Navigating the World of Japanese Snacks

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.img_2590
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:

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Musubi Cafe Iyasume

I stopped by Musubi Cafe Iyasume every morning to pick up fresh musubis before starting my day. These lightweight snacks kept well throughout the day whether I went hiking or snorkeling at the beach. My favorites were the double salmon onigiri and egg and spam musubi. The perfectly cooked sweet egg balances out the saltiness of the spam. They also offer a bacon, spam, and egg musubi and a egg, avocado, and spam musubi.

Below are all the Musubi Cafe Iyasume locations in Oahu.