I don’t usually do a Take-Homes post until we’ve been in a place for a while, but Tokyo’s supermarkets and mini-marts are crammed with so many scrummy snack foods, both savoury and sweet, that I’ve found it hard to resist grabbing an armful each time we’ve popped in for some Kirin. So, here’s what I’ve found for you for Tokyo Take-Homes…
Retro labelling and packaging of soft drinks (or soda pops depending on where you come from), lemonades and ciders seems to be a growing trend if the products in the supermarket fridges are anything to go by. There are some very cool drinks around, including this Unzen lemonade, which is not actually from Tokyo, but from Nagasaki, but I couldn’t resist showing it to you.
I love seaweed and I love sesame, but these seaweed and sesame crackers are definitely an acquired taste: very pungent, very grassy, and even a tad peppery, they’re best in moderation, and are nicely matched with an icy glass of Asahi.
These cute senbei snacks have plastic wrappers that make them look like little girls and boys dressed in traditional costume. Inside there’s a soy-flavoured rice crisp that serves as the body and a soy-coated peanut for the head. They’re sweet and savoury at the same time. Delish!
These potato sticks are made from three different types of potatoes, and come in purple and pink as well as the usual creamy potato colour. They’re scrummy, full-flavoured, but not too salty, and while they’re sold right next to all the usual packets of crisps and are the same price here in Tokyo, I can imagine them only being sold in specialty shops and costing an arm and a leg in some countries.
Asakusa’s famous centuries-old shopping street, Nakamise, is famous for its Japanese souvenirs such as fans and brushes, and its traditional snacks, including ningyoyaki and agemanju, small soft cakes with red bean paste filling, along with osenbei (rice crackers) and kibidango (skewered soybean balls). They seem to be the local’s souvenir of choice and it’s something of a weekend ritual to line up for the things.
I admit that as much as I love drinking tea I initially bought the Sakura tea for the pretty packaging, however, it turned out to be delicious, made from quality black tea blended with cherry blossom essence and leaves.
Like any supermarket around the world, in Tokyo supermarkets you’ll see stands of chewing gum, bubble gum and cough drops beside the cash register, and if you’re like me you’ll be sampling some every day. The red packet of ‘Oxylish’ gum above is super-fruity and flavoursome, while the RyuKakuSan Origional Japanese Herbal Throat Drops do wonders for clearing the throat yet have a subtle flavour.
I’m curious to know the history of these colourful candies as you can buy similar old-fashioned sweets at The Rocks in Sydney and I recently saw some in Venice in the shape of Murano glass beads. These flower-patterned lollies are similar-looking but the flavours are distinctly Japanese, aromatic and tasting of exotic Asian fruits like lychee and mangosteen.
Do you have any favorite Japanese snacks? Any tips on unmissable things to try and buy?
Looking for Tokyo souvenir ideas? Do take a look at my other posts on Tokyo take-homes, including Quintessential Keepsakes, Stationery Souvenirs and Kitsch Keepsakes for Kids.
You have to try the Ume (sour plum) gum by LOTTE, and Milky candies are pretty much what Hershey is to the U.S. I used to love going to the Japanese convenience stores to buy all kinds of random food to try!
This is the first time that I leave commnet, even I have read your blog for half year. I I am very surprise that you came to Japan, I think that your travel is just in Europe a. have a nice day.
by the way, I am leave in Nagano of Japan, about 2,3 hours from Tokyo.
※I am not so good at English , if you look my blog, you will know that I am studying English now (and before) ..
I like the retro soda pop. It must be the labelling style in the old times – the Japanese writing is from right to left. So classic. Those mini doll senbei snacks are a hit as souvenirs, always. People refuse to eat it though (saying it’s to beautiful to eat!) and instead, place in their office desks as a decoration.
I always stared at all those charming products when I enter a convenient store in Tokyo! I feel so disarmed as I have no clue what the drinks and foods are! One should try them all, at least little by little! How did you manage? Didi you just tried some or were you able to get the aid of some local? ;-)
Actually I recently found in some convenient stores in Tokyo some really wierd and “unique” japanese specialty: “Sardinian chips”! Something impossible to find anywhere else in the world, not even in Italy, where I never heard about it! Funny how sometimes you find things in certain countries which have an appeal to locals and foreigners just because they claim to be from somewhere else in the world where after careful investigation you may find out it is kind of a fake! Apart from that, I love those japanese sweet and sour rice chips which are orange crispy, round shaped snacks. I don’t know the name though, for it’s written in japanese!!
“Osenbei”! Found them! You mentioned them in your post. The rice snacks I love are also called “Otsumami”
Thanks for the tip! Totally agree with you! And I love anything plum-flavoured actually! Yum! Not a fan of Hershey though, but get what you mean. I didn’t see the milky candies though. Shame. Thanks for dropping by, Kristen.
Hi Yuki – thank you so much for leaving a comment. We’re so pleased to know that you’ve been reading the blog and now you have left a comment. Actually, we’re going to the USA next, then Central and South America, then across to Africa, and back to Europe at the end of the year.
We’ve loved our time in Tokyo. I’m sorry we’re not going to get to Nagano – next time, I hope! We will definitely come and look at your blog, and I hope you’ll drop by to say hi to us again. :)
Ciao Antonio! We just chose them/tried them ourselves. Got lots of help from locals on other things, but we can manage the supermarket on our own! ;) You must try them when you’re next there! Thanks for commenting!
That’s amazing! Would love to know the name…?
We also noticed at the fish markets that Japanese love bottarga too! Brought back memories! :) But the Japanese love Italian too – it’s everywhere! – pasta, noodles, makes sense, doesn’t it?
Thanks for that! I’ll have to look them up. :)
I love the retro labelling too! Just gorgeous! And there are so many of them now. Well, my senbei snacks are gone, I’m afraid. My mum helped me eat them! YUM!
The potato sticks look yummy, I’ll have to remember them when I get the opportunity to go to Japan. Anything with red bean paste definitely has my attention and the Sakura tea sounds equally tasty. I’ve never been a fan of the dried seaweed as a snack, but to each his own. Everyone likes different flavors and that’s the best part.
Totally agree with you, Brooke! When you do go to Japan make sure you let us know if you make any great discoveries in the snack food department. Thanks for dropping by!