We’re crazy for Kit Kats! Any chocolate fan or traveller to Japan is likely to be captivated by the sheer number of Japanese Kit Kat flavours available. Over the years, there have been over 300 different Japanese Kit Kats to try and taste (but alas many are limited edition).
Kit Kats in Japan are almost a religious experience with chocolate enthusiasts – incredibly, over 1.5 billion Kit Kats in Japan are consumed annually.
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Known in Japan as ‘Kitto Katto’, the Japanese KitKat name sounds similar to the phrase ‘Kitto Katsu’ meaning ‘to surely win’ so they are even seen as a popular good luck chocolate charm.
From melon to milk-tea, purple sweet potato to Tokyo banana, here is a guide to the best Japanese Kit Kat flavours you can still buy (and yes, there is a wasabi Japanese Kit Kat too).
This article was originally published on 25 September 2023.
Where to buy Kit Kats in Japan
Kit Kats in Japan aren’t hard to find but we’d suggest these are the best places to hunt down Japanese Kit Kats in ‘the wild’, no matter which part of Japan you are staying in:
Don Quijote
We have spent a lot of time in Japan looking for as many Japanese KitKat flavours as we could – and generally, Don Quijote stores are a good place to look for the standard Kit Kats.
There are over 600 Don Quijote stores in Japan with multiple Don Quijotes and Mega Don Quijotes in big cities like Osaka and Tokyo.
Read our guide to everything you need to know about Japan’s Don Quijote discount stores >
Japanese Drug Stores
One of the best places to buy Kit Kats in Japan is actually at all the drug stores and discount chemist chains – most have Kit Kat displays outside the stores to entice you in.
We actually found the cheapest Japan Kit Kat multipacks to be in the drugstores (and they are definitely cheaper than Don Quijote).
Convenience Stores
Individual Kit Kat bars can usually be at all the usual Japanese convenience stores like 7-Eleven Japan, Lawson, FamilyMart and Daily Yamazaki (plus Seicomart in Hokkaido / Sapporo).
However, most general convenience stores don’t sell multipacks of Japanese Kit Kats or the more unusual flavours so it is best to buy them from drug stores or Don Quijote!
We’ve also seen good selections of KitKat flavours at airports in Japan, and at gift shops in large train stations (there was a good one in the basement of Tokyo station next to Ramen Street).
Kit Kat Chocolatory Stores
This chain of special Kit Kat stores used to have a presence in several big cities and Japanese shopping malls (including Ginza and Shibuya in Tokyo) where you could even design your own Kit Kat packaging.
They also had special Kit Kat flavours that are no longer available like Butter Kit Kats.
Alas, many have closed down but you can still find one small Kit Kat Chocolatory counter in the Seibu building at Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo, and also a larger store in World Porters mall in Yokohama (just outside of Tokyo).
Amazon
If you are looking to purchase some Japanese Kit Kats from outside Japan, then amazon.com have a great range of selection boxes:
- 20 Japanese Kit Kat 10 flavors double assortment pack >
- Sugoi Mart Japanese Kit kat Variety Pack – 60 Mini Kit Kats >
- Japan Crate Japanese KitKat Variety Pack – 50-Piece Chocolate Snack Size Sampler Box >
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Regional Japanese Kit Kat flavours
Interestingly, each different Japanese prefecture has its own Kit Kat flavours using ingredients that are closely identified with the region.
Current Japanese Kit Kat flavours with special boxes include Hokkaido Red Bean and Strawberry, Kyoto Roasted Tea Kit Kat and even a special white chocolate edition that features Osaka Castle on the packaging.
Based on our own latest visit to Japan, we think many of the ‘regional’ Japanese Kit Kat flavours are limited edition so are not always available to buy.
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How much do Japanese Kit Kats cost?
Obviously the price varies but you can get multipacks bags of ‘regular’ flavoured Japanese Kit Kats like strawberry for as little as 190 Yen (around £1 / $1.30 USD).
Expect to pay around 300 Yen (£1.60 / $2 USD) in Don Quijote for a 10 pack paper bag of special flavoured Kit Kats, and 900 Yen (£5 / $6 USD) for a gift box.
However, some of the more unusual Kit Kat flavours in Japan can cost a lot more. For instance, the Osaka White Chocolate Japanese Kit Kats have special packaging and cost around 1,200 Yen ($8 USD / £6.60 in Don Quijote stores).
All Japanese Kit Kat prices are correct as of September 2023 – expect to pay a lot more for Japan flavoured Kit Kats if buying overseas or from an online importer.
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Bakeable Kit Kats
What’s cooking? Kit Kats apparently!
As if over 300 Japan Kit Kat flavours wasn’t enough, there has also been a range of bakeable Kit Kats in Japan!
These oven ready Kit Kats are engineered to be put in the oven so that the chocolate is served with a caramalized exterior and slightly gooey biscuity inside.
Bakeable Japan Kit Kat flavours included baked potato, custard pudding and chocolate ice cream (sounds a bit Baked Alaska too us). Kit Kat Gods – take our money now!
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Japan Kit Kats facts and history
- Due to the Kitto Katsu / Kitto Katto close association (‘to win / to succeed), KitKats in Japan are often given as good luck gifts, particularly before big life events or to students before exams.
- According to Nestlé, there are over 17 billion Kit Kats consumed globally every year with 1.5 billion KitKats in Japan eaten annually.
- The name Kit Kat likely derives from the 1690’s London Kit Kat Club founded by Christopher Catling. Rowntrees co-founder Joseph Rowntree later trademarked the name ‘Kit Kat’ in 1911.
- Nestlé now owns the rights to manufacture Kit Kats around the world including Japanese Kit Kats, but in America they are licensed to Hershey’s chocolate.
- A good place to buy flavoured Japanese Kit Kats overseas is in the Don Don Donki chain of stores (the international version of Don Quijote Japan) – located in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Macau, Taiwan, Hong Kong and USA (Hawaii and California).
Japanese Kit Kat Flavours
From matcha to melon, pistachio to peach, here are some of the best Japan Kit Kats flavours that are widely available to buy over the past few years.
1. Wasabi Kit Kat
One of the more distinctive Japan Kit Kat flavours, this uniquely Japanese horseradish flavoured chocolate is an acquired taste.
Light green in appearance, the Shizuoka Wasabi KitKat is one of the most popular regional Japanese KitKat flavours.
2. Pistachio Kit Kat
One of the more ‘nutty’ flavours of Kit Kats in Japan, the Pistachio Kitkat in Japan even features a squirrel on the packaging – and before you ask, no the KitKat inside isn’t pistachio green (but it should be!)
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3. White Chocolate Kit Kat
Whilst not one of the most unusual of Japanese KitKat flavours, the white chocolate Kit Kat delivers on taste and also looks the part, with its creamy milk like exterior.
There have been various Kit Kat white chocolate versions but perhaps the best looking one is the exclusive Osaka Castle white chocolate Kit Kat edition. This comes in a box shaped like Osaka Castle (well, sort of) containing 12 pieces of white chocolate Kit Kat.
4. Strawberry Kit Kat
Strawberry Kit Kats seem to be the breakout flavour as this is also regularly available in the UK and other overseas countries. Strawberry KitKats in Japan are a safe but still ‘berry’ good choice!
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5. Kyoto Roasted Tea Kit Kat
The Kyoto roasted tea KitKat is part of the premium range i.e a posh KitKat.
These chocolate fingers have a sublime flavor of Hojicha roasted tea from Kyoto, Japan. Now this is one Japanese afternoon tea set combination we could really get behind!
6. Sake Kit Kat
Kanpai! Most likely the most famous of all the Japanese KitKats that travellers seek out on their trip to Japan, Sake Kit Kats are a premium KitKat that are sold in a beautiful box.
Just in case you didn’t know, sake is a Japanese alcoholic rice wine – and yes, the original Sake KitKats in Japan did contain actual alcohol. We are here for boozy alcohol KitKats – will they ever create a craft beer Kit Kat in Japan?!
7. Purple Sweet Potato Kit Kat
Spud you like! The premium KitKat Purple Sweet Potato from Okinawa is a pinky purple KitKat that tastes better than an actual potato. We wonder if this Kit Kat can be classed as one of your five fruit and veg a day?
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8. Salt Lemon Kit Kat
A zingy, citrus Kit Kat, the salt and lemon flavour is one of our favourites, a particularly moorish KitKat that is yellow in colour.
9. Peach Kit Kat
A juicy peach KitKat is a fruity little number, and a pink KitKat to boot- ‘nuff said.
10. Whole Grain Biscuit Kit Kat
This reminds us of the British Rich Tea Biscuit in terms of its taste and texture – the Whole Grain Kit Kat is quite different compared to other sweeter varieties so it is worth seeking out.
11. Melon Kit Kat
Another fruity KitKat, the new Japanese Kit Kats made with fruity melon from Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island.
12. Milk Tea Kit Kat
The Milk Tea Kit Kat packets are hard to miss in Japanese stores as the packaging has bright red tartan on the front. Although we thought this was one of the more mundane Kit Kat flavours and didn’t really taste the tea.
13. Cookies and Cream
A new Japanese KitKat flavour for 2023, Cookies & Cream KitKat combines vanilla ice cream with Oreo cookies – a nice fusion and fun way to fill your face!
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14. Momiji Manju Kit Kats
AKA the Maple leaf Kit Kat. Momiji manju is a traditional Japanese steamed bun snack filled with sweet red bean paste that’s popular in Hiroshima.
Often the buns are served in the shape of a maple leaf; alas these Kit Kats are not.
15. Ice Cream
Now this is one n’ice’ Japanese KitKat – and it won’t send a cold shiver down your back teeth like the real thing.
16. Caramel
Caramel Kit Kats are now quite common but in Japan, there are several different caramel KIt Kats to try including this caramel choice.
17. Hokkaido Red Bean and Strawberry Kit Kat
A premium regional Kit Kat Japan flavour, you haven’t really ‘bean’ to Japan until you try this Hokkaido inspired Kit Kat, based on the famous ichigo daifuku dessert from the region.
18. Dark Chocolate Kit Kat
You might be here for all the unusual Japanese Kit Kat flavours but hey, you can always rely on a delicious dark chocolate Kit Kat in Japan – beautiful packaging too!
19. Matcha Latte Kit Kat
These bright green Japanese KitKats are a matcha made in heaven – green tea combined with latte flavours! A perfect accompaniment to a hot drink.
20. Strawberry Cheesecake
A dainty dessert flavoured KitKat, the Strawberry Cheesecake is inspired by the flavours of Yokohama and contains authentic cheesecake and strawberry flavours.
This is part of the premium KitKat collection so costs a little more than most.
21. Shinshu Apple Kit Kat
A Kit Kat product based on the fruit flavours of Nagano, Shinshu is an awesome apple Kit Kat – we found these an acquired taste and weren’t big fans (tasted a bit ‘chemically’; like fake fruit).
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22. Uji Houjicha Roasted Tea Kit Kat
Uji is one of our favourite places in Japan, quiet and serene with a beautiful riverside setting and lots of traditional tea houses – so it is nice to see a Kit Kat featuring Uji tea.
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23. Sachertorte Chocolate Cake Kit Kat
A little bit of Austria in Japan – Sachertorte is a choccy cake from Vienna that has hints of apricot. Decadent, dark and rich. Now that is a good Kit Kat.
24. Daifuku Kit Kat
Distinctly Japanese, Daifuku is a traditional Japanese confectionery made from mochi rice cake and red bean paste (anko); definitely one of the top Japanese Kit Kat flavours to try.
25. Orange Kit Kat
A chocolate orange Kit Kat, this is better than the real thing as there is no skin or pith to worry about.
26. Tokyo Banana Kit Kat
We’re bananas for Japanese Kit Kats! One of the more unique Japanese Kit Kats, each of these has a cute banana emblem on the bar.
Based on the Tokyo Banana cake mitsuketa, the gooey and creamy cakes make for one of the more unusual Japanese Kit Kat flavours.
27. Mt.Fuji Strawberry Cheesecake – Limited Edition Kit Kat
Similar in design to the Osaka Castle White Chocolate Kit Kat, this is a premium strawberry cheesecake Kit Kat that is packaged in a box that looks like Mount Fuji. It is also one of the most popular Kit Kats in Japanese airports.
28. Chestnut
A limited edition Kit Kat in Japan that comes out during the Autumn months / the Fall, this a nice combination of chestnut cream and white chocolate.
29. Shima Lemon Kit Kat
Another zingy and zesty Kit Kat, we like the Shima lemon Kit Kat, inspired by a juicy Japanese variety of lemon that’s grown on the Izu Islands in Tokyo Bay.
The lemon Kit Kat also goes well with a gin and tonic or Japanese highball (trust us on this!)
30. Caramel Pudding Kit Kat
We’ve mentioned Caramel Kit Kats earlier but there is also a slightly sweeter Caramel Kit Kat pudding to try – nom!
31. Sakura and Roasted Soybean Powder Kit Kat
A light pink coloured KitKat inspired by Japan’s famous cherry blossom!
32. Nestle Milo Kit Kat
A KitKat inspired flavoured with Australia’s most popular chocolate malt drink!
33. Azuki Sandwich Kit Kat
A KitKat inspired by ogura toast (sweet Japanese bread with red bean paste), this KitKat has a sweet azuki bean paste taste.
34. Sugar Butter Tree Kit Kat collaboration
This is a KitKat collaboration with Sugar Butter Tree – a Japanese brand, whose best selling item is the Sugar Butter Tree Sandwich.
These are crunchy cookies that are coated in butter and sugar, and filled with creamy white chocolate, and this KitKat flavour reflects this popular sweet treat.
35. Baskin Robbins Ice Cream Kit Kat collaboration
This is a KitKat collaboration with Baskin Robbins featuring a mint choc chip ice cream flavour. There is also a raspberry ice cream flavour available which we did not see!
Previous Japan Kit Kat flavours – Gone but Not Forgotten
On our previous visits, we also were lucky enough to try and taste these other Japan Kit Kat flavours but sadly could not find them on recent trips. So these are all likely limited edition flavours of Japanese Kit Kats or special regional Japanese Kit Kats that are not nationally available.
36. Hokkaido Red Bean Kit Kat (discontinued)
A very sweet Kit Kat using Azuki red bean paste, this is a Japanese Kit Kat we saw on a previous visit that we haven’t seen since. Boo!
37. Almond and Cranberry Kit Kats (discontinued)
Another nutty and berry good Kit Kat flavour in Japan that is apparently MIA – part of the Japan Kit Kat Chocolatory series.
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38. Kyoto Grape Kit Kat (discontinued)
A fine vintage and grape stuff – we loved this grape Kit Kat from Kyoto but it is no longer available – hopefully it will make a return one day.
39. Matcha and Berries Kit Kat (discontinued)
Part of the Kit Kat Chocolatory series, the Matcha and Berries Kit Kat isn’t currently available.
40. Baked Potato Kit Kats
We had these in Japan in 2020 and it was part of the bakeable Kit Kat series.
41. Rum and Raisin Kit Kats (discontinued)
Cheers to the rum and raisin Kit Kats – these seem to be limited edition and are often combined with other flavours like berries. Not currently available.
42. Kobe Pudding flavour Kit Kat (discontinued)
A regional premium Kit Kat, the Kobe pudding Kit Kat is seemingly no longer available – we wish we’d tried it when we took this picture back in 2019. There is a new ‘caramel pudding’ available which might just be the same flavour.
Other Rare Japanese Kit Kat Flavours
Japanese Kit Kat flavours we have previously read about over the years but which we have yet to find include maccha milk, cherry blossom, apricot seed, white peach, fruit parfait, french salt, pumpkin, mango, soybean powder, pineapple, kiwi, cappuccino and cola Kit Kats. Now that is Kit Krazy!
Watch our Kit Kats from Japan video
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