When I travel, my favorite souvenirs are food. Wherever I travel, I will no doubt come back with cases of snacks. I love to try snacks from different countries because what’s unusual in one country is the norm in a different country. Plus, it allows me to experience different flavor combinations I would never think to go together i.e. butter flavored chocolate.

I tried my best to taste all the snacks, amongst all the meals I ate, but it was a hard feat since there was such a large variety. Japan takes their snacks seriously. Chips, chocolates, and cookies in every flavor combination possible. And then there’s the matcha; it is not JUST matcha. There’s Uji matcha, sakura matcha, matcha with soybean powder, etc. It’s like snacks on steroids. The ones I didn’t have time to try, I brought home to savor. Below is a picture of all the snacks I bought.
Yes, I fit all the snacks above, 1.5 weeks of clothes, and a bottle of whiskey all in ONE carry on suitcase. I know I’m nuts, but I LOVE my snacks. Here is a breakdown of the snacks I think are worthy of trying:

Kit Kat
This simple American candy bar is a huge phenomenon in Japan. You can count on the Japanese to create every single flavor possible even wasabi! You would think that it would be easy to find these exotic flavors throughout Japan, but it was difficult to hunt down. I happened to come across the cheesecake and raspberry flavored Kit Kats in a Don Quixote store. The special Kit Kat came from the Kit Kat Chocolatory located in malls. As I was leaving Japan, I was starting to come to terms with my small haul of Kit Kat when I noticed the airport stores sold Kit Kats. Each store sold a different flavor and with only 30 minutes before boarding, my friend and I tag teamed the stores to buy them all. Here was my haul:

• Raspberry Kit Kat– Tastes exactly like a raspberry
• Cheesecake Kit Kat- These ones you can melt in the oven to give it a toasted crust, however, mine just ended up melting. They taste like regular chocolate to me.
• Strawberry (Wa-Ichigo) Kit Kat– Less tart than raspberry but sweet. It’s one of my faves. This was one of the few I found only in the airport. It came in a big box of 10 smaller boxes of Kit Kat. Each small box contained 3 individually wrapped packages of Kit Kat.
• Hokkaido Red Bean (Azuki) Kit Kat– Tastes like red bean but the flavor is not fully there. Also only found in the airport and sold as a large box.
• Uji Matcha Green Tea Kit Kat– Uji matcha is different than regular matcha because it hails from Uji, Kyoto. This premium matcha flavor is bolder and pronounced. Uji matcha is also a deeper green color than regular matcha. Also only found in the airport and sold as a large box.
• Sakura Matcha Green Tea Kit Kat– Tastes like a flowery green tea kit kat. Also only found in the airport and sold as a large box.
• Red Bean Matcha Kit Kat Balls- Strong red bean and matcha flavored Kit Kat rolled into bite sized balls. I found these at the local convenience stores.

The Kit Kat Chocolatory sells only select flavors of Kit Kat and is higher priced. They are wrapped in fancy packaging/ boxes to be given as gifts. The small boxes have 4 individually wrapped Kit Kat in each box.

• Sakura Green Tea Kit Kat- Tastes like a flowery green tea.
• Ume (Plum) Kit Kat- Will update when I have tried it.
• Butter Kit Kat– Tastes like butter!
• Cream Cheese- Will update when I have tried it.
• Ginger Kit Kat- Will update when I have tried it.
• Strawberry Maple– Tastes like a sweet strawberry.

Generic Snacks
These snacks I came across at a 1 yen store ( I went nuts in here) or the convenience store.

• Chiroru Choco Matcha Mochi- These matcha chocolates with a mochi center are divine! I found them at the 7-11 store and cleaned them out on the last day. I wish I discovered these early in my trip.
• Meiji Kyo-Matcha Kyoto Green Tea Flavor Chocolate– The chocolate is silky smooth. I wish I bought more of these.
• Uji Matcha Green Tea Oreos– Delicious! Great for matcha lovers.
• Kabaya Pureral Gummy Candy– These gummies have a delicious fruit filling in the middle. Once popped, it gives an intense flavor.

Snack Souvenirs
These snacks are packaged fancily to be given as gifts.

• Tokyo Banana– Looks like a Twinkie but tastes like a banana.
• Royce Nama Maccha Chocolate– There are a variety of flavors but this chocolate is very expensive so I only grabbed a box. I found these in a refrigerated section of the airport. The chocolates also come with its own ice bag to keep it cool during the flight. (The Japanese are very big on maintaining optimal temperature on everything). This chocolate was silky smooth.
• Shiroi Kobito Langue De Chat Cookie– This cookie comes in white or dark chocolate. The cookie is made with equal parts sugar and butter to create the most perfect crispy wafer.

If you’re drooling now and can’t sit tight until Japan to try the snacks, click on the links above and order them on Amazon. Clicking on or purchasing via an affiliate link may result in commissions for this site.