47 Food Souvenirs to Buy From Every Japanese Prefecture
Japanpedia - Japan has many regional food-related souvenirs that are popular among both domestic and international travelers. They're all very different depending on the region. Here are snacks from each prefecture that you should consider picking up.
1. 【Hokkaido】Royce'
Royce' is a famous chocolate company from Hokkaido. Its levels of popularity are so high that items from this company are definitely souvenirs representative not just from Hokkaido, but of Japan as a whole. The most popular product is their Nama Chocolate. You'll grow addicted to how easily it melts in your mouth. It's made with Hokkaido cream.
HP: www.royce.com
2.【Aomori】Kininaru Ringo
Aomori is famous for apples. This treat uses one of their famous Fuji apples soaked in syrup, then wrapped in a pie crust. The apple's crunchy texture stays intact through the baking process, making it a very delicious snack.
HP: www.rag-s.com (Japanese only)
3.【Iwate】Kamome no Tamago
"Tamago" means "egg," and this treat looks like its name. This cute snack is representative of the Tohoku area. It has three layers; the inside is red bean paste wrapped in castella, then coated in white chocolate.
HP: www.saitoseika.co.jp (Japanese only)
4. 【Miyagi】Hagi no Tsuki
Hagi no Tsuki is so popular that every day, 100,000 are made and sold every day. It's made by wrapping high-quality castella dough around custard cream. There are different ways to eat it, such as warming it up, cooling it in the fridge, or even freezing it and eating it like ice cream. Why not get some and see which way you prefer it?
HP: www.sanzen.co.jp
5. 【Akita】Kinman
Kinman has a history of more than 50 years and is a popular souvenir with foreign travelers. It's castella filled with white bean paste, and since it's fairly small, it's easy for children to eat. If you're buying it as a souvenir, it's recommended to buy the vacuum packed packaging so it will keep on your way home.
6. 【Yamagata】Karakara Senbei
Karakara Senbei has a long history dating back 300 years. From then, it became one of Akita's most famous products. The way it's made is very unique. Inside the triangular senbei is a small toy. It's perfect as a souvenir because it combines the deliciousness of senbei with the uniqueness of the toy.
HP: www.karakara.co.jp (Japanese only)
7. 【Fukushima】Kasutean
Aizu Aoi's kasutean is made with techniques that were learned through castella cakes brought from abroad, and they mixed those techniques with traditional Aizu wagashi knowledge. The originality used in creating kasutean was recognized in 1962, and earned public recognition of the Director General of the Science and Technology Agency, something very rare for wagashi.
HP: aizuaoi.com (Japanese only)
8. 【Ibaraki】Yoshiwara Denchuu
Yoshiwara Denchuu is made from mochi rice and covered with kinako (roasted soybean) flour. Even in this modern era they're made by hand by craftsmen. The ingredients have absolutely no additives, making it very popular. It's said that this snack has been eaten since the Edo Period.
HP: www.yoshiwaradentyu.com (Japanese only)
9. 【Tochigi】Kariman
"Kariman" is an abbreviation of "karintou manjuu," and that's exactly what it tastes like. Karintou is a fried dough cake, and manjuu is a steamed yeast bun with filling. It's sold all year round and is always filled with red bean paste, but depending on the season you can find different versions such as some made with a sakura motif or matcha flavors.
HP: www.kourindo.jp (Japanese only)
10. 【Gunma】Isobe Senbei
Isobe Senbei uses spring water from the Isobe Onsen, known to have many minerals. The crunchy texture is very popular, and you can enjoy the taste of the snacks they ate in ancient Japan. It goes well with Japanese tea, so please try it with that rather than coffee.
11. 【Saitama】Saika no Houseki
The word "houseki" means "jewel," and just as the name says, these delicious and popular treats look like jewels. They use carefully selected fruit and turn them into jellies. There use 29 kinds of fruit, and you can also find jellies shaped like roses or leaves.
HP: www.saikano-hoseki.jp (Japanese only)
12.【Chiba】Tai Senbei
Tai Senbei is from the famous Tai no Ura, an area where lots of tai (sea bream) congregate. The color of the front of the Tai Senbei is different from the back. This is to show the reflection of the sun on the fish as they swim. The senbei is curved, making it look like the tai is jumping.
HP: kameyahonten.com (Japanese only)
13.【Tokyo】Tokyo Banana
Tokyo Banana boasts sales of 40 billion yen a year. The fluffy sponge cake is filled with an addicting banana-flavored custard cream. They also offer strawberry, caramel, and other flavors, as well as location-limited products, such as in Tokyo Station or Tokyo Skytree. Search for your favorite!
14.【Kanagawa】Hato Sabure
"Hato" means dove or pigeon, and as the name implies, it's a cute buttery cookie that looks like a bird. It's famous nationwide. Toshimaya has been making Hato Sabure for 100 years, and it's known as a souvenir from Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, the shrine where the guardian deities of warriors reside.
HP: www.hato.co.jp (Japanese only)
15.【Niigata】Koshinoyuki
Koshinoyuki's history dates back to 1778. It's said it was created to bring back the appetite of a lord who had fallen ill. Its bite-size and made of such high quality that the sweet flavor immediately spreads through your mouth the second it hits your tongue.
HP: www.koshinoyuki-yamatoya.co.jp (Japanese only)
16.【Toyama】Owara Tamaten
Owara Tamaten looks like tamagoyaki at a glance. The surface is browned and fragrant, but the inside is fluffy and sweet, so you can enjoy two different types of deliciousness in one bite.
17.【Ishikawa】Warikoori
Warikoori is made from dried agar, and has a beautiful appearance. Each one has a unique shape that comes from each one being cut personally by craftsmen. This multicolored "ice" ("koori") is definitely a souvenir that would make anyone happy.
HP: shop.wagashi-murakami.com (Japanese only)
18.【Fukui】Habutae Mochi
Habutae Mochi is extremely soft and has a gentle texture, so it's recommended for people who don't really like sweets. The name comes from habutae silk, one of Fukui's famous textile products.
HP: www.kansendo.com (Japanese only)
19. 【Yamanashi】Shingen Mochi
The "Shingen" of "Shingen Mochi" comes from the military commander of the Sengoku Period, Takeda Shingen, who had his headquarters in Yamanashi. Shingen Mochi has a specific way of eating it: you pour kuromitsu (brown sugar syrup) over the kinako-covered mochi sitting in the little receptacle before eating it.It's a perfect souvenir to bring overseas, but be careful! It can be messy.
HP: www.kikyouya.co.jp (Japanese only)
20.【Nagano】Kurumi Yamabiko
Kurumi Yamabiko is made with the concept "gentle, nostalgic, the taste of being at Grandma's." The outside is a crunchy cookie, but the inside is filled with a soft mix of caramel and walnuts ("kurumi"). You can enjoy various textures as it reminds you of bygone days.
21.【Gifu】Hida Koucha
Did you know that Japan also has delicious black tea? Hida Koucha started being sold in 2010 but already is known as a great souvenir. Its secret is that it uses a kind of tea leaf called Benifuuki, and then during the tea's fermentation process, it uses steam from the Okuhida Onsen.
22.【Shizuoka】Unagi Pie
Unagi Pie first started being sold about 50 years ago, and ever since then it's been wildly popular and is nationally famous. The pie dough is made with eel extract, so the crunchy texture is combined with a refreshing sweetness.
HP: www.shunkado.co.jp (Japanese only)
23. 【Aichi】Yukari
Yukari is written with the character 縁, which means "bond" or "destiny," as in the connection between two people. This snack was made with the wish to bring people together, so it's perfect as a souvenir. It's a shrimp senbei made using traditional techniques, so you can enjoy the delicious fragrance of the shrimp.
HP: www.bankaku.co.jp (Japanese only)
24.【Mie】Itoin Senbei
Itoin Senbei is a product that was bought by the Meiji, Taisho, Showa, and Heisei emperors. The reason for that is that when Emperor Meiji went to pray at Ise Jingu, Itoin Senbei was created to be presented to him. In this small, quality product, you can taste history.
HP: www.geocities.jp (Japanese only)
25.【Shiga】Red Konnyaku
Red konnyaku is said to to have been created by the ruler of the Sengoku Period, Oda Nobunaga. Red konnyaku, or red konjac, takes the general idea of konnyaku and turns it into something new, making it popular as a souvenir. It's packed full of fiber, iron, and calcium, so it's recommended for people who like healthy foods.
HP: www.norimatu.com (Japanese only)
26.【Kyoto】Yatsuhashi
PIXTA
Yatsuhashi is arguably Kyoto's most famous treat. It was originally eaten as a snack on the go, so they made the rounded shape difficult to break. It's very popular due to its crispiness and its sweetness. By the way, Nama-yatsuhashi is a made in a triangle shape and is also very delicious.
HP: www.yatsuhashi.co.jp (Japanese only)
27.【Osaka】Grand Calbee
Japan's famous potato chip company, Calbee, makes a high quality product called Grand Calbee that can only be found in Osaka's Hankyu Umeda store. These potato chips are 3 times as thick as regular ones, so it's definitely a different snack experience.
HP: www.calbee.co.jp/grandcalbee/ (Japanese only)
28.【Hyogo】Kawara Senbei
Kawara Senbei has a unique chewy texture, and it has been loved by Kansai residents since time immemorial. Its special fragrant, sweet flavor is very popular. There are stores where you can make your own original design to be imprinted on the front.
HP: www.kameido.co.jp/ (Japanese only)
29.【Nara】Mimuro Monaka
Mimuro Monaka has an honorable history dating back 160 years. It's a snack that's been presented to the emperor. The outside is crunchy and the filling is a bean paste made from a soy bean called Yamato Dainagon. It's definitely recommended for people who like wagashi.
HP: www.begin.or.jp (Japanese only)
30.【Wakayama】Honnoji Manjuu
It's said that Honnoji no Hon has more than 300 years of history. It's said that a lord ate it when he was traveling on his way from Wakayama to Tokyo. This is one kind of sake manjuu, in which sake lees are used in the dough. Why not try this sake manjuu and enjoy the sweet fragrance of amazake?
HP: www.souhonke-surugaya.co.jp (Japanese only)
31.【Tottori】Suna no Oka
Tottori is famous for their sand dunes, so you should definitely pick up Suna no Oka as a souvenir. This is a Japanese-style cookie made with fermented butter and no additives. The powder, made to look like sand, is made with Japanese sugar. It's not too sweet, making it very popular.
HP: hougetsudou.jp (Japanese only)
32.【Shimane】Dojou Sukui Manjuu
Dojou Sukui Manjuu has a unique appearance thanks to its being designed after the traditional Dojou Sukui Odori festival in Shimane. During the festival dancers wear masks that look like this. There are different fillings, such as red bean, matcha, strawberry, and chocolate.
HP: www.nakaura-f.co.jp (Japanese only)
33.【Okayama】Kibidango
Do you know the famous Japanese folk tale of Momotarou, the man who exterminated the demons? In it, he uses a treat called kibidango to get a crow, a dog, and a monkey to join his team. In modern times, it's become a symbol of Okayama. It has a simple flavor made by combining millet with mochi.
HP: www.koeido.co.jp (Japanese only)
34.【Hiroshima】Momiji Manjuu
Momiji Manjuu always ranks very high in souvenir rankings among both foreign and domestic travelers. Smooth red bean paste is wrapped in castella dough and baked in a cute maple leaf shape. If you go to the World Heritage and Culture Site Itsukushima Shrine, you can buy and eat freshly made Momiji Manjuu in the neighborhood surrounding it.
35.【Yamaguchi】Dassai
Dassai is one of Japan's top-class sake brands. It became famous recently because Prime Minister Abe treated President Obama to a bottle. It also won awards in a world sake contest, making it a sake that's a household name. This is perfect for people new to Japanese sake.
36.【Tokushima】Hanayome Kashi
Tokushima's Hanayome Kashi is a candy that has its roots in regional customs. In Tokushima, when a woman gets married and enters her new home, she distributes Hanayome Kashi to the neighborhood. "Hanayome" means "bride," and "kashi" means "candy." This senbei is made out of mochi rice, and the simple flavor makes it so that people of all ages love it.
HP: www.tokushima-kashi.com (Japanese only)
37.【Kagawa】Agepippi
Kagawa is famous for sanuki udon, but on top of that, there's this snack made of fried udon. This is called Agepippi. These noodles were made springy for sanuki udon, but instead they're fried for a light, crunchy snack. It's gaining lots of popularity lately.
HP: www.merikenya.com (Japanese only)
38.【Ehime】Saka no Ue no Kumo
This snack was inspired by the novel Saka no Ue no Kumo, written by one of Japan's most famous novelists, Ryoutaro Shiba. It uses a citrus fruit from Ehime called iyokan and mixes it with milk for the filling. The cute appearance was made to look like a cloud.
HP: www2.enekoshop.jp (Japanese only)
39.【Kouchi】Kanzashi
This incredibly popular treat is one of Kouchi's most famous souvenirs and sells 45,000,000 pieces a year. It's made with madeleine dough and filled with yuzu flavored white bean paste, creating a perfect blend of Western and Japanese.
HP: www.hamako.com (Japanes only)
40.【Fukuoka】Hiyoko Manjuu
Hiyoko Manjuu has a history of more than 100 years, and it's beloved by many people thanks to its cute appearance and its delicious taste. It's so cute that some people think that eating it is a waste, which makes it's perfect as a souvenir.
HP: www.hamako.com (Japanese only)
41.【Saga】Chanchan Bou
Chanchan Bou is a famous candy from Saga. However, it's not a regular candy. It's similar to candy in that it's made from sugar and starch syrup, but inside there is a roasted soybean. The fragrance of the soybean adds a special touch to the rest of the candy.
42.【Nagasaki】Otakusa
"Otakusan" means hydrangea, and this name comes from the fact that the German scholar Philipp Franz von Siebold and his wife loved this treat. The beautiful, hydrangea-like shape comes from each one being made by hand by craftsmen.
HP: www.kaho-karakusa.co.jp (Japanese only)
43.【Kumamoto】Musha Gaeshi
The name "Musha Gaeshi" comes from stone walls that were made to create the famous Kumamoto Castle - "musha" means warrior and "gaeshi" is a form of the word "to reverse," meaning the stone walls made attacking warriors reverse. The inside of the snack is made of red bean paste that were peeled before being kneaded, bringing out its sweetness. The pie crust is made into 100 layers by hand before being baked.
HP: www.kobai.jp/musha (Japanese only)
44.【Oita】Ichiman-en no Sato
The person on the 10,000 yen bill is Yukichi Fukuzawa, and he was from Oita. This snack is made in his honor. This chewy senbei and cream sandwich would be happily received by pretty much anyone.
HP: www.kasien.jp (Japanese only)
45.【Miyazaki】Mango Caramel
Miyazaki is actually famous for mangoes. This luxurious caramel is made using those caramels. The rich sweetness and fragrance makes this a very popular souvenir.
HP: http://hibiki.easy-myshop.jp/c-item-detail?ic=A000000061 (Japanese only)
46.【Kagoshima】Satsuma Chocolate Chips
Satsuma Chocolate Chips uses the Kagoshima brand Kogane Sengan type of yam to make chips that are then coated in chocolate. The chocolate used is 52% bitter cocoa, and the chocolate works in perfect harmony with the yam to make a popular snack.
HP: www.yanagimura.com (Japanese only)
47.【Okinawa】Chinsukou
Chinsukou is a traditional Okinawan snack. It resembles a moderately sweet cookie. Okinawa has many kinds of food souvenirs, but this is one of the most popular and well-known ones. Why not give it a try?
HP: chinsuko.co.jp (Japanese only)
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