Oiwake Dango Strawberry mochi: Before I moved, I tried looking up in advance all the best specialty snack shops in Tokyo, but since arriving, I've found a better strategy is just wandering around and seeing where the lines are. This small confectionary shop in Shinjuku specializes in various types of dango, or mochi. I purchased a pale pink one that unexpectedly contained a whole strawberry as well as red bean. The mochi was very pillowy yet chewy, the strawberry a little tart and not particularly sweet. Overall, I enjoye... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese shinjuku oiwakedango strawberry mochi 3.5
Tohato Peanut Caramel Corn: Tohato Caramel Corn is a standard Japanese snack, available at most convenience stores. I believe this is special packaging (perhaps for valentines day) for a peanut flavor that is normally available (i.e., it's not a special edition seasonal flavor). Nonetheless, I did find the glazed corn snacks to be flavorful, and there are roasted peanuts in the bag too. A nice, satisfying sweet snack. 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese tohato peanut caramel corn 3.5
Fanta Socata Soda: This is a limited edition vending-machine exclusive in Japan from Fanta, the first in a series they're calling 'Delicious Flavours of the World,' where they introduce flavors only available in other regions of the world to the Japanese market. I found out about it because I was intrigued by the name SOCATA?! on the label, with the universal white and blue color scheme of mystery flavors (e.g. White Air Heads, Mystery Oreo, etc.) The label also features a castle in the background, hinting a... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks soda japanese vendingmachine fanta socata 3.5
Emial Tapiocatime Royal Latte: My sleep has been terrible, with jetlag and the world burning down, so I've been relying on caffeinated beverages more than normal. On my way to lab, I purchased this tapioca drink from 7-11. It's an iced coffee, very sweet, that contains gelatinous balls that aren't quite like normal starchy and chewy tapioca but have a unique texture all its own that I surprisingly enjoyed. It reminds me a little bit of a more chewy jellyfish, which I know is not the most appetizing comparison but the cl... (read more) 3.5/5.0
drinks coffee japanese 711 emial tapiocatime royal latte 3.5 recommended
Nihonbashiya Apple Mochi: This shop adjacent to the Akihabara station has mini fruit-shaped mochi that are incredibly cute. I bought two to try: apple and persimmon. This apple one was my favorite with a surprisingly concentrated apple-flavored paste at its center. I didn't realize it would actually taste like apple, and it was well balanced and not too sweet, even though it's covered in sugar. 3.5/5.0
recommended confectionary sweets tokyo akihabara japanese nihonbashiya apple mochi 3.5
Snow Brand Almond Pudding: I've now tried every flavor of this brand of pudding, which has an exceptionally tender slippery texture, more like a panna cotta or custard than American puddings. This almond flavored one was my favorite - it had the most neutral flavor and wasn't too sweet, tasting purely of sweet almonds. 3.5/5.0
recommended Daiei japanese snowbrand almond pudding 3.5