you board your flight home.

#3 Tokyo Banana

This one is a bit new to us, but it became quite obvious that this was possibly one of the most popular snacks, especially for tourists and kids. Pay attention and you’ll start seeing giant displays of Tokyo Banana in all the department stores and food shops.

Each Tokyo Banana is a fluffy sponge cake filled with banana custard and in the cute shape of a banana. It is sweet, soft, and instantly recognizable. Think super cute Twinky but all-banana. While some editions are seasonal, like the Sakura flavor in spring, the classic version is available year-round.

Our take on it is that it has too much of that artificial banana flavor in it that it reminds us too much of cough medicine. That said, we were impressed with the super fluffy cake.

To each their own.  We talked to other people that absolutely love Tokyo Banana. Buy a box and see what you think! Then you can decide whether you want to share or not…

It’s one of those snacks you’ll want to try and judge for yourself, and it makes a fun souvenir or gift.

Standout features to look for:

• Fluffy sponge cake: Soft, light, and melt-in-your-mouth
• Banana custard filling: Sweet, creamy, and cute
• Seasonal editions: Like Sakura in spring, perfect for gifts

Where to buy: Duty-free shops at airports offer the best souvenir packages, but you can also find them in depachika (department store basement food halls) throughout Japan.

#4 ROYCE’ Chocolate

If you haven’t tried ROYCE’ Chocolate yet, you’re in for a serious treat. Hailing from Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost prefecture, ROYCE’ has been crafting some of the country’s finest chocolates since 1983. The region’s rich dairy and agricultural products make it the perfect place for high-quality confectionery, and the results are indulgent, velvety, and unlike anything else you’ve tried.

There’s nothing like it out there even if you’ve had the finest Belgian truffles or artisanal chocolate from some award winning chocolatier. I’m telling you, their signature Nama chocolate is THAT GOOD.

So what’s different about ROYCE’? It’s not like any of the milk chocolate that we see in every type of chocolate that we’re used to.

ROYCE’s Nama chocolate is a ganache-style confection with a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture. It’s different from regular milk chocolate, with a balance of cream, chocolate, and subtle liqueur notes that creates a luxurious bite-sized experience. The texture almost doesn’t resemble what you expect in chocolate and is an indulgence like no other.

For green tea lovers, the Maccha flavor blends the gentle bitterness of green tea leaves with creamy white chocolate — one of our personal favorites.

It’s that balance of Hokkaido cream, chocolate, and liqueur that creates the bite-sized magic, these are also a huge favorite of Japanese locals.

Standout features to look for:

• Nama chocolate: Ganache-style, melts in your mouth
• Maccha and other unique flavors: Blends of local ingredients and chocolate
• Hokkaido cream: High-quality, rich dairy makes all the difference

One important note: ROYCE’ chocolates need to stay refrigerated, so if you’re buying them to take home, make sure you use a cold bag (sold in stores) to keep them fresh on your journey.

Where to buy: While you could seek out ROYCE’ stores in the city, because of the issue of refrigeration and expiry, you’re better off buying these in bulk at the airport duty free.

#5 Instant Matcha Green Tea

If there’s anywhere to get authentic matcha green tea, it’s Japan.

We really didn’t know what to look for when we were in Japan, but we found a few varieties that we brought home that we were very happy with. We’re normally not that into instant drink mixes back at home but sometimes you have a matcha latte craving and so these are great for a quick fix. All you have to do is add hot water and voila!

One favorite is Matcha Au Lait, usually found in the green packaging at Don Quijote. These come in small individual packages that are easy to hand out as souvenirs or enjoy at home.

Daiso also carries tasty green tea mixes that are surprisingly good and very affordable, much harder to find outside of Japan.  Normally these are expensive and hard to find back home but here, they’re everywhere!

While not green tea, Royal Tea is another excellent milk tea mix worth trying, rivaling some of the best from Taiwan. For bubble tea lovers, these instant mixes even make a fun base for DIY drinks.

We consider these a great snack in Japan because it’s quick to whip up, is sweet and delicious, and can be something you get addicted to!

If you’re stocking up on tea, don’t forget a box of matcha green tea with roasted rice, another classic Japanese flavor that’s easy to take home.

Standout flavors to look for:

• Matcha with roasted rice: Traditional and flavorful
• Matcha Au Lait: Creamy and quick to prepare
• Daiso green tea mixes: Affordable and authentic
• Royal Tea milk tea: Great alternative for milk tea lovers

Where to buy: Don Quijote and Daiso are the best places to find these instant matcha and milk tea mixes.

#6 Blendy Drip Coffee

Pour-over coffee has become hugely popular in Japan, and you’ll notice this when you’re exploring Tokyo.

Blendy is one of the brands that we found at Don Quijote that was super cheap to buy considering we had no idea how good it was.

If you love coffee but don’t always have the time for a full pour-over setup at home, these individual packets make a quick and satisfying cup. Each comes with a clever built-in filter that ‘claws’ onto your mug, so all you need to do is rip the top open and slowly pour hot water over the grounds.

At home we use Chemex but sometimes you want something quick. We first discovered this in Taiwan and more and more companies are starting to create their own versions of this, but we noticed that the Japanese have really taken to making their own pour over drip coffee instead of the standard filter coffee.

We try to follow our own makeshift Chemex process where we first wet the filter by dipping the whole thing in water beforehand and then we slowly pour water by using our own Hario gooseneck kettle and follow the same counterclockwise pouring technique.

You’re only going to get half a cup of coffee with one of these before the coffee starts tasting really watered down but we like this as an alternative to doing the full Chemex process and we just need a quick fix. It is also perfect for sampling different flavors without committing to a full brew.

Fine, we know that this isn’t exactly a snack but if we’re talking about food that you can obsess over and want a LOT of, coffee’s gotta be part of the mix right?

Standout features to look for:

• Individual drip packets: Easy to brew a fresh cup anywhere
• Built-in filter ‘claws’- Attaches to your mug for convenience
• High-quality coffee: Japan’s take on pour-over flavor without full equipment

Where to buy: You can find Blendy drip coffee in most grocery stores or pick up a variety at Don Quijote.

#7 Japanese Toasted Sesame Salad Dressing

If you think salad dressing is just salad dressing, wait until you try Japanese toasted sesame salad dressing. Once you taste this creamy, flavorful dressing, it’s hard to go back to plain-old Thousand Island or vinaigrette.

The balance of creamy texture, tangy sweetness, and a hint of miso and garlic turns any ordinary salad into something special.

You’re going to be addicted to eating salad after you get this Roasted Sesame Dressing.  Again, not exactly a snack but once you’ve tried this dressing you’re not going to be able to go back to your plain-old dressings.

We were introduced to this salad dressing from one of our Japanese friends in Toronto and ever since then we’ve been craving to have our own stash of this at home. Unlike the versions sold abroad, the authentic Japanese bottles are affordable, available in multiple sizes, and easy to stash in your kitchen at home. Sure we could’ve gotten this at our neighbourhood J-Town but the mark-up is crazy.

It’s unlike any sort of generic ‘Asian Sesame Dressing’ because it’s that much more creamy but light at the same time, tangy, sweet, and with a hint of miso and garlic. It turns any ordinary salad into “Hot Dang!”

Standout features to look for:

• Creamy but light texture: Perfect for everyday salads
• Rich, umami flavor: Hints of miso and garlic for depth
• Versatile use: Great on salads, veggies, or even grilled meats

Where to buy: You can find this at practically any grocery store in Japan, making it an easy and delicious souvenir.

#8: Chocolate Covered Chips

Yes, we have an affinity for ROYCE’ products and these chocolate covered potato chips are simply to die for.

Sure, you might be able to buy these where you’re from but there’s something about Hokkaido’s rich dairy, the quality of Japanese chocolate, and the craftsmanship that makes these snacks truly special. The combination of sweet, creamy chocolate and crispy, salty chips is addictively good.

Apparently these last for 1 month but you’ll honestly finish them in one sitting.

Standout features to look for:

• Sweet and salty combination: Creamy chocolate meets crunchy potato chips
• Hokkaido milk chocolate: Rich, high-quality dairy flavor
• Portable treat: Great for sharing or gifting

Where to buy: You can sometimes find these at airport duty-free shops, but I’ve had luck picking them up at department store pop-ups in Ikebukuro. If you want to make sure you get these, visit one of the many ROYCE shops in the country and also their scheduled pop ups (you’ll need to translate from Japanese).

#9: Potato Farm

Potato Farm is on the left.

If you like potato chips, you’re going to love Potato Farm. Made from Hokkaido potatoes and shaped like miniature French fries, these chips are crispy, savory, and incredibly flavorful.

They’re a fun twist on traditional chips, offering a slightly healthier alternative while still delivering all the comfort of a salty snack.

These make a great souvenir for friends or a tasty treat to enjoy on the plane ride home.

Standout features to look for:

• Crispy French fry shape: Fun and easy to snack on
• Savory flavor: Perfectly seasoned Hokkaido potatoes
• Slightly healthier alternative: A better-for-you twist on classic chips

Where to buy: You can find Potato Farm snacks throughout Japan, but airport duty-free shops are the most convenient place to pick them up before you fly.

Tips For Buying Food Souvenirs In Japan

Japan is full of unique snacks and treats, but here are a few tips to make sure your souvenirs are easy to bring home and truly memorable:

• Check the shelf life: Some items, like ROYCE’ chocolate or fresh pastries, need refrigeration or have a short shelf life. Grab these at airport duty-free shops when possible.
• Look for mini or gift sizes: Many Japanese snacks come in small, individually wrapped portions – perfect for sharing or packing in your luggage.
• Seasonal and regional flavors: Keep an eye out for limited-edition or local flavors like Sakura in spring, matcha from Kyoto, or Hokkaido milk chocolates.
• Department stores and specialty shops: Depachika (basement food halls) in department stores are treasure troves for snacks and packaged sweets. They often carry gift sets that are beautifully presented.
• Don Quijote and Daiso: These stores are excellent for a wide variety of snacks at reasonable prices, making them perfect for picking up multiples.

Where Are The Best Places To Buy Japanese Food Souvenirs?

When planning your trip, we recommend that you buy all of these snacks in Japan near the very end so you can do it all in one shot and not have to lug it around, especially if you’re going to different parts of the country.

There are a few places that you want to make sure you hit up where you’ll be sure to find a haul of goodies for home:

• Daiso – The Japanese equivalent to a dollar store.  It’s the 100 yen (and plus) store that seems to carry just about everything.
• Don Quijote – This is Japan’s largest discount store that sells everything from basic groceries to electronics to clothing.  When you walk in, it’s a crazy carnival of aisles that all seem overloaded with goods.
• Your local grocery store – If you’re looking for everyday things, grocery stores are a great place to pick up things like salad dressing, toast spreads, instant noodles, and basic snacks.
• Duty free at the airport – ROYCE’ is going to be tough to find in the city unless you encounter one in a Depachika (department store basement) because there aren’t many dedicated stores.  Your best bet will be at the duty free.  Duty free will also be a good place to pick things up last minute as you’ll find all of the popular snacks like Kit Kat, Tokyo Banana, Chocolat Blanc, and all sorts of mochi.

If you’re feeling desperate and want to pick something up while you’re at home, places like Amazon carry a few items like ROYCE’ and Shiroi Koibito.

---

Japan’s snacks are more than just food, they are a window into local culture, craftsmanship, and flavor innovation. From the endless variety of Kit Kats to Hokkaido’s rich chocolates, instant matcha, and savory potato treats, there’s something for every taste.

There’s of course a TON more that you can buy so don’t be afraid to try a few of these when you’re there and decide what you like and don’t like. Whether you’re looking for gifts or souvenirs to enjoy at home, these must-buy food souvenirs are sure to impress anyone who loves Japanese flavors.

Have you been to Japan before? What are your go-to food souvenirs that you always bring back with you? Leave a comment below!