Curious about popular Japanese chocolate brands that make some of the best chocolates in the world? I’ve got you.
In 2021, Japan sold 552 billion yen worth of chocolates. That’s 3.8 billion US dollars!
With such an appetite for chocolates, brands are constantly innovating flavors to appeal to consumers. As a result, there’s no escape from seeing these Japanese chocolate brands when you’re in Japan.
You’ll find them in convenience stores, supermarkets, drugstores – everywhere! Let’s dive in.
11 Popular Japanese Chocolate Brands
1. Morinaga
2. Meiji
3. Lotte
4. Tirol
5. Yuraku Seika
6. Glico
7. Bourbon
8. Nestlé Japan
9. Fujiya
10. Kabaya
11. ROYCE’
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1. Morinaga
Valentine’s Day in Japan is all about chocolates.
How did this tradition come about? The answer is Morinaga – one of the largest Japanese chocolate brands – that amplified this novel idea into popular gift-giving culture in Japan.
Morinaga is the first Japanese company to introduce mass-produced chocolates locally in a bean-to-bear manufacturing process in 1918. That’s more than 100 years ago!
Japanese Chocolate Brands: Morinaga
Since then, Morinaga has made bestselling chocolates like DARS in standard and limited edition flavors like green tea.
Other bestselling chocolates by this famous brand are Choco Balls (milk and flavored chocolate balls filled with crunchy peanuts, caramel and more), Koeda (snappy chocolate sticks embedded with roasted almond, crunchy rice and wheat puffs), Carré de Chocolat (gourmet chocolates in varieties like pistachio, cacao 88%, orange cacao 70% and more).
You may also recognize Morinaga for its HI-CHEW candy and Japan’s #1 Milk Caramels!
2. Meiji
Meiji is the favorite Japanese chocolate brand loved by people in Japan!
Founded in 1916, Meiji is a mainstay in the saturated world of Japanese chocolates and snacks. I dare say most households had Meiji’s Almond Chocolate or milk chocolate bar in their pantry at some point. Meiji is that famous.
Japanese Chocolate Brands : Photos by Meiji
Meiji chocolates that are flying off shelves include
Almond Chocolate (crunchy milk chocolate-covered roasted almonds – macadamia & hazelnuts also available), Meiji The Chocolate (award-winning bean-to-bar dark chocolate bars that’s sold 30 million bars in a year), Apollo Strawberry Chocolate (pastel pink milk + strawberry chocolates in cute cone shapes), Kinoko no Yama & Takenoko no Sato (highly-divisive mushroom and bamboo shoot-shaped chocolate cookie snacks) and Meltykiss (winter-exclusive nama chocolate cubes)
3. Lotte
Lotte is another chocolate powerhouse that has made headlines in Japan for its, well, complicated origins. You can’t go into any store in this country without spotting Lotte’s iconic chocolates and ice creams!
The Lotte Ghana Chocolate Bars are widely recognized even in countries overseas. These simple yet delicious chocolate bars come in milk, black, white and roast milk.
Japanese Chocolate Brands: Lotte
Other popular chocolates Lotte has produced are ChocoPie (chocolate-covered cake sandwich filled with fluffy vanilla cream), Sugar-Free Zero (zero sugar, zero carbs chocolates), Pai no Mi (crisp, puff pastry bites filled with chocolate or flavored creams) and Toppo (chocolate biscuit stick snack that is essentially an inverted Pocky).
4. Tirol Choco
Tirol Choco is a name known for its individually-wrapped small chocolate squares. These come in in hundreds of fun and fantastic flavors to answer every craving. It is one of the most famous Japanese chocolate brands with a ubiquitous presence since 1979.
You can get it anywhere in this country, often seen by registers in convenience stores or supermarkets. Quick, cheap and tasty when you want a sweet treat to grab and go!
Tirol Choco started selling the brand’s bestselling mini chocolates at ¥10 (USD0.07) per piece. These days, it’s ¥20 (USD0.15) for the standard flavors.
Japanese Chocolate Brands: Tirol Choco
Fun flavors like melon bun, chestnut, chocolate croissant, purple sweet potato, corn cream and sakura matcha green tea are glimpses into its sheer variety.
Despite the affordable price and retro kitschy-cute packaging, Tirol Choco regularly collaborates with acclaimed brands. For example, high-end chocolatier Musée du Chocolat Théobroma, famous cream bun brand Hattendo and Belgian waffle makers Manneken.
5. Yuraku Seika
When you say Yuraku Seika in Japan, the first thing that will come to most Japanese people’s minds is Black Thunder. While this dark chocolate confectionary may not look as stylish or conventionally marketed as others, it is a favored Japanese snack.
You know it’s reached cult-snack status when you see a chocolate brand collaborating with FamilyMart and McDonald’s McFlurry.
Japanese Chocolate Brands : Photo by Yuraku Seika
Black Thunder kinda looks like a mini Snickers candy bar – just a little less sweet and a lot more kick. This palm-sized dark chocolate is embedded with bittersweet cocoa cookies and crisp biscuits to give it its characteristic texture. It’s chocolatey, crunchy and delightful.
Yuraku Seika’s offbeat approach to seasonal flavors is also something to look out for!
6. Glico
This brand may not sound familiar but think of the giant neon Glico Running Man landmark photo spot in Osaka. If that still doesn’t ring a bell, how about Pocky? *wink
Yes, Glico is the world’s top 12 chocolate brand that created the iconic Pocky chocolate sticks and its kaleidoscopic flavors that sparked a worldwide phenomenon.
These long, thin pretzel-like biscuit sticks are covered in chocolate and many, many other flavored chocolate creams that could perhaps someday rival Kit Kats in Japan.
Memorable limited edition varieties include Hokkaido azuki red bean, rare cheesecake, crystal salt chocolate and the made-for-mature-chocoholics Adult Amber to pair with whiskey!
Japanese Chocolate Brands : Photos by Glico
Besides the prominent Pocky, Glico’s Almond Peak (chocolate-covered caramelized almonds enriched with Vitamin E) and GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric acid-infused chocolates to reduce psychological stress) are also popular products manufactured by Glico.
7. Bourbon
Bourbon is not an alcohol distillery but a noteworthy candy and chocolate brand in Japan established in 1924. Its evocative name is actually a closer reference to classic British chocolate biscuit sandwiches called bourbon.
This Japanese chocolate brand is best known for its Alfort Mini Chocolate Biscuits – essentially a standard chocolate bar embedded with bite-sized whole-wheat biscuits.
As of 2022, this signature biscuit has been upgraded with a coarser type of wheat grain to elevate its crunch and aroma. The perfect balance of sweet, melty, crunchy and slightly savory.
Japanese Chocolate Brands : Photos by Bourbon
Bourbon’s Lumonde series of light, crispy chocolate-coated crepe cookies is also a staple treat in Japanese homes. Every other family I visited served these for tea-time snacks!
8. Nestlé Japan
Call it weird, call it ingenious – either way, KitKat reigns supreme in the fascinating world of Japanese chocolates, especially so from a global perspective.
The brand behind these legendary chocolate snacks is Nestlé Japan.
With over 400 weird and wonderful flavors released so far, there are little signs of stopping. Despite its Swiss origins, Nestlé Japan has made KitKat a distinctively Japanese chocolate in a class of its own, unmatched by any other country.
Japanese Chocolate Brands : Photos by Nestlé Japan
Did you know the appreciation for coffee in this tea-loving country was nurtured over years of delicious coffee-flavored candy? A clever move by Nestlé Japan!
KitKats are also elevated to a gourmet level in Japan, with dedicated Chocolatory boutiques offering make-your-own KitKat workshops and deluxe creations by Japan’s best pastry chefs.
9. Fujiya
Fujiya is a Japanese cake and chocolate brand with a 100-year history in this country. It is the first company to launch a nationwide cake shop chain – credited to popularise the classic strawberries-and-whipped-cream Christmas cakes in Japan.
Not sure what that looks like? Check the cake emoji on your phone 🎂
Fujiya’s iconic mascot is instantly recognizable across Japan – Peko-chan is seen licking her lips with a smile on her face. This mascot is so beloved it’s already a BE@RBICK collectible figurine and even inspired a reed diffuser that scents your home.
Japanese Chocolate Brands : Photos by Fujiya
Fujiya’s signature chocolate is the Milky Chocolate bar, followed in popularity by the LOOK chocolate series. The latter offers chocolates with eclectic fillings like sweet potato, marshmallow milk tea, mont blanc chestnut dessert as well as fresh fruits in A La Mode.
Its soft, chewy Milky Candy is also a bestselling candy series that’s sparked numerous variations in textures, appearances, chocolates and flavors. With so many memorable sweets, it’s clear why Fujiya is one of the most famous Japanese chocolate brands!
10. Kabaya
Another long-time Japanese chocolate maker is Kabaya.
This established confectionery brand started out making caramels in 1946 in the spirit of “Dreams for Kids”. Today, their collection of sweets has ballooned to include a diverse selection of chocolates, selling up to 58 million chocolate snacks – and counting!
Kabaya’s stand-out chocolates are Saku Saku Panda (crunchy milk and bittersweet chocolate biscuits in panda shapes of various expressions), Doutor Coffee Bean Chocolates (milk and white chocolate-coated whole coffee beans from famous coffee chain Doutor) and Petit Pudding Chocolate (two-layered caramel and custard flavored chocolates).
Japanese Chocolate Brands : Photos by Kabaya
For the health-conscious, Kabaya launched SOY de Chocolate just this year!
This soy-based chocolate series replaces dairy ingredients with healthier, isoflavones-rich soy milk. The distinct flavors and natural umami of soy milk are balanced with smooth, rich cacao as it melts in your mouth. It seems that even those unaccustomed to soy will find it delicious!
11. ROYCE’
Last, but certainly not least, is the illustrious ROYCE’ Chocolates.
This Japanese chocolatier’s claim to global fame is its incessantly rich, delicious nama chocolates made in Japan’s best milk-producing prefecture – Hokkaido.
Nama chocolate is like a barely solidified ganache, made of melted cacao and fresh (nama) cream that is dusted with cocoa powder. I love the extraordinarily smooth, luxurious mouthfeel.
These come in classic flavors like Champagne Pierre Mignon, Matcha Green Tea and Ghana Bitter, as well as limited edition releases like Pistachio, Darjeeling and Sakura Fromage.
Japanese Chocolate Brands : Photos by ROYCE’
Other notable chocolates by ROYCE’ are Pure Chocolate (bite-sized chocolate discs in 12 levels of cocoa percentages), Potatochip Chocolate (chocolate-coated salted potato chips) and Prafeuille Chocolat (3mm thin chocolate squares filled with flavored sauces).
Conclusion
This rounds up all the famous Japanese chocolate brands that have won the hearts of local and international consumers. I hope you get to try each and every one of them. Let me know in the comments if you think any other chocolate makers in Japan should be on this list!
FAQ
Which Chocolate Is Famous In Japan?
Milk chocolate is famous in Japan as the favorite choice of Japanese consumers while bittersweet dark chocolate comes a close second. Another popular variety is also matcha green tea chocolate. As to the most famous chocolate brand, Meiji ranks #1 in Japan.
How Many Different Kit Kats Are In Japan?
There are more than 400 different Kit Kats in Japan. Hundreds of these Kit Kat varieties are created as seasonal specials and regional exclusives to celebrate a particular district’s famous flavors. Pastry chef Yasumasa Takagi is the man behind many of these flavors.
Are Japanese Kit Kats Nestlé?
Yes, Japanese Kit Kats are operated by Nestlé Japan. All the fun and fantastic Kit Kat flavors are produced by the company’s local factories in Kasumigaura and Himeji in Japan. Despite its Swiss origins, Nestlé has made Kit Kats a Japanese chocolate in a class of its own.
