Top 10 Japanese Regional Sweets

Shiroi Koibito is a delicious little snack made form white chocolate between two buttery, thin cookies. It is a specialty of Hokkaido. Fun fact: The name literally translates to “White Lover”, kind of strange, huh?

These are called “donuts”, but they are more crispy and crunchy than most donuts. They are a specialty of Kumamoto!

From the beautiful Okinawa comes the Sata Andagi, or Okinawan donuts! They are mildly sweet and drier than your typical donut, but they are worth a try. They taste best when fresh ♪

Filled with sweet bean paste, this wonderful snack is from Fukuoka. It is dense, filling, and delicious.

This creamy pudding is from Nara. It’s a welcome change from the usual dryness of Japanese sweets. The taste is light and milky.

From Tokyo, the famous Tokyo banana! It is a yummy sponge cake filled with cream. It’s really well received as a souvenir, and I also love the taste!

A more traditional style Japanese sweet. This mochi is from Yamanashi, and every one cheers when they receive this as a souvenir! It’s dusted with roasted soybean flour and drenched in a sweet syrup. 

Who can resist a light, fluffy, sweet treat? These fluffy cheesecakes are a specialty of Osaka. They are famous for their jiggle and light texture. It’s no where near as sweet and rich as a western style cheese cake, but it is delicious with it’s airy texture and subtle taste.

A lovely traditional Japanese sweet from the lovely traditional Kyoto! Yatsuhashi is made with a thin mochi-like skin and filled with many different things. It’s easy to eat, and all the variety of flavors means that it is always a crowd pleaser!

I promise I am not biased, being a Hiroshima resident and all… But, I have always loved Momiji-Manju from the first moment that I received it as an omiyage in Kyoto. This is my favorite Japanese sweet because it perfects the balance between sweet and non-sweet and dry and moist. There are also so many fillings to try! It tastes best heated up.