Photo by commons.wikimedia.org
The Top Snacks and Delicious Souvenirs to Bring Back From Japan
As one of the most coveted destinations in the world, a trip to Japan is an overload for all the senses, but particularly your taste buds. Luckily edible souvenirs are an important part of Japanese culture, with each place having a large selection of 'omiyage' and snacks for travelers to bring back home as gifts. With hundreds to choose from, it can be a bit overwhelming to pick what foods to stuff your luggage full of, here are some of the best Japanese snacks and souvenirs to bring back from Japan.
table of contents
[x] close
The Top Snacks and Delicious Souvenirs to Bring Back From Japan
Tokyo Banana
Photo by Cory Doctorow/Flickr
Probably the most famous of Tokyo's edible souvenirs, Tokyo Banana is has a fluffy sponge outside and creamy center, shaped like its namesake. The original flavor features a banana flavored cream filling, but since then there have been a number of different flavors.
Rokkatei Marusei Butter Sandwich
Photo by upload.wikimedia.org
A deliciously rich mix of butter, cream and raisins wedged between two crumbly cookies, Rokkatei's signature snack perfectly showcases why Hokkaido's dairy products are famous. While these butter sandwiches are usually only found at stores in Hokkaido, you'll sometimes see them sold at supermarkets or promotional fairs around the country.
Jagariko Tarako Butter
Like a wonderful mashup of potato chips and french fries, Jagariko are Japan's answer to pringles, once you start it's impossible to stop. While there are a range of different flavors including some rare and limited edition varieties, our favorite are tarako butter. Combining the salty umami flavor of pollock roe and rich butter, if the other flavors are hard to stop eating, these are plain addictive.
Hakata Torimon
A sweet bean bun with an inner filling of velvety smooth, sweet white bean paste mixed with butter and cream, this Fukuoka snack has long been famous in Japan's omiyage scene. It's so good you might just consider taking a trip to Kyushu just to buy some.
Tsuta 'Michelin-starred' Cup Noodles
Michelin-starred cuisine and instant noodles or ramen, beloved by students for their cheap, easy to make characteristics, are usually on two opposite sides of the food spectrum. Tokyo's famous Michelin-starred ramen restaurants Tsuta and Nakiryu collaborated with Nissin and 7-Eleven to create an instant noodle that captures the flavor of their famous bowls. It might not be quite the same as eating at the restaurant itself, but are still some of the most delicious instant noodles you can get from Japan and also make for great gifts.
Kit Kats
Photo by sk/Flickr
The world famous chocolate wafer from the UK might seem like an odd choice of snack to bring back from Japan, but things are a bit different here. In fact, including limited edition varieties, there have been around 300 different flavors of Kit Kat made in Japan. Many of them you can pick up at the airport or souvenir stores, but some are also only found in certain areas or prefectures of Japan.
For a roundup of some of the best flavors check out our article of the most delicious Kit Kat flavors you can find in Japan.
Conclusion
There are plenty more delicious snacks you can find around the land of the rising sun. If you come across these listed here however, be sure to grab some to take back with you.
