Top 5 Japanese-Style Chocolates You Can Buy in Tokyo

1. kiki

These gorgeous and delicious chocolates were designed to remind you of Japan’s beautiful seasons. The luxurious chocolates are made with seasonal ingredients that have been carefully selected from all over Japan. Yuzu, one of their classic flavors, combines the refreshing aroma and succulent pulp of the Japanese citrus into one beautiful treat. The popular Sakura is made with white chocolate and melts in your mouth to reveal the gentle scent of cherry blossoms. The shop has a leaflet with all the flavors written in English, so you can refer to it while picking out which ones to get. These chocolates should be kept under 18°C and in the refrigerator during the hot months from May to September.

Price: Box with 3 pieces 1,296 JPY (incl. tax)

2. Nanaya Craft Chocolate Gyokuro

This green tea flavored chocolate is sold by Nanaya, a shop famous for its richly flavored matcha gelatos. To make best use of the green tea’s distinctive aroma, Nanaya even makes the white chocolate, and each and every chocolate bar is made by hand without any unnecessary ingredients. Gyokuro (the highest grade of green tea) is only one of a series of 7 different flavors. You can enjoy this bitter chocolate, which has an astringent flavor and rich green tea aroma with a subdued sweetness. It\'s extremely rich in flavor! The scent and aftertaste of green tea that follows each bite of this chocolate bar, not to mention the lovely pattern of waves adorning its surface, will absolutely amaze you.

Price: 860 JPY (incl. tax)

3. ca ca o Komachi-dori no Ishidatami Yukiotoko

This ganache is made with 45% cocoa milk chocolate and Yukiotoko, a famous junmai sake (pure rice alcohol) produced by a well-established brewery with more than 300 years in the business. As soon as you try a piece, the chocolate will immediately melt smoothly in your mouth, and you\'ll be able to smell the dry and sharp scent of sake. It\'s a delicacy that has achieved international recognition, winning the gold medal at the Academy of Chocolate 2018 annual awards held in the United Kingdom. It comes with ice packs when you buy it at the store, but you should not carry it around for more than 6 hours. Also, this chocolate contains alcohol, so minors and pregnant women should be advised to avoid it.

Price: 2,160 JPY (incl. tax)

4. MUJI Matcha Chocolate Coated Strawberry

This snack consists of freeze-dried strawberries which are coated with matcha chocolate. The light bitterness of the matcha chocolate accentuates the sweet and sour taste of the strawberries, creating a delicious treat with a fresh aftertaste. With 50g of goodies per bag, before you know it, you’ll finish the whole thing yourself! They\'re so delicious, you\'ll need to be really careful around them! Costing a very reasonable 290 JPY (incl. tax) a bag, these sweets are perfect to buy in bulk for gifts. You can find this product at MUJI stores across Japan.

5. KALDI Coffee Farm Original Hojicha Azuki Chocolate

This chocolate snack consists of sweetened azuki beans coated in white chocolate and dusted with hojicha powder. Hojicha is roasted green tea, but it contains less caffeine and has a wonderful fragrance. The powder of this aromatic tea gives this treat a delicate taste, nicely balancing the sweetness of the azuki beans and white chocolate. This is also a good choice to buy in bulk for gifts because it only costs 143 JPY (incl. tax). You can find this product at KALDI stores across Japan.

Even chocolate, which people around the world hold close and dear to their hearts, becomes something completely different when combined with Japanese ingredients. These chocolates are easily affected by warm temperatures, so they may melt or even drop in taste! Take the opportunity to try some of these chocolates when you’re in Japan, but be careful when carrying them around in the approaching Japan summer!