Japanese sweets are famous for both their colourful packaging and unique tastes. They're great for indulging in, sharing with friends, or buying as a souvenir gift. But, with such a wide range of chocolates, biscuits, gummies and hard candies to choose from, it can be hard to know what to try first!
If you're new to the exciting world of Japanese sweets, this guide will serve as a great introduction. From traditional confectionaries like Warabi mochi, to contemporary favourites like Hi-Chews and Koala's March, we've ranked the 10 best Japanese sweet available in the UK. Keep reading to discover our top picks with links to buy from Amazon and Japan Centre.
For those after a quick look, here is our Top 5:
For a more in-depth look at the comprehensive top 10 selection, make sure to read on to learn more about the different types of Japanese sweets available and understand how our ranking was determined.
This article's chosen EC site price listings are reflective of its publishing date.
Image | 1 ![]() Morinaga | 2 ![]() Lotte | 3 ![]() Shindo Shigeharu | 4 ![]() Fujiya | 5 ![]() Yaokin | 6 ![]() Coris | 7 ![]() Imuraya | 8 ![]() Kabaya | 9 ![]() Nobel | 10 ![]() Sunshine Co |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Hi Chew Green Apple | Koala's March Strawberry Flavoured Biscuit | Candied Amanatsu Citrus Peel | Pop Candy | Ramune Tablet Candy | Mystery Mix Mizuame Syrup DIY Candy Kit | Squeezable Warabi Mochi Sweets - Brown Sugar | Puchi Pastel Chocolate Cone Snacks | Assorted Fruits Soft Jelly Sweets | Traditional Boxed Sweets - Temari Ball Sugar Candy |
Features | Japanese Chewy Sweet Bursting With Fruity Flavours | Cute Koala Shaped Biscuits Filled With Strawberry Cream | Candied Citrus With a Sweet and Sour Flavour | Fruity Lollipops From One of Japan’s Most Loved Confectionary Brands | Refreshing Candies Inspired by Ramune Soda | Discover Fun New Flavours With This Candy DIY Kit | A Modern Sweet Take On Traditional Mochi | Chocolate Ice Cream Cone Biscuits With a Fun Game | Soft Fruit Jelly Sweets That Are Gelatin-Free | Beautifully Packaged Traditional Candy Makes for the Ideal Gift |
Price | £1.65 | £12.00 | £4.25 | £6.25 | £1.35 | £1.86 | £5.99 | £3.20 | £8.28 | £8.98 |
Modern / Traditional | Modern | Modern | Traditional | Modern | Traditional | Modern | Both | Modern | Traditional | Traditional |
Type | Soft chew candy with fruit filling | Small biscuits with a strawberry cream filling | Candied citrus peel | Fruit lollipops with popping candy | Small tablet style sweets | DIY candy which makes candy floss | Sweet mochi | Chocolate covered biscuits | Sugar covered jelly sweets | Hard candy |
Flavour | Apple | Strawberry | Citrus | Strawberry, orange, grape, soda | Ramune (soft drink) | Strawberry, soda and lemon | Warabi | Chocolate | Grape, orange, peach and apple | Sugar |
Vegan / Vegetarian | No | Vegetarian | Both vegan and vegetarian | Both vegan and vegetarian | Both vegetarian and vegan | Both vegetarian and vegan | Both vegetarian and vegan | Vegetarian | Both vegetarian and vegan | Both vegetarian and vegan |
Dietary Information | Contains gelatin, soy | Contains milk, wheat, egg | - | - | - | - | - | Contains wheat and milk | - | - |
Link |
To help you decide, think about whether you want to try traditional or contemporary Japanese sweets. For example, some of the most traditional sweets eaten throughout Japan's history include candied fruits, soft jellies and sweet mochi.
Click here to learn more about traditional and popular Japanese snacks!
What makes Japanese sweets so popular around the world is that they come in both familiar and unique flavours. Fruits are often used either as a filling or coating on many sweets. Yet, there are many exciting flavours to try. Here are some of the most common:
Gummies and chewy sweets are extremely popular in Japan, with some of the most famous being Hi-Chew and Mikakuto gummies. However, these types of sweets tend to include gelatin in order to create texture. Given that gelatin is derived from animals, it is therefore unsuitable for vegetarians and vegans.
That said, there are some sweets which are made with a gelling agent called pectin that's derived solely from plants. Another gelatin substitute commonly used in a variety of Asian desserts is agar, a jelly-like substance made from red algae and other vegetables. You can even use agar to make traditional Japanese jellies and raindrop cakes.
While there are plenty of vegan-friendly Japanese sweets, certain varieties can be harder to find. Sadly, most biscuits and chocolates in Japan contain eggs or milk powder. That's why it's important to check the ingredients list if you have specific dietary requirements or allergies.
To add a finishing touch, why not pair your chosen sweet with a Japanese tea?
This ranking has been compiled by the writing team at mybest UK via careful evaluation of the points made in the buying guide and thorough research of each product and comparing multiple verified customer reviews across the EC sites used.
£1.65
Modern / Traditional | Modern |
---|---|
Type | Soft chew candy with fruit filling |
Flavour | Apple |
Vegan / Vegetarian | No |
Dietary Information | Contains gelatin, soy |
£12.00
Modern / Traditional | Modern |
---|---|
Type | Small biscuits with a strawberry cream filling |
Flavour | Strawberry |
Vegan / Vegetarian | Vegetarian |
Dietary Information | Contains milk, wheat, egg |
£4.25
Modern / Traditional | Traditional |
---|---|
Type | Candied citrus peel |
Flavour | Citrus |
Vegan / Vegetarian | Both vegan and vegetarian |
Dietary Information | - |
£6.25
Modern / Traditional | Modern |
---|---|
Type | Fruit lollipops with popping candy |
Flavour | Strawberry, orange, grape, soda |
Vegan / Vegetarian | Both vegan and vegetarian |
Dietary Information | - |
£1.35
Modern / Traditional | Traditional |
---|---|
Type | Small tablet style sweets |
Flavour | Ramune (soft drink) |
Vegan / Vegetarian | Both vegetarian and vegan |
Dietary Information | - |
£1.86
Modern / Traditional | Modern |
---|---|
Type | DIY candy which makes candy floss |
Flavour | Strawberry, soda and lemon |
Vegan / Vegetarian | Both vegetarian and vegan |
Dietary Information | - |
£5.99
Modern / Traditional | Both |
---|---|
Type | Sweet mochi |
Flavour | Warabi |
Vegan / Vegetarian | Both vegetarian and vegan |
Dietary Information | - |
£3.20
Modern / Traditional | Modern |
---|---|
Type | Chocolate covered biscuits |
Flavour | Chocolate |
Vegan / Vegetarian | Vegetarian |
Dietary Information | Contains wheat and milk |
£8.28
Modern / Traditional | Traditional |
---|---|
Type | Sugar covered jelly sweets |
Flavour | Grape, orange, peach and apple |
Vegan / Vegetarian | Both vegetarian and vegan |
Dietary Information | - |
£8.98
Modern / Traditional | Traditional |
---|---|
Type | Hard candy |
Flavour | Sugar |
Vegan / Vegetarian | Both vegetarian and vegan |
Dietary Information | - |
Written and researched by Jane Pipkin
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