Japanese Snacks and School Life!

With autumn rolling in and the weather cooling down, a new school season is also starting across the world, especially in the west. While Japan’s school season begins in the spring, there are a lot of specific snacks and foods associated with student life, so let’s celebrate the beginning of a new school year by taking a look at some iconic Japanese school snacks!

Dagashi

Discussed in a deep dive in our other article, dagashi are cheap, easily produced and simple Japanese snacks that are often marketed to younger children and students as they don’t have the budget to spend on higher cost snacks and foods. One foundational aspect of dagashi is its incredibly cheap price for this reason; with most single treats costing between 10 yen to 50 yen on average. Some iconic dagashi brands are Umaibo, small cylindrical corn puff snacks that come in a variety of flavors, Baby Star Ramen, little packets of dried ramen noodles, and small candy packs such as ramune. Dagashi are a staple of the Japanese school scene because their portability and child-friendly prices make them the perfect treat to bring when attending school, especially for those in elementary and middle school.

Convenience Store Breads

One of the most iconic and widely recognized Japanese school treats is melon pan, or melon bread, which is a soft bun that resembles a cantaloupe melon and often topped with sugar. This cheap, sweet bread is a staple of breads and baked goods that can often be found lining the shelves of convenience stores, along other popular items such as fluffy egg sandwiches, pancakes, hotdogs, and more. These goodies are found almost everywhere and are not only affordable for students, but travel well, can be eaten anywhere, and are filling to get students through their classes feeling full and satiated.

Onigiri

An icon of portable Japanese foods, onigiri, or rice balls, aren’t just restricted to students or student life, but they are often associated with school and work as being the iconic, travel-friendly meal that both locals and foreigners have come to love. Like the convenience store breads mentioned above, onigiri can be bought just about anywhere, from convenience stores to grocery stores, and is eaten as-is at room temperature so there’s no need to worry about reheating or refrigeration. These are also filling and can act as a convenient meal when at school, especially when packed in a backpack, and come in a variety of flavors and fillings so rotations don’t get boring or annoying.

Japan’s rich food and snack scene isn’t just restricted to what you can find in restaurants and stores, with many food and drink items having deep roots in different scenes and with different professions, especially when it comes to the world of Japanese snacks and Japanese schools. Many of these items have their own similar versions overseas at school or different takes on similar concepts (such as packaged sandwiches in the US instead of onigiri and different regional snacks), but they all boil down to a culture of portability, history, and convenience. 

At Oyatsu Mart, we deliver iconic Japanese snacks direct from the manufacturer wherever you might be in the world, so you can live your own Japanese student snack life regardless of where you are! Whether you’re in the mood for classic Japanese dagashi or want some easy-to-carry and satisfying chips and chocolates, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for every month!