When I started blogging I would never have believed that I would be taking photos of the inside of my fridge and pantry but its one of the questions that I get asked most (well, that and questions about how I became bilingual and how I have ended up living in Japan so long but I think I give the basic gist of those questions here.)
But there are a lot of food packages without a lot of English and there is always something about items that has been tried and tested ‘by a friend’ and also maybe a little bit of ‘I’ll have what she’s having’? (especially when a language barrier gets in the way.)
Adding as I go…..(and raiding my own pantry!)
Oh and if you like this post you may also find my vending machine and combini (convenience store) post here.
Also, its still a work in progress but I’m made a bit of a rice ball dictionary here.
And want to know what healthy options are available in 24 hour convenience stores in Japan? Read my post here. 
Yuki no Yado is a savoury rice cracker with ‘snow’ (white icing) on top. They are sooooo good.
Note: There is not always a Hello Kitty Character on the front. This is an anniversary edition packet.
Jyagariko , stick-shaped potato crisps. We all like the “salad” (sounds gross but it isn’t) flavoured ones the best.
My little boy, in particular, adores these little savoury goldfish crackers , Ottotto ( a much lighter and less flavoured goldfish than the U.S. option.)
Here is some visual evidence of my child devouring these ( his favourite snack on the planet.)
These are string cheese sticks. The blue packet is the plain flavour. There is a brown packet for smoked cheese. There is a red packet for chilly (spicy) cheese.
We buy these rice crackers by the trolley load. You’ll see that this brand has other colours – and they are cookies or chips but these yellow rice crackers are so yummy. If you’re Australian they are very similar to a Sakata cracker.
Also, they only cost 80 yen !
Where have coolish been all my life? This is vanilla ice-cream in a pouch! It’s so great to help avoid the mess of an ice-cream cone. You can even replace the lid if you’re not quite finished and pop it in the freezer again! (Other flavours are sometimes for sale during different seasons.)
I also ingenious idea where @brollyknits told me that she has once used it as an icepack for a child’s hurt chin and, at the same time, it was a built-in bribery for holding it there!
Hold the icepack and eat the contents afterwards! Genius!
Haichuu are a soft, chewy candy that comes in different (mostly fruit) flavours. They are similar to Starburst.
And this is the same item but in popsicle form. These flavours are grape and strawberry.
Pino are amazing. They are little mini ice creams covered in chocolate. Each pack has its own little toothpick.
A Japanese girlfriend told me the best way to eat them. While sitting in a hot bath. She’s right. I’m changed forever.
Both my hubby and I love this jelly. It’s got big pieces of mandarin. It’s really good.
While my little boy loves these pouch drinking jellies too. This is apple flavoured but there are a whole range of fruit options in the supermarkets.
Morinaga Milk Caramels. One box in one sitting. Yes. Easy.
My kids love jelly and I put them in little tiny containers in the fridge for an after dinner snack.
The international supermarkets usually stock Aeroplane jelly but I also buy this brand in the 100 yen shop ( mostly Daiso).
They almost always have flavours strawberry or melon.
Oh and by the way, to make it, you’ll just need to add 200 mls of boiling water, stir in and then 200 mls of cold water. Then in the fridge.
Ukon no chikara is a turmeric drink that Japanese people swear by for hangover prevention. It tastes quite sweet but a bit medicinal. Not too bad though. Meant to be “taken” before a night out. As for my report back on effectiveness? It seemed to work better for me in my 20s than it does in my 30s but I think that says more about my tolerance levels…
This is a yummy little strawberry flavoured yogurt. They come in big tubs too in plain, vanilla, blueberry and then other seasonal flavours. It’s called Bulgaria.
And this one is zero calorie low-fat vanilla yogurt.
I know that this has some English but it’s worth sharing as this is my very favourite vanilla yoghurt in Japan.
It’s really creamy.
This is Mirin. A rice wine for cooking.
Hondashi is a high-quality fish stock made of dried bonito.
This is raw/uncooked ginger.
This is the vegetable oil we use.
This is one of the most popular brands of sweetened condensed milk. It is usually next to the tea and coffee in the supermarket.
This is a grape & apple juice ( you can also just get straight apple juice in the red pack.)
This is atsuage, lightly fried tofu. I put it in stir-fries and curries or eat on its own with soy sauce.
My kids love these chicken meatballs from Family Mart
My favourite salad dressing in the world is “goma” = sesame dressing. It’s soooo good. TRUST ME! TRUST ME! Please try it.
This is one of the most prominent brands of margarine in Japan (often found in convenience stores too. )
Did you know that Aeon and My Basket supermarkets now stock broccoli and cauliflower rice?
