Summer Fruits: Best in Japan!

Summer fruits are plentiful in Japan, especially if they’re delicious and juicy! From June to September, markets and supermarkets nationwide are abundant with vibrant, fresh summer fruits attracting locals and tourists!

Renowned for their distinct textures, refreshing sweetness, and nutritional advantages, Japanese summer fruits are a favored option for desserts, snacks, and beverages. Here are the top five Japanese summer fruits you must try in this hot season!

Grapes (Budou)

In Japan, juicy bunches of grapes appear almost all year round. Yet, summer is the season with the most varieties of grapes, especially famous and typical Japanese kinds like world-renowned Kyoho Grapes, super expensive Ruby Roman Grapes, and luxury Shine Muscat.

Most grape farmers in Japan always select high-quality varieties and follow the plants’ planting and caring process carefully and strictly. Because of this process, many people treasure these fresh grape products that are famous worldwide. In addition to the popularity of real Japanese grapes, grape-related snack products are also valuable in Japan.

If you’re a big candy fan, you shouldn’t miss Grape-flavored Fruit Gumi Gummy from Meiji. It is a soft, sweet, and sour gummy. Besides, there is also a unique texture gummy – UHA Kororo Gummy Candy that will give you the feeling of chewing real grapes.

Watermelon (Suika)

When summer comes, we can’t help but mention watermelon. Indeed, watermelon is a very in-demand summer fruit in Japan. Watermelons are frequently offered as presents and used in traditional summertime celebrations like natsu matsuri (summer festival)

Seedless watermelons are very popular here. Moreover, many types of watermelon in Japan are unique in shape and color, such as square watermelon, yellow watermelon, or black diamond watermelon. 

Lotte Suikaba (watermelon bar), which is a famous ice cream in Japan, holds a special place in the hearts of many Japanese people as it reminds them of their childhood and helps them escape the scorching summer heat. Watermelon-flavored Purunto Konjac Jelly is also a delicious, calm, and healthy snack for the hot Japanese summer.

Are you looking for delicious snacks to enjoy this summer? Try TokyoTreat! TokyoTreat delivers limited-edition Japanese noodles, snacks, drinks, and sweets right to your door so you can enjoy the latest spring goodies directly from Japan!

Peach (Momo)

Peaches are culturally significant in Japan and associated with longevity and good fortune. During the summertime in Japan, it’s common to find pink and juicy peaches sold at various places such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and even fruit truck vendors on the streets.

The most typical type of peach in Japan is the white peach. Japanese white peaches are often large, possibly more significant than a grapefruit, and considered the world’s sweetest. These real peaches are outstanding, and in addition to that, peach-scented items have a significant following in Japan.

Because peach is such a popular flavor, plenty of snacks feature them, especially in the summertime. One of the most popular snacks featuring peach is Tohato Caramel Corn.

And as always, when it comes to fun, flavored snacks, you can always count on Japanese Kit-Kats to deliver! Their lineup of peachy flavors includes Peach Parfait and Premium Peach Mint!

It uses Fujiya’s Nectar Peach Juice as a main ingredient, giving this snack a fun and fruity twist! This unique combination has created a yummy and sought-after snack.

Plum (Ume)

Ume is the Japanese plum, recognized as one of Japan’s most healthy summer fruits. When ume isn’t ripe yet, it has a green color, and as it ripens, it changes to a yellow-orange color.

The taste of ume is sour due to its abundant citric acid and polyphenol content, which are both very advantageous for health. These Japanese plums are also rich in essential vitamins such as A, B1, B2, and C. Legend has it that samurai warriors used to bring preserved plums, known as umeboshi, to eat with rice balls called onigiri while they were fighting.

Today, ume flavors are widely available in many snack products, the most prominent of which is ume-flavored gummy treated with plum powder. Nobel Otoko Ume Gummy Candy offers a delightful blend of sweetness and tanginess. These little gems are a bit firmer than your average gummies, giving you a choice to either munch on them or gradually dissolve them in your mouth.

During the hot summer weather, there’s nothing more refreshing than making a cool sip of ramune soda, a unique Japanese drink. And the ume ramune is genuinely something you must try no matter what.

Pear (Nashi)

In Japan, pears, or nashi, rank among the top favorite summer fruits. Although numerous varieties of Japanese pears exist,  they typically share similar characteristics, such as a round shape, big size, and golden skin. We can quickly feel the delightful sweetness and satisfying crunch when eating them.

If you are interested in nashi, you can take advantage of two sweet snacks this summer: Kabaya Nashitaro Pear Gummy Candy and Pear-flavored GariGarikun Ice Pop.

We hope our compilation of Japan’s top five best-loved summer fruits gave was refreshing! On top of that, we’ve also discovered distinctive and fun snacks that incorporate these seasonal flavors. Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below, telling us which summer fruit you enjoy the most!

The former is a cute sugar-dusted gummy with a sweet pear taste and a mysterious texture. The latter is Japan’s national ice cream with a refreshing pear Japan’sthat can help you to dispel the summer heat!