First published on TripZilla, in collaboration with ZUJI.

Let me get things straight – I love it when my friends come back from Japan armed with box after box of Tokyo Bananas. But truth be told… the Tokyo Banana? A little passé. Plus, the short expiry dates are a total bugger! On my last trip to Japan, I managed to hunt down 12 yummy Japanese snacks – all of which a little bit tastier, a wee bit cuter, and definitely a whole lot more novel than the old Tokyo Banana. And it’s not just me; all my friends and family back home loved all these as well!

1. Tokyo Saison Honey Bears (Petit version)

Image credit: Terra Saison Patisserie de la Nature

These adorable little things are bite-size and give a tangy pop of sweetness once you bite into the honey filling nestled in the middle of that light fluffy pastry. They’re surprisingly addictive and I couldn’t stop at one. Before I knew it, I had chomped through the whole box in minutes!

Tip: You can find these at Tokyo Station at the ‘Terra Saison’ store, and my tip for you? Buy more than one box. You’ll thank me later!

2. R.L .Cream Waffle Cake

Image credit: R.L. Waffle Cake

We Singaporeans are huge fans of waffles. Ice cream waffles, charcoal waffles, red velvet waffles or even salted egg yolk waffles. You name it, we probably have it. So when I chanced upon these cream waffles in Japan, how could I resist? These waffles are filled with cream of varying flavours – strawberry, orange, maple and matcha, just to name a few. Some even have little pieces of fruit encased within the cream.

Tip: For something a little more travel friendly, why not get the bite-sized versions as pictured above right? They can be found at Tokyo Station and are really handy for long train rides – we were glad to have something to munch on during our Shinkansen (Japanese for ‘bullet train’) rides across Japan!

3. Tokyo Cheese Biscuits

Image credit: Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory

Despite being unassuming in appearance, these biscuits pack a good punch the minute you bite into them. You can choose from a couple of flavours – Salt & Camembert, Honey & Gorgonzola, Basil Tomato & Mozzarella Cookie – but my favourite would be the first one.

Tip: True to its name, these milk cheese biscuits are only found in Tokyo and not anywhere else in Japan. So don’t leave Tokyo without getting yourself a box or two! You’ll find these at Tokyo Station (which if you haven’t realised by now, is an absolute treasure trove for Japanese snacks), or across Tokyo like Lumine in Shinjuku, Tokyo Sky Tree or at Haneda Airport.

Update: These can now be found in Singapore too!

4. Yaokin Umaibo – Doraemon Sticks

If you’re a fan of the utterly adorable Japanese anime character – Doraemon, this is the snack for you! Yaokin Umaibo, affectionately known as ‘Doraemon sticks’, are essentially puffed corn sticks that are immensely popular among children and  adults alike. What makes these snacks stand out are their cheery coloured packaging – every stick is adorned with the Doraemon character in various costumes; you might get a chef one day and an astronaut the next. These sticks are delightful to crunch on, and come in a variety of flavours such as Curry, Beef Tongue, Mentaiko or just the essential Corn flavour.

Tip: For those who like quirky flavours, try the Teriyaki Burger or Takoyaki flavours. Visit Japan’s multilevel variety store – Don Quijote – to find the largest range of Yaokin Umaibo available. You can find lots of stuff including souvenirs at Don Quijote as well; the store is like an upsized Daiso, but times ten!

Update: These can also now be found in Singapore's Don Don Donki stores!

5. Jaga Pokkuru

Image credit: (bottom) Calbee Potato Farm; (top) Jonathan Haynes

Unbeknownst to many, this is not your ordinary french fry. Sure they might look like it, but the snack actually tastes like crispy potato chips delightfully condensed into the form of a french fry. Think: the combination of french fries and potato chips, but much much better! The snack tastes just like the real potato, and the salt coating the fries adds a delightful tang. The best thing about these fries that they aren’t just cookie-cutter freeze dried ones that are fried with machines whilst manufacturing. In fact, the potato strips are cut from whole potatoes and fried by an actual human being! The snack originates from Hokkaido and can only be found there.

Tip: This snack comes in small packets of about 100 calories worth, which is great should you have a tendency to binge snack. That being said, it’s a great stress reliever. And I say this from experience!

6. Momiji Manju

Image credit: Travis

These maple-leaf pastries are commonly found at Hiroshima or on Miyajima Island. When translated, Momiji actually means maple leaf, and Manju means popular Japanese sweet snack. It commonly comes with a red bean filling, but variations have been said to contain chocolate, cream cheese and cream. These pastries fit snugly into one’s palm, making for a nice comfort food.

Tip: I highly recommend making a day trip from Hiroshima to Miyajima Island! The island is a mere 20-minute train ride and 10-minute ferry ride away from Hiroshima, and is home to the famous floating torii gate. Miyajima Island is also home to lots of free-roaming deer, offering an alternative to the touristy Nara. 

7. Japanese candy dolls

What makes a better souvenir from Japan than a packet of intricately decorated snacks decorated as Japanese dolls? This innovative packaging uses a round pea-like snack as the head and a long salty cracker as the body. What I love about Japan is the level of detail in their packaging – every snack is so delightfully packaged that I just want to buy them all – even if I haven’t tasted them before! And this particular snack features Japanese women dressed in colourful kimonos, as well as Japanese men in their casual yukatas. They’re almost too cute to eat!

Tip: These snacks either come in individually packaged packets of 10, or in a giant bag containing 50 or so. This snack is commonly found in Asakusa, which is also known as the old town of Tokyo. Asakusa is home to the famous Sensoji Temple and Nakamise souvenir street, which is filled with stores selling the Japanese candy dolls.

8. Candied baby crabs

What caught my eye about this snack was the packaging, which depicts a giant cheery crab having lots of… smaller crabs in its mouth. Cannibalistic or quirky, it definitely piqued my interest. The candied baby crabs are actual small baby hermit crabs – not crab-flavoured tidbits, but actual real baby crabs – coated with sesame seeds and a sweet sauce.

Tip: From what I heard, the briny crunch goes pretty well when accompanied with beer as well. Perfect for that overnight mahjong session!

9. Owara Tamaten

Image credit: Aapo Haapanen

Owara Tamaten consists of a luscious yellow marshmallow cube that quite literally melts in your mouth. It’s sweet like honey and has a crusty exterior with a gooey filling. It looks like the well-loved tamagoyaki (a sweet Japanese egg omelette) but the cubed version. This snack is made on the spot by an endearing elderly couple, and the stall is often characterised by long snaking queues. These yellow delights can be found at Miyagawa Morning Market in Takayama, a quaint Japanese town located high up in the mountains.

Tip: Takayama itself is well-worth a visit, and offers a taste of rural Japan. The town is especially popular in the winter, where snow blankets the streets. Miyagawa Morning Market itself is located parallel to the picturesque Miyagawa River, which makes for a relaxing morning stroll. The stalls in the market are pretty liberal with giving out free samples, so do visit on an empty stomach!

10. Hiyoko Manju

Image credit: Hiyoko

Hiyoko translates to ‘chick’ in English, and its hence only natural for this snack to come in the form of a cute little chick! Hiyoko Manju are a fragrant pastry with a sweet bean filling, and are a welcome change from the usual square or oblong shaped snacks. These cute little pastries have captured many a foodie’s heart! The filling is pleasingly sweet, short of being cloying, and perfectly complements the soft aromatic exterior.

Tip: These cute chick snacks originate from Fukuoka, and are most commonly found in that region. However, they were received with much fanfare that they’re also sold in select stores in Tokyo. The box is really cute to keep as well, and even come with little compartments that you can use to store trinkets!

11. Baumkuchen layered cake

Image credit: Baumkuchen

Baumkuchen refers to a layered cake, where individual layers are added on after the previous layer has browned. How bakers do this is by rotating the cake on a spit and pouring the batter layer by layer. By allowing each respective layer to brown before the subsequent one is added, the end result reveals an intricately layered cake with golden lines between the layers. When sliced, the cake resembles the growth rings on a tree, and rightly so because Baumkuchen loosely translates to “tree cake” in English! I loved peeling the layers off layer by layer; the cake is really buttery and moist, and goes rather well with tea too.

Tip: A popular flavour would be matcha, but the cake has a Tokyo Banana version as well – which might come in useful for when you’re sick of the real thing but still secretly want a taste.

12. Keishindo Senbei

Image credit: Keishindo

These rice crackers can be found in any department store in Japan but I actually chanced upon these in a vintage shop along the street. There are dedicated Senbei shops, which has an old-school nostalgic feel that makes the selling of these crackers all the more novel. These rice crackers are crispy and salty, giving that extra zing with every bite.

Tip: They have crackers shaped like actual prawns as well, but from time to time they roll out some with famous Tokyo landmarks – such as the Tokyo Tower or the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa – imprinted on the cracker. 

Empty your stomachs and loosen your waist belts before your trip to Tokyo – trust us, you’re gonna need to do them both.