Japan fun foods!

Japan has some of the most amazing food and that includes awesome fun foods for kids, and the kid at heart! Try some of these ideas and enjoy the yummy, cute and sweet side of Japanese foods.

Rainbow Fairy Floss

This fairy floss has to be seen to be believed! The kids were so excited and that was before the sugar hit! There was a line into the Totti Candy Factory in Harajuku and although they sold a few other things, everyone was lined up for the fairy floss. The staff expertly twirled the fluffy sugar to make these masterpieces. Each colour is a different flavour! Must admit the kids had had enough sugar for a while!

Themed Restaurants

Japan is known for its many themed cafe’s from Pokémon, Hello Kitty, Gundam, Ninja, Kawaii Monster and Gudetama lazy egg cafe. For teens and adults if you are game, there is the Vampire café, Alcatraz café and the Lock up.

No matter which café you choose, the attention to detail that Japan is renowned for, make it more than a meal but an experience. The decor, food and staff are all focused on submerging you into the the theme. A themed café is an absolute must to experience the quirky side of Japan.

Chocolate bananas

These are a popular street food in Japan and surprise surprise they are popular with the kids too!

Multi coloured strawberries and supersized fruit!

The fruit in Japan is huge and it tastes amazing! These apples from Nagano have ‘rivers of sugar’ that you can see when you cut them open, natures goodness perfectly packed.

The white and pink strawberries are not under ripe but different varieties of strawberries and the sweetest strawberries we have ever tasted. And this is just a sample of the awesome fruit you will find in Japan.

Crepes

It might seem strange but crepes are very popular in Japan and a common street food. It is expected that you sit and eat them at the shop, not walk around eating.

This crepe has ice cream, chocolate biscuit, banana and a piece of cheesecake, all topped off with caramel sauce, what more could you want! The kids loved them, just look at that grin!

Soft cream (Ice cream)

Japanese people love ice cream (or soft cream in Japan), even in the middle of winter! Ice cream can be seasonally flavoured and you’ll find Sakura ice cream in cherry blossom season but it can also be regional, in Nagano you have to try the apple ice cream!

There are a number of weird ice cream flavours in Japan to try if you’re game – how about squid ink, or purple sweet potato, or vegetables such as tomato and cherry or carrot and orange, perhaps wasabi is more to your liking, or octopus, or soy sauce…

If you are not so game, or just don’t want to ruin a good ice cream, then perhaps singing ice cream is more to your taste, where staff sing a song for you as they make your ice cream – sweets and a song! (Search for Cold Stone creamery singers Japan!)

Breads

Even the bread in Japan is cute! Japan surprisingly has a number of bakeries and their creations have to be seen to be believed, like this delicious panda!

Bakery goods change with the season, Sakura (cherry blossom) flavoured in spring and pumpkin flavours in Autumn. There are also themed bakeries such as Miffy and Ghibli studio – Totoro cream puff anyone?

Tokyo Banana

Regions of Japan have their local food they are known for. In Tokyo, it is the Tokyo banana, a custard filled cake. You will find them throughout Tokyo and there are some different varieties and limited editions as well. They are at airports in Tokyo and make an awesome gift to bring home for family and friends.

https://www.tokyobanana.jp/language/en/

Doughnuts

There are different character doughnuts through out Japan and lots of cute sweets and foods, just like this. These ones came from Ueno station where their local emblem is the panda from Ueno zoo.

Cheese tart

Japanese cheese tart is a bit like a custard tart but tastes like a mild cheese – fancy that! This one has a strawberry mochi on top which was the specialty of the season. Cheese tarts can be found throughout Japan but are best known in Hokkaido. Most of the cheese tart companies in Japan use milk from Hokkaido dairy farms.

Excitingly, you can now savour these amazing delicacies at Hokkaido baked cheese tart shops located across Australia. One of my fav shops to remind us of our trips to Japan…

Pocky

These Japanese sweets are highly popular with locals and tourists alike. They are an absolute favourite with the kids and we have been known to hoard Pocky on our trips to Japan!

Pocky are biscuit sticks dipped in chocolate, what more could you want! Well, in true Japanese style it doesn’t stop there. There are countless different flavours of Pocky – strawberry, matcha (green tea), cookies and cream, almond, grape, melon. Different shapes – heart shaped and different sizes – check out Giant Pocky!!!

There are also limited edition regional Pocky with flavours and ingredients that the region is known for. They can only be purchased in that region, like this sweet potato Pocky from Hokuriku, which tasted like roasted sweet potato, delicious!

KitKats

You might think you know KitKats but you have never had anything like this…

There are so many different flavours of KitKats in Japan and, like Pocky, each region has a different flavour; apple, grape, rock melon, strawberry, matcha (green tea), sake – just to name a few. Some of the flavours can be a bit bizarre, the Onsen (hot spring) flavoured KitKats were definitely unique! These are great to take home as gifts for family, friends and work colleagues.

Vending machines – ok so these are generally drinks…

Vending machines are everywhere in Japan, in fact it has been said that there is one for every person in Japan! They are on just about every corner, on the express trains and even on the top of popular mountain trails!

Although vending machines are found across the world, in Japan they just seem more special! In colder weather, nothing beats a can of hot chocolate (or coffee) to warm the hands. Some vending machines have hot strawberry or hot banana milk drinks.

Or perhaps you could try a Pocari Sweat – yep, a bottle of sweat! Tastes like a lemon sports drink.

These are our favourites and it just scrapes the surface of the oishii and kawaii foods in Japan! There are many other desserts that are exquisite masterpieces. What are your favourites?