Top Only-in-Japan Pocky Flavor Recommendations, Including Ones That Use Local Specialty Products!

1. Pocky <Tokyo Amazake> (Tokyo Metropolitan Area)

Tokyo Amazake is a Pocky flavor that was created under the guidance of a brewery that has been making sake (a fermented rice-based alcoholic drink) for more than 100 years. "Amazake" is a traditional sweet rice wine in Japan that is made from malted rice (made by adding bacteria to steamed rice to break down its starch). This product contains both sake lees (the solid white substance produced in the process of making sake) and malted rice, so as soon as you eat it, you will get to enjoy the unique aroma of Amazake. Furthermore, this product also includes rice and water from Tokyo! With its refreshing sweetness, it is the kind of snack that is more suitable for adults. This area-exclusive Pocky is about 1.5 times longer than the usual Pocky at 24 cm! Each stick inside is also individually wrapped, making it the perfect souvenir for a group of people. It is only available in the Tokyo metropolitan area, so make sure to give it a try!

Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba
Depends on the store *Available at souvenir shops and airports

2. Pocky <Amaou Strawberry>

Pocky’s Amaou Strawberry flavor features a specialty of Fukuoka: strawberries. Boasting a reputation as the second largest production area of strawberries in all of Japan, Fukuoka is home to the Amaou variety of strawberries that took around six years to cultivate through selective breeding. This strawberry is large in size and is said to be exceptionally sweet and delicious. Pocky\'s Amaou Strawberry flavor is characterized by its authentic strawberry taste that\'ll fill your mouth with the fruit\'s rich sweetness and faint acidity. What I loved about this snack is its grainy texture that is truly close to how strawberries feel in the mouth! Amaou strawberries are now being exported abroad, but the combination of Amaou and Pocky is a rare item that can only be found in Kyushu! You shouldn’t miss it when you visit the region.

Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, and Okinawa
Depends on the store *Available at souvenir shops and airports

3. Almond Crush Pocky

Almond Crush Pocky is a classic Pocky variety. This product has a crunchy texture with the delicious aroma of almonds that will surely get you hooked. When I tried it, I noticed that it had more chocolate coating than the classic Pocky Chocolate. The reason behind this apparently had to do with the manufacturing process! This Pocky variant was made through trial and error to ensure that consumers can better taste the sweetness and richness of chocolate by coating each stick with chocolate twice. It is a luxurious Pocky that will surely be irresistible to chocolate lovers out there!

Nationwide
154 JPY (incl. tax) *7-Eleven and other stores

4. Choco Mint

Choco Mint is a seasonal product from Pocky that will treat you to the refreshing taste of mint, the kind of taste you will crave for when summer sets in. This year, Pocky has once again released this variant for the summer season! As soon as I opened the bag, I was instantly enveloped in the aroma of mint. As someone who loves chocolate mint, I had great expectations even before I ate it! A bite into a Choco Mint Pocky stick will fill your mouth with the refreshing taste of mint, and the taste is stronger than you’d expect. My mouth still tasted of mint even after some time went by. Make sure to thoroughly savor the unbelievable taste that perfectly combines the sweetness of chocolate and the piquant taste of mint.

Nationwide
170 JPY (incl. tax) *7-Eleven and other stores

5. Coconut

Coconut is a seasonal Pocky flavor that is known for its condensed coconut flavor. As a person who loves coconut, the taste of this snack is almost perfect, so much so that I want to give it 100 points! The moment I opened the bag, I smelled the strong scent of coconut. When I took a bite, I got to taste not just the delicious flavor of coconut, but also its crunchy texture. It was so good that I finished a pack in a flash! If you love coconuts, this is a must-try for you.

Nationwide
162 JPY (incl. tax) *FamilyMart and other stores

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Do you want to try any of the only-in-Japan Pocky flavors on the list? Some of the flavors are rare items that are only available in certain areas of the country, so if you come across them, you have to buy them!