Fresh Ideas for Your Japanese Snack Shopping List

No matter where you travel in Japan, or how many times you visit, you’ll probably find yourself tempted to stop into all the different supermarkets, convenience stores, and even Don Quijote locations to pick up a few snacks to enjoy on the go or bring home. The snack shelves are constantly changing in Japan, with new products popping up at a shocking rate, and a regular cycle of special seasonal flavor releases from old favorites. With so many choices, every shop feels like a treasure trove, but deciding what to buy can be a challenge.

In the Chinese speaking world, many shoppers look to the Taiwanese beauty and health expert Kevin Chou for recommendations in Japan, and on his most recent visit, Kevin put together a list of featuring a few of his favorite chocolate snacks and gummies in Japan. The list includes newer products, exclusive items only available at Don Quijote, and some uniquely Japanese chocolates made for matcha fans in Japan!

Japan-Exclusive Treats: Nama no Toki Chocolate

First up is Nama no Toki Shittori Milk Chocolate (生のとき しっとりミルク), a new sweet treat designed to be “so innovative, it can hardly be called chocolate anymore.” At first glance, the little round bricks look like ordinary chocolate, but as soon as you take a bite, the rich, fudgy texture immediately sets it apart.

Nama no Toki is made using Meiji’s patented “Nama-Momi” manufacturing process, thoroughly kneading a blend of cacao and milk to create an emulsified mixture with a level of creamy moisture rarely seen in conventional chocolate. This special process creates a luscious softness rarely found in regular chocolate, while allowing the rich flavors of cacao and milk to slowly melt in your mouth.

Instead of chewing, let the chocolate sit in your mouth for a moment to enjoy the gradual shift in flavor and aroma. The balanced sweetness and lingering flavor make it a perfect treat to savor, especially with tea or coffee. Despite the moist, fudgy texture, the chocolate is shelf-stable (at room temperature, below 28°C), and each chocolate is individually wrapped. That means Nama no Toki makes a good snack on the go, and can be easily handed out to family and friends as souvenirs. (It’s also liquor-free, so it’s good for all ages.)

This recent release is only available in Japan, so it’s worth a try during your visit! (It also makes for a luxuriously chocolatey little souvenir!)

Don Quijote Exclusive: Meiji Pistachio Dark Chocolate Matcha

If you like pistachios, matcha, and dark chocolate, Meiji Pistachio Dark Chocolate Matcha (ピスタチオダークチョコレート抹茶) is one Japanese snack you won’t want to miss. These whole pistachios are coated in a blend of dark chocolate and Uji matcha, creating an addictive combination of smooth, rich chocolate and crunchy, nutty texture.

Unlike the majority of matcha chocolates, which use white chocolate as a base, this version uses dark chocolate. That means the little chocolates show less of that distinctive matcha-green color, but the dark chocolate offers a sophisticated bitter-sweet flavor instead, with chic packaging to match. The black boxes, accented with gold foil, work well as an everyday treat, or a little gift.

Meiji Pistachio Dark Chocolate Matcha is actually a Don Quijote-exclusive product, so make sure to keep an eye out for these chocolate-covered pistachios there!

Don Quijote Exclusive: Matcha Dark Chocolate

If you prefer simple chocolate experience, Dark Chocolate Matcha may be a better fit than the pistachios above. This chocolate combines cacao from Peru, known for its delicate floral aroma, with fragrant Nishio matcha, creating a matcha chocolate designed to create a layered aromatic experience. Paired with the rich floral notes of dark chocolate, Nishio matcha brings out a distinctive tea fragrance, for a refined flavor and a lingering finish. It’s a great treat for anyone who enjoys good chocolate and good matcha.

Like the Meiji Pistachio Dark Chocolate Matcha, this one also uses dark chocolate as its base. Without the bright green color, it doesn’t necessarily scream “matcha,” but it has a similarly sophisticated flavor as well as a black-and-gold box design. Each piece is individually wrapped, so it’s a fun choice of souvenir—good for coworkers at the office, or big groups of friends!

This Dark Chocolate Matcha is another Don Quijote-exclusive product. If you’re a fan of matcha and chocolate, we recommend picking this one up together with the Meiji Pistachio Dark Chocolate Matcha above (plus the almond or macadamia nut versions) to compare!

Japan-Exclusive Chocolate Flavors: Galbo

Found in convenience stores and supermarkets all across Japan, Galbo (stylized “galbo”) is a favorite among Japanese chocoholics, thanks to its unique texture. Galbo is made by allowing chocolate to soak deeply into a crisp baked snack before coating the outside with more chocolate, creating a distinctive texture that is both delicately crunchy and intensely chocolatey with every bite. The chocolate absorbed inside each morsel slowly melts in your mouth, creating a fun, somewhat unusual mouthfeel.

The outer coating is also designed not to quickly melt onto your fingers, and the little chocolate snacks are sold in resealable pouches, making Galbo convenient to throw in your bag while traveling, or to keep at your desk while working or studying.

Two of Galbo’s most popular flavors are the original Chocolate and the Japan-exclusive Strawberry version.

The strawberry Galbo mixes freeze-dried strawberry bits into the strawberry chocolate coating, which combines with the crisp baked chocolate-soaked inner for a light, refreshing finish, popular among sweet-tooths with a love of tart, fruity flavors. This flavor is only available in Japan, making it especially popular as a souvenir, but Galbo also releases seasonal flavors from time to time, like sweet potato and caramel. If you find yourself becoming a big Galbo fan, you’ll want to check convenience stores and supermarkets for limited-edition versions of the snack!

Japanese Seasonal Flavors: Juicy Gummy

Last but not least, this list finishes with a longtime favorite of Japanese gummy fans: Juicy Gummy (果汁グミ). These gummies have been popular for a long time, which means they’re a pretty common part of Japanese shopping hauls among frequent travelers. Juicy Gummy is made using real fruit juice, with a wide variety of flavors sourced from around the world, in cute little fruit shapes.

The gummies are made using a recipe that they call “equivalent to 100% fruit juice,” which means that the weight of the gummies is the same as the quantity of fruit juice used before it was concentrated. That means there’s a lot of fruity flavor packed into each little gummy, and no added food coloring. Different flavors actually have their own distinct levels of chewiness, too, which is displayed on the package so you can choose whichever sounds best to you.

The standard Juicy Gummy flavors are Unshu Mikan Mandarin Orange, Grape, and Muscat Grape, but the brand also regularly releases seasonal limited-edition flavors, and the lineup tends to change from year to year. If you come across a new and intriguing flavor during your trip to Japan, it’s probably grabbing it while you can, because you never know if you’ll ever get another chance to try it!

The gummies come in convenient resealable pouches, so you can snack on a couple at a time and throw the rest back in your bag, if you want! Convenient on the go, and a cute souvenir for fruit lovers back home.

Which of Kevin’s Japanese Snack Recommendations Will You Try?

From old favorites to new innovations in the snacking world, these are five Japanese treats worth snacking on, according to Kevin Chou. Which one are you most curious to try for yourself? On your next trip to Japan, stop by the nearest convenience store, check out the candy aisle at the supermarket, or stock up at Don Quijote. Give these five snacks a taste, and find out which to bring home and share with family and friends—and which you might want to hoard for yourself!

▶︎ Check out Kevin’s full review on his YouTube channel!

For more info and updates from Japan, check Japankuru for new articles, and don’t forget to follow us on X (Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook!