For many of us, it’s the anime and manga that allows us to discover these amazing popular Japanese snacks.

It’s also the reason that got us to try them out too.

Imagine watching the anime or reading the manga where the characters are eating snacks with passion.

Think of a manga like ‘Tis Time for “Torture,” Princess, where they’re literally torturing the princess with food.

You can bet that the next thing you’ll know you’re on a shopping spree to get those Japanese snacks only because you saw those snacks in the anime or manga.

Thankfully, many of the popular Japanese snacks that we see in anime and manga aren’t that hard to get.

Well, at least for me since they’re widely available in major grocery chains and convenience stores.

Sure, some of them may only be available at the specialty store that imports Japanese food.

But they’re still pretty easy to get compared to the condiments used in Japanese cooking.

What makes Japanese snacks so fascinating?

I’ll be the first to admit that some Japanese snacks aren’t that much different from the typical snacks you see in the grocery aisle.

If they’re not that much different from your typical snacks, then what makes these Japanese snacks fascinating then?

It can’t because of the packaging, right?

While I admit that many of them do come with cute packaging, that’s certainly not the reason that makes these snacks fascinating.

Though I have to agree that the chewing gum with a picture of Doraemon and Pikachu on it is enough for me to grab them in a heartbeat.

Putting the packaging aside, I will say that it’s the ingredients that make these snacks fascinating.

Yes, they’re the same salty and sugary stuff that is common in snacks.

But unlike your run-of-the-mill snacks, a handful of them do contain healthy ingredients like green tea and seaweed.

Even with such ingredients present in the snack, it may not necessarily mean that they’re healthy.

It’s not something that you can binge-eating despite the presence of healthy ingredients in them.

The popular Japanese snacks that many people love

While we’ve seen plenty of popular Japanese snacks hit our shores over the last couple of years, I will say that these two Japanese snacks are above the rest.

They’ve been around for eons and are pretty much known even to non-anime fans.

Just mention the name and they will tell you that they recognize those Japanese snacks’ names.

If you’ve been dipping your toes into the world of Japanese snacks, then I’m sure you can guess what they are.

But for those who don’t know, these are the popular Japanese snacks that you should give a try if you haven’t already.

Pocky

It’s not that hard to recognize Pocky from the get-go thanks to its chocolate-coated long and thin biscuits.

While Pocky now comes in many flavors to choose from based on what you see in the picture here, those exotic flavors are only available exclusively in Japan.

It was only over the last few years that the other flavors are making a wave outside of Japan.

Otherwise, the only options you have are either chocolate or strawberry.

As far as the taste is concerned, they sure taste yummy, hands down.

But out of the many flavors that I’ve tried, I will say that my favorite one has to be the matcha one since it’s not that too sweet.

And it’s also not too bitter either. It’s the kind of taste that is similar to the green tea latte but the Pocky version.

Well, it’s hardly surprising considering that I love anything matcha.

And that leads us to the second one which is the very reason that got me to fall in love with the matcha taste in the first place.

KitKat Green Tea

All my life, I’ve only known the chocolate variety since other varieties tend to be exclusively available in Japan.

It was only over the last couple of years or so that the green tea variant made its way outside of Japan, specifically Malaysia.

Yes, the KitKat green tea that you see in this picture is from Malaysia, not Japan.

Not sure what got Nestle to decide to release the green tea variant here, of all places.

But I’m glad that they did since we all know that the only way to get KitKat green tea is to buy it from Amazon Japan or use a shopping service like Buyee.

They even released the KitKat milk tea around a year or two after the green tea one came out.

But sad to say, it wasn’t a permanent thing. I’m guessing that people weren’t as interested in the milk tea version just as much as the green tea version.

While it’s sad that I only got to try the milk tea version once, I’m glad that the green tea version is still available to this day.

A note about the Japanese snacks

Some of you must be wondering whether these Japanese snacks are halal or not.

If you’re talking about Pocky and the KitKat green tea that you buy in Malaysia, then yes, they’re halal-certified.

But the ones that are imported directly from Japan are certainly not halal-certified, though.

While the ingredients used in these snacks are certainly halal, I highly recommend that you check the ingredient list first before you buy if you’re doubtful.

Where to buy these Japanese snacks

If you live in Malaysia, you can get your Japanese snack fix at none other than Lazada and Shopee.

There are many sellers to choose from. But I personally love to buy from Shojikiya since the items that they sell tend to have a long expiry date.

I don’t buy Japanese snacks that often. But I do buy condiments for Japanese cooking a lot.

And for the rest of you, Amazon is your best bet.

In the mood to give new Japanese snacks that you can’t find elsewhere a try? Then you may want to give Bokksu a try.

For those who aren’t familiar with Bokksu, it’s a Japanese snack box subscription where you’ll get a variety of snacks and tea each month.

What makes Bokksu different from your typical snack box subscription is that they’re not the sort of snacks that you can get in the snack aisle in the grocery stores.

But the snacks that you’ll get in Bokksu are the ones that are made by small, family-run businesses.

Think of it as artisan snacks that you can only get in certain areas.

With every box subscription you purchase, you’re helping these businesses keep their traditions alive.

Just to let you know that Bokksu doesn’t pay me to talk about them in this blog post, though.

I’m only adding them to this blog post since I figure that I should let you know about it.

And if you’re from Bokksu? Let me know if you’re interested in sponsoring the blog.

It’s not something you can indulge in every day

It doesn’t matter whether the Japanese snacks you get contain healthy ingredients or not.

A snack will always be a snack. And that means it’s best to eat it occasionally.

Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with indulging in these snacks once in a while.

Considering the amount of sugar and salt you’ll be consuming, that’s sound advice you should remember regardless of which snacks you eat, Japanese snacks or not.

P.S. Yes, I did say that I’m not into eating sweet stuff that much. But I enjoy eating delicious food just as much as everybody else. You can see that clearly in my novel, The Diary of Modern Cinderella, where the main character, Risa Akagi, is enjoying her time indulging in Chinese food with her grandmother while they’re in Yokohama.

Of course, the story going forward doesn’t revolve around food that much. But if you enjoy reading psychological suspense novels and love food, then you may enjoy reading The Diary of Modern Cinderella.

Interested in giving the novel a try? You can download the sample chapter for the novel right here on my Payhip store:

The Diary of Modern Cinderella

Want to buy the light novel? Don’t forget to use the coupon code SEKINAMAYUBLOG to get 25% off your purchase.

Just to let you know that the book is available in print and also on retailers such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Apple Books.

But you can only get a discount if you buy the book on my Payhip store, though.