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When you go on a trip, it’s common practice to bring back souvenirs. You might buy a shirt that says “I went to New York and all I got was this lousy T-shirt!” or a magnet with a picture of the National Park forests you hiked in. Souvenirs in Japan—or omiyage (お土産)—have a similar sentiment, but express their own layers of thoughtfulness, gratitude, and generosity through regional delicacies.
Omiyage meaning
Omiyage (pronounced oh-mee-yah-geh) are akin to souvenirs, but they’re specifically local specialties that you bring back for others rather than yourself. You won’t have to look hard to find them. Train stations, airports, and even hotels and Japanese inns (ryokan, 旅館) all have them prominently displayed to make sure you don’t forget to bring a piece of your trip home.
Literally meaning “product of the region,” omiyage are typically edible and represent the place where they were bought. Ideally, a person can look at the package or the souvenir itself and say, “Yes, this is definitely from that place!”
Who should you buy omiyage for?
In Japanese culture, it’s a societal expectation that you bring back omiyage for family, friends, and possibly coworkers if you go on a trip. You can ask them beforehand if they have a preference or surprise them with whatever you think is best. Each package can cost around $20, so it’s important to take it into consideration when planning out a travel budget and luggage capacity.
If you work in Japan, you might consider bringing back a souvenir for coworkers if other coworkers have brought omiyage in the past or if you took several days off and want to show appreciation for coworkers covering for you. Many edible omiyage are individually wrapped within a larger package to better distribute them. If someone visits Tokyo and returns to their office the next week with a box of individually wrapped, banana creme-filled cakes, they can share the souvenir with the entire group of colleagues rather than buying one for each person, which can add up fast.
A similar custom is called a temiyage (手土産). This is another kind of omiyage, but while an omiyage is something you bring back from a trip, a temiyage is a small gift you bring when visiting someone. Shareable foods are still a safe bet, but it doesn’t have to be from a specific region. A box of prettily packaged cookies or other sweets is perfect!
Omiyage etiquette
Bringing the omiyage isn’t the only important thing: How you give it and what you say matters, too. Understanding the etiquette behind omiyage before your trip is as useful as learning Japanese words for travel.
Generally speaking, respectfully giving or receiving items should be done with both hands and with the item facing the intended direction when the recipient gets it. This is true when receiving someone’s business card (front side up, holding it by the edges, and rotated so that you can read it immediately) and when giving a gift.
The gesture should also be accompanied by a few polite words, often with the Japanese honorific speech called keigo (敬語). The intention is to be humble when giving the omiyage. Skillfully using keigo can be difficult for every level of Japanese learner, so having the guidance of a Japanese-speaking tutor may be helpful. Here are a few stock phrases you can use when giving an omiyage:
- Tsumaranai mono desu ga.（つまらないものですが。）= It’s nothing special [but I hope you like it].
- Izen, suki da to oshatteita node.（以前、好きだとおしゃっていたので。）= You said before that you liked this.
- Okuchi ni au to ii no desu ga.（お口に合うといいのですが。) = I hope this is to your tastes.
- Yoroshikereba minasan de omeshiagari kudasai.（よろしければ皆さんでお召し上がりください。）= Please enjoy this with everyone, if you like.
Of course, among friends and family, you can be much more relaxed without a need for formal language.
Popular regional omiyage in Japan
Each of Japan’s 47 prefectures has at least one representative omiyage, and some cities even have their own. Since it’s expected that visitors will carry that place’s products back home, it’s a guaranteed way to show off what makes a place special! A 2021 survey of over 5,000 people revealed these omiyage to be among the most popular regional treats to receive.
Hokkaido: shiroi koibito
The northern island of Hokkaido is known for its annual snow festival, ramen noodles, and dairy products. Shiroi koibito (白い恋人), meaning “white lover,” are light and crispy square cookies sandwiching white or milk chocolate. They’re immediately recognizable by their white and blue packaging and enjoyed so much that they have their own shiroi koibito theme park.
Yamanashi: shingen mochi
Shingen mochi (信玄餅) is a popular omiyage from Yamanashi prefecture, located to the west of Tokyo. Mochi is a glutinous rice flour cake that appears in many Japanese traditional foods both sweet and savory, and the Yamanashi variety is covered in a roasted soybean flour (kinako, きな粉) and syrup made with brown sugar. Its simple flavor and unique method of consumption via flat wooden spoon make it a famous omiyage.
Kyoto: yatsuhashi
Kyoto is the old capital of Japan and is steeped in Japanese culture and history. It fits that its famous triangular yatsuhashi (八つ橋) are traditional wagashi (和菓子, Japanese sweets) made of mochi dough and stuffed with fillings like red bean paste, matcha, fruit, and chocolate. Yatsuhashi can also be baked into a crispy cookie.
Nagasaki: Nagasaki kasutera
Nagasaki kasutera (カステラ) cakes are a reflection of its history of foreign relations. Portuguese sailors were the first Europeans to arrive in Japan in 1543, establishing a trading relationship in Nagasaki over the next decade. The Portuguese pão de Castela—light sponge cakes—were introduced to Japan and became the Japanese kasutera. They have been adopted so thoroughly into Japan’s tradition of sweets that they’re considered to be wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) rather than yōgashi (洋菓子, Western confections).
Hiroshima: momiji manjū
Hiroshima’s prefectural tree and flower is maple. Using that symbol, momiji manjū (もみじ饅頭) are palm-sized castella cakes in the shape of a maple leaf filled with red bean paste. Even though manjū are a traditional Japanese treat, you can find these cakes sporting a modern twist with different fillings and even images of famous cartoon characters like Doraemon on the back.
Tokyo: Tokyo banana
Bananas may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Japan, but they are well known in the world of Japanese omiyage. Tokyo banana (東京ばな奈) are sponge cakes in the shape of bananas filled with a banana custard. Why bananas? It’s a popular flavor not only in Japan but also around the world, symbolizing Tokyo’s role as a modern city. Only coming onto the culinary scene in 1991, bananas have become a symbol of Tokyo hospitality.
Okinawa: beniimo taruto
Far to the south of the main islands of Japan lies Okinawa, where beniimo taruto (紅いもタルト)—or tarts—are one of the prefecture’s most famous omiyage. Beniimo are a type of Japanese sweet potato with a deep purple color that were originally introduced through trade with China. China had been trading them with Spanish explorers, who in turn obtained them from the Aztec Empire. Beniimo are a typically savory ingredient, often eaten steamed, but they’re also delicious in their dessert tart form.
Kanagawa: hato saburē
The city of Kamakura in Kanagawa prefecture (south of Tokyo) has its own famous omiyage: dove-shaped hato saburē (鳩サブレー). Saburē is a French loanword in Japanese for sablé cookies. The creator of this take on the French butter cookies was enraptured by the flavor, although butter was an uncommon ingredient in 19th century Japan. The dove shape was inspired by the shrine near the original confectionary shrine where the children adored doves, and because he thought the character for eight (八) used in the shrine’s name resembled two birds facing each other.
Sendai: hagi no tsuki
Sendai is a city in Miyagi prefecture on the northeast side of the main island. Like some other omiyage, hagi no tsuki (萩の月) is a sponge cake filled with a light custard. What makes it unique is its shape and inspiration. Hagi no tsuki translates to “moon of the bush clover,” so the pastel yellow, circular cakes are meant to resemble the full moon.
Ise: akafuku mochi
Ise, a city in Mie prefecture, is home to Ise Jingū (伊勢神宮), one of Japan’s most famous shrines. If you visit the shrine dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu, be sure to pick up akafuku mochi (赤福餅), which are glutinous rice cakes wrapped in a sweet bean paste with a wave pattern meant to resemble the nearby Isuzu River.
Shizuoka: unagi pai
Have you ever had a cookie made with seafood? That’s exactly what unagi pai (うなぎパイ) is. Unagi is a Japanese freshwater eel and pai simply means “pie.” These oblong treats resembling French palmier pastries have a buttery flavor despite the powdered eel in the dough.
A taste of Japan through omiyage
Omiyage are delicious ways to experience the regional culinary and cultural traditions of Japan. Even if you aren’t able to visit Japan yourself, check your area for international food markets: You may get lucky and find some momiji manjū or Tokyo banana to bring home as omiyage for your family and friends.
Learning Japanese is another way to explore Japan from afar. With the Rosetta Stone app, you can read stories, join themed Live Lessons, and listen to audio of native speakers to improve your listening comprehension and pronunciation.