Where to Buy Japanese Snacks in Canada: Stores, Online Shops, and Ordering From Japan

Looking for Japanese snacks in Canada? Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal all have Japanese grocery stores, and Asian supermarkets across the country carry popular snacks from Japan. But local stores can only sell what has been imported, so regional flavors and limited editions from Japan are hard to find.

This guide covers where to buy Japanese snacks in Canada, from Japanese grocery stores in major cities to online shops and ordering directly from Japan. We also explain Canada’s CAN$20 duty and tax threshold for mail from Japan and the CFIA rules on food sent to Canada for personal use.

Quick Answer: Where to Buy Japanese Snacks in Canada

Japanese Grocery Stores in Toronto

The store details below come from each store’s official website. Hours can change, so check the official site before you visit.

Sanko

Sanko is a Japanese grocery store on Queen Street West in downtown Toronto, carrying Japanese foods and household goods. Its website features snack-related categories such as chocolate, Pocky, and rice cakes, alongside noodles, tea, and kitchenware. Note that the store is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Heisei Mart

Heisei Mart is a Japanese grocery store at 3160 Steeles Avenue East in Markham, the same address as the J-Town complex. It stocks Japanese foods, pantry essentials, and seasonal favourites, and posts monthly specials on its website. It’s a convenient option if you live in the northern part of the Greater Toronto Area.

Japanese Grocery Stores in Vancouver and Victoria

Fujiya describes itself as a one-stop shop for Japanese food, with stores in Vancouver, Richmond, and Victoria. Alongside Japanese groceries, it also offers sushi and catering, so it’s easy to pick up snacks while you shop for other Japanese food. The Clark Drive and Richmond stores are open every day, while the downtown store is open on weekdays only.

Japanese Grocery Stores in Montreal

Miyamoto is a Japanese grocery store in Westmount that sells Japanese food both retail and wholesale, and also prepares fresh sushi every day. It is open seven days a week, and its website offers online ordering with local delivery. It’s a convenient specialist store for Japanese snacks in Montreal.

Asian Supermarkets That Carry Japanese Snacks

T&T Supermarket is Canada’s largest Asian supermarket chain, with more than 30 stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. It carries a wide range of Asian foods, so it’s a convenient place to pick up popular snacks during your regular grocery shopping. The Japanese selection varies from store to store, so it’s best for popular snacks rather than limited editions.

Buying Japanese Snacks Online in Canada

Amazon.ca

On Amazon.ca, many sellers offer Japanese snacks with fast delivery within Canada. Prices usually include the reseller’s markup, though, and it can be hard to tell how long the snacks have been stored. Check the best-before date and the seller before you buy, especially for limited editions.

Proxy Services and kachicollect’s Purchase Requests

Proxy services such as Buyee, ZenMarket, and FROM JAPAN buy items for you from Japanese websites and ship them to Canada. The fee shown upfront is only the starting point, and various other costs are usually added along the way. They also buy at Japanese retail prices that include Japan’s domestic consumption tax, which is passed on to you. kachicollect offers the same kind of access without the proxy fees: send us a product link from any Japanese marketplace, including Mercari and Yahoo! Auctions, and you’ll get an instant quote.

Why Local Stores Can’t Stock Everything

Stores in Canada can only sell what has been imported, which usually means popular, long-selling products. Regional souvenir snacks, such as Jimoto Pocky or souvenir-only Jagarico flavors, and limited-edition KitKat flavors are rarely available, because they are made for specific areas of Japan or sold for a short time.

Imported snacks also carry import and distribution costs, which are reflected in shelf prices. And if you don’t live near a Japanese grocery store, your choice may be limited to a small shelf at a general supermarket.

Ordering Japanese Snacks Directly From Japan With kachicollect

If you want snacks you can’t find locally, the most reliable option is to order directly from Japan with kachicollect. We only carry products made for the Japanese market, and you pay the listed price plus shipping, with no proxy fees and no hidden costs. You can pay in your local currency by Visa, Mastercard, or JCB, and you don’t need a Japanese address or card.

At checkout, the total including duties and taxes is shown before you pay, so there are no surprise charges when your parcel arrives. Orders ship from Japan with tracking by Japan Post international airmail, or by EMS for parcels over 2 kg, and arrive in about 7 to 14 days.

kachicollect also works well for bulk orders. Since there are no per-item or per-order service fees, adding more snacks to one order doesn’t add extra charges beyond the items themselves, and your shipping is shared across everything in the box. And if a snack isn’t in our catalog, send us the product link from a Japanese marketplace to get an instant quote and buy it directly on kachicollect.

Not sure where to start? See our picks for the best Japanese snacks, our guides to Japanese KitKat flavors and Japanese Pocky flavors, and our comparison of where to buy Japanese snacks online.

Duty and Taxes on Japanese Snacks in Canada

According to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Canada Post, mail items valued at CAN$20 or less are not assessed duty or tax. The higher CAN$150 duty threshold under CUSMA applies only to shipments from the United States and Mexico, so it doesn’t cover parcels from Japan.

If your parcel is worth more than CAN$20, you pay the applicable duty plus GST, or HST in participating provinces, and PST may also apply depending on your province. Duty rates vary according to the type of goods and the country where they were made. On top of that, Canada Post charges a handling fee of CAN$9.95 for each mail item that is assessed for duty or tax.

Since most snack orders are worth more than CAN$20, it’s worth knowing your total in advance. With kachicollect, the total including duties and taxes is shown at checkout, so you can see your costs before you pay.

Food Rules for Sending Snacks to Canada

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) sets limits on food brought into Canada for personal use, and its rules apply whether you are a traveller or buying food online. For food from countries other than the United States, confectionery, sweeteners, and snack foods are allowed up to 20 kg per person, as long as they don’t contain meat. Bread, pastries, cakes, biscuits, and other baked goods follow the same rule.

Meat products, on the other hand, can only be brought into Canada if they are accompanied by you, and cannot be sent by mail or courier. In practice, packaged Japanese candy, chocolate, cookies, and chips are fine, but avoid snacks made with meat, such as jerky.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a DON DON DONKI in Canada?

No. The official website of PPIH, the company behind DON DON DONKI, lists overseas stores in the United States and Asia, including Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Malaysia, but none in Canada. For Japanese snacks in Canada, your best options are Japanese grocery stores or ordering directly from Japan.

Where can I buy Japanese KitKat or Pocky flavors in Canada?

Japanese grocery stores sometimes carry a few Japanese KitKat or Pocky flavors, but limited and regional editions rarely make it to Canada. The most reliable way to get them is to order directly from Japan. See our guides to Japanese KitKat flavors and Japanese Pocky flavors for the most popular ones.

Do I pay duty on Japanese snacks ordered online?

Mail items from Japan valued at CAN$20 or less are not assessed duty or tax. Above that, duty and GST or HST apply, PST may apply depending on your province, and Canada Post charges a CAN$9.95 handling fee. With kachicollect, the total including duties and taxes is shown before you pay, so you won’t get an extra bill when your parcel arrives.

Can Japanese chocolate be mailed to Canada?

Yes. Under the CFIA rules for food from countries other than the United States, confectionery and snack foods are allowed up to 20 kg per person, as long as they don’t contain meat. Packaged Japanese chocolate, candy, and cookies fall into this category.

Conclusion

If you want a popular Japanese snack right away, Sanko, Heisei Mart, Fujiya, Miyamoto, or T&T may have it. But local stores are limited to what has been imported, and prices include import costs.

For the widest choice, limited and regional flavors, and no surprise costs, we recommend ordering directly from Japan with kachicollect. You see the total including duties and taxes before checkout, and you can request any snack you find on a Japanese marketplace. First-time customers can use the code WELCOME20 for 20% off.