Growing up, we probably all remember being told not to play with our food. However, did you know that in Japan, there’s a popular kind of candy that’s not only great for playing with—but actively encourages it?! Japanese DIY candy kits are specially designed products that give customers the tools and instructions to make their...

If you haven’t heard of or tried ramune candy before, you’re missing out on a whole category of Japanese candy that’s a favorite for many. This popular Japanese candy can be found pretty much everywhere they sell food items in the country, you can usually find them in the aisle that has all the Japanese...

In 2014, Nestlé capitalized on this success by opening the first Kit Kat (or KitKat) Chocolatory: a boutique Kit Kat store offering a range of special edition products.

When it comes to gifts, there is nothing more uniquely Japanese than classic omiyage. Omiyage, a word literally meaning “local product,” is a box of individually wrapped local snacks that Japanese people give their friends and colleagues after returning from a trip. In the West, this might seem like a nice gesture, but in Japan,...

You might already know the Japanese word wagashi, but what about dagashi? While wagashi describes high-end Japanese sweets, dagashi is the exact opposite: small, cheap, dime-a-dozen style snacks and candy. Why do these two words sound so similar? Although they’re both formed from the word for candy, kashi (菓子), wagashi gets the 和 prefix, meaning...

In Japan, sakura season is a big event in the calendar, heralding the arrival of spring, warmer weather, and the start of the school and business year. Beginning anywhere from late March to early May, it’s also an opportunity to experience the quintessentially Japanese activity of hanami, or flower viewing, where Japanese people flock by...