Japanese Snacks Guide 2025: Top 15 Dagashi Every Traveler Should Try — And Where to Find Japan’s Largest Dagashi Shop

From whistle candy to Umaibo, explore Japan’s most nostalgic dagashi and discover the massive hidden snack paradise in Okayama.

Dec 23, 2025

Today I want to introduce you to something completely different from the usual “wellness travel Japan” spots like onsen, gardens, or temples. This time, it’s all about Japan’s largest dagashi shop in Okayama an unforgettable place filled with nostalgic Japanese childhood snacks that you almost never see in Tokyo or Kyoto.

If you’ve never heard of dagashi, you’re not alone. Even many Japanese people haven’t visited a real dagashi store in years. But this place in Okayama is so huge, so charming, and so impossible to reach on your own that I always recommend joining the guided tour I talked about earlier. It’s the easiest way to get there without worrying about transportation.

This article is especially for…

Travelers coming to Japan who want to bring home fun Japanese snacks
Anyone who loves old-Japan nostalgia and wants to experience Japanese childhood culture
Readers who want to discover the best dagashi through my personal childhood favorites

And today, I’m sharing 15 dagashi that shaped my childhood.
The first 8 are for all readers, and the top 7 are for paid subscribers… so if you enjoy nostalgic Japanese food, I would be happy if you considered upgrading.

First, What Is Dagashi?

Dagashi are traditional Japanese snacks that are simple, cheap, and full of old-fashioned charm. Before Japan had fancy convenience stores, every neighborhood had a small shop called a dagashiya where kids bought snacks for 10 yen, 20 yen, sometimes just 5 yen.

Unlike modern snacks:

Dagashi are usually very inexpensive
They often come with games, toys, or fortunes
The packaging feels retro
Flavors are simple, playful, and nostalgic
Many are tied deeply to Japanese childhood memories

For many Japanese people, dagashi reminds us of walking home from school with friends, spending our last coins at the small local shop, and discovering tiny surprises inside each package.

Where Is Japan’s Largest Dagashi Shop?

In Okayama Prefecture!
It’s a little remote, and honestly, not easy to get to by public transportation. That’s why I always recommend joining the Okayama Hidden Gems Guided Tour, which takes you directly to the shop. You don’t need to worry about trains or transfers the bus brings you right to the entrance.

This place is unbelievable. Even as a Japanese person, I was shocked by the size. Imagine walls and walls of colorful snacks, aisles filled with retro candies, and shelves overflowing with classic dagashi you can’t find anywhere else.

My Top 15 Childhood Dagashi

Below are the first 8 dagashi I loved growing up.
The remaining 7 are available in the paid subscriber section in our next post!

15. Putiputi Uranai (Fortune Candy)

I used to open these every day in elementary school. Each tiny bubble has a fortune written inside, like “health,” “love,” or “luck,” followed by ◎, ○, △, or ×. When I saw ×, I always screamed “Nooo!” — it was part of the fun.
Do you have anything like this in your country?

14. Fue Ramune (Whistle Candy)

You blow it and it whistles loudly… too loudly. I remember my mother scolding me for making noise on the way home. At the bottom, there’s always a tiny toy, which was the best part.

13. Umaibo

You might know this one. Umaibo is the king of dagashi. It used to cost 10 yen, now it’s 20 yen, but the flavors are amazing. Finding a new flavor always felt like treasure hunting.

12. Strawberry Chocolate on a Stick

A pink strawberry chocolate with a little wooden stick. I always chewed the stick afterward… and I loved collecting the stickers they sometimes came with.

11. Hokkaido Dice Caramel

A caramel cube inside a tiny box shaped like a dice. I never threw the box away. I used them as actual dice when playing games with friends.

10. “Goen-ga-aru-yo” Chocolate

A chocolate shaped like a 5-yen coin. “Goen” means “five yen,” but it also means “good connection” or “good relationship,” so it felt like a lucky snack. I ate so many that my parents once had to hide them from me.

9. Oyatsu Karupasu (Mini Salami Stick)

Probably not the healthiest. But little me didn’t care. This was the snack I secretly ate even when my parents said “only one!”

8. Ninjin Snack (Carrot Snack)

Despite the name, it’s not carrot flavored. It’s a simple, nostalgic snack with a gentle sweetness. Very old-Japan style, very humble, but so addictive.

If you’re curious about the top 7 dagashi that truly define Japanese childhood, they’re waiting for you in the paid subscriber post below!