Stock Up on Japanese Sweets and Snacks at Okashi no Machioka (おかしのまちおか) | Classic Snacks, Ume Snacks, Dagashi, Senbei, Exclusive Items, How to Read the Price Tags, Stores in Shinjuku, Ueno, Nakano, Osaka and Nagoya, Tax-Free, Tips for Taking Them Home

Overview

Okashi no Machioka (おかしのまちおか) is a chain of specialty stores that sells only sweets and snacks. It is run by Minoya Co., Ltd., a company headquartered in Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture. Minoya was originally a wholesaler of sweets and snacks, and in 1997 it opened its first store selling sweets and snacks in Itabashi, Tokyo. Using Okashi no Machioka's official website (the website of Minoya Co., Ltd., the company that runs the chain; checked on October 19, 2026), this article explains what travelers should know when buying Japanese sweets and snacks at Okashi no Machioka.

• Okashi no Machioka carries about 1,500 kinds of sweets and snacks, including snack foods, chocolate, candy, chewing gum, senbei (rice crackers) and dagashi (small, inexpensive sweets for children) (according to the introduction on the official website).
• According to the information for investors on the official website, the number of stores was 220 as of the end of June 2026. The same information describes the areas with stores as three regions: Kanto (Tokyo and the area around it), Chukyo (Nagoya and the area around it) and Kansai (Osaka, Kyoto and the area around them).
• The same information explains that, in addition to regular products, the company buys large quantities of manufacturers' surplus products and products of an old specification that became outdated because the manufacturer changed the specifications, and sells them at low prices.
• In Tokyo, there are stores in places such as Shinjuku, Ueno and Nakano. As of October 19, 2026, the store search on the official website does not list any stores in Ikebukuro, Shibuya, Asakusa, Akihabara or Ginza, or at Tokyo Station. Details are in the "Where to buy" section of this article.
• Okashi no Machioka's official website has no information about tax-free procedures. Details are in the "Conditions" section of this article.

What to buy

Photos of the store's sales areas

The photos in this article were taken by the operator of this site at one Okashi no Machioka store in October 2026. Not every store has the same products. The price tags and products in the photos are those at the time the photos were taken.

• Above the store entrance there is a sign that says "おかしのまちおか". Sweets and snacks are also displayed on the shelves at the front of the store, facing the walkway.

How to read the price tags

• In the store where the photos were taken, the tags on the shelves showed two prices: "本体価格" (price before tax) and "税込価格" (price including tax). "本体価格" is the price without consumption tax, and "税込価格" is the price including consumption tax. At the register, you pay the "税込価格". The procedure for buying tax-free is explained in the "Conditions" section of this article.
• In the store where the photos were taken, there were price tags that said "7日間限定" (7 days only). The tag showed the dates of the period during which the item was sold at that price.
• The packaging of each product has a date labeled "賞味期限" (best-before date) in Japanese. It is the date until which the product can be enjoyed at its best. If you are buying souvenirs, check the date before you buy.

Classic Japanese sweets and snacks

• This is a shelf of well-known products from major Japanese sweets and snack makers. On the shelf in the photo were "プリッツ" (Pretz), long thin pretzel sticks; "たべっ子どうぶつ" (Tabekko Dobutsu), animal-shaped biscuits; "じゃがりこ" (Jagarico), stick-shaped potato snacks; and gummies in various flavors (at the time the photo was taken).

Ume snacks

• This is a shelf of snacks with the flavor of umeboshi (ume fruit pickled in salt). Many of them taste sour and salty. On the shelf in the photo were gummies and sheet-type snacks from the "男梅" (Otokoume) series, the dried ume "スッパイマン" (Suppaiman) and "カリカリ梅" (Karikari Ume, crunchy ume) (at the time the photo was taken).
• A handwritten sign above the shelf said "すっぱくておいしい" (sour and delicious).

Dagashi

• Dagashi are small, inexpensive sweets and snacks that children can buy with a little money.
• On the shelf in the photo was "うまい棒" (Umaibo), a stick-shaped snack, sold both as single sticks and in bags of 30. There were also "わたがし" (Watagashi), cotton candy; "おやつカルパス" (Oyatsu Karupasu), small salami made from meat; and "ポテトフライ" (Potato Fry), a potato snack (at the time the photo was taken).

Senbei

• This is a shelf of senbei. Senbei are made from rice; some are baked and some are fried in oil. On the shelf in the photo were "おにぎりせんべい" (Onigiri Senbei), "ばかうけ" (Bakauke), "瀬戸しお" (Seto Shio) and "香り揚げ" (Kaori Age), among others (at the time the photo was taken).
• The tags on the lower-left shelf in the photo said "おかしのまちおか限定販売" (Okashi no Machioka exclusive). This means the product is sold only at Okashi no Machioka. The products with this tag were "ひとくちねぎみそせんべい" (bite-size green onion and miso senbei), "ひとくちチーズせんべい" (bite-size cheese senbei) and "本格カレーせんべい" (authentic curry senbei) (at the time the photo was taken).

Items sold only at Okashi no Machioka

When checked on October 19, 2026, the news on the official website introduced the following two items as products sold only at Okashi no Machioka.

• "カントリーマアム バニラ＆ティーラテ" (Country Ma'am Vanilla & Tea Latte): a product of the cookie brand "カントリーマアム" (Country Ma'am). The news introduced it as having two flavors, "Tea Latte" and "Vanilla".
• "ミルキー ロイヤルミルクティー・ラムレーズン" (Milky Royal Milk Tea & Rum Raisin): a product of the milk candy brand "ミルキー" (Milky). The news introduced it as having royal milk tea and rum raisin flavors.

For both products, the news did not say whether one bag contains both flavors or each flavor comes in a separate bag. It also did not say until when they would be sold.

Where to buy

Stores that are easy for travelers to visit

Below are some of the stores listed in the store search on Okashi no Machioka's official website, checked on October 19, 2026.

• The floor numbers match the building's signs. The ground floor is 1F. "B1F" means the first basement floor.
• The opening hours in the table are the hours listed in the store search. For the stores in the table, the store search lists only one set of opening hours, not divided by day of the week. It does not say whether the opening hours differ by day of the week.
• For stores whose address in the store search does not include a building name, the "Location" column of the table gives the name of the district in the address instead.

Areas with no stores

As of October 19, 2026, the store search does not list any stores in the following places.

• Tokyo and the area around it: Ikebukuro, Shibuya, Asakusa, Akihabara, Ginza, Tokyo Station, Haneda Airport and Narita Airport
• Osaka: Umeda, Namba, Shinsaibashi and Kansai International Airport
• Kyoto: all of Kyoto City. The stores in Kyoto Prefecture are in Kizugawa City and Kumiyama Town, which are outside Kyoto City.
• Nagoya: Nagoya Station and Sakae
• Stores in Hokkaido, Kyushu or Okinawa are not listed either.

Finding a store

• On the "まちおかに行こう" (Let's go to Machioka) page of Okashi no Machioka's official website (in Japanese), you can choose a prefecture to see the address, phone number and opening hours of each store.
• On days when the building that houses a store changes its opening hours, the store's opening hours may also change. Before you go, check the building's information too.

Checkout and store

• The introduction on the official website says that because the prices are low, many customers buy armfuls of sweets and snacks. Using one of the store's baskets makes it easier to pick out many items at once.
• Large bags of sweets and snacks that contain many small packs are souvenirs that are easy to divide and hand out to family and friends after you get home.
• The payment methods accepted at the stores are not listed on Okashi no Machioka's official website. If you want to pay by credit card, or with a QR code or barcode in a smartphone app, check at the register whether you can. It is a good idea to carry some cash. How to use cash and cards in Japan is explained in Do You Need Cash in Japan? | Where Cards Work, ATMs That Accept Overseas Cards, and Currency Exchange.
• Japanese sweets and snacks can also be bought at convenience stores and at Don Quijote. Food at convenience stores is explained in How to Buy Food and Drinks at Japanese Convenience Stores | Popular Items from Each Chain, Hot Snacks, Coffee and Smoothies, Heating, Eat-In Tax, Alcohol (7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson), and Don Quijote is explained in Shopping at Don Quijote (Donki) in Japan | Tax-free conditions, the refund method from November 1, 2026, how to use the 5% and 7% OFF tax-free coupons, 24-hour stores (Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza, Osaka, Fukuoka), payment methods, and return rules.

Conditions

Whether you can shop tax-free

Okashi no Machioka's official website has no information about tax-free procedures (checked on October 19, 2026). Before you buy, ask the staff at the store whether you can shop tax-free there.

Changes from November 1, 2026

Japan's tax-free system changed on November 1, 2026 (Japan Tourism Agency information).

• For purchases made on or after November 1, 2026, you pay the price including consumption tax at the store. When you leave Japan, the consumption tax amount is refunded after customs checks your purchases at the airport or seaport. To receive the refund, you must leave Japan within 90 days of the purchase date and have customs check your purchases when you leave.
• According to the Japan Tourism Agency, from November 1, 2026, purchases totaling ¥5,000 (tax excluded) or more at the same store on the same day are eligible for tax exemption.
• According to the Japan Tourism Agency, if consumables such as food are eaten or used in Japan, you cannot receive the refund. To receive the refund, take the sweets and snacks you bought tax-free out of Japan without eating them in Japan.

The tax-free conditions and the procedure when you leave Japan are explained in Tax-Free Shopping in Japan | The Refund Method from November 2026 and What to Do When You Leave Japan.

Good to know

Cautions when taking them home

• Chocolate and gummies can melt in hot places. In summer, do not leave them in direct sunlight or in a hot car.
• Senbei and snack foods break easily inside the bag. When you pack them in a suitcase, put them where they will not be under heavy items.
• How to send large luggage to the airport or your hotel is explained in Send Your Suitcase by Courier | Airport to Accommodation, Accommodation to Airport (Yamato Transport).

Bringing them into your own country

• Some countries do not allow food that contains meat or meat extract to be brought in. Before you buy, check the rules of the country you are returning to.
• The ingredients of sweets and snacks are written in Japanese on the packaging. Besides snacks made from meat, such as "おやつカルパス", other sweets and snacks may also contain meat extract in their ingredients. Before you buy, check the ingredients on the packaging of each item.

Buying from outside Japan and making inquiries

• Okashi no Machioka's official website has no information about buying sweets and snacks online (checked on October 19, 2026).
• The inquiry form and the store search on the official website are in Japanese only (checked on October 19, 2026).