All About Japan

5 Favorite Japanese Sweets Among Otaku

Sweets Anime Manga Video Otaku

Japan has some seriously unique snacks, but what can be even more unique are the collaborations and tie-ins with anime and gaming. Some of the sweets on this list look so great that you might have second thoughts before munching down on these cute creations.

5. Calorie Mate (Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater)

When he wasn’t eating frogs or snakes, Snake from Metal Gear Solid 3 was known to enjoy Calorie Mate. A shortbread snack that is easily found in most stores across Japan, this treat is not only balanced with vitamins and minerals but it comes in three different flavors as well!

This might have been the first time that we saw product placement in one of Hideo Kojima’s games, but it definitely wouldn’t be the last. We saw the use of both a Japanese energy drink called Regain 24 and Apple’s first generation iPod in Metal Gear Solid 4 as well as Sony’s Walkman in the more recent Metal Gear Solid 5. This must have worked out well because Calorie Mate went as far as to use Snake’s Japanese voice actor Akio Otsuka in one of their commercials.

4. Totoro Cream Puffs

4. Totoro Cream Puffs

http://www.shiro-hige.com/

One thing that we can all agree on is that sweets do indeed bring people happiness, something that Studio Ghibli has accomplished with their multitudes of fans. So combining the two would only make sense, right? These cream puffs can be found in Tokyo at the Shiro-Hige Puff Factory located right by Setagaya Daita Station on the Odakyu Line. You can get these cute cream puffs to go or you can dine in the restaurant area and enjoy the ambiance that pays homage to that big fluffy cat-rabbit-bear.

3. Super Mario Surprise Coin Block Cake

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxrZVsiSxjI&feature=youtu.be

Though not a traditional Japanese sweet, this creative dessert was influenced by that classic Japanese game from your childhood: Super Mario Bros. This multi-layered cake has been hollowed out and filled to the brim with gold-wrapped chocolate coins. For those of you so inclined to make one of your own, be sure to check out Rosana Pansino’s video above on how to create this as well as many other amazing sweets.

2. Final Fantasy 7 Materia Chocolate

Now here's something really special—so special in fact that they were only available for a limited time. These fancy chocolates were sold by the Artnia café and gift shop run by Square Enix in Shinjuku for a Valentine’s Day campaign in 2014. It's possible that we might see these again since Square Enix is currently working on the Final Fantasy 7 Remake that was announced at the E3 gaming expo in 2015. While these chocolates might not enable any Magic or Summon abilities, they just might give you the Steal command to capture your love’s heart. And don't forget the flowers.

1. Pocky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SghebMG1ZP8

Pocky: the chocolate covered biscuit sticks that any and every anime fan has tried at least once. These sweets are so common in fact that they can be seen making a cameo in many modern anime films and shows. The name of the product might be changed to avoid legal action (i.e. Hocky, Chocki), but this snack is so common that most grocery stores outside of Japan carry them in the international aisle. If you do decide to get yourself some, just don’t take after the famous Japanese Vocaloid Hatsune Miku and use it as a conductor's wand (or microphone). Let’s enjoy them one at a time—well, unless someone issues you a Pocky Challenge.

- www.pocky.jp (Japanese)