Strange Candies from Japan

Here are some odd and (maybe?) delicious treats you can find only in Japan.

Candy You Put Together Like IKEA Furniture

This DIY kit has you struggle to make your own tiny hamburger-shaped candies. But a bit of effort makes it all that much more satisfying to finally eat! The cheese, meat and lettuce are crunchy, while the rest is gummy. Want fries with that?

Candy That Wants You To Make Music

Fue Ramune makes a whistling sound when you blow through the hole. In Japan it is believed that whistling can invite a snake to attack you, so better be careful.

Candy with a Wrapper You Can Eat

While Bontan Ame may look like it has a plastic cover you should remove, you can actually eat the "wrapper". It's made from rice!

Candy That Hipster Ninjas Eat

Direct translation would be "ninja food" and the packaging says it's for modern ninjas. There is also a version called "kitten food", which I suppose is a the tamer version.

It doesn't stop there

While I can't provide you with picture proof, I swear these also exist—or at least used to.

Vending Machine Candy

If you've ever been to Japan or seen pictures, you'll know that there are vending machines EVERYWHERE. Even on Mount Fuji. Many of the drinks on sale in them are so famous that now there is even candy based on those drinks.

Tentacle Monster Candy

Alright, it's not a monster, just a squid. Actually, that's even worse. Except it's imitiation squid. Yeah, this squid candy actually contains no squid. Instead of the real thing, it contains fish paste instead.

Seaweed Candy

Candy That Swam with the Fishes! Konbu Ame is worth a mention only because it's made from sea weed. Imagine an enterprising Japanese fisherman encountering some algae and thinking "I'll make candy out of that!".

Thanks for reading

To try to hunt for a place to order these, check the guide: How to Buy Japanese Candy Online.

Or if you're not exactly sure what you want and would prefer to be surprised, subscribe to Candy Japan and we'll start sending you boxes of candy surprises every two weeks.