When I walked into this small store I was so excited to see so many of the delicious treats I had enjoyed in Japan 10 years ago. As I went to check out, I was going to ask if they had castella cake, because when I was in Nagasaki I loved it. Imagine my joy as I got to the register and right to the left of me was the exact cake I bought in Japan: Nagasaki green tea castella. I almost cried. This store was by far my favorite highlight of San Francisco and the prices are exactly what I would have expected! Now I am sadly back in Connecticut but I am enjoying my castella, mochi, and daifuku! read more

Nippon-Ya kindly gave every ZSFGH laboratory worker a box of delicious mochi. Generous and thoughtful during a tough time. Thank you. read more

Years ago the place was super crowded so I would never go there. I made the effort to shop there 2 years ago and bought various sweets from them to try out. It's small store which is rectangular in shape. Their sweets are on top of tall shelves and 3-level tables displaying their goodies. I've tried their sugar candies to eat and added to my coffee as a substitute for sugar. It had its own flavor of sweetness compared to sugar cane. I was there for the Cherry Blossom Festival but mainly to shop around. I bought their Harajuku Mochi Chocolate. The Cherry Blossom flavor one was sold out. The Harajuku Mochi Chocolates were encased in a nice flattering box to show how trendy it is. Opening the box, I see the lines of mochi all dusted w/ chocolate powder. I tasted it and the mochi was delicious. I'll eat this with coffee next time. If I'm in Japantown again, I will buy another box and see if they have something new. read more

This place is surrounded by beautiful boxes of mochi! I mean, how could I have missed this place all these years!? I had bought a box of Harajuku mochi Sakura flavored and while the packaging and the inside were both beautiful and breath taking, they were not that good. On a scale of 1 - 10, it ranked a 6. Service here was alright. Not much interaction. Just scan, pay, and leave. You can go on to the Japantown website and print a 10% coupon for Nippon-Ya if you want to save a little cash. If you want yummy fresh mochi, I suggest you head over to Benkyodo across the street. read more

Nippon-Ya - Best $19 ever spent. :) - Candy Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

My son n I love the chocolate and strawberry harajuku mochi's from here. They're soft and chewy little bites of heaven! One box has 16 mochi's each one is a little bit bigger than a quarter. $9 a box no tax... read more

Nippon-Ya - Da best! - Candy Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Nippon Ya is my not-so-secret gateway to squishy mochi and other Japanese sweets and treats! Many items are imported straight from Japan, and I can confirm this after my recent visit a few months ago. I was pleasantly surprised to find the same boxes of mochi that I saw at Tokyo station for only a few dollars more here! The store carries mochi filled with more traditional fillings like red bean, but most of their mochi contain white or dark chocolate or even jams with cream inside. The colorful boxes of mochi keep for about 3 months and are great for gifts. These mochi are not to be confused with the larger fresh mochi at Benkyodo that are filled with fruits, lima bean paste, etc. Other fun items to pick up are the bunny-shaped bean paste manju, Japanese flavored kit kats, and freeze dried strawberries coated in white chocolate. They have a variety of keychains and trinkets near the check out line and they can wrap your gifts in beautiful furoshiki wrapping cloth for a couple dollars more. I also always buy a 40g tin of ceremonial grade uji matcha powder when I'm here for $12.50, which is a fantastic price. Just keep in mind that everything is packaged here, but this can be a good thing if you're not planning on eating your treats right away or want to gift them. Japanese sweets don't contain preservatives though, so don't wait too long...but that shouldn't be a problem! Prices are pretty reasonable and their items are a great introduction to mochi if you're unfamiliar with them. Nippin Ya is a must-visit store for me in Japantown! read more

The cutest small, local shop of Japanese imported sweets! I'll admit - I was quite hooked on their specialty mochi. I always passed by this store, but never really went in and check it out. After I did, I got hooked, my boyfriend, and even my office did too (ops!). Boxes of mochi here are priced $10 - $15, which is average priced. They have standard flavors of chocolate, chocolate strawberry, banana, matcha, and even grape (and more). They can wrap beautifully for gifts too. Some mochi may be seasonal though. They also have smaller candy that are similar to Altoids candies, but they aren't really my favorite... Additionally, they carry Japanese inspired SF merchandise because it is located in Japantown. This shop is located on the right side mall with Sophia's crepes and the photobooth machines, but it's easy to walk by because it's small. read more

Nippon-Ya - My work and friends love their mochi - Candy Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

I appreciate Nippon-ya for being so generous and giving during this pandemic time. They gave our lab department personal mochi boxes! I definitely want to plan a visit at their store in the future. read more

All the fresh mochi places are closed in the area, sadly. So I googled it up and found that this place is highly recommended. Nevertheless to say I was so happy to find this place. The choice selections of Japanese desserts here were amazing. You can't find stuff here anywhere else or at least where I came from (Seattle). I ended up buying myself chocolate matcha green tea mochi in the fancy box, chocolate mochi and these bunny shape dessert that was recommended by the store worker. There were also tons of unique kit kat flavors. Idk, if you get a chance to be in the area, I recommend to check this place out and you won't be disappointed. The prices are also reasonable! read more

Nippon-Ya - Tons of selections! - Candy Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Woaaaa this is definitely a gem in Japantown. Their mochi is so good, match and chocolate would be my favorite. It comes in very nice and minimal packaging so it is perfect for gifts. They also have variety of teas and fresh soba noodles. Yum! read more

Inexpensive, delicious and beautifully boxed mochi and candies from Japan. Purchased 5 boxes and received a complimentary box.

SO. MUCH. MOCHI. I'm talking peanut, black sesame, (real fragrant) red bean, mango, green tea, chesnut, and so much more.... sometimes rolled in the usual mochi powder, sometimes in cocoa, sometimes with sesame seeds, sometimes with matcha....the combinations are seriously endless! And then there's the GORGEOUS packaging. Looking at the colorfulness and care in individual wrapping of a lot of the boxes here, you would never guess they were ~$10 or even under sometimes (have you seen the bunny shaped white bean manju? SUCH A STEAL FOR A CUTE GIFT!!). If mochi isn't your thing, fear not, there's plenty of other sweets! Unheard of flavors of Kit-kat (roasted tea? HELLZ YEA!), French wafer/roll cookies, jelly based confections, star candy....Not big on the sugar? There's also hella fresh noodles, super cute knick knacks...I think I even saw some plushies on the side... I'm such a hyper squirrel everything I go here..everything gets me super excited! LOL If you are in Japantown, make sure you swing by and check this place out! read more

See all

Small Japanese gift shop that houses many well-chosen Japanese treats, teas and gifts. At Nippon-Ya you will find luxury boxed Japanese chocolates, pretty packaged treats and gourmet teas. Indulge yourself --or that special person in your life--with Harajuku Mochi Chocolates, Cherry Blossom cookies, Green Tea Kit Kats or Chick-shaped steam buns filled with white bean. The Chick Steam Buns are so cute! I saw a lady filling her cart with these...they really do make a lovely gift. I walked out with a bag of matcha green tea and a box of the Harijuku Mochi Chocolates The matcha green tea is very good --I really look forward to having a cup or two during the day. The Harijuku Mochi Chocolates were a nice treat. They are the perfect after-dinner treat accompanied with a little red wine. I'll have to buy these again when I come back. Make gift shopping easy or pick up something special for yourself at Nippon-Ya. Very fun shop! Gonna make some tea now. read more

See all

Best Sencha quality and selection in the Bay Area! Go here if you are a green tea fan, and pick up any of the Sencha directly on the right-hand wall when you enter. (Fukuoka region is our favorite, $8 for a pack)) Wish they still did mail order, don't know anywhere else to get green tea this good except Japan. read more

I stumbled into this Japanese style confections and gift shop by accident and it was a good thing because they had so many items that reminded me of Japan. They had a huge assortment of candies, biscuits and sweets that are imported and beautifully boxed. These are the kind of gifts you would want to gift as a omiyage (bring home gift) to friends and family. I'm glad I picked up the strawberry mochi ($7.50ish) because my guest back home really enjoyed it. One noticeable thing you must be aware here is some of the food items have short expiration dates. I had to put back a few goodies because a few were going to expire in a few weeks. For example, if you see "09.7.12." that means it will expire July 12, 2009 not December 7, 2009. Year, month, day. Always make sure you look at that before you make your purchase. While trying to remember the name of this shop, I found a printable coupon you can use for 10% off. http://japantownparking.com/Business/index.cfm?bizID=41&popup=1 Aahhhh, finally finished with all my San Francisco reviews! Now moving onto the South Bay! read more

Nippon-Ya - Candy Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

OHHH MYYY OHHHMYYY! I can't believe I stumble upon a great shop for Harajuku Mochi Chocolat!! FYI: it's my first time seeing the product. I thought it was amazing and only brought two different kinds because it was kind of expensive.. :( I got the matcha green tea mochi with chocolate filling and chocolate mochi with strawberry filling. This Jtown located in S.F seems like they are the only one who sells this stuff besides Japan!! :( I came home from my S.F trip and decided to search this product online so I can buy more maybe at a cheaper price..but it all led me to this Yelp page!! :( They are so good. It's so soft and tastes so fresh! If anyone know where else I can buy this product besides this S.F location or Japan..Please let me know!!! :( read more

Nippon-Ya - Candy Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

*Sigh* I am a sucker for Japanese sweets, especially when the packaging is super cute and pretty; just love how the Japanese are very elaborate and delicate with their packaging - skills! Tucked in a back corner of SF Japantown mall, this store offers delicious small bites of mochi goodness. My all time favorite is their sakura harajuku mochi with white chocolate filling...mmm yummy! read more

See all

Place is closed on Monday, 11/22, at 5:30, even though hours say it is open. Not happy bc we made a trip over for delicious pastries for an event. read more

The last time I was in Japan, the whole experience was pretty damn awesome. Checking out the sites, eating plenty of good food, almost drinking too much free sake and plum wine at 9:00am at a sake factory...loads of fun! Probably the worst part of the trip though, was trying to get everything to fit in my luggage for the flight home. Who knew that a few bags of tea leaves, snacks, and mochi could take up so much space? So, imagine my simultaneous joy and dismay that in the middle of J-Town, there's a shop that sells almost the same type of stuff that I had to cram into my luggage. From chocolates and candies, to assorted varieties of mochi, Nippon Ya is practically a one stop shop for so many different sorts of Japanese confections. It's perfect for the tourists that roll on through to get an authentic taste of Japanese sweets while in SF. But better yet, it's the perfect way to get your tasty treats home without having to cram them into your suitcase next to your dirty laundry (mmm....yum). Plus, it's perfect for when you realize you forgot to bring something back from Japan for that one friend who you know will bitch you out for not getting them a souvenir. Or, for those of you that want to pretend that you've even been to Japan in the first place as well. ;) read more

A great place to pick up some gifts. These lovely Japanese treats will certainly put a smile on your recipient's face. Nippon Ya sells regional souvenirs (mostly candies and other edibles) imported from Japan. Similar to those gift shops you found at Tokyo airport. The selection here is much better than most Japanese groceries in the area. Everything looks adorable and are surprisingly affordable. Mostly less than $10 a box. Good things do come in small packaging. I purchased some usagi manju and Japanese tea for Christmas white elephant and they were big hit among everyone. I bought some yuzu mochi and chocolate mousse candies for myself and they tasted great. Most of the stuff they sell are seasonal. They always have something different every time I visit. If you found something you like just grab it or you might not see them again until next year. read more

See all

The short: Ultimate place for Japanese sweets Ever craving some Japanese snacks, candies, and desserts? This place will probably be your number one stop for all those sweet tooths out there. I have never seen so many different mochi, kit kat flavors, tea, and a lot of other unknowns that I'm sure will taste really good! And all of the stuff is beautifully packaged, so the treats make great gifts for people ;) read more

See all

Purchased a small pack of cookies for $8 and it did NOT taste good at all. In fact it tasted artificial and cheap like cookies I would get in Chinatown. It was worst than a rolled up sugar cone which was what it looked like but it tasted way off. This store sells pretty packaged items that taste like crap for ridiculous prices. Go to the Japanese Market across the street & get cookies there. Tourist trap. read more

Nippon ya sells candies, teas, cookies, nuts, edibles, chocolates, many coming from japan. nippon ya is an hole in the wall in Kintetsu Mall. the goodies are neatly and artfully displayed thruout the small shop. sampling: harajuku mochi chocolat (12 pieces in colorful box. 8.75 no tax) -melt in your mouth chocolat flavored mochi with strawberry center -many varietals available, no mixed ones, all single varietals. temaki: -friendly, helpful, courteous service -items are classily packaged, idea on special occasions as gifts. read more

They sell traditional mochi, chocolate mochi, unique flavored kit kats, and other snacks from various parts of Japan. Plus they have a star wars corner and tea corner. Currently there is bogo free with certain boxes so i got 3 boxes for only $20!! I haven't tried any yet since I'm giving them as gifts to my bfs family this weekend. They accept credit cards. read more

Nippon-Ya - Bought these two, the one on the left was bogo free so all three boxes cost $20! - Candy Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

Oh my gosh, this is SUCH a little gem in Japantown! They have a wide selection of sweets and treats from Japan that are scrump-dilly-umptious. I bought freeze dried strawberries covered in white chocolate that my family loved! They also have a bunch of cute Hello Kitty SF Japantown merchandise which make great omiyage! The service was exceptional. I recently legally changed my last name, and the employees were very understanding about it and kind when they asked to see my ID with payment. I am definitely coming back here soon! read more

Nippon-Ya - Kawaii Hello Kitty x SF Japantown Souvenirs! :) - Candy Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great treats. Very friendly staff. Will go back there whenever we are in the area. Worth the time.

I love this store. It's a cute little hole in the wall stuffed with many boxes of mochi and other delicious things. Don't worry if you can't read the Japanese on some of the boxes. Everything has a sign that says what exactly is in them and what flavors as well as the price. And if you look on the back of the boxes they have the ingredients on the back in English as well as the nutritional value. All the boxes are beautifully wrapped and packaged you don't even want to open them! They have all the mochi flavors that I like with -reasonable prices-. The Harajuku Chocolate Mochi in the black box comes 16 in a box and the Sesame Mochi Hinokuniya with black bean paste comes 12 in a box. They have various traditional hard candies like konpeito and temari. They have nuts, white chocolate covered freeze-dried strawberries that remind me of malted milk balls, cookies, random little gifts like stuffed animals, keychains, and cute wooden figurines. I got those two boxes of mochi, two little packages of konpeito, and a package of the white chocolate covered strawberries for around $25.00. read more

Nippon-Ya - Candy Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Best place to get authentic mochi! And it's very reasonably priced. I don't know how they do it but the mochi is still super soft and tasty. The packaging is good too. My favorite is the banana white chocolate mochi. Yum! Just picked up a box of strawberry and chocolate mochi. Can't wait to try it. I wish they gave samples so we could try before we buy, but I guess they would lose some money if they did that. read more

One of my favorite little shops! Where else in SF can you find super-delicious, soft, chewy, strawberry mochi with creamy chocolate filling??? No where! That's where! Lot's of traditional Japanese treats with modern twists. There are lots of seasonal products. Green tea and fruit treats in summer... Chestnut and persimmon treats in autumn and winter! You can't beat this place for variety and reasonable prices. Every box is between $7-10! read more

See all

I love San Diego, but in terms of culture and good Japanese food or good manju/mochi, San Diego is definitely lacking. Found Nippon Ya and was in manju/mochi HEAVEN!!! Ended up buying various types of packages and was able to take it back on the place with me as a carry on (unopened.. I left it sealed to be on the safe side). read more

Nippon-Ya - Candy Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

A cute little sweets shop tucked away in the Kintetsu Mall, Nippon Ya carries a huge selection of flavored mochi, along with a smaller selection of things like cookies, all packaged in such a way that would suggest they're primarily designed to be souvenirs or gifts (not that one can't treat themselves every so often!). And affordable ones at that, with most boxes here running under $10 each. As a note, the mochi they carry is of a more unique variety than I'm used to, with fillings such as a cream center surrounded by a layer of flavored red or white bean. Those who are looking for simpler and more traditional mochi may find themselves better off at the nearby Benkyodo Co, which makes excellent, traditional Japanese mochi. read more

Cute little snacks and sweets store that specializes in goods from Japan. It's located on the west wing of the mall in Japantown and has an open store front so it's not easily missed. We came in hopes of finding hakata torimon but left with a box of red bean mochi infused with sake and a box of sweet white bean cakes. - Red bean mochi: It's a box of 12, I believe. They were good but the texture wasn't exact to the soft, chewy texture of mochi. - Sweet bean cakes: I was hoping these would be similar to torimon and it was, but the texture of the filling was off. Torimon has a creamy filling while the filling for these are a bit crumbly. These came in a box of 16. The store is divided into sections so it's easy to narrow down what you want. Although this store imports goods from Japan, my boyfriend didn't see one thing that he's had or seen from Japan. It's not a question of authenticity but it was interesting to hear that from him. The person working wasn't helpful one bit and didn't bother getting up from his seat to answer any questions or give any recommendations. There's a box of their most sold item as a sample but it was empty when we went. Attaching pictures of what we bought to gain a better sense of what was purchased. read more

Nippon-Ya - Box of red bean mochi infused with sake. Came in 12, I think. - Candy Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

This place is like the Japanese See's Candy shop! But Mochi style. So, I popped a sample chocolate mochi into my mouth... I closed my eyes and chewed in slow motion. It tasted like a cloud floating inside my mouth. It was so soft, it was lightly sweetened, it was chocolate flavored and it made me feel happy inside. I swear I started floating up and my twinkle toes started dancing in mid-air. Wowz!! MAMA!! It was amazing! Needless to say, I threw down my $9 for a box to bring home. Fresh, fantastic and fun-derful! read more

Stopped in again and got some more manju and yup it didn't disappoint. Will keep coming back to this place. Can't go wrong with anything you buy. read more

Very great place for delicious and beautifully decorated gifts. Most of the items aren't too expensive and the store has a wide, diverse selection of goods from hard candies to green tea to little cute figurines. I really recommend this place if you want to try small delicacies from Japan! read more

Nippon-Ya - Candy Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

Got back from Tokyo last month and couldn't find Harajuku mochi during our trip. Well, it looks like I didn't have to fly that far because this small shop in SF's Japantown has all the pre-packaged mochi that you'll need! They have several Harajuku mochi flavors available -- chocolate, melon, strawberry, green tea. The classic chocolate is and will always be my favorite! Reasonable price too -- $9.99 for a 16-piece box. They also have other treats, I just never get to them because the Harajuku mochi is in the way! read more

Nippon-Ya - Harajuku mochi - Candy Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Located inside the Japanese Center - West Mall, this is one of my favorite place to get mochi. They have such a wide variety to choose from. If you tell them what you're looking for, they can usually help you find something that fits your tastes. I love black sesame mochi (one that has a really strong flavor) and they have two brands that really satisfies my palette. Lately, every-time I go, they're sold out though. :( I used to get really fresh white tea here as well but due to FDA regulations, they could no longer sell them. Sadness. :( read more

Nippon-Ya - Sakura Items - Candy Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place is absolutely a Mochi heaven. one of my favorite place to visit in japantown. love the packaging and details on their boxes. If you love mochi and other Japanese sweets.. You gotta check this place out. don't hesitate to ask questions to the ladies over there cos they will surely help you out... **cheaper too** read more

Nippon-Ya - Love it - Candy Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Mediocre at best. The people that praise Nippon Ya obviously haven't been to Benkyodo! I bought the $15 variety mochi pack. I'd give a solid 4-stars for the walnut-topped mochi and the black sesame seed covered mochi. However, I wasn't a fan of the pink (peach?) one and the mini mochi (on a stick) covered with brown powder. read more

Nippon-Ya - Roughly $15 for the mochi variety pack - Candy Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

It was great. Walk past 30 Dec 2021. Was locked up and shelves mostly empty. Prob closed down. Where to get boxes of mochi now. Sad.