Japanese convenience store snacks are popular worldwide. Unique flavours, satisfying crunch, cute packaging — if you’ve ever been to Japan, you know the struggle of choosing from those shelves.
Japan has an insane variety of snacks, so you won’t find everything here. But the classics are available in London.
Savoury Snacks
Jagarico Crunchy potato sticks in a cup. Salad, cheese, and tarako butter flavours are popular.
Baby Star Ramen Crunchy bits of instant ramen you eat straight from the bag. Original, yakisoba, and garlic flavours. A soul snack for Japanese people.
Kappa Ebisen (Calbee Prawn Crackers) Light, crispy prawn-flavoured crackers. The jingle “Can’t stop, won’t stop” is iconic in Japan.
Calbee Potato Chips Nori Shio Seaweed and salt flavour. A Japanese potato chip classic.
Kaki no Tane Spicy rice crackers mixed with peanuts. Perfect with beer. Wasabi and ume shiso flavours also available.
Caramel Corn Sweet caramel-flavoured puff snacks. Light and crunchy. Another Japanese soul snack.
Happy Turn Rice crackers coated in sweet and salty “Happy Powder.” Highly addictive. Also a Japanese soul snack.
Chocolate Snacks
Pocky The classic. Biscuit sticks coated in chocolate. Matcha and strawberry flavours are popular too.
Toppo The reverse of Pocky — chocolate inside the biscuit stick. “Chocolate all the way to the end” is the selling point.
Koala’s March Koala-shaped biscuits filled with chocolate. Loved by kids and adults alike.
Kit Kat Japanese Kit Kats are famous for their crazy variety of flavours. Matcha, strawberry, hojicha — some are available in the UK.
Kinoko no Yama Mushroom-shaped chocolate snacks. Recently started appearing in UK supermarkets. The rivalry between Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato fans is eternal.
Gummy & Candy
Hi-Chew Chewy soft candy with fruit flavours.
Kaju Gummy Fruit juice gummies. Grape, orange, muscat flavours.
Kogumi Small, colourful gummies with multiple flavours in one bag.
Ramune Candy A uniquely Japanese tablet candy. Refreshingly sweet.
Where to Buy
Online
WASO London’s largest Japanese food delivery service. Great selection of snacks — Jagarico, Baby Star, Kaki no Tane and more. Same-day delivery in London, next-day across the UK.
In Store
Rice Wine Shop A long-established Japanese grocery in Soho. Good range of snacks, sweets, and seasonings.
Japan Centre London’s biggest Japanese supermarket. Stores in Piccadilly and Westfield.
Ichiba Japanese food hall at Westfield London. The supermarket section stocks snacks too.
For more options, check out our guide to Japanese supermarkets in London.
Bonus: Only in Japanese Convenience Stores
These you can’t get in the UK — but definitely try them if you visit Japan:
Convenience Store Sweets Cream puffs, pudding, tiramisu — the quality of Japanese convenience store desserts is unreal. Seven-Eleven’s sweets are especially good.
Onigiri Rice balls with crispy seaweed and various fillings. Tuna mayo, salmon, and mentaiko are classics.
Nikuman Steamed meat buns from the hot food counter. A winter staple.
Final Thoughts
Many Japanese convenience store snacks are actually available in London. Check WASO, Rice Wine Shop, or Japan Centre.
If you’re planning a trip to Japan, the convenience store snack aisle is a must. Hunting for limited edition and seasonal flavours is half the fun.
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Written by Ayaka Uchida – CEO of A-Digital Works, founder of Nihon GO! World.