32 Classic Japanese Snacks
posted by John Spacey, July 16, 2015
Japan's first snack boom was in the 15th century when Samurai invented small portable foods that had a long shelf life for battle. Many of these snacks have survived to this day.The next wave of Japanese snack innovation came in the 1860s after Japanese markets suddenly opened to imported sugar and grains. Western style snacks were amongst the first Japanese factory products as the country began to industrialize. Such snacks weren't western for long as they quickly adapted to the local culture.Snacks continued to gain popularity as industrialization picked up speed and workers spent more time at the factory or office. The children of these workers had more pocket money and became a significant customer for snack companies. The Japanese snack food industry became highly competitive and popular brands introduced new limited addition flavors on a monthly basis in order to gain shelf space at Japanese convenience stores and supermarkets.It's a common complaint in Japan that snacks come and go quickly. Just when you find something you like, they stop making it. In this environment of constant change, a few snacks have held up to become classics. These are the snacks that have held on for decades or longer to become much adored symbols of Japanese snack culture.
1. Senbei
Senbei are Japanese rice crackers. They are available in hundreds of flavors, shapes and colors. Senbei are best fresh off the grill.
2. Crepes
Crepes shops, often with 30 or more plastic models out front that represent the menu, are a common sight in Japan. The pancakes used in Japanese crepes are similar to the French original but the ingredients inside tend to be quite different.
3. Pocky
Pocky are a brand of chocolate covered biscuit sticks launched in 1966 that have a chocolate-free zone on each stick for your hands. They have gone on to become a classic Japanese snack that is well known in Asia. They have been released in hundreds of flavors but the red packaged chocolate flavor is the timeless classic.
4. Dorayaki
Dorayaki are two castella pancakes sandwiched together with anko and other ingredients such as whipped cream.
5. Melon Pan
Bread shaped like a melon with a thin cookie crust. Despite their name, Melon Pan aren't typically melon flavored.
6. Manju
Manju are Chinese-style steamed buns that have a bread-like outer shell and a sweet inner filling. The bread is somewhat sticky and they are often have wax paper on the bottom. Manju come in hundreds of varieties.
7. Dango
Japanese rice dumplings that are usually served on a stick with a sweet topping.
8. Daifuku
Mochi filled with sweet fillings such as anko. Daifuku come in endless varieties and are easy to find in Japan. They're as common as cake.
9. Pretz
Pretz are a brand of seasoned pretzel-like sticks they were first released in 1962 predating other stick-shaped Japanese snacks such as pocky.
10. Castella
Castella are sponge cakes that were introduced to Japan by the Portuguese in the 16th century. Despite their simple taste, they remain popular in Japan today.
11. Kaki No Tane
Kaki No Tane, literally "kaki seeds", are senbei rice crackers with a distinctive shape that look like the seeds of a kaki fruit. They are slightly spicy as their ingredients include a small amount of chilli powder. Kaki No Tane are usually served mixed with peanuts and are considered a drinking snack.
12. Wasabi Peas
Roasted peas partially covered in a batter that includes wasabi powder or flavoring. Real wasabi is difficult to cultivate and is fairly expensive. It's common for snacks to include simulated wasabi flavor such as horseradish.
13. Imagawayaki
Imagawayaki are a Japanese street food that resemble thick pancakes filled with red bean paste, custard, fruit jams, meat, potatoes or curry. 
14. Umaibo
Umaibo are a brand of individually wrapped corn puffs that come in dozens of flavors both savory and sweet. They are represented by a cat mascot that looks remarkably like Doraemon.
15. Choco Banana
Chocolate or strawberry chocolate coated bananas on a stick are a classic Japanese festival food. They are typically covered in chocolate sprinkles. In some cases, the chocolate used is more waxy than sweet.
16. Anpan
Anpan is a type of sweet roll invented in 1875 by a former Samurai. They are most often filled with red bean paste.
17. Kinoko No Yama
Kinoko No Yama, literally "mushroom mountain", are a brand of biscuits shaped like mushrooms topped with chocolate that come in several flavors. They have a sister product called Takenoko No Sato that are shaped like bamboo shoots.
18. Arare
A type of small, roundish Japanese crackers made with glutinous rice and flavored with soy sauce. Arare often have something at their center such as peanuts or peas.
19. Anmitsu
Anmitsu is a classic Japanese dessert that is made from ingredients such as anko, agar jelly, mochi, fruits, boiled peas and ice cream served in a bowl with a small pot of black syrup or kinako on the side.
20. Karinto
Karinto are a deep fried Japanese sweet with a characteristic burnt appearance and crunchy texture that date back to the Edo-era. They are increasingly rare in modern times but can be found at old fashioned cafes and ryokan as a snack.
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